Recording - April 2015 - 24

Welcome To The Studio!
out, sustain that high note in the chorus, get to bed at a certain
hour, and the like. I suggest doing a two-week log before the
recording date. Specific goals should be listed.
Practice frequency should be monitored in your log as well.
On the one hand, you don't want to practice the song too much
and be burned out and sick of it, but you do want to be prepared enough to where you feel confident. Each day you can
have items that can be checked off as you get ready; you should
go over this with your producer, because you two are a team.
I've had a situation where I was producing a singer/songwriter
and found that a week before the recording date, she was not where
I wanted her to be. We weren't under pressure from her record label,
so I had her come in a week later so she could work on some of the
issues I pointed out. The extra time was worth it-we got great vocal
takes and everyone was happy. I kept a log so I could monitor her
progress and made sure she was moving forward. Once a recording is released publicly, there is no changing it!

Take care of yourself
You'll also want to get into the habit of being physically and
emotionally rested-not just on the day of the session, but at
least a few days before. People underestimate the power of rest,
and performance is diminished without plenty of it. Ever try
doing an early morning gig after a late night of playing and
going to sleep at 2 AM? I have, and it's neither ideal nor fun.
Your audience is feeding off the energy you give them; if your
energy is low, the performance will reflect that.
Since you are a very delicate instrument yourself, whether
singing or playing, a healthy diet is a plus. As a singer, you
have to be careful of phlegm and coughing. This can be caused
by too much sugar and dairy products in your diet. You should
be aware of how you react to certain foods. Keeping yourself
hydrated is not only good for your health, it's good for your
vocal cords. Room temperature water is best. The studio will usually have some, but to be sure, bring your own.
Many sessions over the years have been cancelled because
of these factors. Just like an athlete, you want to be in peak
shape when it's your time to shine.
When you perform
Studio environments can be very intimidating. The microphone is like a microscope-it will pick up everything and
expose it to be scrutinized. Being prepared can help mitigate
some of this. Try to use this to your advantage and work on the
things that you can make better.
You may be all alone in the recording booth or live room, so
feeling confident is key here. This is where you should expect
your producer to be your guiding light and help you to be at
ease. It's not uncommon to have a vocal coach right there with
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RECORDING April 2015

you, too. To help you on the other side of the glass, you may
want to have the lights dimmed or off. You may want to sing facing the wall, with your back to the control room, and not have
anyone look at you as you give it your heart and soul. You are
expressing your inner soul as an artist. I want to see and hear
that, because that is what makes you unique.
I had a reggae band that decorated my studio with pictures,
drapery, burned incense, the whole nine yards. They made themselves comfortable, which helped them perform and record better.
These options are there for you and you should take advantage of
them and ask yourself, "What makes me comfortable?"
Studio preparation
As an engineer, preparation is important for you, too. You want
to be ready well before the artist walks into the studio. Some of the
things I do to get ready for a typical pop vocal session are:
1. Set up a basic recording chain, e.g. Neumann U87 and
Vintech 1073 preamp into Pro Tools. I'll leave a lot of headroom, 10-15 dB, not letting the loudest parts get past -8 dBFS.
I don't like to commit to compression before recording, but if I

need to tame the dynamics, I'll put an older Joemeek compressor or Empirical Labs Distressor after the mic pre with a 2:1 to
4:1 setting, fast attack and quick release.
2. My DAW session is set with effects plug-ins loaded, tracks
named and color coded. I have templates to accommodate different recording scenarios (see Greg Ogan's articles in
December 2014 and February 2015 for ideas on this). Basic
cue mixes and levels are checked and tested at the headphones.
3. Note pads, water, and light snacks are made available, as
are waist-level stands or tables.
If your session is complex and involves a lot of instruments, having
an assistant would be wise. You should have a good idea of what
you will be tracking for the session; it may be just the singer and their
guitar, or a whole band laying down basic tracks with scratch vocals.
A producer may want you to have a few different vocal microphones set up to have the artist try, so they can hear which one
best complements the singer's voice. Large-diaphragm condensers are most commonly used for vocals, but sometimes a
dynamic or a ribbon will sound best; the producer will decide,
so have your arsenal on hand.
You want the artist and producer to feel relaxed and comfortable. This paves the way for a great performance. Your job is to
keep the technical side (your responsibility) out of the way of the
creative side (artist and producer).
These are some of the things I've learned over the years.
Hopefully these tips will make your first time in the big studio a
little easier. Be open to suggestions and always have fun!
Halemanu (halemanu@recordingmag.com) is the owner and
operator of Sounds Like Hale Recording Studio on the Hawaiian
island of Maui. Learn more at soundslikehale.com.

http://www.soundslikehale.com

Recording - April 2015

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