Recording 2 vocalists at once?

So, I'm working with another mc and on the chorus of this new track we trade off lines. When we're just kicking it at practice it sounds hot, but when we went to record we did each of our lines in different takes. A lot of feeling was lost. I don't have a vocal booth so we normally record in the studio with headphones. In this case though we redid the part with the speakers on and no headphones. Now the emotion is back but the sound of that vocal track isn't as clean as it could be because the beat is playing in the background. I have one headphone input. Other than getting a splitter for that input to allow for 2 headphones what else can I do?

Are there any other tricks or techniques that I don't know about?

What do you all do when you need to record 2 vocalists at one time trading off lyrics?

Any help appreciated.

record a scratch vocal with both of you in front of the mic, then go in and record one at a time using the scratch voc to up the emotion and ensure proper timing and placement. dump the scratch voc and overdub.....

thats sounds like one of the best, old(im broke a$$ and dont wanna invest $5 in my craft) tricks.....

j/k

by the way, u can get the splitter for like $3.99 from Radio Shack and get some headphones from the Dollar Store if u that broke....

Often the simplest solution is the best one. I think you already solved your own problem:

jonathan morris wrote:I have one headphone input. Other than getting a splitter for that input to allow for 2 headphones what else can I do?

I'd just get the headphone splitter. Sh!t costs like $3 at radio shack and it seems like the easiest thing to do.

but if there is one one mic input there is no way to fix levels, EQ, comp the vocals separately.....in order for that to work with one mic you need separate takes (and yes I know he did not mention only having one mic in the OG post, but chances are if he cant up the $$ for a splitter he only has 1 mic)

jaem wrote:chances are if he cant up the $$ for a splitter he only has 1 mic

LOL, true that. But you can share the same mic (unless you pass it off MAD quick), it looks REAL silly when 2 cats share a pair of cans

MPC,


you ever try recording 2 main vox with one mic and then mixing it?????















my guess would be no

jaem wrote:you ever try recording 2 main vox with one mic and then mixing it?????

LOL @ me. Fair enough. It's early and my brain's on sleep mode still. I have done that, but only on freestyle mix tapes, where you don't need great quality.

I have done that, but only on freestyle mix tapes, where you don't need great quality.

if you have the ability to achieve quality why not always do it???

alright,

got two mics running into a 8 channel mixer then to an 8 track digital recorder (yes, the weak link in my setup). So, my "broke @ss" then plugs his sorry little one set of headphones into the 8 track. Still got some ghetto @ss eq to rock my welfare level rhymes with my squalor living friends. Dirty little cardboard box studio with a save-the-proof-of-purchase-from-10-boxes-of-CountChocula mpc 4000. Oh yeah, and the change cup from a bum, grip of dope @zz vinyl. Someday my studio will break the $10,000 us limit and then....... oh yes then, will I finally make top dollar beats and be able to afford a $3 splitter. Trade your high horse in for a little humility, show some alternative technique or leave my poor inquiring @ss alone.

i feel ya...until then, u gotta work with what you got.... the best idea is what Jaem said believe it or not....if u want, step by step, both of u can spit together the first track which of course will be the scratch track, 2nd track just one person on that one with the Scrach track going....3rd track, u can probably keep the scratch going and mute the 2nd Recorded track so u can keep that energy from the 1st recorded track.... and then, u can mute the scratch track and listen to channels 2 and 3, and see if they fit perfect, if not, keep playing around wit it...Goodluck guy

Word.. thats the ish i'm looking for. A little tip on technique, thanks man.

Jaem tried told ya... i just had to break it down

First off, I wasn't dissing your setup, I got a hella bargain-basement setup myself. Sounds like you got a lot more sh!t than me, actually. I was just saying that doing the scratch vocal thing seemed like a lot of work if you can just get a headphone splitter and another pair of cans. I think you'll still get a more fluid, emotional and natural sounding pass-off if you just both rock the mics like you would live, seeing as you can record them on seperate tracks. I can't even do that, 'cause I don't have a multitrack. I gotta record one dude spittin' on the mic, and you can hear the other cat in the background ('cause you still need to both be spittin together to achieve the sound you want), then do a second take and switch emcees, then edit the background rapper out of each and then merge the two together. I WISH I could fix my situation with a $3 adapter. Damn.