How To Record Metal Vocals | Metal Production Basics

In this metal production basics video, Mendel Bij De Leij looks at how to record metal vocals in Cubase. He looks at what to do before recording vocals, like vocal recording warmup exercises, whether to do clean vocal recording before screaming vocal recording, the choice of microphones for metal recording and preamps. He then shows the vocal recording session in progress, highlighting the highs (and lows) of recording metal vocals.
We hope you find this video entertaining and useful. If you like what you see, please leave a comment and tell us what you think. Thank you.
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[@michaelv8721]

This is encouraging as someone who is learning how to scream. I’m always comparing my vocals to my favorite vocalists after they’ve been edited and processed. Raw vocals are a lot different than the finished product

[@duncandedecker5916]

Yup. It can be dangerous to try to push as hard as it sounds like they are after processing

[@davechambers-media2599]

Love the amount of effort and vocal takes metal vocalists do, such a technical discipline. Looking forward to the mixing video

[@firecrotch]

Well, If there's anything I gained from this video, It's more confidence in my own voice. Thanks.

[@DeathSpellStudio]

Yes, this is really cool! But, something very important here, the vocalist is very tight and he knews his lines, please vocalists out there, do the same. This is great content.

[@piposanchez]

Dude the singing is SO tight.... "wanna double it?" "yeah sure" and then nails every single take.

[@DeathSpellStudio]

@@piposanchez yes, he is pretty great. Did you sing as well?

[@hexxenhamer_7780]

I have literally had to write vocals for a lazy vocalist... on the day of recording!!!!! We found out he was just saying different nonsense every time... its infuriating to put countless hours into writing three guitar parts only to have someone come in and try to pass off what they are doing as effort... sorry... im still bitter...lol

[@LucaMiolla]

I think the title of this video doesn't clearly represent the content. It almost looks like a clickbait title but it's a whole vocals recording session, with all the workflow shown and the funny/mistakes moments. It's much more than simple "how to record vocals" to me :D Really cool, and the singer nails every part!

[@LucaMiolla]

Also did you use VST Connect? There's no mentioning of it but I see the interface

[@Cubase]

Hi, we are limited to 100 characters on the title, so we are limited by that. Otherwise what would you suggest as a title? How to Fully Record Metal Vocals? We are open for suggestions.

[@LucaMiolla]

@@Cubase Thank you for the reply. I'm quite bad at choosing titles but I was happily surprised that the video showed an entire recording session from greeting the singer to tracking all the harmonies. It also shows the various interactions and workflow, it's a lot of stuff :D "How to record metal vocals" made me think of just a quick video where somebody talked about good mics for the genre, good processing and that's it, but there's much more, very cool.

[@julianreuter1296]

@@Cubase Something like "Demonstration on metal vocals recording process"

[@Mendelian]

@@LucaMiolla Yes we did use VST Connect Pro

[@superblondeDotOrg]

Incredibly tight vocal recording performances

[@4everSlake]

What's the name of the song??

[@A1MOSTADDICTEDMINECRAFT]

Can we listen to the finished song anywhere?

[@elviradark6902]

That dude has an amazing clean vocal.

[@juanmedina3867]

This was so fun to watch! It is exactly what happens when I record. It’s okay to have fun with it.

[@dspoet1]

I so appreciate this video because I track rap vocals and just learned some new techniques about tracking in Cubase. I was so close to switching to Pro Tools to track vocals until I saw this video.

[@Rocktonight]

Great record session! Can’t wait for the final result!

[@shawnriffninjareacts7316]

Is there a volume level test you do in order to get the set volume level on point?

[@mrbard1]

Where can I listen to the final product. I really dig the work done here. Thanks!

[@shawnmorton1280]

This is incredible!!! It is so eye opening to see the work done and what it takes to make such epic music

[@gregtheflyingwhale]

at first i thought vocals sound too tight, but then doubling makes it sound sick!)

[@talonwilton431]

Textures is amazing

[@arekc8058]

Great. Could you make these vocals mixing session now?

[@batmanuel1398]

The song is dope af

[@Septicus_7]

My genuine question is, with all these doubling, layering and harmonizing, is this even possible to replicate close enough live?

[@nolanjevans]

Not really, but you can use backtracks and stuff

[@Lowfe]

Depends on the band and the vocalist. One of my favorite examples is Fit For An Autopsy, Joe Bad (the vocalist) sounds almost identical to the studio versions of songs most of the time. He has an amazing technique and is able to do it very easily and while being relaxed

[@kerninger]

I would love to see how you setup the remote recording session in Cubase. Also it would be nice to see which audio tracks you send to the headphones of the vocalist or is it always the whole thing? How did you choose the right input gain settings for the mic via the remote session? Thanks a lot!

[@MartinNephilim]

VST Connect, a feature in cubase that I think you need to buy it. It works really well tho. While you record in real time you can hear and see everything in daw and video, and if u decide to use that take you can download it after. Mike Malyan the drummer from Monuments has a youtube channel and he has a song with Daniel for this vid and Bart the guitarist from textures and he explains some of this stuff in the video. The earlier vids i think he does with other people and goes more in depth. He's a cubase wizard!

