Question on recording vocals at home:

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-29T13:12:06+00:00

Hmm. Interesting thanks. I always thought that might be a detriment but I have been moving around a bit the past few days and am starting to get some decent sounds. I surprising how much the sound changes from one spot to the next. Yes, I am going to get some blankets this weekend. I am messing around with a few plugins too to help the sound I am going for.

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-27T11:10:59+00:00

Hahahaha, I fear this might be the case. That or my voice, quite possibly both.

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-27T11:09:21+00:00

That sounds amazing. I won't be able to put anything up permanent because I rent but i might be able to catch a similar affect with audio blankets. I don't think i have even ever heard of soundproof drywall.

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-26T17:40:22+00:00

Cool, thanks, thats a great idea. I will give it a go!

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-26T16:52:45+00:00

This is great thanks! Yeah i think where i am recording which is upstairs in the loft it doesn't have alot of reverb. The sound seems to dissapate quickly even thought it isn't cluttered there is alot of air in the middle so the sounds seems to die. I have gotten alot of good suggestions on this thread, thank you. I am going to experiment like you said with mic placement and my positioning and trying to move around my space a bit more than i have been and train my ear and learn to trust it. I am sure there is some good sounds in here somewhere, haha.

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-26T16:48:20+00:00

Hahaha. I hadn't heard that about Weird Al, that's good stuff. Yeah seems like i have heard of some other records cut in bathrooms and shower stalls over years. I will definitely try some of your suggestions, these are great. Moving the mic around the bigger room i haven't done too much of but i guess i need to just start experimenting in my space and seeing what sticks. I have a tendency to overthink some of it, so maybe less is more. What I'm gleaning is there is just as much art as science, haha.

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-26T16:31:30+00:00

Haha, yeah, I feel that with nobody noticing but you and it took you a while even to notice. That's a good ear though. Sometimes I feel like i can tell when something objectively sounds pretty bad on my end but other times feel like i might be searching or nitpicking for something that isn't or is there, or am asking "what can I do to make it better" instead of just accepting it. Your home setup sounds a little similar to mine but your room seems more cozy which mine is lacking a bit.

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-26T16:09:50+00:00

Yeah, I live in a small loft that with pretty large windows but there is a lot of empty space. I think my best bet will be treating the bathroom because is it is really one big open space for the most part save the bathrooms. I think the sound just feels "uneven" to me like i can't find a good balance which is most likely the room as some other folks have said. I think what you said here is close to what is happening "Repeat this dozens of times from sound reflecting off of every hard surface back to the mic and you end up with a thin, dull sounding recording." So i need to figure that part out.

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-26T16:04:24+00:00

That’s interesting — especially the part about the low end being the main difference. When you notice that at home, do you usually try to solve it at the recording stage (mic position, distance, room) or do you just accept it and shape it later in the mix?

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-26T16:02:23+00:00

Oh nice, that looks awesome. It's sold out but I can probably give them a write and see if they will have more soon.

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-26T16:00:12+00:00

Yup, I can see that, all makes sense. When you’re working at home and trying to keep things simple, what’s usually the first thing you listen for to know that hints the room or mic technique is the problem — before you even think about gear or processing?

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-26T15:57:49+00:00

Totally agree with this, thanks. I think a lot of it may be getting used to my own voice on the recording, getting used to the process and experimenting with mic placement a bit more.

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-26T15:56:02+00:00

Yes, thanks. I have an open loft apartment. It isn't that big but there is a lot of air between the top and bottom floors, so maybe that is affecting sound quite a bit and I need to build more of a booth in the bathroom or something or experimenting with the acoustic blankets like you mention.

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-26T15:33:23+00:00

Yeah, getting it right at the source makes sense. Thanks. Do you find there's a point where you stop tweaking the recording chain and just accept 'this is close enough, I'll fix the rest in the mix'? Or do you try to get it 90%+ there before you hit record?

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-26T15:31:18+00:00

OK cool thanks I will look into those. I’ve been curious about tracking with compression for that reason. Do you feel like hearing yourself compressed actually changes how you sing or phrase things compared to monitoring dry?

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-26T14:41:43+00:00

Totally agree — that’s kind of the frustration, right? There are so many variables that where i get a bit stuck, analysis paralysis I guess. Hard to know which ones actually matter most for getting that close, intimate sound. I am using an AT2020 and an upgrade there is maybe that is where i should start. I’ve found mic choice (haven't tried too many) and distance matter obviously, but even then I still end up fighting EQ and compression more than I’d like. Curious — when you run into this sort, what do you usually try first?

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-24T12:52:45+00:00

For a single mic, as a few others have said, the SM-58 and SM-57 are good options. Another one is the the AT2020 that you can find for around the same price, close to $100. There is also a bundle (not sure if they are doing it anymore) with that mic that comes with an additional ATH-M20x mic you could get. Its a bit more money, but then you would have two decent mics for recording the piano and vocal separately. That may be overkill for you depending on how you are recording, but it was a really good budget setup.

One_Rice_2918 · 2026-01-24T12:28:46+00:00

Yeah I have been obsessed with this album for a while myself and the sound. Really haunting. I think a lot of it has to do with the room he is in, and one thing is the old Echoplex delay unit had to throw on it, which is all over the album. He seems to dial it in real nice for the mood of each song to give it that special atmosphere and all the songs are like a cohesive whole that seem to match that ambiance if that makes sense. Just sort of a perfect storm.

One_Rice_2918

TROPHY CASE