Well, I suppose "use a $10,000 microphone" is a tip.

Awesome template for both websites. I wonder if they're related somehow?

Hmmm.

What, like both of them being on Artistshare? :)

The sax tips were pretty good. I hear too many recordings of sax these days where all the good breathy stuff low down is missing.

I did a collab with a sax player in the Netherlands a couple of years ago. After he sent me his preliminary takes, I asked if he'd mind redoing them on a tenor. 'That was a tenor,' he said, 'I don't play alto any more!' :(

I agree that the sax tip (recognizing that the sound radiates from the whole body) is a good one. In fact, the general tip for a vocalist on paying attention to the whole mic/preamp/compressor signal chain is a good point.

I was just busting his chops a bit since both of the mic recommendations are in the "put C.C. Sabathia on your pitching staff" range. (Sorry for the baseball analogy, but the postseason begins today.)

You'd be amazed what simple mic technique can do. One of the questions I come across most, both from clients and in forums, is, 'How do I make my vocal recordings sound pro? What bit of gear do I need?'

The majority simply don't understand that probably 90% of it is down to proper mic technique and positioning to avoid sibilance and plosives. The brilliant gear only accounts for a tiny percentage of the quality overall. Of course, mic selection is the next biggest factor but, contrary to some belief, it's not about' this mic sounds better than that one' so much as ' this mic is better suited in this instance than that one'.

I had a rapper in the studio a few weeks ago with his entourage (actually only two other people on this occasion). I listened to his voice for a few minutes and what he was doing with it, then moved the main boom stand out of the way and reached for the trusty SM58.

'Hey,' he said, 'I wanna use the cool condensor mic!'

'Listen,' says I, 'do you want to look cool for 5 minutes now, or would you rather sound cool every time you put your CD on?'

SM58 it was, although I let him take some pics miming into the Neumann. :lol:

My best vocal tips?

1) Choose the right mic for the job. It's a toolbox.
2) Position the mic at about eye level, 8-12 inches away, pointing just below the chin.
3) DO NOT sing directly into the diaphragm, but allow some dispersal space. The mic shouldn't be listening to your mouth, but to the bit just in front of the mouth where it sounds best.
4) Sing without reverb in the cans. This makes you work harder and the results will be better. It's not super comfortable at first, but the rewards are worth it.
5) Leave one side of the cans off, and work with only 1 hone on the ear. This will help you to pitch correctly, and to hear the bits where you go wrong.
6) Don't build a vocal booth. Unless properly treated and large enough for dispersal, it will always sound like you recorded in a closet. Best to set your mic up in the middle of an open room, preferably one that has had at least minimal treatment for reflections.
7) Enjoy yourself. You will never get good results unless you're happy and comfortable.

The sax comments in the linked site are sensible enough, but miking at 2-6 feet from the sax does not fit with playing in the same recording space as the other performers.

As for the egocentric female vocalist, what is she after? The equivalent of instrument key rattle in a vocal track? Any producer worth his salt is going to include breath intakes if the style of music and performance warrants it.