Five Essential Harmony Recording Tips
From learning the proper vocal blend before you record, to knowing which microphones work best (and how many), and other thoughts
When it comes to embellishing your work in progress, a well-crafted backing vocal can go a long way. Background harmonies not only add flavor and make a nice production technique, they’re often the hookiest part of the whole song. If you’ve come up with a clever backing bit, here are some suggestions for ensuring you record it properly.
Double It
Sometimes a backing vocal part can benefit from a little thickening, the kind you get when you double-track the original part. This can be particularly effective with two-part harmony, as the additional pass gives the track a chorale-like feel. Not that you need to use all of the double-track—sometimes just having the doubled part at around half of the original volume will suffice. When double tracking, some singers may expend too much energy trying to replicate the tone and phrasing of the original take. To avoid this, try muting the main track; even without hearing the first part, vocalists will often perform a second take that is nearly identical anyway.
Try Using Just One Mic
Although you may have more control by giving each singer a dedicated microphone, many pros swear by the natural blend that occurs when two vocalists sing live into a single mic (particularly with singers who are adept at performing live harmony). There are a few drawbacks—since you’re only using a single track, all the harmonies will be in mono. Additionally, the singers must consciously self-balance as they’re recording, otherwise the parts will sound lop-sided.
When using a single condenser mic for two vocalists, you have the choice of having each singer face the front of the mic (set to cardioid mode), or on either side of the mic (in omni mode). Here the nod often goes to the latter method, as it not only allows the vocalists to see each other while performing, but also puts each one in the exact center of the microphone (a.k.a. “on-axis”).
Practice Before You Track It
Particularly if you’re planning on recording two or more vocalists with one microphone, make sure that the parts are thoroughly rehearsed beforehand, including all harmony intervals, phrasing nuances, breathing and so forth. As noted above, “self-mixing” while singing is crucial—when doing a practice run, check to make sure one vocalist isn’t overpowering the other, even if it means moving the quieter singer a bit closer to the mic to compensate.
DIY Harmonies
Of course, you may be the type who prefers to cover the harmonies singlehandedly, which is fine, though the blend may not be quite the same as when multiple singers are involved. However there are ways that you can avoid that “stacked pancake” DIY harmony sound. For instance, some professionals may try installing a different mic than the one they used on the lead vocal, just to slightly change the feel of the succeeding vocal parts. Even moving your position around the microphone for each pass can help give the backing tracks a “wider” feel. You might also try adjusting the EQ ever so slightly so there’s a suitable contrast between the lead and harmony vocals.
Mix Tips
Where should you place the harmony vocals in the stereo mix? A lot depends on the sound of the rhythm track—if the arrangement is relatively spare with lots of open space, consider mixing the vocals in stereo, particularly if the there are multiple parts and/or you’ve double-tracked the original. Try not to spread the vocals too far apart—just slightly to the left and right of the centered lead vocal should do it. If you don’t like the sound of the backgrounds panned, you can just stack them in mono and place them either directly behind the lead vocal or slightly to the left or right.
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