Vocal Production

Published: 10-12-2005
Author: Mike Hiratzka

Can you talk about how you come up with and use melodic vocals in your productions please? - Alex Lee

Working with vocals

Working with vocals can be equally rewarding and challenging. The first step is finding a vocalist whose tone and character suit your tastes and musical style. This is not always easy, but if you are patient and thorough you should be able to find someone to work with who can help you realize your musical vision. I have written songs with other vocalists as well as singing the vocals myself, and I find that the same basic methods work equally well in both situations.

When I am writing the vocals, my usual approach is to develop the melodic structure of the song first, then layer the vocals over the top. Once I have established the basic groove, I’ll start singing some random melodic ideas to try and find some vocal hooks that I like. Often times the melodies will derive from an idea that I’ve been playing with on a synth. Keep in mind that a voice is just another instrument at your disposal, and basically has the same function in the song as any other melodic element, regardless of what instrument is playing it. Once I have an idea of what melodies I’m going to use, then I concentrate on getting the lyrics together. For me this is often the most difficult step, as I want the vocals to be meaningful and important, without being trite or cliché. Usually I’ll develop the verses first, then the chorus and any harmony parts. Once you find something that really sticks in your head, and you have a melody that you want to sing along to, you know you’ve found something that will translate well to a listening audience.

Record the vocals

The next step is to record the vocals; sometimes this can be very easy, other times it can be extremely time-consuming and difficult. It really depends on the mood and vibe in the studio, and every vocalist will have their own way of getting into their groove. It helps to develop a rapport with your vocalist, be patient and encouraging, and make sure you capture every performance, because you never know when you will get the perfect take.

The technical side of recording vocals is a very subjective matter; each engineer and producer has their own process that they are comfortable with and suits their tastes. Ultimately, you want the best gear possible: the choices of microphone, pre-amp, equalizer and compressor will have a significant effect on the finished product. Keep in mind when tracking vocals that you don’t want to record any effects onto the master vocal track. Ideally, you want a clean, clear, well-balanced and fairly un-processed master track, with the possible exception of some minor EQ and/or light compression. If you don’t have access to the kind of equipment necessary to achieve the desired results, you may want to consider tracking your vocals at a professional studio. If you decide to go this route, I definitely recommend doing as much preparation as possible before you get into the studio, as it will save you time, money, and a lot of headaches.

The final production

After you’ve recorded the vocals, it’s time to start the final production. I use a combination of software EQ and compression (usually a combination of several different compressors) to get the vocal to sit properly in the mix. Generally, you should mix the vocal fairly high up in the mix, as you want it to be one of the most prominent elements in the track. Once I have the basic level set, I add reverb and delay to add space and depth to the vocals. There are a lot of other engineering tricks that you can do to add character to vocal tracks, such as stutter edits, filtering, and effects automation. The possibilities with Logic Pro, ProTools or any other recording/sequencing software with an arsenal of plug-ins is limitless. Experiment with different combinations of effects, because you never know what you might find that works for you and your song. Good luck and happy mixing!


Here are the technical specifics for my typical vocal signal path:

Recording:

Digidesign Protools 6.2.3 LE
Neumann TLM-103 condenser microphone
JoeMeek VC1Q Studio Channel pre-amp/compressor/EQ
Digidesign AMIII sound card
Bomb Factory 1176 Compressor

Mixing:

Logic Pro 7.1
Waves C4 Multiband Limiter
Waves Renaissance Compressor
Logic Pro Linear Phase EQ
Waves Renaissance Reverb or Logic Pro Space Designer Convolution Reverb
Waves Super-Tap Delay and/or Logic Pro Tape Delay

Mike Hiratzka’s Forthcoming releases:

Eve Falcon & Desert Sol – ‘Know It All’ (Mike Hiratzka remix) – Cyber Records
Astro&Glyde – ‘Crawling’ (Mike Hiratzka remix) – Water Based Music
EMC – ‘Bring Tha Funk’ (Mike Hiratzka remix) – Resurgent Records
Innerstate – ‘Sidewinder’ (Mike Hiratzka remix) – Sequences Recordings

Out now:

Hiratzka & Kazell – ‘Venice Dawn’ – Alternative Route / D:Vision / SR2 Music
Lazy – ‘Way Out’ (Mike Hiratzka) – Water Music (featured on the album ‘Incorporated’)
Hiratzka & Joe C – ‘Show U The Way’ – Open Up Records
J-Punch – ‘Red Blood’ (Mike Hiratzka’s Laid Out remix) – exclusive to D:Fuse’s People_3 compilation – Moist Music

Send your topics, questions, sugestions for Mike Hiratzka's 2nd column of music production tips to: mike.hiratzka (at) beatfactor.net