This e-Book is for Educational Purpose(s) Only

The author and publisher of this document have used their best efforts in preparing this e-book and the
accompanying materials. The author thus makes no representation or warranties with respect to the
accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents of this e-book.

The information contained in this e-book is strictly for educational purposes only. Therefore, if you
wish to apply ideas contained in this e-book, you are taking full responsibility for your actions.
The author and publisher do not warrant the performance, effectiveness or applicability of any sites
listed or linked to in this e-book.

All links are for information purposes only and are not warranted for content, accuracy or any other
implied or explicit purpose. Home Music Studio 1 may be compensated in exchange for your
purchasing products from clicking on links posted within this document. This possible exchange will
occur at no additional cost to you, the reader of this e-book.

Copyright
This e-book is copyrighted by David J. Maxey and Home Music Studio 1. It is protected under the
US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws, with ALL
rights reserved. No part of this may be copied, or changed in any format, sold, or used in any way other
than what is outlined within this e-book under any circumstances without express permission from
David J Maxey and Home Music Studio 1.
 The 5 Pillars Of Recording
Studio Quality Vocal Tracks

Introduction
My name is David Maxey and it's nice to meet you. I have
been a recording engineer and have been teaching the
process of creating professional quality home music studio
recordings for 2 decades now.

In August of 2012 I launched HomeMusicStudio1.com with

a goal to expand the teaching efforts of all that I've learned in
these past 20 years. At the time of this writing I have been
able to help thousands of home music studio enthusiasts
from all over the world. Home recording engineers just like
you.

Preface
The information below is about laying the foundation of a studio quality vocal track. Often times it's
the simple steps we tend to over look. Though nothing I will share is inherently difficult to implement,
the 5 pillars below are far from trivial. Don't overlook them and skip ahead to implement a trial and
error process if your end goal is high quality results.

It should also be noted that I am making a few assumptions about your vocal tracking foundation. First,
I'm not addressing the quality of your talent (be it you or another artists). It goes without saying that a
singer who is off key and difficult to listen to live, will be equally difficult to hear recorded, and
ultimately an obstacle to a studio quality vocal track.

Second, I'm making the assumption that you have at least a basic understanding of something I call the
4-3 Framework. The 4-3 Framework is the process by which every professional quality recording is
created. It's important to understand that this e-book covers everything you need to know about the pre-
production phase of recording studio quality vocal tracks.

Since this may very well be the first time you've heard about such a process, I've created a video to
explain what exactly what I mean. WARNING! Do not continue with the rest of this e-book unless you
have viewed the following video first. http://bit.ly/the-4-3-framework
I'm also making the assumption that you do not have an unlimited about of money or time to get the job
done. In a professional studio situation, the engineer would no doubt have access to multiple mics and
optional gear. The idea of using the best mic for your talent is completely true, however it is often just
not practical in the home music studio environment.

The 5 Pillars Of Recording Studio Quality Vocal Tracks is very much about the typical home music
studio situation. You may have just one or two mics to choose from, very limited space, and not a lot of
time or money to make it all happen. My goal is to help you lay a foundation that is both affordable and
will not take months to implement.

Lastly, if you find yourself with questions after reading this e-book, feel free to send me a message at
dave@homemusicstudio1.com.
Pillar #1: Address The Early Reflections
The most critical aspect in capturing high quality vocal tracks is built upon the sound you're actually
capturing. Without going into the entire physics of sound let me simplify what I'm referring to here.
Sound is actually vibration that travels through the air as waves of pressure.

We can visually think of these sound waves like the ripples in water after a pebble is thrown into a
puddle. When the pebble hits the water it creates waves. These waves travel outward in equal directions
unless they encounter some type of resistance.

If there was a large stationary rock in the middle of this imaginary puddle, the waves would hit this
object and bounce backwards, likely in multiple directions. The first waves to hit the larger rock and
bounce back, we can compare to early reflections in sound.

As a talent sings into a microphone they become the source of sound waves. However, the sound waves
do not leave the talents voice and immediately dissipate into thin air. They actually hit resistance first in
the form of walls, floors, ceiling, and even the microphone itself. If these surfaces are smooth and solid
(like cement or drywall), the sound waves will bounce even more.

When sound leaves your talent, hits a hard surface, the first waves to bounce back into the microphone
are called early reflections. When these early reflections bounce back into their source (your vocal
talent), they create any number of unwanted tones and issues. Some of which even have the ability to
cancel out specific frequencies and massively lesson the quality of your sound.

How do you address early reflections?

