Arts & Entertainment, Music

Studio Microphones

Christina Aguilera

Lesson time 11:55 min

Mic check. Christina breaks down the difference between live performance and studio time, as well as the microphone techniques she's perfected over her career. Then, get a rare glimpse into the recording booth as you watch Christina perform her iconic song 'Beautiful'.

Students give MasterClass an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars

Topics include: Soundcheck • Sound balance • Case study: Fighter

Preview

All right. Entering studio mode. Thank you, Oscar. So you want to get the right height. So I'm getting the headphone sound. You want to make sure that your mouth is lined up with the right thing and sometimes if I decide if you're more comfortable with shoes on, with shoes off, I'm usually constantly barefoot when I sing, which makes me about five inches shorter. In this case, I have lower heels on. But if I were to really be in my bare feet, he'll have to lower it. So adjust your mic with whoever it is that's helping you. In this case, it would be Oscar, my longtime engineer, who's worked on every record of mine since "Stripped." So here you are. And you want to find your balance. I don't like these things, pop filters, poppers I'll call them, because there has to be a certain width away from the mic, so that sometimes if you're saying a word that starts with the letter P, sometimes you put too much emphasis on it. And if it's too strong, this filter is going to make sure that the recording of the sound is not going to be too abrasive, be too harsh. But yeah. I mean, put little things in your studio to make yourself comfortable, to feel warm, cozy, reflective, creative. Candles, little things like that. When I'm in the studio for my "Back to Basics" record, for instance, I put red lipstick on for every single time I went in the booth pretty much, because I wanted to get into that-- because it was a concept record and a throwback record, I took all these images from old movies starlets of the time to older jazz and blues singers and the color red was always such a classic color back then. So that's pretty much where I fell in love with having a red shade of lipstick whenever I entered the "Back to Basics" mode and I've kept it ever since. So without the headphones on, it's a very closed, muted sound, which I hate it. I like to feel open and a lot of wet reverb and what not. So in my headphones right now, now I can hear myself the way I like. I feel corny sometimes doing the whole one, two, check thing. It's just not my style, it's not my thing. It sounds so cliche. So I'm always, something that gets the point across with hearing how you sound back, just to make sure I have --the right echo. It's that eh, eh, uh, uh, uh. That's kind of a sound that I make. I get to hear not only if the EQ sound quality is technically giving me the boost so I don't feel like I'm in a tin can. So make sure. So if I go, "uh, uh, uh," the "uh" kind of gets me into my throat. I can hear that back. Do I have a deep, rich tone? And also the sharpness of the "eh" sound at the beginning is giving me good sharpness to see, do I have enough reverb? So the two of those things work together for me. When I record a song or a track, you want to make sure all the levels are right. Are the drums too loud? Am I getting enough drums so that I ca...

About the Instructor

Christina Aguilera teaches you how to expand your range, find your voice, and master the techniques that have earned her five Grammy Awards. In her first-ever online singing class, you’ll learn warm-up exercises, breath control, vibrato, her signature growls, and hear Christina break down her biggest hits. You’ve never had vocal lessons like this before.

Featured MasterClass Instructor

Christina Aguilera

Christina teaches you her unique vocal techniques in over 3.5 hours of voice lessons and exercises.

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