Post by Admin on Dec 24, 2008 18:14:41 GMT
I took this from Shiroka, who runs the Color Project on YouTube, one of the H!P dubbing groups. She said all of this better than I could, so I'm going to post this here for you all. READ IT ALL. THESE ARE ALL EXCELLENT TIPS.
1) The Right Mic: This really isn't as hard as you might think! I lost my mind trying to get a very expensive stage mic to work with my computer, then I realized that stage mics, even if you have an adapter, use completely different wiring and therefore lose a bulk of their sound quality in translation. So any old cushioned mic/gaming headset will do. I recommend the gaming headset.
2) Holding the Mic vs. Wearing Those Headphones: Headphones on gaming mics are terrible, and they are detrimental to doing one important thing: leaving one ear open (unless you have a Burger King drive-thru headset XD). What I do is plug in the microphone split of my headset only, and wear my regular headphones. I pull one ear aside and sing into the mic. This is really important because when you're wearing headphones it is very easy to misjudge your own pitch/volume/key. I noticed a remarkable change in my recording quality/control when I started the "one ear" method.
3) Posture!: Always hold the mic - don't lean into it. An expandable diaphragm is very important for hitting those difficult notes and watching your tempo!
If you're reading lyrics as you sing (which I always do...I don't memorize unless I've sung it 1000 times *ahem*VERY BEAUTY*ahem*), sit on the edge of your chair, or better yet print out a copy of your lyrics and stand up!
4) Program to Record With: Use Audacity. I cannot recommend a better, easier, more versatile program. And it's free! Use Audacity if humanly possible - don't worry about any clicks or crunches in the background during silent moments - I get rid of all that in mixing. Just make sure your voice is clear, that you're not "blowing out" your mic (singing so loud that the feedback rings through - I used to do that a LOT), and that no loud music can be heard in the background (which shouldn't be a problem if you're wearing headphones
)
5) Timing: Always, always, ALWAYS record along to the original track. Try not to use the instrumental. I used to do this, and then I wondered why my pronunciation/timing was off sometimes. There is no better way to keep track of your words and timing better than singing to the original. When singing with a group, timing is 9/10 of EVERYTHING (since we already have awesome voices XD), and singing along to the original recording is the next best thing to being in a studio with everyone.
6) Emotion: Act your way into the right tone! If it's a happy song, smile while you're singing. If it's a dancey song, by all means dance along in your chair (as long as you don't lose breath or sound shakey XD). If it's a serious or sexy song, get into that as well! Trust me, acting will improve your singing. It's easy to end up sounding "bored" or "out of it" when you listen to the lines you just recorded...it's usually because your face wasn't shaped to fit the song. Keep it in mind!
A SPECIAL NOTE: If I know you can do better, I WILL NOT HESITATE to ask for re-records on lines! So watch out! Give us your absolute best!
7) RECORD ONE TRACK!!: If you use Audacity, this is extremely easy - even if you mess up one line you can go back and essentially "erase" the offending section and then record a few seconds right in that spot, mixing it together when you save. It's very hard to mix together uneven/off-timed/split-up tracks. I'm not asking for perfection (just something really close to it...j/k! j/k! OK, OK, fine, I'm a stickler, but I never say anything unless it's really getting to me...), I just like releases to be out ASAP! And if you learn to use Audacity (it will seriously take about ten minutes, tops) and sing along to the original track, everything will literally pop right together.
8) WAV or MP3 FORMAT!: I use Audacity to mix, and .wmv files don't work with it. It's a pain in the neck to get them converted. A PAIN IN THE NECK. Windows doesn't like anyone messing around with their "protected" files. So for quickness' sake, and my sanity - just upload it in WAV or MP3 format!
1) The Right Mic: This really isn't as hard as you might think! I lost my mind trying to get a very expensive stage mic to work with my computer, then I realized that stage mics, even if you have an adapter, use completely different wiring and therefore lose a bulk of their sound quality in translation. So any old cushioned mic/gaming headset will do. I recommend the gaming headset.
2) Holding the Mic vs. Wearing Those Headphones: Headphones on gaming mics are terrible, and they are detrimental to doing one important thing: leaving one ear open (unless you have a Burger King drive-thru headset XD). What I do is plug in the microphone split of my headset only, and wear my regular headphones. I pull one ear aside and sing into the mic. This is really important because when you're wearing headphones it is very easy to misjudge your own pitch/volume/key. I noticed a remarkable change in my recording quality/control when I started the "one ear" method.
3) Posture!: Always hold the mic - don't lean into it. An expandable diaphragm is very important for hitting those difficult notes and watching your tempo!
If you're reading lyrics as you sing (which I always do...I don't memorize unless I've sung it 1000 times *ahem*VERY BEAUTY*ahem*), sit on the edge of your chair, or better yet print out a copy of your lyrics and stand up!4) Program to Record With: Use Audacity. I cannot recommend a better, easier, more versatile program. And it's free! Use Audacity if humanly possible - don't worry about any clicks or crunches in the background during silent moments - I get rid of all that in mixing. Just make sure your voice is clear, that you're not "blowing out" your mic (singing so loud that the feedback rings through - I used to do that a LOT), and that no loud music can be heard in the background (which shouldn't be a problem if you're wearing headphones
)5) Timing: Always, always, ALWAYS record along to the original track. Try not to use the instrumental. I used to do this, and then I wondered why my pronunciation/timing was off sometimes. There is no better way to keep track of your words and timing better than singing to the original. When singing with a group, timing is 9/10 of EVERYTHING (since we already have awesome voices XD), and singing along to the original recording is the next best thing to being in a studio with everyone.
6) Emotion: Act your way into the right tone! If it's a happy song, smile while you're singing. If it's a dancey song, by all means dance along in your chair (as long as you don't lose breath or sound shakey XD). If it's a serious or sexy song, get into that as well! Trust me, acting will improve your singing. It's easy to end up sounding "bored" or "out of it" when you listen to the lines you just recorded...it's usually because your face wasn't shaped to fit the song. Keep it in mind!
A SPECIAL NOTE: If I know you can do better, I WILL NOT HESITATE to ask for re-records on lines! So watch out! Give us your absolute best!
7) RECORD ONE TRACK!!: If you use Audacity, this is extremely easy - even if you mess up one line you can go back and essentially "erase" the offending section and then record a few seconds right in that spot, mixing it together when you save. It's very hard to mix together uneven/off-timed/split-up tracks. I'm not asking for perfection (just something really close to it...j/k! j/k! OK, OK, fine, I'm a stickler, but I never say anything unless it's really getting to me...), I just like releases to be out ASAP! And if you learn to use Audacity (it will seriously take about ten minutes, tops) and sing along to the original track, everything will literally pop right together.
8) WAV or MP3 FORMAT!: I use Audacity to mix, and .wmv files don't work with it. It's a pain in the neck to get them converted. A PAIN IN THE NECK. Windows doesn't like anyone messing around with their "protected" files. So for quickness' sake, and my sanity - just upload it in WAV or MP3 format!