What Is Vocal Comping? Recording Professional Vocals
"Vocal comping" refers to piecing together a finished vocal performance from multiple takes. It is a process. This can be done for several reasons, such as to fix pitch or timing issues or to create a more polished vocal sound by piecing together the best bits from multiple takes. It is the vocal sound that you hear on countless hit songs.
Comping vocals in the studio can be time-consuming, but getting an outstanding vocal performance is often worth it. Getting a hit song sound on your recording is almost impossible without doing one. We understand that time is money in the studio. However, this is the place to take extra time. Indeed professional vocals cannot be achieved any other way. Here are a few tips for vocal comping:
- First, record multiple takes of the vocal performance. Do at least four or five takes. This will give you more to work with when it comes to comping.
- Listen back to each take and make a note of the parts that sound best. Then, start piecing together a composite vocal performance from the best bits of each take.
- Pay attention to how the vocal sounds as a whole, not just individual words or phrases. The goal is to create a smooth, cohesive vocal performance.
- When putting together the final vocal track, start with the best sounding sections and build from there.
- Don't be afraid to cut out small sections of weak vocal performances - a little bit of editing can go a long way in making the final vocal track sound more polished.
- Once you're happy with the composite vocal performance, consolidate each piece together. Create fade points to the beginning and end of each section. This will be your finished vocal track.
Vocal comping is often done in music recording and production and film and television post-production. In music recording, vocal comping can help to ensure that the final vocal track is of the highest quality possible. In film and television, vocal comping can be used to fix dialogue recorded on-set but doesn't match up perfectly with the video footage.
No matter your reason for vocal comping, the process can be time-consuming but ultimately rewarding. With patience and attention to detail, you can create a final vocal track that sounds polished and professional. Vocal comping can be a helpful tool in achieving the perfect final product when recording vocals.
