Vocal Processing "Hip Hop Vocals"

All vocals were recorded with a Studio Project C1 condenser microphone (cardioid polar pattern). Preamps used were the dB class 1v preamps side chained with the Pre Sonus studio channel (Compressor / equalizer microphone pre amp.) Vocal automation was applied, along with Izotope Ozone mastering suite applications.The vocals came out very warm, which is how I like it and was not piercing to the ear at all. I created a nice smooth blend of reverberation on to the vocals by applying the side chain technique as well. Watch and enjoy. Have any questions? leave a comment.
         

Music Recording, Dialogue Recording / Editing and Dialogue

This is another music video that I've done some ADR (automated dialogue replacement) work on. I also created and composed the music myself. For this particular project I used a Audio Technica 4050, which is a condenser mic with multiple polar patterns. The polar pattern I used to record the vocals from the talent shown in this music video was a cardioid. Dynamic effects were applied to the audio through digital plug ins inserted into my DAW (digital audio workstation). There were no external hardware devices used for dynamic effects on this particular project besides the on board pre amps on the Pre Sonus studio live mixing console. I captured the live recording for this project through the mixing console as well, but decided to trash that, and re recorded all talent editing dialogue through post production. I didn't want to make the dialogue sound like it was completely clean and clear due to the fact that I wanted to give the listener the sound of them actually performing in a basement. I used some reverberation and EQ to give that perception. Ive always felt that it works better to go the ADR route when sound designing dialogue for music videos.

ADR, Editing, Mixing , Mastering, Vocal Processing and Video Production

This is a clip of a short video production with ADR (automated dialogue replacement) and vocal processing. This was created for artist "Eleven" to use for promotional use. The vocals were recorded with a Audio Technica condenser microphone with a cardioid polar pattern. The signal was then processed through a Avalon 737 compressor / pre-amp going into a Duality SSL console and from there into Pro Tools DAW (digital audio workstation) for editing and mixing. After audio was processed through Pro Tools I then applied my processing and mastering techniques to the audio through Ozone. The video was quite basic since this was more of an audio focused project. The camera used was a Canon 7D with a 35mm Lens. The background was a black backdrop. I managed to get rid of all the wrinkles on the sheet and created a smooth texture in the background by color correction. Video was edited some through Avid Media Composer and finished through Adobe premiere. I really like the way his vocals sound on this project. It really has this warm realistic real tone to his voice.

 

Dialogue Recording, Editing, ADR, Vocal Processing, Mastering, Vocal Mic Techniques, Boom Operations, Field Mixing

This is an Independent film that a colleague of mine is working on. I worked on all the audio production for the film. All foley was recorded and edited through Pro Tools. I rewired Reason by Propellarhead as an insert through one of my Pro Tools tracks and used my midi controller to punch in my sound designs. The environmental room tone was recorded by me using a sennheiser shotgun mic, along with a omni directional lavalier placed on the side of the bar. All signal on the field was recorded into a Dp-008 Tascam. I then exported files from the Tascam and imported them into my Pro Tools dialogue and sound design session. All dialogue was replaced in the studio with a Neumann U87 on the male actor and a Audio Technica 2020 on the female actress. These are both condenser mics switch to its cardioid polar pattern. These signals were then processed through dbx class IV preamps and converted through a Lexicon U82s A/D to D/A converter. All mixing and editing was done through my Pro Tools 11 software and then bounced out to a WAV format. Once that was done I applied all of my mastering techniques through the Ozone Izoptope mastering suite. Once that file was exported out of Ozone, I then imported that file into Adobe Premiere, and synced audio with the video. The ADR (automated dialogue replacement) came out very nice and clean. The dialogue was synced well with mouth movements and the ambiance fit the location well.
             

Music Recording and ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement)

Here is a clip of a recent project. All the recording was done by me. I isolated the vocalist in a booth using a Neumann U87 as a cardioid microphone. I then used a side chain compression technique with my out board gear which was the Avalon 737. After I added EQ to his main vocals and the compression vocal track. The compression vocal track slightly panned to the right and up half as loud as the main vocals. After creating the main vocal stem I then applied online volume automation to give the vocals a realistic sound by replicating the changes in sound pressure coming from his voice. I then inserted my Ozone by Isotope plug in onto the main stem and began applying my mastering techniques onto the over all mix. The built in class A tube pre amp in the Avalon and the large diaphragm on the U87 combined really gave me that warmth and punch I was looking for in the talents vocals. All inputs were tracked into the Duality SSL board. I bypassed the on board SSL compression, and used the Avalon 737 instead.
       
          

My Sound Design Work on The Animated Movie "Sintel"

Here is a short clip played after an introduction that I've created with my logo. All the sound fx, foley,  music scoring and environmental sound is designed by me. During the fight scene I chose to use a lot of foley, and no music so that the audience can feel how intense the battle is between these two individuals. You can hear the breathing, the footsteps, the wind blowing through the mountains, and the metal of the swords banging as they fight for the death. All sounds were recorded and designed by me, through Pro Tools 11 DAW (digital audio workstation). With Pro Tools I inserted a virtual instrument Rewired with Reasons Propellerhead and used a 88 key MIDI controller to punch in my sounds and create my music over my previously made spotting session. The microphones that I've used for this particular project was the Neumann U87, a pair of AKG C414's, and the Earth Works. These audio signals went straight to my interface which is equipped with class IV dBx preamps while having the Waves Fairchild Plug in by universal audio inserted into my DAW system. Enjoy the show and don't forget the popcorn.

