How Charlie Puth Makes His Vocals SPOTIFY READY

Summary

The script provides guidance on recording clean vocal takes for a song. It focuses on getting a solid recording of the most difficult vocal part - an octave jump on the phrase 'hopes up.' The instructor demonstrates splitting the phrase into individual words, singing each part separately in different tonalities and distances from the microphone. After comping together a clean 'hopes up,' thicker backing vocals are layered for blend and depth. The goal is creating cohesive, emotive vocals through meticulous tracking of multiple takes to achieve a flawless final recording.

Takeaways

• 😀 Start with the most difficult vocal part first and break it up to get it as clean as possible
• 🎤 Sing parts closer and farther from the mic like Michael Jackson did for blend
• 🎹 Delete unused playlists and mute instruments for clean vocals
• 🤖 Use auto-tune for pitch but get takes as clean as possible first
• 🎶 Copy and paste processed vocals to layers for efficiency
• 😮‍💨 Get air and character voices on layers for blend and excitement
• 🔉 Turn down lows on softened layers for clarity in the mix
• 🏁 Have a final vocal in mind to stay motivated even with raw production
• 🎚 Groups of processed layers sound more cohesive than tuning one take
• 💯 Use all modern resources because classic artists would with tape

Q & A

What is the main goal when recording vocals?

The main goal is to get the vocals as clean and tight sounding as possible before adding effects like auto-tune. This requires focusing on the most difficult parts first and potentially splitting up words and syllables to nail the performance.

Why does the singer split up the lyric "hopes up"?

Splitting up the lyric gives more flexibility to get a clean take, especially for the big jump between notes. It also allows blending different takes that capture different qualities of the voice.

How can singing farther from the mic help with a vocal take?

Singing farther from the mic changes the tone and character of the voice slightly. Layering a mix of close and far takes makes the final vocals sound fuller and more natural.

Why tune vocals to specific notes even if auto-tune will be used?

It's best to get the raw vocals as in tune as possible. This gives auto-tune the best starting point to work from. Manual tuning also allows more control compared to fully automated tuning.

What's the benefit of comping vocals from multiple takes?

Comping combines the best parts of multiple takes. Some takes capture different qualities, so layering them builds a better final performance than any single take could capture.

How can altering your voice help capture variety in vocal layers?

Subtly altering tone and character, as if taking on a different singing voice, adds more uniqueness across layers. This helps them blend together more naturally.

Why tune backup layers less than the lead vocal?

The lead vocal carries the main melody so it needs to be the most in tune. Backup layers provide more texture and atmosphere, so heavy tuning would make them sound unnatural.

What's the benefit of printing manual tuning instead of relying solely on auto-tune?

Manual tuning allows more precision and control. Printed tuning changes the original performance, giving auto-tune an improved starting point so it sounds more natural.

How can reverb settings differ across vocal layers?

Reverb can vary per layer to capture different spaces and qualities. For example, backing layers use more reverb for a distant, airy sound compared to an upfront lead vocal.

Why is comping from multiple takes useful even for minor corrections?

Even small pitch inconsistencies can degrade a vocal performance. Comping ensures every syllable lands flawlessly, exceeding the quality of any single take.

Outlines

00:00

🎤 Recording clean vocal takes for a chorus

The paragraph describes the process of recording vocal takes for the chorus of a song. It focuses on getting a clean vocal sound, especially for a challenging octave jump in the melody. Techniques like backing away from the mic, splitting up difficult words, and using different vocal tones are suggested. The goal is to compile several takes to layer together for a final tight, autotuned chorus vocal.

05:02

🎶 Compiling and tuning multiple vocal takes

The paragraph continues describing the process of compiling the recorded vocal takes. Takes are edited, tuned, aligned, and blended together. Different tones and textures are layered for cohesion and fullness. Reverb and EQ are used to polish the sound. The tuned lead vocals will later be combined with additional background vocal layers.

10:03

👥 Adding breathier background vocals

The paragraph focuses on adding breathier background vocal layers to complement the existing lead vocal tracks. The goal is to glue all the vocals together into a nice group. Multiple vocal textures are layered for depth and interest. Low frequencies are reduced on some tracks to make room in the mix.

15:04

🎯 Reviewing the full vocal production process

The paragraph summarizes the full vocal production process covered in the script. It reviews the techniques used, from splitting a difficult melody, compiling robotic takes, blending tones, tuning, adding reverb and EQ, to layering lead and background vocals. When combined, it results in a full, tight chorus vocal.

Keywords

💡vocal

The word 'vocal' refers to the vocals or singing recorded for a song. The video focuses on recording clean lead and background vocals for a chorus. The goal is to get the vocals tuned and timed perfectly before adding more musical production.

💡autotune

Autotune is a pitch correction software used to fix and polish vocals by bringing them perfectly into tune. The narrator mentions using Autotune on the vocals to get them very clean and in tune before doing more production.

💡chorus

The 'chorus' refers to the chorus section of the song being recorded. The narrator is focused specifically on getting the chorus vocals finalized and perfectly tuned as a way to build excitement and momentum in the recording process.

