best vocal recording software for singers

#Best vocal recording software for singers professional

Now I wouldn't dare suggest that women are in any way 'difficult' as a species, but I have found that choosing the best microphone to suit a female singer is generally more difficult than for male singers. Fortunately most mic manufacturers have now realised that the best-sounding tube mic is the one that doesn't use the tube to create artificial distortion - what it contributes naturally is quite enough. Those mics that deliberately overdrive the tube to get a 'warm' sound can end up sounding mushy, dull or just plain distorted. To me, the better tube mics sound crisp and clear without being harsh or sibilant, and they also add weight and density to the lower vocal frequencies. You may also wish to consider a tube microphone, though these can sound very different - so different, in fact, that it's hard to say what the tube sound is. For example, if you need to record a vocalist while he is playing an acoustic guitar, the nulls can be angled to give much better separation between guitar and vocal than could be achieved with two cardioids.If your budget can reach this far, then the obvious choice is to get one fairly neutral mic, one with a warm, syrupy quality, and another with a bit of sizzle on the top end. Most studio microphones, especially large-diaphragm models, have a distinct tonal character, so it's best to have a selection of microphones available, allowing you to select the preferred one for each recording task, even if that choice is only between two or three different models.Īlthough figure-of-eight mics aren't the most common choice for lead vocals, there are occasions where their deep 90-degree rejection nulls are ideal for the task in hand.

Even now I still get phone calls from people asking which mic is the 'best buy' within a certain price range, but that's really impossible to answer in a meaningful way without knowing something about the voice being recorded. Perhaps more relevant than the type or make of microphone is its tonal character, as matching the microphone to the singer is more important than many people appreciate - and if you've never had the chance to compare a range of different mics in a recording situation, that's quite understandable. It's also perfectly possible to make a good vocal recording using a small-diaphragm capacitor microphone and, in the right room, an omnidirectional microphone can give good results, so it's really a case of the end justifying the means. For example, some singers like to work with dynamic mics such as Shure SM58s, because the tonality suits their voice and/or the style of music. Most pop vocal work is done using some kind of large-diaphragm, cardioid-pattern capacitor microphone, but there are exceptions. Clearly the vocalist will always be the most important factor - a great vocal recording takes a great singer - but if we assume for the moment that the singer is delivering a good performance, what can you do at the engineering end to capture this in its best possible light? Choosing The Right Mic So I felt it would be valuable to put all the pertinent information in one place.

However, we still get lots of letters and emails at the SOS office about problems that musicians are encountering with this task, and we are often called on to advise on this topic in our regular Studio SOS visits. In theory, getting a good vocal sound should now be easier than ever, as studio quality microphones seem now to be available for little more than pocket money.

#Best vocal recording software for singers professional

Everyone knows how much a classy vocal sound can add to any recording, but achieving this in the studio can seem something of a black art, so this month we demystify the recording, processing, and mixing techniques required to produce professional results.