Techniques for Producing Better Backing Vocals Like a Pro

Producing backing vocals for a track is one of my favourite things to do. There are so many different ways to approach this, but the result is always the same: it breathes life into a track and gives it that extra 10% that you were looking for.

The following tips can help to produce better backing vocals, although keep in mind that not every track necessarily requires these approaches. Every song is different and thus every treatment of backing vocals is going to be different.

1. Delete T’s and S’s from the ends of the sentence

For backing vocals that follow the lyric lines – delete the Ts and Ss from the ends of sentences! If you have a lead vocal and two backing vocal tracks singing the phrase “That’s where I went.” Invariably you’ll end up with a smatter of T sounds at the end of the phrase that can create a mess in the arrangement. The thing about T and S sounds is that there is very little of our personality or identity in these sounds. My “T” and your “T” are almost identical. Further, there is no pitch associated with T and S sounds (it’s impossible to make the “t” sound in the key of A Major, for example), so if your backing vocals are singing a harmony, there is nothing harmonious added by their T sounds. So, you can edit the tracks to make it like the following:

Lead Vocal: That’s where I went

Backing Vocal Left: That’s where I wen’

Backing Vocal Right: That’s where I wen’

You could even take it a step further and delete the “s” sounds of the word “that’s” from the backing, but I would only do this if you hear a messy splatter of esses in that section, otherwise, I would leave it. Then again, the S sound doesn’t add to the musical melody, so we can leave that part of the line to the lead.

2. Use a different microphone

If the lead vocalist is overdubbing themselves for the backing vocals, use a different microphone! Using a different microphone for the backing vocals will put the vocal sound in a different sonic space. A common pairing for me is for the lead vocal track to be recorded with a large diaphragm condenser, and then the backing vocals recorded with a dynamic microphone or a ribbon microphone. My favourite for this is the Sennheiser MD421 microphone.

3. Using an omnidirectional microphone for group recordings

Record “oohs”, “aahs”, and “whoas” as a group using an omnidirectional microphone. If the band isn’t terribly confident singing vocals but you know that the track could benefit from it, get the band (including the lead singer) to sing group vocals at the same time using an omnidirectional microphone. The members of the band will be much more confident with this approach since they are not under the microscope of that overdub/studio environment. They will also gain confidence by the fact that the lead vocalist will be there carrying the musicality of the performance. If you are finding that the lead vocalist is overpowering the others, get them to stand a metre further back than everyone else! That way they will give confidence to the rest without making the recording yet another lead vocal track due to their volume.

4. Whisper tracks

For key lines or points of emphasis such as the end of lines, keywords in the chorus and so on, get someone to whisper the lines into a mic. A whisper track can give a sense of depth and size to the overall vocal arrangement. Whisper tracks can sound very creepy when soloed, but your audience will never hear them soloed! In the mix you want the whisper track to be barely audible (but noticeable when you mute it and unmute it). You don’t ever want your audience to say, “oh it sounds like someone is whispering the lines underneath.”

5. Harmony vocal lines. Mono or Stereo?

One thing that I try and establish early on is whether or not I want the harmony lines to clash beautifully with the lead or to envelop and support the lead line. If you have a harmony vocal and you really want it to meld and combine with the lead vocal, then record one track of the line and pan it in the centre, so that it sits directly underneath and lead vocal. I will do this if the singers blend incredibly well together. The benchmarks for vocal harmonies that ‘clash beautifully’ are: The Beatles, Mumford and Sons and The Chicks

Hopefully, if you have a quick listen to each of these tracks you’ll feel what I mean when I say that the harmony lines ‘clash beautifully.’ Panning the harmony lines at the same point creates this clash.

However, this isn’t always the best approach. If the backing vocals are predominantly oohs and aahs, or if they are parts that give emphasis to key phrases, potentially it is better for them to be recorded in stereo and panned left and right such that they envelop the lead vocals. A great strategy for this is to record two different performances of each supporting line and pan them left and right. This can also be a good way to go if the supporting singers are less confident. Conversely, the mono-centre approach described above is ideal for backing vocalists who are very confident and can nail their parts.

So, there we go! Four little tips and tricks that can help you navigate, edit and mix backing vocals. Some of these principles are things you will have to evaluate while you are recording but some of them can be things that you trial and experiment with within the post-production phase of the project.