OpenCourser brand icon
Sign in
We may earn an affiliate commission when you visit our partners.
Course image
Udemy logo

Vocal Recording and Production For Singers

4.7 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Half star
Based on 261 ratings
see reviews
Tyler Connaghan and Robert Lunte

Welcome to the Vocal Recording and Production Course For Beginners.

This course is specifically for singers who are looking to record, produce, and mix their own vocals at home. It is for people who know nothing about the world of music production, though want to get started.

By The End of This Course:

Read more

Welcome to the Vocal Recording and Production Course For Beginners.

This course is specifically for singers who are looking to record, produce, and mix their own vocals at home. It is for people who know nothing about the world of music production, though want to get started.

By The End of This Course:

  • You’ll have all the knowledge you need to set up your room for recording.

  • You will know how to record clean and clear vocals.

  • You will know how to mix your vocals with various tools including;

    • Microphones

    • Reflection Filters

    • EQ

    • Compression

    • Reverb

    • Delay

    • Autotune / Pitch-Correction

    • Modulation Effects

    • De-esser

    • Sound Isolation

    • Vocal Comping

Here Is What You Will Learn:

  • Find the right space to record vocals.

  • The proper gear you need to record vocals.

  • How to use correct microphone placement.

  • How to set gain on your microphone or interface.

  • How to comp multiple vocal takes into one perfect vocal.

  • How to use auto-tune and pitch correction software.

  • How to EQ, compress, and de-ess vocals.

  • How to use reverb, delay, and other COOL effects on vocals.

  • What is mix referencing and why mix referencing is so important.

    • ( Learning How to Listen to and Analyze Your Favorite Professional Mixes ).

I understand how frustrating it can be to start recording and producing your own vocals at home. Even the technical terms alone can feel daunting and confusing. What I want to do is use my experience as a singer, producer, and engineer for over a decade to make sure you never feel that frustration again.

You will be provided with practical tips and techniques that you can implement into your newfound love for recording, producing, and mixing vocals

The course will likely take approximately two weeks to complete depending on your experience. Once enrolled, all materials are yours to keep for a lifetime.

Each lesson comes complete with a PDF download, which will provide you with a summary of the course, as well as other tips, tricks, and necessary links. I have also sprinkled a few action items and surprises throughout the course as well. You will use these action items as checkpoints for your progress. You will be provided with a list of my personal favorite gear so that you can have everything you need to get started right away.

I will be using Pro Tools throughout the editing and mixing portions of this course, though any DAW ( Digital Audio Workstation ), you choose to use is fine. Do make sure that you download a DAW prior to starting this course. I recommend starting with the free versions of Pro Tools, Ableton, Reaper, Logic or Garageband if you don’t have anything already.

See you inside.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Students will learn the tools they need to record vocals at home
  • Students will learn about different types of microphones & studio headphones
  • Students will learn how to set up a microphone properly
  • Students will learn how to set proper levels / gain
  • Students will learn how to set up a room for recording
  • Students will learn how to acoustically treat home studios
  • Students will learn how to edit, comp, and tune vocals
  • Students will learn how to use various mixing tools, such as eq, compression, reverb, delay, and more

Syllabus

Introduction

Hello and welcome to the course!


My name is Tyler Connaghan. I'm a writer, producer, and mix engineer over at Killingsworth Recording Company in Los Angeles.


I record, produce, mix, and master music for television and film. Some companies I have worked with include Nickelodeon, Vice News, Microsoft, WWE, and many more!


Beyond my work at Killingsworth, I own my own full-service production company, TyCo Sound, which offers recording services, production services, mixing services, and more.


I am a singer as well and have been singing since I was a young boy. While I work most of the time in a professional studio, over the years I have found that most everything I do can be achieved at home with the right tools and proper setup. In this day and age, we are seeing more and more singers and musicians creating fantastic, professional-sounding albums from home.


I built this course specifically for singers who are looking to record, produce, and mix their own vocals at home. It is for those who know nothing about the world of music production, though want to get started. By no means does this course capture the entirety of recording, production, and mixing, as those skills take many years to master.


However, by the end of this course, you’ll have all of the knowledge you need to set up your room for recording, record clean and clear vocals, mix your vocals with various tools including EQ, compression, reverb, and more, and much more!


We’ll cover everything you need to know to get started, from the most basic steps of plugging your microphone into your computer to the more advanced steps of fitting your vocal in your mix!


I understand how frustrating it can be to start recording and producing your own vocals at home. Even the technical terms alone can feel daunting and confusing. What I want to do is use my experience as a singer, producer, and engineer, to make sure you never feel that frustration again.


