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How to Record Voice Without Noise

Vocals are generally the focal point of any recording in which they are featured. Whether it is a singer in a song or a spoken word piece, recordings benefit from maximizing the clarity and definition of the human voice. Noise is the enemy of such recordings --- whether it's background noise or mechanical hiss from the equipment, every decibel of unwanted noise robs the signal of detail and range, leaving it sounding distant and flat. There are several techniques to minimize the amount of noise in a vocal recording.

Things You'll Need

  • Microphone stand
  • Heavy rugs or carpets
  • Pop shield
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set up the microphone on a stand in a quiet space. One of the most effective ways of eliminating noise on a signal is to avoid recording it in the first place. Placing the microphone on a stand will isolate it from vibration, thus preventing the sound of footfalls being captured by the microphone.

    • 2

      Hang rugs or carpets on the walls of your recording space. Cover of much of the wall surface as possible. This will help shut out any external noise from coming in from outside, as well as preventing any sounds from inside the room from reflecting off the walls, causing an unwanted "tail" on any recorded sounds.

    • 3

      Attach the pop shield to the microphone stand. A pop shield consists of a circular frame with a fine sheer material stretched across it. The idea is to disperse the bursts of air that come from a vocalist's mouth when forming "P," "B," "S" or "T" sounds. These are called "plosives" and "sibilance," and are extremely difficult to remove from finished recordings.

Recording Music

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