Most takes your client(s) have ever taken?

[ianbee]

What is the most takes your client(s) or yourself have ever taken for recording one vocal part? It could be a verse, a bridge, a chorus, a part of a chorus etc. I've been with people who I've had to record over 100 takes of one chorus part over the span of 3 days. We'd do it for hours and hours everyday and it never truly got "right" in their eyes, we just ended up settling for one of the ones we previously recorded. So what about you guys?

[Mitchbis]

Customers always right, but that's insane!

The vocalist for my band, on a few occasions, got to be really picky about his stuff. But after take 20 we decided to skip it and work on another song.

I doubt id let it go past 10 in one sitting though, anything after that would just stress the vocalist out and waste time.

give it a break and try again tomorrow!

[ianbee]

Originally Posted by Mitchbis

Customers always right, but that's insane!

The vocalist for my band, on a few occasions, got to be really picky about his stuff. But after take 20 we decided to skip it and work on another song.

I doubt id let it go past 10 in one sitting though, anything after that would just stress the vocalist out and waste time.

give it a break and try again tomorrow!

I know, right?

And I edited the post; I meant to say over 100 takes not 200 lol. Still pretty crazy though!

[Mitchbis]

Originally Posted by ianbee

I know, right?

And I edited the post; I meant to say over 100 takes not 200 lol. Still pretty crazy though!

Haha! I thought I was going crazy for a second!
but yeah thats still alot!

Can we see a take counter in the future??

[sunburst79]

Les Paul used to say that if you couldn't do it it ten takes it was time to move to something else and come back to it another time. I've always felt it was good advice.

[BobbyDazzler]

Did 110 takes for a 30sec radio commercial once.....Painful!!!

[groundcontrol]

If an artist/band can't do the part in 5-10 takes. It usually indicates the part is not rehearsed enough, not fitted for the playing ability of the player or the project probably needs a producer.

[ianbee]

Originally Posted by sunburst79

Les Paul used to say that if you couldn't do it it ten takes it was time to move to something else and come back to it another time. I've always felt it was good advice.

Originally Posted by groundcontrol

If an artist/band can't do the part in 5-10 takes. It usually indicates the part is not rehearsed enough, not fitted for the playing ability of the player or the project probably needs a producer.

Hmm.. some of you guys take this so recording takes things so professionally, I swear! Michael Jackson was known to do many vocal takes, sometimes over 100 and he'd often end up using one of his first recordings. I don't think it is a matter of "getting it right" or perfect, but rather experimenting. Lots of artists will record a rough vocal take, listen to it, think of ideas, record it again, record it a few more times, try something different the next go and keep on doing this many and many times until they have developed or experimented enough to get a result that they are proud of. I don't think its always as simple as "this is what needs to be done", now do it in x amount of takes or move on.

[Mitchbis]

Originally Posted by ianbee

Hmm.. some of you guys take this so recording takes things so professionally, I swear! Michael Jackson was known to do many vocal takes, sometimes over 100 and he'd often end up using one of his first recordings. I don't think it is a matter of "getting it right" or perfect, but rather experimenting. Lots of artists will record a rough vocal take, listen to it, think of ideas, record it again, record it a few more times, try something different the next go and keep on doing this many and many times until they have developed or experimented enough to get a result that they are proud of. I don't think its always as simple as "this is what needs to be done", now do it in x amount of takes or move on.

Well for an established artist I could understand!
Also, if the artist is experimenting with different takes and formatting, I wouldn't mind at all, and treat it as a producer should.

But for the guy who is just picky, does the same take 13 times in a row and "just doesn't feel it" I would suggest moving on.

I would also admit that it will vary between different bands and artists:)

[Terry Wetzel]

Hey guys. Pardon my inexperienced opinion here. I only record myself but vocally I'm hard to please. If I were in a working studio environment and being paid for my time, I would consider that the artists opinion of his vocals is what matters here. Yes, I'm sure that some of you have had to sit through hours of eardrum agony while a vocalist that clearly should have chose another line of work insisted on getting that perfect take. Elvis Presley went 27 takes on Hound Dog at a major RCA studio and I'm sure that if he still wasn't satisfied, no one would have protested had he insisted on more!