How do I make a group of non-singers sound good?

September 18, 2015 8:32 PM

On Monday afternoon I will be recording a group (6-7) of non-singers singing a parody song for an event. The song being parodied is a novelty song and the only instrumental/karaoke versions of the song I've been able to find are rather sparse keyboard or guitar only tracks...which means that the non-singers will need to carry the tune. This isn't a singing competition so while the key priority is everyone has fun, what are the "simple" things I can do to make it sound like we can sing even just a bit.

Here is a list of the gear I have and intend to use or have access to. If there is other software that is free that I should download I will do so, but assume there is no other gear that I can borrow, rent, or purchase.
Recording hardware: end product is a video so I will be recording using my Nikon D90. I've recording audio/video with it in the past and happy enough. I also have access to iPhone and an iPad and Windows laptop but not planning to use any of those for recording unless should i? Is there anything I should bring into the room to improve sound? Imagine we are in a typical office conference room that could seat twenty, no weird echoes, no windows.

Music sources: in addition to my non-singers, I'll have the karaoke track playing in the recording (as an aid to singers), also thinking to provide toy instruments / percussion that they can use to create a fuller sound.

Post / editing: planning to use an iMac that has iMovie (which I've used before) and garage band (which I've never used before). I also have access to a PC which I'm not sure has any media editing software loaded. I'm okay enough with iMovie to add title cards, fades and whatever other subtle effectsto make things look "professional" ... But no idea what to do from an audio perspective. What are the simple things I can do to have the biggest impact on making it sound like we can sing. Do I autotune (how do I autotune?), assuming I can match the instrumental track should I record an additional track overtop (does that make sense?) what are other things I can do to improve the sound? and what do I do in garage band vs in imovie.

Other items: assume we have an hour to record. The song is about two minutes long and ideally it sill be one shot (no cuts) but if we can't get through the song then I'll need to think about how to cut it together. I'll have four or five hours to clean everything up in post editing. I'll have the lyrics up on a big board for everyone to look at and will do a run through of what I would like it to sound like (as best I can, I can't sing)

Thanks in advance for help!

posted by dismitree to Media & Arts (5 answers total)

Pros generally don't do single takes, and they often do individual singers/instruments one by one (although not always, depending on the desired sound). If you can isolate the individual singers, you can replace or correct their sour notes or bad timing, or you can even lose one or two really bad ones in the mix.

You don't really sound like you have time to fix a lot in post.

So, here's a few suggestions
0: If you have the money for it, hire a recording engineer to come in and get the best take s/he can.
1: If the Karaoke track is in the normal MP3+G format, play that back. The lyrical hints will help.
2: If there is one good singer, record her separately first, and then everyone else with headphones, where they have her in their ears. This can include the original singer.
3: Bring a pitch pipe. Use it.
4: If nobody is any good, then you might just give them a click track so that they can be on the beat, if not on key.
5: If the group is trying to sound like an original song, play that, loudly, before the recording session. Both for you as the engineer to get a reference and for them.
6: Don't record with any (or much) effects. Put those in after. Reverb may help. Try to use something that sounds like what your reference sound is like.
7: Don't be afraid to tweak the knobs. After you get the recording done, you can play with how it sounds.
8: Get 2-3 takes that you think might be good enough. You may decide that the first take of the first verse sounds best with the 3rd chorus...

Just some thoughts. Good luck
posted by Mad_Carew at 9:02 PM on September 18, 2015

Basically change the "post" part to "pre" and record the songs in the "studio" first. That way, you can get multiple takes, which you especially need for weak singers. Then, have them sing along or even lip-sync in the video, but overdub them with the version you've recorded. The finished product will sound way better and you won't need as many takes in the video, plus you can use your limited recording time to focus on capturing whatever goofy energy they bring to the video, and not on their vocal performances. I'd co-sign Mad_Carew's advice, especially about having the best singer record all the songs by themselves, and then playing those versions in the headphones. Record each of the singers individually if you can; if not, I'd try to at least record the good singers individually, and then have everyone (good + not-so-good) do a take together.

There are freeware autotune plugins (Autotalent, KeroVee) but unless 1. you're willing to put a lot of time into learning the software, and/or 2. you're ok with T-Pain-style autotune as an effect and not a tool, it's not worth the hassle. Plus you can't really apply them very well to multiple people singing at once unless they're in total unison (even then it'd be weird).
posted by en forme de poire at 11:25 PM on September 18, 2015

If you want to put in the work, I'd suggest recording individual tracks for each singer. You will probably end up doing multiple takes for each singer. If you've got any notably weaker singers, you might think about "comping" (compositing) their takes into a single usable take. Here's a basic guide.

The bits described above aren't really that difficult, although time consuming. The difficult bit, in my experience, is engineering the recording. I've done home recording and bits of studio recording, and the difference in having an engineer who actually understands mic placement etc, as opposed to me just guessing, is huge. So yeah, you might well find just hiring a local engineer the cheapest and best option once you've accounted for time spent.
posted by howfar at 12:54 AM on September 19, 2015

Well, if you have a bass, you can give them a one note or three note base line so that instead of singing the song in unison with everyone else they just sing the same note or phrase over and over again so that it makes harmony. This works better with lower voices.

Normally the highest voices carry the melody so make sure your sopranos know the tune even if the rest of your ensemble is fumbling a bit.

If you've got someone who can't stay on key, don't try to teach them to stay on key with your limited rehearsal time, but immediately pull them out of choir and make them an instrumentalist. Drummer takes no training, assuming they have half a chance of staying on beat, and can can be inexpensively provided with an improvised drum, such as a coffee can and a wooden spoon, depending on the melody.

If you have someone who can't stay on beat they have to be your grace note soloist and at the end of the most notable lines they can join in with the last note or two prolonging them. "I don't think you love mee!" sings your choir. And then your soloist sings, "Meeee-eeeee-eee-eeee-eeee!" Any changes in beat can be disguised as expression. They fade out after the rest of the choir starts the next line or verse. Similarly, whenever the rest of the choir sings the word "Baby" the soloist gets to repeat the word in the same tune. So you get, "How can I live without my baby? (Baby!)"

If you can get them enthusiastic and uninhibited it will go a long way to making a joyful noise and cover up the amateur elements. You probably have to use the Marketing Department and only the Marketing department, but if you are not under this constraint it is worth trying to get some extra singers in to add volume and enthusiasm and possibly talent. If you get your singers to bring their spouses and children and grandparents you can have the refrain sung only by the kids once, with enthusiastic tambourine shaking as musical accompaniment. The fact that you have kids voices will hopefully help create an atmosphere of making allowances for lack of professional training.

Showcase what you have. If one of your singers is way out of range, or ability, or has an extremely different voice, such as nasal, or uncontrolled vibrato, give them a solo. You aren't going to succeed in making their voice disappear into the chorus, so work it, regardless of how bad their voice may be in technical terms. You're doing a parody, so if one verse is sung solo by somebody who is holding their nose while they sing in order to sound even more nasal, it will add more feeling to the entire experience.
posted by Jane the Brown at 5:56 AM on September 19, 2015

I'd do a few solo takes of your strongest singers listening with headphones and then a group take with everyone singing along to the backing track. Mix your stronger singers over the top of the backing track (pan one slightly left and the other slightly right). Sync back with video and you're good to go.

darren hayman video with pickup singers for inspiration
posted by noloveforned at 10:50 AM on September 19, 2015