Today I’m going to show you 3 ways to get better-sounding vocal recordings for cheap!
Links to most of the materials that I mention are available in my studio gear catalog that I just released which you can get here.
THE PROBLEM
When it comes to getting better-sounding vocal recordings most people tend to think that their microphone is the issue. When in all actuality, It’s usually the space that they’re recording in.
Now you could pool together your life savings and what little bit of money you made from your Only Fans account and buy a microphone that costs thousands of dollars. But if you’re recording your vocals in a garage, your vocals are going to sound like crap because theirs going to be tons of echo because theirs no materials like carpet absorbing the sound.
Check out this quick example of me rapping in different areas around my house to demonstrate what I’m talking about.
THE SOLUTION
So the solution is to first pick a room that has as much sound-absorbing material already in it such as carpet and furniture like beds and cushioned chairs.
CENTER
Next, if your walls are made of drywall you typically want to record in the center of the room if possible because it’s the furthest from all the walls which will reflect sound back into the microphone.
MIC POSITION
Next, you want to face the back of the microphone toward anything that’s making a lot of noise such as your computer or your significant other that you recently upset.
ISOLATE THE MIC FROM THE ROOM
Now we’re going to isolate the microphone from the rest of the room using 3 different options.
#1 GOBO TOTAL COST $132.46
For our first method, we’re going to create what is known as a gobo.
METAL FRAMES X 2 COST $74
I’m going to create a v shape frame using 2 of these metal frames that are intended for Weddings. These are 6 ft 6 in tall so most of you should be able to fit within it.
MOVING BLANKETS X 3 COST $49.26
Next, I’m going to use 2 moving blankets to create a wall. And an additional moving blanket to create a ceiling. These blankets are thicker than a snickers and do a great job absorbing sound. If you don’t have carpeted floors as shown in this example you can place a rug underneath to stop any sound from bouncing off the floor.
CLAMPS X 10 COST $9.20
Next, I’m going to hold them in place by using some clamps.
Now you’re ready to capture some much better-sounding vocal recordings for a
TOTAL COST $132.46
Now here are the pros and cons of this option.
PROS
– Removes room echo
– Doesn’t change the eq curve of your vocals significantly so there’s no need to correct anything it’s doing during post-production.
CONS
– Takes up a lot of real estate in your room
– Inconvenient if you’re working by yourself unless you can control your computer remotely
REMOTE CONTROL
Some DAWS like Studio One allow you to control your recording session remotely using a mobile device such as a tablet or phone.
GOOSENECK (for tablet) COST 21.99
GOOSENECK (for phone) COST 15.99
In this situation, you could use a gooseneck for tablets or a gooseneck for phones to attach to the frame of your gobo and cut a hole through your moving blanket to feed the gooseneck through
TOTAL COST $154.46
Kaotica Eyeball Cost $158.00
Another great option is using a little device known as the Kaotica Eyeball. In essence, this achieves a similar result with removing room echos as the GOBO but with fewer moving parts and it takes up no extra space in your room.
However, one thing to be mindful of is since the microphone is in such a small space, you may notice that your voice sounds more boomer and may require you during post-production to reduce some lower mid frequencies and boost some of the higher frequencies to get some of that sparkle back.
PROS
– Removes room echo
– Doesn’t take up any additional space within your room
– It’s portable
– has versions to fit all different types of mics
– looks great
– can purchase different color windscreens
CONS
– May require post-production eq adjustments
Kaotica Eyeball Knock Off COST $36
Cost $36.00
For our final option, we have what is essentially a bootleg knockoff of the Kaotica Eyeball which is the cheapest option of the 3 coming in at on $36. Unlike the Kaotica Eyeball, this one will only be a best fit for large diaphragm condenser microphones and won’t fit Dynamic microphones.
Pros:
– Removes room echo
– Doesn’t take up any room
– Is portable
– Is the cheapest option available
Cons:
– May require post-production eq adjustments
– Doesn’t look as good as the Kaotica Eyeball
– Doesn’t fit other microphone models such as dynamic mics
One More Great Option
All of the previous examples used a condenser microphone but another great option is to use a dynamic microphone instead. Dynamic mics do an amazing job of blocking out background noise because they typically only pick up what’s directly in front of them. Depending on how noisy your room is, a Dynamic mic may do the trick for you without having to purchase all the other products. One that I highly recommend that won’t break the bank is the FIFINE Amplitank K688 which will only set you back $73 USD
If you’re currently trying to build your home studio and want to ensure you don’t miss anything else that you need be sure you check out my ultimate guide for an affordable home recording studio
They All Work
Regardless of which option you pick I can confidently say that all three of them will help you achieve better-sounding vocal recordings because they all do a great job of blocking nasty room echoes from bleeding into your microphone.
If you want to learn another hack for getting better sounding vocal recordings check out my video “Why your vocal recordings sound like crap!”
