Do you make your singers stand still?

After years of having the luxury of a separate tracking room, with my new set-up, I'm back to recording in the same room as the talent. Now I can see what my singers are doing while I track them and I notice that some of them move around a lot, especially to read words on a stand but also just moving out of self-expression.

 

Sometimes this creates loads of tonal variation - brighter take followed by duller one, followed by another with some unexpected honkiness that isn't on the other takes. Then, after comping, I'll notice all these variations and I'll be pulling my hair out trying to get it all to sound even!

 

What is everyone here doing? Do you ask your singers to keep a certain distance from the mic and not turn their head so much (if they're reading lyrics)?

 

I think that in a larger room, this might not be such an issue. Here, I'm keeping the mic fairly close to the singer - about 6 to 8 inches.

Any vocalist worth their salt should have developed a good mic technique where they can use the proximity effect and inverse square laws to their advantage. Perhaps these singers are so used to handheld mics that they don't realise they'll have to adjust for the studio mics.

 

It might be helpful to get them to record a test take. Then play it back for them and ask them to notice how the tone/volume changes in parts. This might help to focus their attention on their movement. Be careful not to put a negative spin on it as you don't want to stifle their performance.

 

I could be totally wrong about this but I get the impression from your post that this was not an issue when you couldn't see the singers.

 

Alan.

Thanks Alan. Actually, it was an issue before but I thought it was coming out of much subtler movements than what I now see. Good call on not putting a negative spin on singers becoming aware of their mic technique - I always want my clients to feel free to express their music unencumbered by too many technical concerns. That being said, I remember lots of times back when I was the guy behind the mic where an engineer would ask me to change my position relative to the mic.

I make my singers prepare the tea. It makes them feel needed!

LOL!

I try to get them to stand still. I'll sometimes solo the vocal back, and let them hear what they are doing. A good singer used to recording, will be able to control their volume. I don't mind a bit of tonal variation, it sounds human. I use a wind screen. I had read many years ago, John Lennon would quickly pass his hand across his mouth with explosive 'p's. Yes, you do have to be careful not load the singer down with too many technical points to deal with.