Demo vs Studio: How I Build My Vocal

Welcome back to The MARROW Lab. This time I wanted to open up another part of my process: what happens between the moment I test an idea and the version I eventually build into the record.

The first vocal you hear in this video is my demo. It was recorded before the main studio session so I could work through the melody, timing, delivery and general feel of the song. A demo gives me somewhere to experiment without worrying about making every detail perfect.

Once I know what I want from the song, I move into the main studio recording. That is where I focus more closely on the performance and then begin shaping the vocal inside the mix.

My vocal chain can include EQ, compression, level balancing, reverb, delay, layering and other effects depending on what the song needs. Each decision has a purpose: helping the vocal sit naturally with the instrumental while keeping the character of my own voice.

“The vocal has to come from me first. The technology is there to polish what I've recorded — not replace it.”

That approach has become increasingly important to me. I would rather spend more time getting the delivery right at the microphone and then use processing to support it. The imperfections, tone and emotion in a performance are part of what makes a voice personal.

This is also why I created The MARROW Lab. Finished songs can make the process look simple. I want to show the demos, decisions, experiments and technical stages that happen before anybody hears the final record.