best way to record harmony vocals / recommended producers?

[ScowlinOwl]

Hi - my band have got a number of songs now written and the arrangements largely sorted, so we are researching costs and skills of producers in and around London (though we'd travel for a good deal) to record a debut EP.

Thing is, what I could do with is advice on how best to record harmony-led vocals - is it still best to split the voices, or can you record all three but still have some control over the mix?

I'm also keen to use producers/engineers who go along the 'less is more' approach as we're keen to keep things simple and effective, so any recommendations also appreciated.

You can hear some of our tunes (very rough demos!) at www.musicborn.com/scowlinowl to get an idea of the sound we have.

[jim_branning]

Hi - my band have got a number of songs now written and the arrangements largely sorted, so we are researching costs and skills of producers in and around London (though we'd travel for a good deal) to record a debut EP.

Thing is, what I could do with is advice on how best to record harmony-led vocals - is it still best to split the voices, or can you record all three but still have some control over the mix?

I'm also keen to use producers/engineers who go along the 'less is more' approach as we're keen to keep things simple and effective, so any recommendations also appreciated.

You can hear some of our tunes (very rough demos!) at www.musicborn.com/scowlinowl to get an idea of the sound we have.

Well there are so few tracks due to the acoustic nature of the material, that one would want to track each harmony individually i'd say. or maybe track them as a group for the vibe and then individually double track them too as an extra option. Why not?

Also you need to get a better acoustic sound, cos it's thin and has that "elastic band" edge to the sound.

also when you re-record you wont have those plosive" pops all over the vocal recording.

[Danny1969]

In general it's better to do them seperately, so you can get the phrasing to match nicely and the volume of each harmony can be automated seperately. And different voices need different compressor settings. But I have recorded harmonies (old sixties type ) done together and it was pretty good, just not as good as it could have been

I run a studio just outside of Portsmouth, off peak day rate recording is £20 an hour - On peak (weekends and eves) is £25 an hour. Have a look at the website www.2020studios.co.uk

Outside producers are welcome or we will produce the session if desired. The rate includes an engineer as standard

[octatonic]

Hi - my band have got a number of songs now written and the arrangements largely sorted, so we are researching costs and skills of producers in and around London (though we'd travel for a good deal) to record a debut EP.

Thing is, what I could do with is advice on how best to record harmony-led vocals - is it still best to split the voices, or can you record all three but still have some control over the mix?

I'm also keen to use producers/engineers who go along the 'less is more' approach as we're keen to keep things simple and effective, so any recommendations also appreciated.

You can hear some of our tunes (very rough demos!) at www.musicborn.com/scowlinowl to get an idea of the sound we have.

It depends- I've tracked vocals as an ensemble if the blend is right and it works but this is rare.
Most ensembles have one or two strong singers and a couple of less precise vocalists.
If that is the case then I track them individually.
Depending on the arrangement I might stack several vocals from each person.

I produce/engineer in London, feel free to PM me if you want a CV etc.
I track in various studios and then mix from my home (but pro) studio to keep costs down if that helps things.
I'm probably not the cheapest guy out there but I've got a good track record, had stuff chart in France/Germany/Switzerland/Austria.

[ScowlinOwl]

HI thanks all for the thoughts. Yes the recordings we have at the mo are basically us doing them with a ropey mike and Garageband!
Sounds like recording separately is a must then - thanks and I'll be in touch with the producers who kindly added their deets here

[jim_branning]

HI thanks all for the thoughts. Yes the recordings we have at the mo are basically us doing them with a ropey mike and Garageband!
Sounds like recording separately is a must then - thanks and I'll be in touch with the producers who kindly added their deets here

just get a decent audio interface for the mac, and a decent 50-60 quid large diaphragm condenser mic and you should be set to get a better sound.