[@anthonydahl5454]

Soo nice to see the whole process. I'm both a metal producer and a signer so this is double useful for me. Love to see all the details, trials and errors. Comforting to see many things I'vs been doing is also used by professional. Do you always double record all your vocal tracks like this? Do you mix all doubled tracks left and right systematically ? Thanks a lot !

[@cristianmauro4901]

nice vocal session

[@pure3081]

Very nice overview. Thanks for that!

[@vinnyhydeswt]

Do y’all have a link to this song? I would love to hear the full version!

[@espaciopluraldelpensamiento]

Hi! Did you find the link?

[@bleachcheeks4837]

Its not a project its a burning passion. I find myself always sitting when i track my vox but standing is the way to go, its alot more engaging. Ive been hardcore making music for the past 3 years since i moved to florida. Truth be told i love and hate recording. Clean vox are fun and are pretty therapeutic but im counting down the days till i find a band can go scream on stage. Tracking hardcore vox on bad mics is next to impossible. Thats a lovely studio tho

[@fringeparanormal]

Part 2 please!

[@prophessorj5901]

Nice. But my mans highs are atrocious hahaha

[@doubleshot-films]

What is this song titled and is it available anywhere?

[@nedanders8514]

How is there no peaking or clipping when yelling into the mic so close . Are you limiting with a compressor ?

[@mr.martinii3608]

This is so sick😭🙌🏻

[@henrikbengtsson6625]

GADDAMIT DANIEL, love y in Textures my boiiii!

[@DerekRuggia]

how did you record him remotely without crazy signal degradation/latency?

[@johnheavenly3552]

Awesome!

[@austinmohney3166]

For everyone wanting to laugh over and over 14:52

[@pesmuz5521]

Wow, cool

[@cybercab]

What style of metal would this be considered?

[@Somedei]

WOW

[@elbuenmexicano577]

What's the FX name where you can hear it like a hallway?

[@johnjohnson3390]

not sure about the scream though

[@atypeandshadow]

My man needed water in the booth

[@muhammadsyazwan6749]

What is setup for recording that the apps to edit vocal and music

[@Zhaku714]

what's the song playing in the intro?

[@19Stride]

Awesome but: mute click when playback pls ✌🏼✌🏼✌🏼

[@MadsJesse]

this is gold boys ;)

[@thefuckingsauron9268]

muuy bueno

Why is there no Main Vocal?

[@shittyguitarist8164]

19:57 where did you left a stomp?

[@Evangelionism]

LMAOOOOOOO When he asks "high or low" in my head I'm SCREAMING "LOW, GO LOW!" Any higher harmonization & we're crossing Mickey Mouse territory 😂❤

[@murraywebster1228]

Ein gute Sänger macht einfach den Unterschied

[@streampresentationcooperat7282]

Need the mastering method :)

[@SoundFriendly]

What were the track levels set at? -9db?

[@nikitasavcenko3666]

for you *

[@hamrokoseli6065]

khatra

[@greghillmusic]

I don't get how anyone sings this stuff without coughing and tearing up the throat

[@jannikbrendel2386]

No offence but at 20:23 he sounded like Donald Duck xD

[@iamelec]

14:50 hahah klinkt net als 'ham'

[@xlnyc77]

why are all metal vocal tutorials for cookie monster vomit vocals ,and not say someone in the style of James Hetfield or Dave Mustaine or maybe in a different "extreme" like Halestorm?

[@peltosenpoju]

There actually is in a channel called Chris Liepe. But do take in mind that you will not sound like neither of them, you will sound like yourself but just with their technique. Modern metal vocals tend to sound all the same because EVERYONE is doing the cookie monster vocals on verses and some monotone non melodic cleans on chorus. - everyone seems to be afraid to show any form of humanity in the mix, everything is time aligned, drums are just samples, guitar amps are actually just sims and the non talented vocalist’s sound is replaced with autotune powered abominations. Modern metal has became boring cause its trying to be perfect. The music is done by humans, its not supposed to be perfect; ITS ART

[@GoddaryuTUBE]

they really aren't. You're just not searching the right words when looking for tutorials. The fact is for a very very long time when you searched for harsh screaming tutorials you couldn't find them at all, now their has been proper vocal coaches who have learnt the style and figured out how to safely do it and now people know what to actually do/teach and how to explain it with exercises that slowly get you there the void of almost no screaming tutorials is now being filled. Generic metal yelling and fry vocals have had tutorials for years and nothings changed about that in years and all the tutorials have been around for many many years, that's why nothing recent really gets made for them.

[@asmundma]

Is this music or just screaming?

[@JabbatheMatt]

If you listen, it's clearly both.

[@chadesquimaux3208]

I can't stand listening to click tracks.

[@peltosenpoju]

Why in the gods name would you not include any humanity in the mix?

[@maujack]

What's the name of the song?