I will provide you with practical tips and techniques that you can implement into your newfound love for recording, producing, and mixing vocals


The course will likely take around two weeks to complete depending on your experience level. Once enrolled all materials are yours to keep for a lifetime.


Each lesson comes complete with a PDF download, which will provide you with a summary of the course, as well as other tips, tricks, and necessary links. I have also sprinkled a few action items throughout the course as well. You can use these action items as checkpoints for your progress.


Do note that I will be using Pro Tools throughout the editing and mixing portions of this course, though any DAW you choose to use is fine. Do make sure that you download a DAW prior to starting this course. I recommend starting with the free versions of Pro Tools, Ableton, or Logic if you don’t have anything already. You can upgrade later down the line.


Lastly, keep in mind that recording and mixing is an art form. There are no hard and fast rules. However, having an understanding of the rules allows us to break them. I am simply here to provide you with the “rules” so that you can have a foundation on which to experiment.


Let’s get started!

Read more

In this lecture we will learn how to find the right room to record your vocals in.

In this lecture we will learn how to get the best sound out of your recording room by utilizing various forms of acoustic treatment.

In this lecture we will learn about various types of microphones and why you might choose to use specific microphones over others

In this lecture we will learn about the different kinds of headphones how to choose the right pair of headphones for recording and mixing. We will also learn how to set your headphones up for the recording process.

In this lecture we will learn why you should record background vocals differently and a few ways you can do so

In this lecture we will learn how to place your microphone for recording and why you should use a pop filter

In this lecture we will learn about gain and how to set gain on a microphone or interface

In this lecture we will learn why you should always record multiple takes in preparation for comping

In this lecture we will learn about the comping process and how it can be used to craft the perfect vocal take

In this lecture we will learn how to use automation to control dynamics in your vocal recordings and how to use specialized vocal automation plugins like Vocal Rider

In this lecture we will learn about pitch correction. By the end of the lecture, you will understand the basics of both automatic pitch correction and manual pitch correction.

In this lecture we will explore why we use EQ in a mix, as well as the various controls found on the majority of EQ plugins

In this lecture we will learn why we use compression, as well as the various controls found on the majority of compression plugins

In this lecture we will learn about sibilance and how we can use tools like de-essers to tame sibilance

In this lecture we will learn how to use subtractive EQ to get rid of unwanted low-end, remove annoying room resonances from vocal recordings, and create space for your vocals

In this lecture we will learn how to use dynamic compression to reduce dynamic range and help a vocal stand out in a mix

In this lecture we will learn how to use additive EQ to add character to your vocal in a mix

In this lecture we will learn about the importance of using multiple compressors in a mix and what types of compressors we might want to use second in line

In this lecture we will learn how to use a de-esser to get rid of unwanted sibilance

In this lecture we will learn how to set up reverb, explore different types of reverbs in a mix, and how to use various reverb techniques to get the most out of your sound

In this lecture we will learn when it is appropriate to use delay in a mix and what type of delay works best for the majority of vocals.

In this lecture we will learn about additional effects you can use on your vocal, including saturation and modulation.

In this lecture we will learn about the importance of mix referencing and how we can use it to mix faster and better

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Provides practical tips and techniques that can be implemented into recording, producing, and mixing vocals, which is useful for singers and musicians
Covers everything needed to get started, from plugging a microphone into a computer to fitting vocals in a mix, which builds a strong foundation for beginners
Explores how to use EQ, compression, and de-essing on vocals, which are standard techniques in vocal production
Examines how to use reverb, delay, and other effects on vocals, which are highly relevant to modern music production
Teaches how to use auto-tune and pitch correction software, which helps learners produce vocals that are industry-ready
Requires learners to download a DAW prior to starting, which may pose a barrier to some students who do not have access to music production software

Save this course

Create your own learning path. Save this course to your list so you can find it easily later.
Save

