How to produce a vocal session (when you’re also the singer)
Singing and producing at the same time creates a unique set of challenges. It can also offer freedom and a work-flow that’s all yours. Read the post.
record vocals
How to preserve and protect your voice before a performance (or rehearsal)
There are lots of common-sense things you should do as a vocalist to keep your instrument in top shape to perform, and as performance opportunities will be returning soon, it’s worth reminding ourselves of some of the basics. Read the post.
How to get better results mixing in your home studio
From stereo placement to EQ, busing to reverb, veteran music producer and engineer Jon Marc Weiss gives pro advice and insights on how to manage your mix in your home studio. Read the post.
How to record better tones in your home studio
From potato chips to preamps, decoupling to drum heads, these 13 tips can help you get better tones when you’re recording in your (not-acoustically pristine) home studio. Read the post.
Getting a great vocal take in the studio
Capturing the ultimate vocal performance can require push and pull between the producer and talent. The tact and technique of the producer plays a pivotal role in recording a great vocal take. Read the post.
Tracking vocals: Making a phrase-by-phrase approach work
If you are planning a phrase-by-phrase approach to tracking vocals in a studio, here are some tips to help make your experience a success. Read the post
Tracking vocals one phrase at a time
It’s great when a vocal performance can be recorded in one cohesive take, but not every session will succeed with this approach. Sometimes, a modular strategy is required when tracking vocals. Read the post.
Getting great results when you’re the singer AND producer in your home studio
When you’re simultaneously artist and engineer, singer and producer, there are plenty of steps you can take to lay the groundwork for a successful recording session. Read the post.
10 ways to lay the groundwork for an amazing vocal recording session
Nailing a transcendent vocal recording can seem like trying to capture lightning in a bottle — but the whole process need not be mysterious or intimidating. Here are a few tips to get you started. Read the post.
Producing Background Vocals
For any given song, the specific approach to producing background vocals is dependent on the production style and genre, but when listening to any modern song on the charts, you can quickly pick up that there is a lot going on. Serious thought has been put in to the arrangement and presentation of these parts, which usually means quite a bit of editing work. Luckily for us, this type of work and associated workflow is what Pro Tools does best. Read more.
In the studio with Michael Jackson
No one was closer to Michael Jackson at the height of his creative powers than Bruce Swedien, the five-time Grammy winner who, with Jackson and producer Quincy Jones, formed the trio responsible for the sound of Jackson’s records. Excerpted from Swedien’s book, In The Studio With Michael Jackson, published by Hal Leonard. Read more.