Post by lilmenchi on Nov 4, 2012 23:08:44 GMT 9.5
aka how to stay in the mixer's goodbooks
Before I get into anything else, the number 1, most important bit of advice I could give you, is to double check your recording. A good majority of what I will say here can be avoided if you just do this, so don't underestimate it!
01. Warm Up
Warming up is always a good plan to make sure you don't strain your voice and to ensure you are at your best when you record. There are tons of videos you can use on Youtube, or if you have your own warm up routine, that's awesome too.
02. Learn your lines
So half the time I don't do this, and it always makes recording a song take so much longer than it should. If you're not familiar with a song, try and listen to it a few times with the lyrics open and just sing along. It'll really cut down the time you'll take to record just by being more familiar with the flow of the lyrics. This is even more important if you're singing in a language you aren't as familiar with. If you are having trouble with a line, a good thing to do is to open up a notepad file and write out how it sounds, that could include the pronunciation, where there are breaks or places that need extra emphasis. If you find that you cannot sing a line you've been given, let someone know as soon as possible so arrangements can be made.
03. Get yourself comfortable
If you're anything like me, you'll record several songs in one sitting, and having to get up and go and get things in the middle of recording a song can just get you out of the mood. Try and make sure you have everything you need to record all set up beforehand so you're not stopping and starting.
04. Record in a quiet environment
Ideally, we all prefer recording when we're in the house alone, but sometimes that's not possible. However, if there's people talking loudly, dogs barking, the TV blaring... it's probably not a good time to be recording.
05. Set your recording levels
Generally you will only need to do this once or twice, but sometimes other programs will hijack your mic and mess with your settings. You can do this by right clicking on the little volume icon on the bottom right of your screen, selecting recording devices, choosing your mic and going to the Levels tab. As a general rule, you want to get it to a level that is as loud as you can without peaking, and then turning it down a little bit more, just to make sure you won't peak your mic at loud parts.
06. Record with the original mp3 or instrumental as specified
It's always a good idea to check the thread for any recording information, such as what to record with. There may be a different version of the song you don't know about, or you may need to record with a midi instrumental (this is more common with K-pop songs) or there may even be a demo or guide track, so it's important you make sure that you're recording to the right one. This is also to make sure you have the right timing and pitch.
07. Always record using headphones
This is really basic, but worth pointing out anyway, and it's so when you record, we only get your voice, not your voice plus the song.
08. Make sure your lines match up with the original
Ensure that the file with your lines starts at the same time as the original, and so when whoever is mixing imports your lines in, everything should be where it's meant to be. Some people have different preferences when it comes to this, or don't particularly care either way, but personally if I'm mixing you, I'd much rather you do it. You can do this by just putting a bit of silence at the start of your lines so when it saves, everything will be at the same timing as it is in the original song, or the reference you recorded to.
09. When recording group lines, stick to the original
As everyone will be recording to the same file and using it as a reference for timing, if everyone keeps to it then when mixed together they will (theoretically) have the same timing and lines will be held out approximately the same length. This is good. What we don't want is for a line or a syllable to be held out longer or shorter than it should be, for example if you have a line that goes 'Karaaaa' you don't want to hold it for 'Kara' or 'Karaaaaaaaaaa~' It can be a pain to fix and have it sound natural. When it comes to solos however, this isn't as important, give it your all!
10. Sing with emotion/energy!
If the song is in a foreign language, finding a translation can always help to get the right mood for a song, or generally you can get an idea from the emotion from the original singer. If it's a happy song have fun with it, or if it's a sad song adding emotion can really make it stand out just that bit more.
11. Always Double check/review your lines
MOST IMPORTANT POINT RIGHT HERE. If your lines don't sound good when you listen to them here, they won't sound good in the final mix. This will give you the chance to re-record if something is off, whether it be a bad note, pronunciation issue, you knocked your mic, there were puffs... etc. To sum it up, if something is wrong, redo it. While it can be more time consuming, mixers can only do so much, if you stumbled on a line, there are people talking/animals/TV/etc in the background, you have 'puffs' or max out your mic... mixers can't fix that. Remember, at the end of the day we all want to put out the best product we can, and as cliche as it sounds, a little effort goes a long way!
12. NEVER oneshot your lines
What I mean by oneshot: do not record the whole song in one take. No matter how confident you are at a song, you might have stumbled lyrics, gone off pitch, or could simply do a line better. Believe it or not, but I can tell when you do this. I'm watching you. xD
13. Do NOT add effects to your lines
There's no excuse for this one. By effects I mean, reverbs, compression/dynamics processing, echoes... pretty much anything other than noise removal, and even THEN, if you do not know how to use noise removal, leave it to the mixer.