Reviews summary

Beginner's guide to vocal recording & mixing

According to learners, this course offers a solid foundation for singers wanting to record and produce vocals at home, especially for beginners. Many appreciate the clear explanations of potentially complex topics like EQ and compression, breaking them down into understandable steps. Students found the course practical and actionable, providing concrete tips for room setup, gear selection, and recording techniques. The instructor is frequently praised for being knowledgeable and easy to follow. While it provides a great starting point, some note it serves as an introduction rather than a deep dive into advanced mixing techniques. Overall, it is seen as an excellent resource for getting started in home vocal production.
Provides a strong basis for future learning.
"This course provides a solid foundation that I can build upon."
"It gives you all the basics needed to start your home recording journey."
"Felt like I got a really good overview of the entire vocal production process."
"A great starting point for anyone serious about recording their own voice."
Instructor is praised for expertise and teaching style.
"The instructor is very knowledgeable and explains things in a relatable way."
"Clearly knows his stuff and makes learning enjoyable."
"Found the instructor easy to follow and engaging throughout the lessons."
"Tyler's experience as both a singer and producer really shines through."
Introduces key mixing effects like EQ, compression, reverb.
"Loved the breakdown of essential tools like EQ, compression, and de-essers."
"Covered the main effects needed to start shaping your vocal sound."
"Got a clear understanding of how to use reverb and delay effectively."
"The sections on auto-tune and pitch correction were particularly helpful."
Provides practical tips to apply immediately.
"I could immediately apply the tips on room treatment and microphone placement."
"Very practical course with actionable steps for setting up a home studio."
"Gave me concrete techniques for getting better vocal takes right away."
"The advice on gear and setting gain was super useful for my setup."
Complex topics like EQ and compression are made easy.
"The explanations on EQ and compression were incredibly clear and finally clicked for me."
"Everything was explained simply, making complex audio concepts easy to grasp."
"Loved how he broke down potentially confusing effects like reverb and delay."
"The instructor's approach to explaining technical terms is very effective."
Excellent introduction for those new to vocal recording.
"This course is fantastic for beginners who want to learn how to record and mix their own vocals."
"As someone completely new to home recording, this course made everything seem much less daunting."
"Perfect starting point if you know nothing about music production but want to record singing."
"I had zero experience before this, and now I feel confident setting up and getting a good take."
Best for beginners, not advanced mixing techniques.
"It's definitely for beginners and doesn't go super deep into advanced mixing."
"While great for basics, more experienced users might find it too introductory."
"Provides a strong overview, but advanced mixing skills require more study."
"Good first step, but I'll need another course for more complex techniques."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Vocal Recording and Production For Singers with these activities:
Review Basic Music Theory
Reinforce your understanding of music theory concepts. A solid foundation in music theory will help you make informed decisions when editing and mixing vocals.
Browse courses on Music Theory
Show steps
  • Review scales, chords, and key signatures.
  • Practice identifying intervals and chord qualities.
  • Listen to songs and analyze their harmonic structure.
Read 'The Singer's Guide to Recording' by Kari Reiber
Gain insights into recording from a singer's perspective. This book provides practical tips and techniques for achieving great vocal recordings.
View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on microphone techniques and vocal effects.
  • Experiment with different microphone placements.
  • Practice using vocal effects to enhance your recordings.
Read 'Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio' by Mike Senior
Learn practical mixing techniques applicable to vocal production. This book offers a wealth of knowledge on achieving professional-sounding mixes in a home studio environment.
View Recording Secrets for the Small Studio (Sound... on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on EQ and compression.
  • Experiment with the techniques described in the book.
  • Analyze your favorite vocal mixes using the book's principles.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
EQ Practice with Vocal Recordings
Improve your EQ skills specifically for vocal tracks. This will help you identify and correct frequency imbalances in your recordings.
Show steps
  • Download free vocal stems online.
  • Practice identifying problem frequencies.
  • Use EQ to correct imbalances and enhance clarity.
Record and Produce a Cover Song
Apply the course concepts to a real-world project. This will give you hands-on experience with recording, editing, and mixing vocals.
Show steps
  • Select a song and create an instrumental track.
  • Record your vocals and edit them.
  • Mix the vocals with the instrumental track.
  • Master your cover song.
Create a Vocal Production Tutorial
Solidify your understanding by teaching others. Creating a tutorial forces you to organize your knowledge and explain concepts clearly.
Show steps
  • Choose a specific vocal production technique.
  • Write a script and record a video tutorial.
  • Share your tutorial online and gather feedback.
Follow Advanced Vocal Mixing Tutorials
Expand your knowledge by learning from experienced professionals. Following advanced tutorials will expose you to new techniques and workflows.
Show steps
  • Search for tutorials on specific vocal mixing techniques.
  • Follow along with the tutorial and apply the techniques to your own recordings.
  • Experiment with variations of the techniques.