💡blend

Blending refers to layering and mixing together multiple vocal takes to create a cohesive sound. Several tracks are recorded and blended to smooth out the vocal jumps and create a natural group.

💡octave

There is an octave vocal jump in the chorus melody line, from C# up to the next C# an octave higher. This big leap is noted as one of the most challenging parts to record and blend smoothly.

💡punchy

A punchy vocal refers to one that is very crisp, tight and percussive. Splitting syllables into individual takes makes the end result more punchy in the blend.

💡texture

Vocal texture refers to the tone color and timbre of the singer's voice. Overdubbing different textures creates interest and thickens the vocal sound.

💡reverb

Reverb effects are used to make some vocal overdubs sound more distant and spacious. This helps them blend better with the drier lead layers.

💡robotic

A robotic vocal sound refers to one that is perfectly in tune but lacking in human expression. Too much pitch correction can create a robotic effect, which the narrator aims to avoid.

💡layer

Layers refer to the number tracks stacked together - lead vocals, overdubs, harmonies etc. More layers tend to create a fuller, richer composite sound.

Highlights

The goal is to get clean final vocals using Auto-Tune and good mic technique

Split up difficult parts like octave jumps to record separately for clarity

Use different character voices when doubling to get distinct layers

Line up vocals visually using cursors for optimal precision

Take time to get it right, it will last forever if done well

Pretend to be different people when doubling vocals alone

Transpose vocals up for better vowel shape consistency

Layer an attacky nasal layer with a gentler breathy layer

Remove lows on breath tracks for clarity in the mix

Glue unnatural intervals with more natural doubles

Start with the hardest part first

Create contrast with frontal nasal vs. breathy layers

180 BG vox layers on past hit song as example

Layering gives the illusion of natural ease

Take time and utilize all tools for surgical precision

Transcripts

the goal right now is to get some final

vocals I'm going to line tune these on

Auto-Tune but it's good to get it as

clean as possible you really want to get

a listener's attention C sharp to the C

sharp I'm gonna back away from the mic a

little bit maybe sing A Little Bit

Stronger starting to get Fuller you can

not get super super stoked it takes a

while but it's so worth it

so the goal right now is to get some

final vocals even when the production

isn't all the way done but you want to

keep yourself excited and a way to do

that is to get a final vocal and it's

sounding really tight we're going to use

vocal line we're going to use autotune

or melodyne and but right now we're just

going to focus on getting the chorus all

nice and tight sounding and we'll

continue on from there alright so let's

listen to this very robotic sounding

scratch demo

okay

[Music]

[Music]

okay so the drums come in there still so

I think the first logical thing you

always want to think about what the

hardest thing this thing is first and

that's that octave jump from the C sharp

to the C sharp hopes up and something

that Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson

used to do when they were tracking

vocals for We Are the World Quincy would

have Michael back up from the mic uh and

sing it in kind of like different

character voices still the same Michael

voice but one voice I'm not gonna sing

it but

One Voice he's singing it's super close

to the mics One Voice he'd sing it super

far away and then in the middle

somewhere so you have that nice blend

and that's what we're gonna do but not

with the entire course right now we're

gonna just do it with the lyric hopes up

um and then when I hear that all super

clean and vocal lined and timed up

correctly I'll get excited to record the

rest of the uh chorus so let's get to it

why don't we

we're gonna mute this chorus vocal

[Music]

let's do this

hmm

I have this all in my mind so I'm

actually just going to delete that I

personally never use playlists I just

gets too convoluted and confusing but

you can use playlists

all right so in order for it to be super

clean you have so many Liberties you

might as well uh break it up so I'm not

even gonna sing Oh upset I'm gonna do

oops just hopes

um so and you're strong you have a kind

of difficult part that you want to make

super clean just split it up Ryan Tedder

always told me to do that uh in one of

his songs he he split up each individual

syllable and word and I thought that was

very ingenious it gets super punchy

[Music]

all right so just hopes ho ho hopes

hopes

I'm gonna sing the up a little bit so it

sounds connected when I do connect the

two

let's start four before

metronome I don't know why I got my hair

all did up it's gonna get messed up from

these headphones anyway

[Music]

I'm just saying hopes but I'm still

leaving that sibilance there because I

know I'm going to stay up after it

so let's drag it down to our first focal

bus Group it sounds like this oops oh

let's take the altar boy off oops oops

pops up

and I'm gonna line tune these on

Auto-Tune but it's good to get it as

clean as possible oops pops

drag this over

I'm hearing a buzzing I think it's from

one of my keyboards let's let me turn

that off really quickly

so much better oops oops

hubs

so you want to kind of like we did in

the last Lesson by lining up drums you

want to take that same approach by

lining up vocals oops

oops

I mean we have every resource they used

to have to do this with tape and if you

messed up you'd get fired so now we have

virtual tape so we can make as many

splices as we can so we might as well

use it to our advantage oops

let's do another hopes

[Music]

okay drag that down here

[Music]

it's louder so you can hear it

[Music]

this s I'm going to drag over and line

it up with this s here

focal line is a really great tool but

nothing is a better tool than your eye

and a physical cursor

[Music]

there we go

[Music]

