Jimmy Hunter has produced vocalists on over 3000 songs. He's been through nearly every possible studio coaching challenge involved in the production of recording a vocalist. Being a studio singer who has sang on recordings from Albums and CDs to Jingles and Movie Soundtracks since the '70s, Hunter's experience has left him with a fine set of tricks and tools to help younger singers redifine themselves and achieve new levels of vocal control and delivery.
Known for his powerful backing vocals and arrangements on many of his productions, he also sings every week in a gospel church as well as working many times a week in the studio with singing clients. One of the leading vocal teachers in Los Angeles, Lis Lewis, interviewed Hunter in her Angel City Voice and we've included his remarks on recording and coaching vocals in the studio. (read about Lis Lewis at her site: http://www.thesingersworkshop.com)

Vocal Coaching Interview with Jimmy Hunter

ANGEL CITY VOICE
Volume 8 Issue 2
New For The Pro Singer March/April 2000

By Lis Lewis

The Angel City Voice: What should a vocalist look for in choosing a studio?

Jimmy Hunter: I'm a hands-on vocal coach kind of producer.

The bottom line is what's the rapport like with the guy that your're paying and what does he make it sound like. The vocal producer/engineer should have a high consciousness of pitch, timing and interpretation because you will need high marks in every nuance of your preformance to compete with what is out there.

The Angel City Voice: Does there need to be a vocal booth?

Jimmy Hunter: I don't have a vocal booth and I don't have any trouble with the room.

The Angel City Voice: How do you choose the right mic for a singer?

Jimmy Hunter: (since this interview, Cazador acquired a world class Neumann M149 microphone) The best mics I have for vocals are my two 414's. One of those is all I've ever really needed. I'm a ProTools facility and there is an Antares plug-in that can take a pretty crappy mic and make it sound like other microphones. (True, but said in humor.)

The Angel City Voice: Do you ever record a vocal with effects on it?

Jimmy Hunter: I suggest always recording with no EQ and no effects. If you need reverb in the headphones while you're singing just to make you feel a little more uninhibited then do so. But it will cost you definition in interpreting where the real groove is because your're hearing your voice bounce around in possible subliminal rhythms that have nothing to do with the music.

A limiter gives it (the vocal) a presence so it makes the breathiness of the song a little louder and brings in the intimacy of the vocal. It brings all the sonics up and into your face and over the track. I do that post.

The Angel City Voice: What kinds of effects might you add after you've recorded?

Jimmy Hunter: My favorite things are PCM 70 Chorusing, and the SPX 90 Pitch Change C--it's sort of a wonderful vocal widener; it makes your voice a little sharper and a little flatter at the same time so it makes the voice fat.

The Angel City Voice: (on headphones) The sound doesn't leak into the mic?

Jimmy Hunter:

Singers should pull the headphones off slightly so they can hear themselves acoustically. That way, they can get their pitch. I have suggested it many times--especially when they are singing sharp--and it corrected the problem immediately. Pull the headphone just ever so slightly away from the ear to allow the acoustic sound to infiltrate into the mix. And physically, when you hold your hands up to the headphones, with your arms up, it gives you a much bigger, clearer sound, and much fuller lungs.

The Angel City Voice: What about people that put one headphone behind their ear?

Jimmy Hunter: That's better for group background vocals, so you can hear the other singers in the room with you.