Career center

Learners who complete Vocal Recording and Production For Singers will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Independent Musician
An Independent Musician manages their own music career from production to promotion. This course will directly benefit an independent musician by offering the skills to record, produce, and mix their own vocals. This course allows the independent musician to take full creative control over the recording process and reduce reliance on external resources. The course covers setting up a recording space, microphone techniques, gain settings, and vocal mixing, all which are useful for an independent musician.
See salaries and explore the career path for Independent Musician
Recording Artist
A Recording Artist creates and performs music for commercial distribution. This course directly aligns with the needs of a recording artist who wants to control the sound and quality of their recordings. By covering topics from setting up a home studio to the nuances of vocal mixing, this course equips a recording artist with the technical skills to produce polished recordings. The course’s emphasis on practical tips and techniques for recording clear vocals, utilizing effects, and mastering techniques will be very useful for a recording artist’s work. This is an excellent course for a recording artist seeking autonomy over production.
See salaries and explore the career path for Recording Artist
Mix Engineer
A Mix Engineer takes recorded tracks and blends them into a cohesive and polished final product. This course directly serves a mix engineer by providing a deep dive into the techniques and tools used to mix vocals. The course covers the use of various mixing tools like EQ, compression, reverb, and delay, as well as advanced concepts like mix referencing which enables a mix engineer to produce high-quality results. The focus on vocal mixing and the detailed instruction makes this course particularly useful for a mix engineer.
See salaries and explore the career path for Mix Engineer
Music Producer
A Music Producer oversees the creation of a song or album, from initial concept to final master. This course helps build a foundation for a music producer by teaching singers how to record and mix their own vocals. This course provides the skills needed to manage and enhance vocal performances. The course's exploration of microphone techniques, room acoustics, and mixing tools, which are the foundations of a professional-sounding recording, are particularly relevant to a music producer. The training in music software and audio effects will be very useful to anyone interested in becoming a music producer.
See salaries and explore the career path for Music Producer
Audio Engineer
An Audio Engineer is responsible for the technical aspects of sound recording, mixing, and mastering. This course helps build a foundation for an audio engineer by providing practical skills in vocal recording, such as microphone placement, gain staging, and room setup, all of which are crucial for capturing high-quality audio. The course also covers essential mixing techniques including EQ, compression, reverb, and delay, which are fundamental to the craft of an audio engineer. Further, the course's approach to comping vocals and using pitch correction software will be useful in shaping finished vocal tracks. If you wish to work with sound on a very technical level, this course may be useful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Audio Engineer
Audio Editor
An Audio Editor manipulates sound recordings to improve their quality and clarity. This course helps build a foundation for an audio editor by providing practical techniques for editing, comping, and tuning vocals. The course’s focus on the use of software to make these changes, as well as automation techniques, mean that an audio editor can refine vocal performances. The course's attention to practical tips and techniques is beneficial to an audio editor.
See salaries and explore the career path for Audio Editor
Content Creator
A Content Creator produces various forms of media content such as videos, podcasts, or music for online platforms. This course can help build a foundation for a content creator who incorporates vocals into their work, by teaching them the basics of recording, editing, mixing, and mastering their own vocals. The course’s coverage of microphone techniques, room setup, and the use of effects enables a content creator to create higher quality audio. Also, the course emphasis on practical tips means that a content creator can quickly apply what they learn.
See salaries and explore the career path for Content Creator
Sound Mixer
A Sound Mixer is an audio professional responsible for capturing and mixing sound during live events or in studio sets. This course can help a sound mixer by providing a foundation in microphone techniques, and in how to set up a room for optimal recording. The course’s teachings about gear and recording software may also inform more advanced sound capture. The course's focus on using tools such as EQ, reverb, delay, and compression may help a sound mixer improve their mixing skills.
See salaries and explore the career path for Sound Mixer
Vocal Coach
A Vocal Coach instructs singers on technique, performance, and artistry. While this course focuses on recording and production, it can enhance a vocal coach's understanding of how vocals are captured and manipulated in the recording studio, therefore informing their teaching practice. Knowing about processes such as comping, gain settings, and the proper use of effects, would allow a vocal coach to give more informed and practical advice to their students. For example, the knowledge of recording setups and editing techniques can be very useful to a vocal coach.
See salaries and explore the career path for Vocal Coach
Podcast Producer
A Podcast Producer oversees the creation and production of podcast episodes. This course may be helpful to a podcast producer because it provides foundational knowledge of recording and mixing audio, skills that are needed to produce a high-quality podcast. Additionally, a podcast producer needs to understand mic placement, gain settings, and techniques for optimizing speech. The course’s focus on vocal recording and editing, along with its practical tips, may be very useful to a podcast producer.
See salaries and explore the career path for Podcast Producer
Sound Designer
A Sound Designer creates and manipulates audio for various media, such as film, video games, and theater. This course may be helpful to sound designers who work with vocal elements in their projects. While the course focuses on music production, knowledge of microphone technique, vocal editing, and effects processing would be useful to achieve a professional sound when dealing with spoken word or singing. The course’s focus on signal processing techniques and recording technology may improve a sound designer’s workflow.
See salaries and explore the career path for Sound Designer
Songwriter
A Songwriter creates the lyrics and melodies for songs. While this course focuses on recording and production, it can benefit a songwriter by providing a deeper understanding of how their vocals can be captured and manipulated. This course will help a songwriter make informed choices about how to present their work in a recording setting. The course's exploration of mixing various tools such as compression, reverb, and delay can be useful to any songwriter looking to do their own demos.
See salaries and explore the career path for Songwriter
Mastering Engineer
A Mastering Engineer polishes the final mix of a song or album, preparing it for release. While this course primarily focuses on recording and mixing vocals, the knowledge of mixing techniques, EQ, compression and reverb, that are covered in this course, may be helpful to a mastering engineer. The information in the course about mix referencing and how to analyze professional mixes may be helpful when a mastering engineer looks to fine-tune a final mix.
See salaries and explore the career path for Mastering Engineer
Studio Manager
A Studio Manager oversees the operations and logistics of a recording studio. While this course focuses on the technical aspects of recording, it gives a studio manager a deeper understanding of the recording process, allowing them to better support the engineers and artists that use the space, and make informed decisions regarding equipment and studio layout. The course details about microphone techniques, room acoustics, and mixing tools may be useful to a studio manager.
See salaries and explore the career path for Studio Manager
Acoustic Consultant
An Acoustic Consultant assesses and addresses the sound qualities of a space. This course may be useful because it will help build knowledge of acoustic treatment and the effects of room acoustics on recording quality. The course discusses setting up a room for recording and how to optimize it, and it will show an acoustic consultant how to make use of sound isolation. The course also covers various tools, like reflection filters, which help improve the quality of sound and may improve an acoustic consultant's ability to evaluate studio space.
See salaries and explore the career path for Acoustic Consultant

