quick tip 2: creating HOT vocals

Many modern recordings, particularly interesting indie ones, feature distorted or semi distorted vocals. There are many ways to juice up a vocal track, but I find that many home recording enthusiasts over look one of the best ways: using your pre-amp. We all know that there are a variety of plugins out there that can distort vocals, but often the programs are designed as amp simulators. Many people have discovered that they work just as well on vocals, however, when subtlty is required - in other words - if you want a hot, juicy vocal sound that sounds natural i.e.: isn't overtly distored, then the best way is often the old fashioned way: using preamp distortion. To accomplish this, you must have an analog preamp. Many inexpensive units are available. The cheaper ones are transistor based, and the pricey ones are transformer and (even pricier) tube based. I avoid cheap tube based pres as they tend to sound terrible. However, a decent transitstor based pre amp like my Focusrite Voice Master pro, or my old Joe Meek VC6Q can add a layer of juicy organic saturation when pushed that burries most plugins. The key is to run the mic level too hot, so that you intentionally overload your pre amp. You might feel that it would be best to track clean and give yourself more flexibility when mixing, but my philosophy is to take some risks while tracking, and accept the consequences. Often I find that a great track depends more on the initial signal hitting the "tape" than it does on mixing manipulations. Most pres have a red led over load indicator - I say, light it up!!! Of course, you want to make sure that your digital input is not going into overload. While analog distortion sounds pleasing, digital never does, so be carefull and watch your meters. Done right, however, you can create vocals that sound hot, juicy , and alive, in an organic way, that, in my experience, can not be simulated with plug ins, which tend to sound as fake as they, in fact, are.