This subject is really hard to tackle in a web article alone, but this might help you keep in mind the main elements to a good vocal recording.

There are several elements that make a vocal recording sound great. Here are the 3 main elements:

First is the obvious, a great vocalist.

Second, the equipment

Third, good engineering skill!

I don't think that you can achieve any good results if you have weakness in any of these 3 main areas.

Let's start with the vocalist. If you are recording a singer, the choice of the correct microphone could be very important for the desired sound or final product in mind.

It is common knowledge that a vocalist can sound different using different microphones and therefore better with the right type. These mics are not necessarily too expensive either.

If you are a vocalist and are planning to record yourself, you can buy a microphone that can enhance the natural frequencies of your voice which will translate much better "on tape".

Try asking the store sales person to let you test a few mics before you make a purchase decision. 

Use a good set headphones when deliberating for the best sound, if you can get the store keeper to hook up several studio monitors instead, then even better. This will help you hear the different tones and subtleties from each mic.

Once you made a choice for one, let’s move to the studio (Or, home studio).

If you are doing it yourself, you must make sure that the room you are using to record your voice is sufficiently isolated and buffered, preferably with some kind of wall treatment.

Ideally, we would like to kill any reflections that could be picked up by the mic.

Buy Sonex material if you have the budget for it. Worse case scenario, use the poor musician's approach: get egg cartons and glue them to the wall. Hang heavy rugs and carpet the floor.

Otherwise, there will be weird effects on your vocal track dry signal and you’ll never get rid of it.

Once you have the ideal room, set your microphone to the right polarity (The direction or orientation of the mic). 

You should be in front of the mic in between half and one foot away. I like using my hand to measure the distance between me and the mic. Do a vocal test to set level and record.

Ideally the average level should be at around –10dB on your channel strip meter and the highest peaks close or near to -3dB.

This is not too difficult right? Here is the problem: many new vocalists have little or no microphone technique and therefore, a headache for the engineer. 

If you are recording yourself, try to be a “compressor” of your own voice. When you sing your song (Or, rap it) try to maintain a level of your performance.

If you are going to get loud because of lyrical content or simply because the song demands an emphasis on a chorus, compensate by stepping back by maybe 5 to 4 inches, this would help maintain a constant level and therefore avoid clipping and possible signal distortion.

The opposite is true, if you need to get softer then you’ll come closer to the mic by around 3 to 5 inches and in this way, help to level up the loss of signal as well as decrease the signal-to-noise floor ratio. 

Regardless of these simple techniques, you are still advised to use a signal compressor. It comes standard on all software based digital recorders and can be inserted to any channel you assign.

I prefer to use analog outboard gear for this function because the signal is un-quantized and is easier to tweak a knob than to handle a mouse (unless you are working with  Channel Control Surface like the ones made for ProTools).

That said, the vocal track is going to sound as good as the performer can deliver it and without making obvious musical mistakes.

You can’t afford to have a flat note. If that’s the case and you can’t get the singer to do another take, or maybe you just feel you can’t replicate that great take all over again, then cheat. 

Use software to change the pitch with time compression. This way you get the note fixed without losing its duration.

There is also one very important factor to keep in mind; there are singers that can produce a fantastic performance not only because they have technique, skill and lyrical memory (which allows them to focus much better on the performance aspect) but, their voices just sound beautiful and with a tonal character that no one else has. 

These my friends are the magical performers one day you may encounter to do recording and possibly to make history with.

Is there more to add to the subject? Yes, of course :)

Edward Vinatea
Chief Mastering Engineer