still leaving the S at the end let's do

two more hopes I'm gonna back away from

the mic a little bit oh

maybe sing A Little Bit Stronger

[Music]

hubs

[Music]

all right let's do this

[Music]

lining it up as so even the end

[Music]

one more

[Music]

starting to get Fuller you can and I get

super super stoked when it starts to

sound like a

clean group of vocals

oops you know and these last two I'm

gonna sing like you got to pretend like

you're a different person uh uh because

if you're just making this alone uh and

you only have your vocal texture you got

to kind of pretend to be someone else so

just uh put and format your voice a

little bit like so it's gonna be so my

voice would be like oh so I'm gonna

instead go hope and you're gonna get a

different vowel shape and it's going to

blend really nicely

I'm gonna give myself some more pre-roll

oh

[Music]

oh

that was actually good I like that

[Music]

so just soloing all these this is what

we have we have

it takes a while but it's so worth it

you want something to take a while

because if it's going to be around

forever you want to listen to it forever

oops

hops

hops

these are just C sharp so I'm gonna take

in

we'll just do uh

Advance Auto Tune let's just take the E

flat out let's take the C so it's super

clean

drag that down drag that down drag that

down drag that down drag that down hops

hopes

hopes

now we're gonna do the up

up up

but okay so here's the thing about my

voice uh if

maybe if I had a better voice or like a

wider voice on like the top range of

things I'll sometimes do this with my

voice where I'll sing a lower note and

then pitch it up because the vowel shape

will be a little bit more consistent

um with what I'm singing so if I sing uh

it's gonna sound kind of thin and

nasally but maybe instead let's just

solo record and then oops

let's turn the auto tune on up

up up up let's sing an a natural because

if I transpose that a natural up to a C

sharp it'll sound it'll sound better

it's hard to explain but turn the

metronome on

up up up

I'll do it again

like that last one

[Music]

go into your audio Suite

[Music]

you're gonna go up four format it one

two three four

um put it in graph so it's not hitting

any tune

nice and clean

let's see here so you want I'll make

this bigger so you can see you want to

blend the end of that s into your up

like this

oh that sounds robotic you don't want

that so you just drag it over a little

bit

oh stop

s and it's okay if it sounds a little

cutty there because it's only one layer

oops

[Music]

so it'll make more sense when you add

another one to it

let's do another one we did a natural

what's up

pops up

[Music]

I like that one

take go back to audio Suite I don't know

why I xed it out

um

I find this so fun

I really do it's like super entertaining

and while we're at it let's just take

that and hops up

line tune that make it super

on the grid

what's up

boom

there just a little glitch

hopes up

up

so now I have

said I'm gonna bring this over here

and blend this one now

this one should sound a little bit more

natural let's see oops

and still sounds a little bit you

wouldn't like have that as like the lead

but we have four more to do oops let's

do it for real now let's put this auto

tune back on

offset

[Music]

and then

bring it down

[Music]

one more

[Music]

clean

[Music]

and now in kind of our goofy voice

like Michael McDonald

[Music]

get that air in there

[Music]

and one more

[Music]

and finally

[Music]

it's pretty good I would do more but we

won't go too crazy

[Music]

Let's Go Crazy two more

now let's do it for real like hopes up

and think about it you'll be recording

one lead vocal before this and look

forward to a nicely grouped vocal coming

up to it so hopes up

[Music]

so that Supernatural one is going to be

Blended in with these kind of

Frankenstein ones

I also just realized that these are not

at zero now it'll sound better

okay so we have one layer of hopes UPS

plural uh with the super attacky uh

nasally kind of thing now we want to add

like four hopes up to the baby face

method helps

[Music]

and this is doing this is going to glue

it all together

my songs you again had 180 background

vocals on the chorus so we won't do that

right now but you get the point I love

background vocal layers

[Music]

once it sound like Tears for Fears

ah now we're getting somewhere

I think two more and we're good

to a lot of bullets we're gonna drag the

record channel down

staying organized

[Music]

again I could easily auto tune these but

you don't want them to sound super

robotic that's why I'm trying to get

taking extra care to make it as clean as

possible from the get-go

[Music]

I have some Reverb on this B track here

so it's uh

so here the difference between this

layer

let's take out the C natural because I

hear myself kind of hitting a c natural

advanced

take the C natural out

um

all the way down

[Music]

so those are a little more gentle

and these a little bit more

in your face pops up

and together you have

a nice group I might even go as far as

at the very very end of the breathy

chain just taking a little lows out

hopes up

this is before

this is after hopes up just

just a little thinner I think that

sounds good so I can copy and paste that

to the next part

[Music]

starting to come together

okay so to recap we started off with the

hardest part of the song which was kind

of gluing together these very far

apart notes these right here

they sound kind of unnatural but you

don't need to really worry about that

because you're going to double it a

bunch of times with oh

actual times that you do it so when you

mend the two together it sounds like you

did it perfectly which is the goal of

course

um there was one layer which is like the

frontal nasally kind of layer and then

we layered that layer with a more

breathy layer which is

this right here

took a little bit of lows off that added

some uh additional Reverb right on the

channel

and then when you put it together it

sounds like this

[Music]