How to Record Vocals Without Headphones

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Set your microphone up with the null point (point of rejection) facing your monitors.

   On most mics (ones with a cardioid or hyper cardioid polar pattern) you can find the highest rejection by aiming the end of the mic at one of the monitors and then turning it just slightly left or right.
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   Step 2: Turn off one monitor (the one you didn't aim the mic at).

   , As you are doing these, it is important that you find : a.) A monitor level that is not too loud, but is comfortable for the singer. b.) The proper gain level so that the signal isn't distorting. c.) The mic position with the smallest amount of bleed-through.
   
   NOTE:
   There will be some bleed-through involved, just make sure it is as quiet as possible. , With the vocal take recorded, open up another track and label it "Bleed-Through" or something to that nature. , Remain totally silent during the recording, as you are just catching the bleed-through. ,, On Pro-Tools this can be done by opening the plug-in "Trim" on the insert of the bleed-through track and pressing the invert phase button.
   
   On Adobe Audition you can use an Audio Suite effect called "Invert" to flip the phase. ,, The inverted bleed-through track should cancel out a large amount of the bleed-through on the vocal track. ,
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   Step 3: Place your singer in front of the microphone and do some sound tests.

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   Step 4: Now that you have found your levels

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   Step 5: record the vocals.

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   Step 6: Without changing anything (monitor level

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   Step 7: mic placement

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   Step 8: same monitor turned off)

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   Step 9: stand in front of the mic yourself and record just the bleed-through of the track through the mic.

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    Step 10: With this done

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    Step 11: you should have two tracks: One with your vocal take (with bleed-through) and another that contains the bleed-through by itself.

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    Step 12: Invert the phase on the bleed-through track.

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    Step 13: Understand that with the phase now inverted

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    Step 14: raise the level of the bleed-through track to match the decibel level of the vocal track.

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    Step 15: Play both tracks back simultaneously.

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    Step 16: Do this with each song

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    Step 17: making sure to keep records of you mic choice

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    Step 18: mic position

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    Step 19: and monitor level.

Detailed Guide

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