tips needed in producing and recording r&b

i got this chick, matter of fact shes coming over for the first time (for music) in a few hours to work on some r&b type shit. Not that i need any major tips for today, but if today goes good, I can picture me and her making a lot of dope music. Her voice is nice, but ive never recorded someone singing, just rapping. My mic is a shure sm57 which im pretty sure isnt any good for a singer. I suppose i should use a condensor mic, but i was wondering if yall have heard of people recording singing on dynamic mics?

Should the mic placement be the same as if a rapper were spitting? I would assume i should have her back off a little more than that, but hey what do i know.

Today, shes gonna spit the hook on this track produced by dj andreas. Theres a beat from another forum member also, that i wanna use her on. I wanna get my r&b production on too, but how many r&b beats are all sample based? Like i dont like using keyboards and ish, i wanna do it with wax. I gotta a couple slow jams i made years ago, but they were kinda wack.

Im just looking for tips and pointers in the broad field of r&b music. I wanna make this chick comfortable, and i wanna look like i know what im doing, because i dont lol. peace!

I have read and found this to be true, everyone sounds different on different mics. I have an artist that I work with and she brings her own mic and cans, PERFECT, because she knows how she will sound on it.

Experiment... To me, if it sounds good it doesn't matter what you achieve it with.

what up d? well from my experiences from working with singers, i would think they should stand back a bit from the mic. not the other side of the room, but she'll probably want to get a little loud when she hits some of those notes. if she sings with feeling and like she likes doing what she's doing....i dont see why it would be a problem recording her on a dynamic microphone. especially if thats all your working with for now. but if thats what you'll be using, then you'll probably have to work a little eq magic on her vocals. i've used those kinds of mics and not had any huge problems...

strings work good with r&b (imo). pianos do, too...you can use wax, but you gotta have the right sounds. i do a lot of r&b...if you have an idea in your head, run through all your sounds and when those sounds fit with whats in your head, use it....if you want to use wax, dig for some nice pianos or something....maybe throw it in the mpc and slow it down to a comfortable tempo...im not sure how much r&b is sample based, but i know it isnt all keyboard! use your imagination man....certain keys give a certain feel. certain keys give that dark feel. certain keys give that happy feel...some soulful....etc..... experiment man if your trying to come up with a brand new track..im just running my mouth and none of this probably helped....but good luck bro!

oh yea...and sometimes we had singers sing a verse (or each part) twice. pan one left and pan one right....thats just one tip to get a stereo type effect. it also gives a stronger sound (imo) if she does them well. a nice soft delay works too!

well, the first session is complete.



thanx for your tips guys, ima apply them to my next session with her. Man, this mic sounds alot better than i expected with a singer on it. Your right smoove, eq is the key. Plus i put some effect on it for jazz vocals, and it sounds hot. I might of overdone the effects though, but i have someone with a properly trained ear coming by to listen. smoove, check your email fam

aight bet

details...

I remember reading that a lot of Anita Bakers stuff was recorded with a SM57

anita ain't no joke.

cooocooo1 wrote:I remember reading that a lot of Anita Bakers stuff was recorded with a SM57

no sh*t? wow.


well, i have to say, im impressed so far with what its showing me (the mic) as far as recording a singer

I think one word to describe R&B production is "clean."

Try to capture your sounds as clean as you possibly can.

On every sound try to remove as much dirt and grit as you can.

...especially if you are sampling.



Sounds like you had some success on your first day too.

Good luck.

homershines wrote:I think one word to describe R&B production is "clean."

Try to capture your sounds as clean as you possibly can.

On every sound try to remove as much dirt and grit as you can.

...especially if you are sampling.



Sounds like you had some success on your first day too.

Good luck.

thanx man, i appreciate the tip.

this first track we are working on is over a dj andreas beat, so you know its mad grimey haha. but its not an r and b track, its a hip hop track, and shes just singing the hook. Summertime song you know? i just wanna finish it before fall hits lol.