The best way to deal with early reflections is to record your vocals in a very large space. A space that
has some type of acoustic treatment to absorb these first reflections. A space that is also large enough to
minimize the amount of them altogether. If your tracking room is large enough than the sound waves
will decay before reaching bouncing back into their source.

However, very large spaces are not commonly found in most home music studios. The next best thing
is to use absorption panels, strategically placed, to absorbs these early reflections so they won't reflect
at all. When your room is small the sound captured will also sound small. This problem can easily be
fixed using re-verbs and delays during the mixing or post-production process.

The goal in this environment is to capture as clean of a signal as possible. In this situation it's often best
to avoid capturing any reflections at all. The dryer the signal the easier it will be to create a big vocal
track using re-verbs and delays (among other techniques).

If treating your entire space is not in your budget there are small portable options designed specifically
for vocal tracking. Here is an option I recommend that is very cost effective and will get the job done
well.
CAD Audio AS32 Acousti-Shield

If you're recording in the typical home studio environment (as I do today) then first consider the
placement of your talent and mic when tracking. Avoid tracking directly in an untreated corner as you'll
create more early reflections. Try to be far enough from reflective sources so that less early reflections
are likely to bounce back into your mic while tracking.
The good news is that most singers don't project as much energy as a drum kit would. In this case early
reflections are much easier to control. In a pinch, you can record a great vocal track in a walk in closet
or any other smaller space that has a natural sound absorption design.

Should I build a vocal isolation booth?

This question is one I get asked often. Most of the concern here stems from the idea that many
professional studio's have some type of isolation rooms separating the talent they typically record
(drums from vocals etc.). Often the control room where mixing is done, is separated from the space the
tracking is actually accomplish in (double pained windows are often used for visibility between
spaces).

So if the professionals are doing this then I should too, right? Well in most cases that's a pretty logical
argument. However, the home studio vocal booth concept needs a bit more consideration. One benefit
of the microphone acoustic shield I've mention above is that both the top and bottom are still open. This
allows for a far less boxy sound.

In most home studio's space is a limited commodity. So if your can build a vocal booth large enough to
stand up in and stretch your arms out completely, then you may have enough space to be of use. Just
understand that even a smaller space this size would need a good amount of the walls a ceiling
acoustically treated with panels.

That said, most of the time home music studio engineers have one room to work with. In this case, I'd
recommend treating a corner (both walls and ceiling) of that room with acoustical absorption panels.
Then place your microphone facing out into the room and have the talent sing directly into this corner.
This setup would create a more open vocal sound while still addressing the early reflections as
mentioned above.

Pillar #2: Build The Highest Quality Recording

Chain Possible
When I say recording chain, I'm referring to anything that lies within the signal path from
microphone to the track inside your recording software. Every element in this chain colors the sound
in some way. An amazing microphone with a poor quality cable will do you little good. It's extremely
important to consider every single element in your recording chain.

What is the essential gear needed for studio quality vocals?

If you have a $3000 budget to work with then you're likely not even reading this e-book. In most cases
the issue keeping you from high quality vocals is not the size of your budget. In helping 1000's of home
music studio enthusiasts over the last few years, this is one common myth that too many believe.

You do not need to spend thousands of dollars to create a studio quality vocal track. In fact, when
you're struggling to get a great sound, the more gear you add, the more likely your sound will get
worse. The bare bones recording chain is a microphone, a cable, an audio interface, and a decent digital
audio workstation (recording software) (a pair of headphones is also needed to hear the results).
I have not spent thousands on my own personal home recording setup. Building upon these very same
pillars I'm sharing with you now has allowed me to create very high quality vocal tracks right in my
own basement studio. I have listed some of the gear I personally have used and also recommend you
consider below.
Microphone Options: Audio Technica AT2020, MXL 990, Shure SM58
Microphone Cables: Live Wire Standard EMX Series, Hosa Pro REAN
Audio Interface: I recommend the Focusrite Product line. I personally use a Scarlet 2i4 another
affordable option here is also the M-Audio M-Track
Digital Audio Workstation: I use Reaper nowadays, read this post for more thoughts here
Studio Headphones: I use the Sennheiser HD-280 PRO's

Can I get better quality if I use an external preamp?

I create studio quality vocal tracks with nothing but the internal preamp of my audio interface. If you
struggle to do so then it's very likely that gear is not your problem. If you are able to get great vocal
tracks with a simple setup then adding an external preamp can increase that quality. Start with the
basics and build out from there.

How do I plug it all together then?

Considering the essential gear above, a basic signal path would then be: microphone output cable
audio interface preamp digital audio workstation track channel.

In the case of an external preamp the path would look like: microphone output cable external
preamp audio interface preamp digital audio workstation track channel.

