Need help with recording vox.

[wavtech88]

Hey!

What fx should I run and in what order for a nice, smooth vox? Should use live fx or throw them on after the recording?
Usually I do EQ -> Compressor -> Reverb. I'm still trying to understand compression though. On the interface hardware I use, which is the Cakewalk by Roland USB Audio Capture UA-25 EX, it has a compressor built in. Should I skip the software compressor and use the hardware one?

 

[Cayden Carrell]

For tracking I often use a good reverb to make the vocalist more comfy tracking.
For processing the vocals I normally use EQ-Compressor-Reverb- Delay- and stereo widener effect if I want that.
In that order.
But after tracking, I always cut vocals manually or auto, getting rid of silence parts. If I dont then the compressor often boosts this and they come across as noise. Then I take them into melodyne or similar to fix a few things like pitch, timing and the length of a word or two.
Then I bounce the track dry to a new track and add the EFX listed above.
Don´t think it matter much what compressor you use. The compressors job is most often to reduce the dynamic range of a recording, cutting peaks and bringing silent/low parts up in gain/volume.
The compressor can also drastically change the "sound" of the compressed signal playing with the attack and release settings.
I normally dont use a compressor on recording but my soundcard has a software limiter built into it that I uses that helps a little stopping peaks in the incoming signal.

The main controls on your compressor will be threshold (where the compressions should kick in measured in Db), Ratio (how much it should compress( 2:1 = 2 DB coming into the compressor (above the threshold) is reduced to 1db).
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Added: And Live FX or not? Any FX you add on a track in your DAW before tracking vocals will not be rendered into the recorded file and is considered AFTER. If you wanted to render EFX into the vocals tracked in a DAW you would have to route the incoming vocals through a bus, add EFX and render/record/route to a new track. Not a good idea as you wanna be able to adjust efx later.
Also; having heavy delay and such on vocals when recording might be disturbing for the vocalist. It´s comes down to taste basically.

 

[RedBeerd]

Keep in MInd that if you have efx running while you're tracking, there is no correcting without re-recording. The optimal situation is to record what are called "dry" vocals...nothing but the vox. Processing comes only after recording successful takes.

There are no rules, only enlightened suggestions.

Peace.

 

[Cayden Carrell]

Keep in MInd that if you have efx running while you're tracking, there is no correcting without re-recording.

Sure is in Logic. What DAW are you using? In Logic the EFX I add to the track while recording ain´t printed to the recorded audio. So I can take it away after the recording is done.
If I use outboard EFX in the chain - sure it´s printed.
But not with software EFX.

 

[sprinting_season]

Some people like to run two compressors, one to add punch and another to flatten down the loudest parts and mac the volume more even throughout. I think everything said is pretty good though, I just usually have my reverb on a send track so that I can have to processed with the same verb as the other instrument parts.

 

[HERESY/KNOKK SHOPE]

Sure is in Logic. What DAW are you using? In Logic the EFX I add to the track while recording ain´t printed to the recorded audio. So I can take it away after the recording is done.
If I use outboard EFX in the chain - sure it´s printed.
But not with software EFX.

In pro tools you have to route the audio track to a aux and then record that auxs signal on another audio track if you want to actually record wet (plugins.) You can record a signal with a plugin engaged but you'll simply be monitoring at that point.

Example:

track->aux with fx on insert->track armed for recording = permanent.

track armed for recording with plugin on insert = not permanent.

I think that is what he meant.

Hey!

What fx should I run and in what order for a nice, smooth vox?

There is no way anyone here can answer this.

Should use live fx or throw them on after the recording?

If you have to ask this question you should use them afterwards.

Usually I do EQ -> Compressor -> Reverb.

OK, but sometimes that might not actually sound best. There is no strict formula, do what is best for the song.

I'm still trying to understand compression though. On the interface hardware I use, which is the Cakewalk by Roland USB Audio Capture UA-25 EX, it has a compressor built in. Should I skip the software compressor and use the hardware one?

This depends on if the hardware compressor sounds good. Why don't you make a dummy track experimenting with all the questions you're asking here?