Capturing, recording and broadcasting the voice is often difficult. Many factors must be taken into account and achieving a true representation is much more complex than one might think.The capture devices such as the position of the singer(s) or narrator(s), the acoustics, atmosphere and equipment are just some of the physical aspects that need to be mastered. Then there is the passage through the analog or digital channel, which disrupts the audio signal, as well as the processes that are often required to enrich, improve or even transform the vocal timbre and tessitura. While in the past these processes were purely material, today digital technologies and software produce surprising results that every professional in recording and broadcasting should know how to master.Recording and Voice Processing 2 focuses on live and studio voice recordings. It presents the various pieces of hardware and software necessary for voice recording, and details possible sound channel configurations based on recording location. An actual recording, and its various constraints, is then considered, addressing the pitfalls to avoid and the strategies to use in order to achieve a satisfactory result. Different special effects (vocoder, auto-tune, Melodyne, etc.) that can be used on the voice, whether spoken or sung, are also presented.

Capturing, recording and broadcasting the voice is often difficult. Many factors must be taken into account and achieving a true representation is much more complex than one might think.The capture devices such as the position of the singer(s) or narrator(s), the acoustics, atmosphere and equipment are just some of the physical aspects that need to be mastered. Then there is the passage through the analog or digital channel, which disrupts the audio signal, as well as the processes that are often required to enrich, improve or even transform the vocal timbre and tessitura. While in the past these processes were purely material, today digital technologies and software produce surprising results that every professional in recording and broadcasting should know how to master.Recording and Voice Processing 2 focuses on live and studio voice recordings. It presents the various pieces of hardware and software necessary for voice recording, and details possible sound channel configurations based on recording location. An actual recording, and its various constraints, is then considered, addressing the pitfalls to avoid and the strategies to use in order to achieve a satisfactory result. Different special effects (vocoder, auto-tune, Melodyne, etc.) that can be used on the voice, whether spoken or sung, are also presented.

Preface ixIntroduction xiiiChapter 1. Processing Hardware and Software 11.1. The materials 11.1.1. The compressor 11.1.2. The equalizer 81.1.3. Reverberation and delay 111.1.4. The de-esser 191.1.5. The expander 211.1.6. The exciter or enhancer 231.2. The software 251.3. Conclusion 25Chapter 2. Configuration and the Audio System 292.1. The capture and processing chain 292.1.1. Minimum configuration 292.1.2. Classic home studio configurations 312.1.3. Semi-professional configurations 322.2. Microphone preamplifiers 342.2.1. Tube preamplifiers 352.2.2. Transistor preamplifiers 362.2.3. Hybrid preamplifiers 372.2.4. Channel strips 382.2.5. The right choice 382.2.6. A selection of preamplifiers 382.3. Digital audio interfaces 412.4. Multi-channel headphone amplifiers 472.5. Monitoring speakers 492.5.1. Genelec 8000 series 512.5.2. Yamaha NS10-M 522.5.3. Scientelec ORTF 542.5.4. Studer series A 562.5.5. Elipson LA 4240 572.5.6. Focal Twin6 Be 582.5.7. NHT M-100 592.5.8. JBL 4310 602.5.9. Adam Audio AX series 622.5.10. Selecting active proximity speakers 632.5.11. A word about subwoofers 652.5.12. To conclude on the speakers 662.6. Amplifiers for passive speakers 672.6.1. Yamaha A100 682.6.2. Studer A68 692.6.3. Amcron DC 300A 692.6.4. Amcron D75 702.6.5. Yamaha PX3 712.7. Monitoring controllers 722.8. Conclusion 74Chapter 3. Voice Recording 773.1. Artist, comfort and environment 773.2. The choice of microphone 793.2.1. The location 793.2.2. Microphone collection 933.2.3. Style and voice 983.2.4. Direction and color 993.3. Constraints and accessories 993.3.1. Nearby environment 1003.3.2. Microphone suspension 1003.3.3. Pop filter 1013.3.4. Microphone stand and bracket 1023.4. Positioning the microphone 1033.5. Feedback 1073.5.1. Voice feedback through headphones 1083.5.2. Voice feedback through loudspeakers 1103.5.3. Feedback and audio interface 1113.6. The voice-only mix 1143.6.1. A mix for which voice? 1153.6.2. Comping 1153.6.3. Editing and editing 1163.6.4. Level balancing 1163.6.5. Equalization 1183.6.6. Sibilance suppression 1213.6.7. Serial compression 1223.6.8. Tone adjustment 1243.6.9. Delay or reverberation 1243.6.10. To finish with the voice-only mix 1273.7. Recording multiple performers 1283.8. Recording a choir 1313.9. Recording a voice-over 1333.10. Conclusion 134Chapter 4. Special Effects 1354.1. The vocoder 1354.2. The talkbox 1384.3. Auto-tune 1404.4. Melodyne 1424.5. Voice processors 1444.6. Finally 146Conclusion 147Appendix 1. Sound Unit 151Appendix 2. Audio Connectivity 159Appendix 3. Audio Processing Plugins 169Appendix 4. Microphone Pairs 175Appendix 5. Types of Software Plugins 189Glossary 191References 199Index 209