Pillar #3: Practice Proper Gain Staging

Of all the pillars in this e-book, gain staging is easily the most overlooked by home studio engineers.
The obvious question being, what is gain staging? This is simply the process of setting the most effect
levels at each stage of input volume.

When the input signal or gain is set too high, it adds extra noise to the signal path. This lowers the
quality quickly. When the input signal is higher so is the noise floor. The noise floor is the signal your
gear makes without an input signal present (nothing plugged in).

The big mistake I often see from home studio engineers is the idea that their vocal track input must be
as loud as possible without clipping. This is a false assumption and contributes to much of the amateur
sounding projects I hear today.

This assumption is also false because it assumes the end result of recording a great vocal track is lots of
volume. Keep in mind that a professional project is recorded, mixed, and mastered before its
completion. If done properly, your vocal track will not be recorded as loud as the end result of
mastering will be.

What is the ideal input gain level?

The ideal input level for most tracks (vocal or not) is peaking from -12db to -6db. Slightly quieter at
even -18db can also produce a great quality track in the end. If you're using a preamp, keep in mind
that this level must be set at both the input and output to your audio interface. If you can get this
concept down, you will produce your best mixes yet with no extra gear or software.

Pillar #4: Plosives, Noise, and Sibilance

This pillar can make one of the most audible differences of the 5 pillars when addressed. It's also one of
the easier areas to fix. Plosives are those booms, thumps, and pops, that can occur when breath from
your talents puffs into the microphone. A decent pop guard will fix 99% of these problems. Pop guards
are simply placed 1-2 off the mic in front of the vocalist.

The noise I'm referring to is typically caused by something physically bumping the microphone during
tracking. Never let your talent hold the mic while trying to record a vocal track. Using both a shock
mount and mic stand will eliminate many of these issues as well.

Sibilance is the loud Sss and T sounds that come from as a talent sings. The vast majority of sibilance
will need corrected in the mixing stage. However, experimenting with mic placement and a slight angle
can often lesson the hot sibilance effect making it easier to address later. Sibilance issues can vary per
mic and per singers style.

I've listed a few recommendations for pop guards, shock mounts, and mic stands below.

Pop Guards: WindTech Windscreen, Auphonix Double Mesh Screen

Microphone Stand: Samson MK-10, On Stage Boom
Microphone Shock Mount: Neewer Universal Shock Mount

Pillar #5: Proper Mic Technique

The last and final pillar of building studio quality vocal tracks is proper mic technique. The more
experienced the talent is, the more natural this pillar will be. The bottom line here is your vocalist needs
to understand how to work a mic according to the dynamics of the track being sung.

If a singer gets loud, they must naturally move back just a touch from the mic. The opposite is true at
quieter spots of the track. Your talent must be able to hear that sweet spot in their position and keep it
consistently throughout the song.

This is one area that can sometimes benefit from using a rack-able compressor inserted into the channel
while tracking. If you are comfortable using compression and you have access to a good unit then light
compression can help to tighten up the track. I don't use compression while tracking often but when I
do my goal is to reduce the loud peaks by no more than 3db, and to do this very transparently.

How far from the mic should my talent be?

This is a bit dependent on the style of music you are producing. In general your talent should be
anywhere from 4 to 12 away from the microphone itself. In spaces with little to no acoustic
treatment your talent will likely need to be closer to the mic as to avoid excess reflections and room
noise.
Removal of breathe noise and low end boom will need to be fixed in post-production. These issues will
be more pronounced the closer the mic is to your talent. Closer micing will tend to sound more intimate
as well. This may or may not be ideal for your situation.

Try different mic placements and positions until you are satisfied with the sound. Make the determining
factor by listening back to several test recordings through studio monitors if possible.

In my space, which is smaller that most, I typically start with the top of the microphone equal in height
to the talents upper lip and about 6 away. A distance closer to 10 will often produce a more balanced
sound but requires a room/space that has been acoustically treated for early reflections.

Conclusion
As I've previously stated, there is nothing on this list that is massively difficult to implement. There is
nothing here that costs tons of money either. Technology has now made very high quality gear
affordable to those of us who don't have large budgets for home recording.

If you take time to think through each of these pillars and implement them accordingly, your vocal
tracks will be light years ahead of most. If your track is going to sound great in a mix then the
foundation must be laid here first.

I've written this e-book to give you the necessary foundation of the task at hand but it is obviously just
the beginning. Now that you have the 5 pillars needed to get started tracking your own studio quality
vocals...

Click Here To Learn How

To Mix Studio Quality
Vocals In 12 Simple Steps
(even if you have limited
time and money).