The vocal recording area doesn’t only need to sound good: it also needs to feel comfortable for the performer.
The technical dimension to vocal production is important, but the human dimension is even more so.
Whenever I get asked about vocal production and my process, I am often met with questions about how I use compression, my “favourite microphone”, and various other technical aspects. I suspect that producers and aspiring engineers are asking these questions because they describe the elements of recording that can be reduced to a straightforward choice, or problems that can be ‘solved’ by buying something. However, one of the most crucial parts of vocal production — and any recording session for that matter — is reading the room, then navigating the unspoken boundaries that you identify in order to build trust with the artist. This ability to read the room involves picking up on non‑verbal cues, knowing when to contribute to conversation, and being adept at responding to people’s micro‑reactions, probably before anyone in your session even recognises they are reacting.
Every vocal production session is about etiquette, creating connections, and maintaining a safe space for an artist to fully immerse themself in their track. These concepts, unfortunately, are rarely taught. These habits are learned. At entry level, we are used to being the observers in sessions, always wanting to see what pieces of gear our favourite engineers are using, what their settings are, and how they address the room. But once we are part of someone’s process and are responsible for capturing the sound of their record, we are no longer observers. We become preservationists.
In Advance
There is a lot of preparation involved before an artist sets foot in the vocal booth. Vocal arrangement is a large part of my vocal production process, and is usually done remotely. The instrumental two‑track and a demo vocal are all I need from the artist to create my arrangement. Although I use Pro Tools to record and mix, anything arrangement‑ or writing‑related goes straight into Logic Pro X. My recording template in Logic is a template for my own vocal, which I lay down as guide tracks for the arrangement. It is difficult to guess what an artist’s vocal range is without having worked with them for a longer period of time, so I don’t try to tailor the arrangement around that. My primary focus is on filling in gaps in the track, between certain sections, and emphasising specific lyrics in a way that serves the song best. After doing a rough mix of my arrangement into the original demo, I share it with the artist to get their thoughts. If the artist isn’t passionate about the arrangement, we build it up together until it’s at a point where we are both happy. I’m usually only swapping out a few ad libs here and there, because while making an arrangement I’m drawing inspiration from the artist’s influences, as well as my own — all of which I have communicated prior to opening up the DAW‑ing board.
This whole process is really about killing two birds with one stone. One, we sketch out at least 90 percent of the final arrangement, which gives us a broad picture of how the track is going to sound before we’ve recorded any vocals. This way we get a semblance of vocal structure, and can go into the recording session with a goal in mind. Two, using my own vocals on guide tracks is a way of levelling with my vocalist. They might be apprehensive about singing in front of a new producer, for example, and this is a way to show them that even though I’m not the greatest singer, I don’t mind overcoming that insecurity to add value to the track.
All my session preparation, from vocal arrangement to sorting out a headphone mix, is concentrated on gaining the artist’s trust and earning that respect. Once you have that, you’re flying.
On The Day
My vocal template in Pro Tools is simple. I’m using a few auxes for basic effects: reverb, delay, parallel compression and width. You will likely see a stock EQ and de‑esser, and a couple of different compressors, initially made inactive on my vocal bus. I will have enough of an idea of what the artist sounds like from their demo and other released tracks to create a starting point with EQ and compression, but will make tweaks during our warm‑up. However, more importantly, I have to ensure that the artist has everything they need in the booth to stay focused and in the zone.
I print off lyric sheets in the morning and place them on a music stand, along with coloured pens and highlighters so they can make notes on the sheet as we record and as I give them feedback. I follow the same process on the other side of the glass. Artists will sometimes vocalise their preference to read off their phones, but this is too distracting, and I, too, avoid looking at my phone when we are recording. Texts and social media notifications will get in the way, and I think the school‑like feeling of note‑taking activates a kind of hyperfocus for the artist. This, plus a few fairy lights, candles, dim control‑room lighting, and plenty of water and snacks, helps set the vibe for the day.
Some artists have a preference to record in the control room with me, simply to feel like they are in someone’s living room where the setting is more intimate, allowing them to feel more at home. Other artists prefer being in a larger space such as a studio live room, feeling like they’re performing on stage. Anything that will make the artist feel comfortable takes priority. The presence of label representatives and A&Rs can add extra pressure to deliver exactly what is asked for by the label, while balancing an artist’s own creative pace and ideas. My preference is to have just me and the artist in the room. Either way, before anyone else has arrived, I will spend some time in the vocal booth myself, making sure that the headphone mix is well balanced. I also listen to the same headphone mix as the artist for most of the day.
I can’t seem to multitask with anything outside the studio, but it’s important for me to master things like comping on the go and gain staging while simultaneously giving performance directions.
For me, speed and the ability to multitask are crucial. I can’t seem to multitask with anything outside the studio, but it’s important for me to master things like comping on the go and gain staging while simultaneously giving performance directions. While taking notes on my lyric sheet, I use shorthand cues that help me remember which parts need to be re‑sung, which bits need to be more dynamic, where a better place to breathe would be, and so on. Using my own, made‑up symbols also means that if the artist ever catches a glimpse of my sheet, they won’t know what’s on it!
It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It
We have to be cautiously optimistic when it comes to giving feedback on vocal performance to an artist. Throughout the session, I give the same amount of positive feedback as constructive. Also, I never address the artist in the second person about correcting a phrase. For example, instead of saying “Can you please do X?” or “You were drifting off pitch,” I’ll use “we” for nearly every piece of feedback: “We’re slightly under the pitch here,” or “I think we can punctuate that a bit more!” When the focus is on emotive delivery and conveying the right mood through their vocals, I want the singer to feel like we’re in it together, as much as possible.
The most important thing to remember when working with artists is that whereas musicians play their instruments, a vocalist is their instrument. Things like tonal quality, expression and character can’t be fixed the same way as a trumpet player adjusts their tubing or perfects their embouchure. Confidence — or lack thereof — is the biggest factor that affects vocal performance. If I have a slightest hint of negative body language, or phrase something callously, it could impact the artist’s performance. If they don’t feel like they’re being listened to or respected in their recording environment, their vocal won’t reach its potential that day, and the common goal is lost. All my session preparation, from vocal arrangement to sorting out a headphone mix, is concentrated on gaining the artist’s trust and earning that respect. Once you have that, you’re flying.
Ramera Abraham is a vocal producer and engineer. She was voted Vocal Producer Of The Year at the 2023 Music Producers Guild Awards.
After The Fact
There is a lot of work that happens on my part after the recording session. For the purposes of quality control and ensuring that what the artist heard in the session is only going to be improved, not changed entirely, I take on all vocal editing, tuning and processing myself. These elements are equally important in vocal production as the recording session itself. I always tackle the lead vocal first, so that there is a master vocal that I can use as the reference for tuning and timing.
A popular question people have is about which element takes precedence when recording: pitch or performance. While the obvious goal is to elicit both from the artist, I will always choose performance over pitch. Pitch can be tweaked, whereas once recorded, performance cannot.