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Vocal Recording and Production For Singers.
Cover image
Recording Secrets for the Small Studio
Save
Provides practical advice on mixing techniques for home studios. It covers EQ, compression, reverb, and other effects in detail, offering valuable insights for vocal production. It is commonly used by both amateur and professional audio engineers. This book will help you understand the concepts discussed in the course and apply them effectively.
Recording Secrets for the Small Studio (Sound On...
Paperback
$$$
Recording Secrets for the Small Studio (Sound On...
Paperback
$$
Recording Secrets for the Small Studio (Sound On...
Kindle Edition
$$
Cover image
Putting Knowledge to Work
Save
Is specifically tailored for singers who want to learn about recording. It covers microphone techniques, vocal effects, and studio etiquette. It great resource for singers who are new to the recording process. This book provides a singer's perspective on the technical aspects of recording.
Putting Knowledge to Work
Paperback
Check
Putting Knowledge to Work
Kindle Edition
Check

Share

Help others find this course page by sharing it with your friends and followers:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Reddit
X
Link
Email

Similar courses

Similar courses are unavailable at this time. Please try again later.
Course image
Rating
4.7 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Half star
Effort
4 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructors
Tyler Connaghan
Robert Lunte
Language
English
Traffic lights
Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Provides practical tips and techniques that can be implemented into recording, producing, and mixing vocals, which is useful for singers and musicians
Covers everything needed to get started, from plugging a microphone into a computer to fitting vocals in a mix, which builds a strong foundation for beginners
Explores how to use EQ, compression, and de-essing on vocals, which are standard techniques in vocal production
Examines how to use reverb, delay, and other effects on vocals, which are highly relevant to modern music production
Teaches how to use auto-tune and pitch correction software, which helps learners produce vocals that are industry-ready
Requires learners to download a DAW prior to starting, which may pose a barrier to some students who do not have access to music production software
Share this
Share to help others discover this course.
Facebook LinkedIn X Reddit Link Email
Begin learning today
Enroll now to gain full access to Vocal Recording and Production For Singers.
Enroll now
Save for later
Add this course to your list. Find it anytime.
Save
Our mission

OpenCourser helps millions of learners each year. People visit us to learn workspace skills, ace their exams, and nurture their curiosity.

Our extensive catalog contains over 50,000 courses and twice as many books. Browse by search, by topic, or even by career interests. We'll match you to the right resources quickly.

Find this site helpful? Tell a friend about us.

Affiliate disclosure

We're supported by our community of learners. When you purchase or subscribe to courses and programs or purchase books, we may earn a commission from our partners.

Your purchases help us maintain our catalog and keep our servers humming without ads.

Thank you for supporting OpenCourser.

© 2016 - 2025 OpenCourser