14. Clean up your lines
This is where you should silence the noise in the parts of your files where you are not singing, however always leave enough background noise that the mixer will be able to run noise removal on your files if you have not done noise removal yourself. Generally 2 seconds either side of a line should be enough.
15. Label your files appropriately
Most of the time there won't be a specific way you will need to label your files, however I'd recommend at least having your username AND the song name. If it is a popular song or one that you've recorded in the past, it may help to label your file with what you've recorded for, for example: VA11_ShouganaiYumeOibito_lilmenchi.mp3 so that you know which file is which and don't accidentally send in the wrong one.
15a. Do not delete your lines before the final project is released
You never know if you'll need to reupload your files again, and similarly, it is best to upload your files onto mediafire/box.net or similar websites that do not have short expiry dates for files. 4shared.net is another good one.
15b. Post all files in the thread
This ensures that even if you can't be contacted for whatever reason, people can still have access to your files and you won't need to be unnecessarily covered.
15c. File type
Ideally, you should be saving your files as at least 44.1 MP3 files. WAV files or .ogg are acceptable as well.
16. Always save overlaps in a separate file
I don't care if you have to save 10 files, if you have lines that overlap, they need to be in a separate file. They should still have the same timing as the original (as in, I should be able to import your file in next to the mp3 and have it in approximately the right place). You might save lines as solos in one file, and group lines in another. The same goes with harmonies or any other extra bits you may choose to record.
Lastly, have fun!
If you're having fun, you'll not only feel better about your singing, but you'll also sound better. If nothing else, it makes the whole thing more enjoyable! <3
----
Other things;
44100Hz vs 48000Hz
The preference would be that you save files as 44100Hz. I've noticed a few people saving as 48000Hz, but honestly, from a technical point for what we're doing, it really doesn't give you any extra benefits or higher quality (it has to do with the how high a frequency you can record, and if you're recording frequencies higher then 22000Hz, you're not doing it right xD). It's not that big of an issue, but it does mean your files need to be converted before they can be imported into the same session as a 44100Hz file.
As a point of reference, 44100 is the standard sample rate for a CD, while 48000 is the standard for DVD.
Recording in Mono or Stereo
When you're using your mic to record in stereo, what you're really doing is recording two identical mono tracks, one panned hard left and one panned hard right. So ultimately, it doesn't matter. If you're big on saving space, record in mono, but considering harddrive sizes today, it shouldn't be an issue.
Before I get into anything else, the number 1, most important bit of advice I could give you, is to double check your recording. A good majority of what I will say here can be avoided if you just do this, so don't underestimate it!
01. Warm Up
Warming up is always a good plan to make sure you don't strain your voice and to ensure you are at your best when you record. There are tons of videos you can use on Youtube, or if you have your own warm up routine, that's awesome too.
02. Learn your lines
So half the time I don't do this, and it always makes recording a song take so much longer than it should. If you're not familiar with a song, try and listen to it a few times with the lyrics open and just sing along. It'll really cut down the time you'll take to record just by being more familiar with the flow of the lyrics. This is even more important if you're singing in a language you aren't as familiar with. If you are having trouble with a line, a good thing to do is to open up a notepad file and write out how it sounds, that could include the pronunciation, where there are breaks or places that need extra emphasis. If you find that you cannot sing a line you've been given, let someone know as soon as possible so arrangements can be made.
03. Get yourself comfortable
If you're anything like me, you'll record several songs in one sitting, and having to get up and go and get things in the middle of recording a song can just get you out of the mood. Try and make sure you have everything you need to record all set up beforehand so you're not stopping and starting.
04. Record in a quiet environment
Ideally, we all prefer recording when we're in the house alone, but sometimes that's not possible. However, if there's people talking loudly, dogs barking, the TV blaring... it's probably not a good time to be recording.
05. Set your recording levels
Generally you will only need to do this once or twice, but sometimes other programs will hijack your mic and mess with your settings. You can do this by right clicking on the little volume icon on the bottom right of your screen, selecting recording devices, choosing your mic and going to the Levels tab. As a general rule, you want to get it to a level that is as loud as you can without peaking, and then turning it down a little bit more, just to make sure you won't peak your mic at loud parts.
06. Record with the original mp3 or instrumental as specified
It's always a good idea to check the thread for any recording information, such as what to record with. There may be a different version of the song you don't know about, or you may need to record with a midi instrumental (this is more common with K-pop songs) or there may even be a demo or guide track, so it's important you make sure that you're recording to the right one. This is also to make sure you have the right timing and pitch.
07. Always record using headphones
This is really basic, but worth pointing out anyway, and it's so when you record, we only get your voice, not your voice plus the song.
