The need for singers to hear themselves is great. How else can they confirm if they are singing not only what is right but where to make the changes as well?
Singers can hear themselves sing in different scenarios in different ways. In a studio, they can hear themselves through headphones or studio monitors, and while they’re performing live they can hear themselves through in-ear monitors.
Of course, it would be wrong if I just left it at that, you ought to know what these things mean and how they matter on each level. Because, even if you’re recording at home, the principle is the same.
In The Studio
A studio is where it’s at!
That’s where the magic happens. If you’re new to this kind of atmosphere it wouldn’t hurt to say some cool phrases and I’m gonna teach you what you can ask for to get your desired result.
‘Can you turn on the monitoring?’ – This means that the technician is going to allow you to hear your voice.
‘Can you turn down everything else?’ – the technician will turn down the music and allow you to hear your voice more than the rest of the arrangement.
‘Can you mute/solo *insert instrument*?’ – The technician will do with it.
Virtually everything is possible. Whether it’s a home studio or a professional one, the modularity of a studio is hard to beat. Really. Studio use softwares called DAW. DAW stands for Digital Audio Workstation. Fruity Loops is a DAW. So is Logic. So are Ableton and ProTools.
The way you can hear yourself in the studio is through headphones or studio monitors.
Monitoring in DAW
When you are working on a song in a studio, the way that singers are able to hear themselves sing is through turning on something called monitoring.
It’s present in every software from Audacity to Reaper to Pro Tools and Logic. This monitoring can make you hear your own singing either through the headphones (most common) or from the monitors themselves.
The reason you only hear your voice through the headphones is that if you heard it through the speakers during recording, the mic would pick up what the speakers are playing. Unless of course, they are set up in a way that doesn’t allow that, and most professional studios would be set up in a way that allows the audio engineer to hear through the studio monitors while you are hearing everything through the headphones.
Once your recording is done, you can hear yourself through either medium as the computer is now playing back what you have already sung.
Live In-Ear Monitors
When singers are performing live they can hear themselves through in-ear monitors which give them feedback on what others are playing and of themselves too. You must’ve seen artists wearing them during live concerts.
They’re hearing perfectly balanced output as the engineer makes sure the levels (how loud each instrument is) sound in their ears. This is also necessary because being outdoors and the crowd they’re performing can be overwhelmingly loud. The bigger the stadium the more the need for in-ear monitors.
Know How The Audio Signal Works
If you’re curious to know how this works on a deeper level then you ought to study and learn the basics of audio production. It doesn’t hurt to do so and it will actually save you a lot of time and money in the future if you decide to produce your own music.
In the coming months, I will be releasing an online course in which I will take you from the basics of audio production to how to create a mix of your own songs.
It’s not as hard as people think it is. There is a little bit of a learning curve but with the correct instruction and positive attitude, I believe we can learn music production and set up it in such a way that constant practice is going to make you very comfortable with not just audio production but with putting your music out there!
Why Hearing Yourself Is Important
You might ask why is it even important for singers to hear themselves when they are singing.
It matters because of the arrangement. It’s like talking. Sometimes we say things in a way that could be said quietly or the other way around. We modulate our voices to make them sound a certain way all the time.
The same is for singing.
Being able to hear yourself while you’re listening to the arrangement allows for singers to modulate their voices and sing harder, softer, quieter, or louder to make themselves sound the way that they ought to sound.
These nuances really do come through in the recording. That’s where its music really becomes fun and it comes out as true art. That’s where the fun is for producers and composers and the way we enjoy and perceive it is through the nuances we put in our songs.
The way you get to do that as a singer is by listening to the arrangement and your voice during the singing and being able to modulate your voice accordingly.
Some crazy singers are able to put up performances without hearing themselves and in certain conditions, I know how important it is and fun as well. So don’t dismiss anything unless you’ve tried absolutely everything from your end to get the take you’ve been striving for.
But, most importantly…
Would You Like to Sing?
I honestly believe that anyone can learn to sing, there is literally no need for talent.
If you’d like to be convinced of this idea as well, you must first be convinced that learning can be possible from your end so that you are able to accept the knowledge that you are being taught. You can read about why online courses are effective here.
But, it’d be wrong if I just left you there as well, you need to check this page out to see the recommended courses that will allow you to get better at singing.
Whatever you do, never give up, and always enjoy singing!