Record studio-quality vocals on your phone

It may take practice, but you can get studio-quality sounding vocals on your phone!

Tip 1 – Find the right place to record

When recording, make sure you are in a quiet environment with very little background noise. Background noise can be VERY distracting and can potentially reduce the quality of your finished track. Some of the best places to record while using the RC studio are closets, cars, and bedrooms.

Tip 2 – Use a set of wired headphones

It will be best for you to monitor the recording (hear the beat and any vocal tracks) so they are not picked up by the microphone.

Tip 3 – Choose your microphone

You have three options for the input microphone, ranked from good to best:

1. Good - Headphone Mic: Some wired headphones have better built-in microphones than others but you can create high-quality audio as long as you position your mic correctly and have a quiet space. Listen to the demo here.
   
2. Better - Built-in iPhone Mic: Many are surprised that the built-in iPhone mic is typically better than the mic on your headphones. This is because it uses a “microphone array” to zero in on your vocals. Listen to the demo here.
   
3. Best! - External Mic: You can get a significantly better sound by investing in a professional microphone (and it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune!) We highly recommend the Shure MV7. Listen to the demo here.

Here's a link to purchase a Shure MV7 if you're really looking to level up the quality of your songs.

Click on the settings icon to change which microphone input you are using. When you have an external mic or headphones with a mic, then the app will usually default to those.

Tip  – Position the microphone about a foot in front of you.

You want the mic at a distance where it’s able to pick up your voice, but at the same time not cause harshness or saturation.

If you are using your headphone mic, put the left earphone in your ear and hold the right one (which has the mic attached) in front of your mouth. Make sure the mic symbol is turned towards you and cup the right earphone in your hand to avoid audio leak into the mic.

Step 4 – Adjust your input volume.

It is always best to record at a lower volume. This not only reduces the chance of audio feedback from your headphones into the mic, but it is also easier to turn up your vocals rather than having to turn them down in the end.

Step 5 – Record some test vocals.

Before you jump on the track you’ll want to first record some test vocals to get a feel for the sensitivity of the mic and your volume levels. Move the mic closer or further if the playback sounds too harsh or too faint. Or you may hear that there is too much background noise. Play around with it until the audio sounds good to you.