08. Make sure your lines match up with the original
Ensure that the file with your lines starts at the same time as the original, and so when whoever is mixing imports your lines in, everything should be where it's meant to be. Some people have different preferences when it comes to this, or don't particularly care either way, but personally if I'm mixing you, I'd much rather you do it. You can do this by just putting a bit of silence at the start of your lines so when it saves, everything will be at the same timing as it is in the original song, or the reference you recorded to.
09. When recording group lines, stick to the original
As everyone will be recording to the same file and using it as a reference for timing, if everyone keeps to it then when mixed together they will (theoretically) have the same timing and lines will be held out approximately the same length. This is good. What we don't want is for a line or a syllable to be held out longer or shorter than it should be, for example if you have a line that goes 'Karaaaa' you don't want to hold it for 'Kara' or 'Karaaaaaaaaaa~' It can be a pain to fix and have it sound natural. When it comes to solos however, this isn't as important, give it your all!
10. Sing with emotion/energy!
If the song is in a foreign language, finding a translation can always help to get the right mood for a song, or generally you can get an idea from the emotion from the original singer. If it's a happy song have fun with it, or if it's a sad song adding emotion can really make it stand out just that bit more.
11. Always Double check/review your lines
MOST IMPORTANT POINT RIGHT HERE. If your lines don't sound good when you listen to them here, they won't sound good in the final mix. This will give you the chance to re-record if something is off, whether it be a bad note, pronunciation issue, you knocked your mic, there were puffs... etc. To sum it up, if something is wrong, redo it. While it can be more time consuming, mixers can only do so much, if you stumbled on a line, there are people talking/animals/TV/etc in the background, you have 'puffs' or max out your mic... mixers can't fix that. Remember, at the end of the day we all want to put out the best product we can, and as cliche as it sounds, a little effort goes a long way!
12. NEVER oneshot your lines
What I mean by oneshot: do not record the whole song in one take. No matter how confident you are at a song, you might have stumbled lyrics, gone off pitch, or could simply do a line better. Believe it or not, but I can tell when you do this. I'm watching you. xD
13. Do NOT add effects to your lines
There's no excuse for this one. By effects I mean, reverbs, compression/dynamics processing, echoes... pretty much anything other than noise removal, and even THEN, if you do not know how to use noise removal, leave it to the mixer.
14. Clean up your lines
This is where you should silence the noise in the parts of your files where you are not singing, however always leave enough background noise that the mixer will be able to run noise removal on your files if you have not done noise removal yourself. Generally 2 seconds either side of a line should be enough.
15. Label your files appropriately
Most of the time there won't be a specific way you will need to label your files, however I'd recommend at least having your username AND the song name. If it is a popular song or one that you've recorded in the past, it may help to label your file with what you've recorded for, for example: VA11_ShouganaiYumeOibito_lilmenchi.mp3 so that you know which file is which and don't accidentally send in the wrong one.
15a. Do not delete your lines before the final project is released
You never know if you'll need to reupload your files again, and similarly, it is best to upload your files onto mediafire/box.net or similar websites that do not have short expiry dates for files. 4shared.net is another good one.
15b. Post all files in the thread
This ensures that even if you can't be contacted for whatever reason, people can still have access to your files and you won't need to be unnecessarily covered.
15c. File type
Ideally, you should be saving your files as at least 44.1 MP3 files. WAV files or .ogg are acceptable as well.
16. Always save overlaps in a separate file
I don't care if you have to save 10 files, if you have lines that overlap, they need to be in a separate file. They should still have the same timing as the original (as in, I should be able to import your file in next to the mp3 and have it in approximately the right place). You might save lines as solos in one file, and group lines in another. The same goes with harmonies or any other extra bits you may choose to record.
Lastly, have fun!
If you're having fun, you'll not only feel better about your singing, but you'll also sound better. If nothing else, it makes the whole thing more enjoyable! <3
----
Other things;
44100Hz vs 48000Hz
The preference would be that you save files as 44100Hz. I've noticed a few people saving as 48000Hz, but honestly, from a technical point for what we're doing, it really doesn't give you any extra benefits or higher quality (it has to do with the how high a frequency you can record, and if you're recording frequencies higher then 22000Hz, you're not doing it right xD). It's not that big of an issue, but it does mean your files need to be converted before they can be imported into the same session as a 44100Hz file.
As a point of reference, 44100 is the standard sample rate for a CD, while 48000 is the standard for DVD.
Recording in Mono or Stereo
When you're using your mic to record in stereo, what you're really doing is recording two identical mono tracks, one panned hard left and one panned hard right. So ultimately, it doesn't matter. If you're big on saving space, record in mono, but considering harddrive sizes today, it shouldn't be an issue.