Spoken Word Can Change Recording Studio Design |
During the process of recording studio design and layout, one of the most important stages of the studio development is sound treatment- otherwise referred to as acoustical treatments. Recording vocals can be challenging on several levels, but there's a couple factors that make the elements of vocal recording different from instrumentals.
If you've ever been in a recording studio, you've probably seen a vocal booth; they're usually completely "deadened" with dense materials in/on the walls and floors. In fact, sometimes these rooms are so quiet that if you shut the door, the density of the silence (for lack of a better description) becomes deafening and your senses instantly recognize the high intensity of the room pressure.
The reason why studios use this recording studio design (for vocal booths in particular) is because if you want clean, pristine radio-ready vocal tracks, they have to be recorded in their most natural form without any alterations or external influences.
Even though the same rules apply when recording instrumental tracks, the bar is raised somewhat for vocals because you have to factor in annunciation of verbal expression. Words (whether spoken or sung) need to be as articulate and precise as possible inside the recorded track so that when you layer in reverb or post-EQ, the effects will have more flexibility for sound alteration because of the integrity of the original vocal.
The differences between recording vocals and instrumentals are interesting and sometimes unique to each circumstance. To give a better understanding of the annunciation example illustrated above, (and how it relates to recording studio design,) think of it this way; if you're recording a percussive instrument that you want to sound gritty and punchy in the mix, you can always layer compression over the track and raise the attack level. If you were recording a steel string acoustic rhythm guitar in a very ambient room, this will give it more punch and bring out the intensity of the pick against the strings.
Now, if you were recording a vocalist in a room with lively acoustics, any of his or her words with consonants may lack the articulation you're looking for because of the acoustical flutter inside the recording studio design. And any layering of effects over the vocal tracks could complicate matters, because by fixing one problem you may in turn create another.
Of course, what kind of microphone and preamp you're using has an enormous role in this whole equation as well. But acoustics are important to consider in these cases, because if you go with a recording studio design that has very active acoustical ambience already present in the room's build, it can place some limitations on your options during the mixing stage of the album making process.
Most people are surprised when they hear that you don't necessarily want a recording studio design with great acoustics. Of course it's always more enjoyable and inspiring to be making a record in a room where your sound is being enhanced by your surroundings, namely a room with lively acoustics. But, in the interest of flexibility and post-production processes, when it comes down to it, it's oftentimes easier to rely on effects processors for reverb and sound enhancement (analog or digital- whatever the preference may be.)
Keep in mind during the recording studio design process that everything is about personal preference. Some people would rather have a dense, deadened room for more flexibility with effects during the mixing process, while others could care less about keeping mixing as easy as possible.
When it's all said and done, there is no right or wrong way of doing things, because as any engineer will admit, a good portion of the recording process is experimentation. So experiment. Go ahead and break all the typical
recording studio design
rules if you're trying to go for something unique and different with your recording studio design. That's what makes everything about the recording process so interesting; the options and combinations are endless.