               

Most Recent Project in Music Recording

This is the most recent project I've worked on for artist Errol Space (R&B and Pop Sensation) from North Hollywood. The track was produced by Guru Doug. The song is written by Errol Space. Everything was recorded, mix and mastered by Victor Nguyen (2riffick). This song is real interesting. When you listen to it, you think its a love song about a certain individual, but its actually about mother nature. In this session I used a Studio Project C1 cardioid condenser microphone, going into a dbx type IV pre amp side chained with the Pre Sonus studio channel to get that warmth from its class A built in vacuum tube. The outcome was just as expected. I had to adjust the compression / parametric EQ controls accordingly on the Pre Sonus Studio channel, but once I did that, the sound was flawless. I beefed up the lead vocals with some of the techniques I spoke about on my blog titled "Create a Fuller Sound on Your Lead Vocals in Your Mix". This project was tracked, mixed and mastered by Victor Nguyen.

Outboard gear or software plug-ins?

You want to weigh out the pros and cons. If I got to choose one, and only one between the two, it 

would be outboard gear. My opinion is a subjective one and Ill tell you why.  Outboard gear is appealing to the eye then plug-ins. Outboard gear doesn't use processing power from your computer. They also have their own internal processing to prevent the computer from overloading. You're less likely to run into any glitches, or technical problems during a live show or recording session. The cons that I see in outboard gear is the bulkiness of all the equipment. In a studio environment the equipment can usually stay in the same place depending on how you have everything patched, but, in a live sound environment, you're moving equipment from show to show. Outboard gear is always more expensive then the plug-ins, because it cost more for the company's to build the physical devices rather then creating them virtually. Plug-ins can be great. You don't have to worry about carrying them anywhere. Download them on to your drive and use them as virtual gear on to your DAW (digital audio workstation). They don't cost as much as the actual hardware device and they take up no physical space. You can use them in live sound or even in the studio. The cons I see with this, is the amount of processing power it uses up. So if your going to stock up on plug-ins you better have a computer with lots of processing power. Another problem that you can have with plug-ins are the possibilities of running into glitches. Its running off digital software instead of pure analog signal processing. Use these pro and cons figure out what you need according to your profession.

Which Compressor Do You Use in Your Studio?

Your microphone first of all, is most important before even thinking about the compressor. In a situation when recording vocals use a condenser microphone. They have a greater frequency response, dynamic range and sensitive to change in sound pressure then most other microphones. A microphone that I would recommend for vocal recordings would be the Neumann U87. If you're looking for something that can fit into a smaller budget, I would recommend the "Studio Project" C1. I own this mic as well and use it quite often. Now you need preamps. Control boards and interfaces have built in preamps, but you want preamps that are reputable in the world of recording vocals. In this case I have a Lexicon U82s interface. This interface is equipped with class IV Dbx  preamps running on a high voltage supply to ensure a nice clean signal running from the interface into the DAW (digital workstation)  and a wide dynamic range. Now with a good condenser mic and some great preamps, we can get to the compressor. The compressor I would recommend, would be the "Avalon 737". This has a class A preamp using two vacuum tube triodes. Vacuum tubes are perfect for vocals giving them ultimate warmth and sheen. The preamps on the Avalon'sare amazing. Very low noise, considering that they are running on vacuum tubes. If this seems to be something that can not fit in your budget at the time, then I would recommend the "PreSonus Studio Channel". This Also runs off of a Class A tube pre-amplifier and has a built in compressor and parametric EQ .

                         

                                                               

One of My Favorite Plug-Ins This Year

The plug in that I would like to talk about this month would be the Waves Vocal Rider. This plug in saves me so much time during the final stages of mixing vocals. Insert this plug in onto your final vocal track and it literally rides the fader for you during automation, maintaining a balance between your vocals and instruments. This really fine tunes your vocals in the mix and is definitely a must have in my book. Keep in mind that this doesn't, shrink or change any dynamic range in the vocals it simply preserves the dynamics while riding the track volume as it blends in with the instrumental. I work on countless sessions that involve mixing vocals whether its ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) for film, band recordings that involves a lead vocalist and I cant tell you how much time and extra work I've saved my self by owning this plug in. You can also run this plug in on a live set as well which I think is amazing. You can use this on a Mac or PC as long as you have the required operating system needed and can run with any DAW system that supports AAX native, RTAS, AudioSuite and AU. Want to see how its done? Watch a perfectly demonstrated video from Waves Audio right here.

            
      
                                                                       

Create a Fuller Sound on Your Lead Vocals in Your Mix

First, INSERT a 7 BAND EQ and pin point the sound DYNAMICS that you want out of the MAIN VOCAL TRACK. Then, apply some COMPRESSION (dynamic effects) to your main vocal.You can either insert that on the main vocal track, or use the SIDE CHAIN COMPRESSION TECHNIQUE. Next, DUPLICATE that track in order to keep the same settings on your EQ and compression. Now, insert a REVERB (TIME BASE EFFECT), adjust how you want it to sound and slightly PAN that to the right or left and bring the AMPLITUDE down at least by 6 dB. This is an actual reverb side chain compression technique. Next, go back to your main vocal track. Duplicate that track, bring the amplitude down by at least 6dB and Insert a MODULATION time base effect (Ex. Slap back delay). Put your cursor to the beginning of the verse and begin to WRITE your AUTOMATION onto the track with the modulation on it. While automating, RIDE the FADER in and out to create an effect that will make your thin vocal track into a more FULL, BEEFY LEAD vocal track. You can also slide this track a mili-second forward or backward to create an even fuller effect. Dont forget to ride that fader in and and Wa-La! What a difference that made.

                                      

© Victor Nguyen 2014