Recording Vocals at Home

Anyone who has recorded vocals to tape knows there is a difference between a heart-felt performance, and something that does not quite cut it! There are certain steps that I take to ensure that my own performances are the best I can muster.

First and formost is get enough rest the night before. This is a given. Your body is your instrument and it has to be in tune. Sleep is by far the most important aspect.

Water is the next most important. Not only during the performance, but the day before is essential. Get hydrated. Your chords will need to stretch, and the easier it is for them, the better control you will have.

Something that many performers overlook when setting up to do a recording session is the psycological aspect of it all. This is something that every performer knows and feels, yet it is unspoken in all the advice I have ever found. I particularly like the microphone pointing down at an angle to me, and I find that I can get more 'feel' if I am singing at an upword angle. Try taking a look at how you stand, where you are facing, who is in the control room...lighting, incense, and overall mood. You may find that something completely psycological may improve your perfomance 100%. Everyone has their 'thing'.

A good performance comes not just out of the time performing to the mic, but the preparation, setup and mood of the whole session. Keep these notes in mind next time you go to lay some vocals, and you will get the best performance possible.

Chris Taylor is a rock singer for the band Vegas Temper.

Rock Band Vegas Temper and webmaster at Website Design at WMWEBARTS.com.

Latest News


ABC News

Getting to Carnegie via YouTube
New York Times, United States - 23 hours ago
That second option is the main feature of a new marketing project by Google to bolster the organized presence of classical music on YouTube and promote the ...
Classical musicians get shot at fame on YouTube Reuters
YouTube Symphony Orchestra: Google sees a future in fancy music of ... National Post
Thomas signs on for YouTube symphony project San Francisco Chronicle
The Associated Press - Digitaltrends.com
all 353 news articles

eJamming Inc. Inks Licensing Deal with MTV Networks Music Group
MarketWatch - 10 hours ago
Jeff Yapp, executive vice president of program enterprises for MTV Networks Music and Logo Group, said, "The combination of interactivity and music speaks ...
eJamming inks licensing deal with MTV Networks CNET News
all 11 news articles

Omstream.com Announces Signing of NuTone Music and Their Catalog ...
MarketWatch - 10 hours ago
"Omstream was created out of a need to locate and purchase music that elevates consciousness amid the clutter of millions of songs available on iTunes and ...

WHDH-TV

BSO launches its own music download service
Boston Globe, United States - 17 hours ago
Four albums of music created under the baton of BSO music director James Levine will be available in February. (Michael J. Lutch) By Geoff Edgers After ...
BSO offers music downloads at its Web site Boston Herald
Marketing style leaves maestro miffed Toronto Star
all 12 news articles

How Does This Sound? Motorola Introduces MOTOROKR EM35, Delivering ...
MarketWatch - 8 hours ago
A device designed for supreme audio performance both as a mobile device and music player, EM35 delivers an exceptional audio experience for both music and ...

Grammy Museum takes a broad, hands-on approach
Los Angeles Times, CA - 31 minutes ago
But those pieces are vastly outnumbered by technology-centric stations, some of which are designed to educate visitors about music from different eras and ...
Harman International Technologies Featured in New GRAMMY Museum MarketWatch
GRAMMY Museum All About the Music blogdowntown
The GRAMMY Museum(SM) Officially Opens Its Doors to the Public on ... MarketWatch
MarketWatch
all 25 news articles

Gigwise

Chris Brown, Britney Spears, Coldplay, Leona Lewis And Alicia Keys ...
MTV.com - 8 hours ago
They include mild-mannered Chris Brown — whose videos and interviews were reportedly seen 43 million times on the on-demand Music Choice TV service. ...
Coldplay & Leona Lewis Top iTunes Sellers People Magazine
Top iTunes sellers released WNDU-TV
Coldplay, Leona Lewis Are Tops on iTunes TheCelebrityCafe.com
Gigwise - Contactmusic.com
all 169 news articles

New York Times

Music Review | Lost Dog New Music Ensemble
New York Times, United States - 1 hour ago
The Lost Dog New Music Ensemble, from left, Miranda Cuckson, on violin; Laura Barger, on piano; and Emily Brausa, on cello. By STEVE SMITH Community is a ...

Ars Technica

Online seen claiming 41 pct share of US music market
Reuters - 22 hours ago
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Digital music sales account for 18 percent of the US music market and that figure will grow to 41 percent in five years, ...
Report: online to be larger piece of shrinking music pie Ars Technica
Report: US Digital Music Sales Growing; Not Supplanting CDs Digital Media Wire
Music Industry Decline Accelerates U.S. News & World Report
WiredPRNews.com (press release) - FMQB
all 23 news articles

Music Review: Scott Weiland is 'Happy in Galoshes'
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - 1 hour ago
By JOHN KOSIK, AP Writer Fresh of his five-year stint with Velvet Revolver and a brief reunion tour with Stone Temple Pilots, enigmatic frontman Scott ...

Resources