You can record vocals in Ableton Live like any other audio clip. You just need to connect your audio interface and choose the correct input on your track. Using effects and other plugins on vocals can add a lot to your recordings.
I’m Donovan, and I have hundreds of hours of hands-on experience using Ableton Live. I’ve recorded numerous vocals for various projects and know, through direct application, how to record vocals and work them into a mix.
This post will show you a detailed tutorial about recording vocals in Ableton Live. More than just recording, I’ll also provide you with some direction on utilizing various plugins and features to make your vocals shine.
Let’s get after it.
Contents
Initial Thoughts
Recording vocals in Ableton Live is done just like recording any other audio clip. If you don’t know how to record a clip, check out my post about it to get started. I won’t list all those basic steps here to save you time reading.
Instead, I’ll provide several quick tips and tricks to help get awesome-sounding vocals in your Ableton projects. There are so many different ways to go about recording vocals that it is challenging to list them all in a single post.
But in my experience, the plugins I’ll show you here are super useful at giving you the vocal texture and dynamic you need to help everything sound great. You also need to consider your microphones, preamps, and audio interface.
Top 5 Tips for Recording Vocals in Ableton Live
Here’s a short list of my top tips for recording vocals in Ableton Live. I’ve used all of the tools and tips you’ll see here in my recordings, and I know how useful they can be on vocals. Again, getting great vocals can take time and some exploration.
But all these will give you a solid start towards getting there.
1. Use the Metronome or Monitor Other Music While Recording Vocals
To keep your vocals in sync with the other elements of the recording, you’ll want to use the metronome or monitor other instruments while you are recording.
The first arrow on the left in the image above is the Metronome. Click on that to get things set up to record at whatever time you want. The second arrow on the right is the Monitor adjustment in the track. Turn this to Auto so you can hear other elements while you record vocals.
3. Use Plugins like Reverb and Delay
Using various plugins will really help your vocals punch through the mix and sound great. Reverb is a go-to option that can thicken up a vocal recording and make it sound bigger than it already is. Delay can have a similar effect.
You can access the plugins in Ableton by clicking on the Plug-Ins tab in your collections. Locate any plugins you want to use from there. Ableton has a few reverbs and delays, depending on which version you have.
Simply drag and drop the plugins you want to use onto your vocal track. You’ll see the plugin window for each appear at the bottom of the live set, and you can make adjustments to the sound and various parameters here.
4. Warm Up Your Voice
This is standard advice for any singer, but if you’re recording vocals for the first time, make sure it happens. Take the time or ask the singer you are working with to ensure they are warmed up so you don’t need to record as many takes.
The better of a take you get, the better your overall sound will be. You can also dress things up in post, but you can only get a flawless recording if it starts out good. And for vocals, that begins with a warmed-up voice.
5. Use Arrangement View to Record/Edit Vocals
Using the Arrangement view in Ableton is my preferred way to go about recording vocals. It will give you a better look at the waveform you are recording, allowing you to make edits and adjustments easier.
You can record vocals just fine in the Session view. But press Tab to switch back and forth between the two views to see which one you like the best. I think you’ll enjoy working with the Arrangement view if vocals are the priority.
Final Thoughts
There is a lot that goes into recording vocals in any DAW, and Ableton Live is no different. The tips here will help you get good vocal recordings but remember that you need to have a good take and good microphones if you are trying to reach professional-sounding levels.
Do you have any tips or tricks for recording vocals in Ableton Live? Let me know in the comments below.
