Canadian Musician September / October 2019 | Page 54

into a small Mackie console, I was wondering why it didn’t
sound like the pros. Then, when I started recording with
Tom Cochrane years later at his home studio, I finally got
it. Tom is an avid gear collector and had me plug his Neu-
mann U67 into a Neve 1073 preamp then into a Urei 1176
compressor. That was it!
Now I use BAE Audio mic pres – some of the best pres
out there in the Neve/API style. Choose a mic that suits the
singer. If you’re on a budget, try a Shure SM7B. It’s around
$500 and it’s a lot of singers’ preferred mic, from Bonnie
Raitt to Steven Tyler. Then, a compressor will take down
peaks if you feel the singer needs it. I’m currently using
BAE’s 10DC, which is a fairly transparent compressor, but if
I’m doing a rock track or want a more compressed sound,
I’ll go to an 1176 or LA-2A.
The right gear really does matter. It’ll make your job
much easier and inspire you and the singer for an optimal
performance.
CM: You’ve worked with an array of singers from various
genres. While I’m sure it differs from case to case, how
do you typically forge a good creative
relationship with a singer in the studio to get the best
possible performance?
points on a 1073 do so much with so little. The only thing
that changes is either a distressor or a blue stripe 1176
after. This is usually vocalist-dependent – the softer stuff
gets the distressor, the louder vocals get the 1176. Also, if a
vocalist is a bit nasally, I’ll probably opt for the distressor
because the 1176 is very aggressive in the same range as
the vocalist.
CM: When it comes to the heavier genres you work on,
whether you’re mixing the project or getting things
primed for an outside mix engineer, how do you make
sure your vocal is going to be fully present and cut
through the mix?
SG: Compression! Aggressive vocal compression for ag-
gressive vocals is the key. And using compressors with
character – usually a blue stripe 1176 plug-in and a bit of
Soundtoys’ Decapitator really makes a vocal hit hard in
heavy music. You want the vocals to occupy this dense
space and you can’t have it fighting with other stuff.
Sometimes people think the solution to that is more re-
verb, but I find it’s actually less. More short delay and slap
over a lush reverb is my go-to in those situations.
BB: Be responsible for the energy that you bring into the
space. Energy in the room is everything. It’s not about you;
it’s about the singer, who has to emotionally connect to
the lyric in order to sing an inspired take.
Try to gauge what the singer might want – tea, lots
of light, less light, light-hearted jokes, no talking at all... It’s
their space while they are recording. Try to make it as
comfortable for them as you can. Upbeat positivity goes
a long way.
At the Console:
Hill Kourkoutis
(Madison Violet, The Cliks)
At the Console:
Sam Guaiana
(Silverstein, Story Untold)
Go-To Vocal Setup:
The “for-sure” things are a vintage U87 and a Neve 1073.
Super original, I know, but it really is an amazing combo
and it’s almost impossible to make it sound bad. The EQ
54 C A N A D I A N M U S I C I A N
Go-To Vocal Setup:
I use a UAD Apollo as my main interface so my vocal chain
makes use of UAD’s incredible Unison pres. I usually opt for
the Neve 1073 as it is one of my favourites, followed by ap-
plying some gentle compression with the Teletronix LA-2A
or Tube-Tech CL 1B. I also use the UAD Capitol Chambers
plug-in in the vocalist’s monitor mix for the sake of the
performance but the actual signal being recorded is cap-
tured from the preamp and compressor. My go-to mics
are usually a Neumann TLM-49 or my Shure SM7. I tend to
go with this combo as it provides me with a warm and
lush vocal but, of course, I do modify it from time to time if
I feel it does not complement the vocalist’s timbre.