Apogee HypeMiC – They Key to Pro-Quality Vocals for Music, Podcasting Voiceover and YouTube
Whether you’re a singer, podcaster, voiceover artist or YouTube creator, you’ve probably wondered how your favorite creators achieve that rich, full vocal sound that seems to pop right out of the speakers.
In the past, achieving a professional vocal sound meant either booking time at a professional studio or spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on pro-tier equipment for your home recording setup. In recent years, USB mics have made it easier than ever to record your voice at home, but there’s always been something missing. And while most USB mics can deliver crisp, clear sound for speech and music, they often lack the warmth and smoothness that makes professional recordings sound so good.
In this article, we’ll break down what makes professional vocals sound so good and how you can bring that professional sheen to your own recordings with a tool we designed for exactly this purpose: the HypeMiC. So jump to one of the sections below and see how you can achieve the larger-than-life sound of your favorite records, podcasts, videos and more.
HOW TO CAPTURE RICH, BOLD VOCAL TRACKS FOR MUSIC
A great vocal track is like a great lead singer: bold, expressive and impossible to ignore. Well-recorded and well-mixed vocals sound up front and present, projecting the emotion of the song without overpowering the music. However, if you’ve ever recorded your own vocals, you know that they don’t sound this good right away—no matter how good a singer you are, raw vocal tracks often sound very… raw. They’re either too quiet, too loud or shift inconsistently between the two, and are often riddled with popping noises from “P” sounds and high-frequency harshness from sibilance on “S” sounds.
The key to achieving that bold, expressive and present vocal sound involves more than just raw talent—you need the right tools.
One of those tools is compression, an effect that automatically adjusts volume to control spikes and thicken your sound. HypeMiC features a built-in analog compressor with three handy settings to help your vocals sound radio-ready from the first take.
- The Shape setting subtly keeps your volume in check, so you can belt it on the choruses and pull back on the verses without worrying about being too loud or too quiet.
- Squeeze is an intermediate setting that “pumps up” your vocals with additional compression for a thick sound that sits right in any mix.
- Smash mode engages heavy compression that brings every breath and nuance to the fore and gives aggressive, in-your-face vocals an extra edge.
And, since capturing great vocal performances is all about capturing a feeling, you need to be ready to roll the moment inspiration strikes. HypeMiC is plug ‘n play, so you can start rolling as soon as you start up your software. Set up in seconds with the built-in tripod, or attach it to a standard microphone stand with an adapter. As an added bonus, the included pop filter will keep your tracks free of pesky popping sounds.
HOW TO BRING CLARITY AND WARMTH TO PODCASTS AND VOICEOVER
From audio-only mediums like radio and podcasts to complex and sonically dense productions like cartoons and video games, speech intelligibility is critical to make sure the audience can understand every word.
Achieving this kind of clarity requires careful attention before and after recording: first, you have to be able speak clearly and use proper microphone technique to capture great sound at the source. Then, processing like EQ and compression is often necessary to enhance the tone of your voice and even out volume levels so not a single syllable gets lost.
HypeMiC combines these steps to deliver a rich, full sound with excellent intelligibility without the need for extensive post-production. How? First of all, it comes with a handy pop filter to keep those pesky “P” sounds at bay. HypeMiC also features a built-in analog compressor with three settings to help you easily get the right sound for different applications:
- Shape mode is great for voiceover artists who want to smooth out their performance but deliver a clean file to their mixer.
- For self-producing podcasters who want to thicken their voice without spending too much time in the mixing phase, the Squeeze setting applies moderate compression to add warmth, richness and consistency.
- Looking for that hyped-up movie-trailer sound? The Smash setting will make you sound larger than life with heavy compression that brings out the power in every syllable.
Whether you’re a podcaster or voiceover artist, it’s important to always record at the highest resolution possible, since your work will likely be converted into different formats later on. HypeMiC features 24 bit/96 kHz recording quality, so your voice will sound as good in mp3 format as it does in high quality.
HOW TO ACHIEVE LOUD AND CLEAR SOUND FOR YOUTUBE VIDEOS USING HYPE-MICs BUILT IN COMPRESSOR
Sound is an essential part of any video. Whether you’re an on-camera host or you primarily record voiceovers for your videos, you need to come across loud and clear to grab and hold your viewers’ attention.
On the flip side, bad sound quality can have the opposite effect. Have you ever had to turn your sound way up to hear a quiet video, or simply skipped it because it sounded “amateur”? Too many creators settle for weak audio, and their content suffers for it.
The pros know how important it is to sound good on YouTube, so they spend a lot of time perfecting their voice in post, carefully adjusting levels and applying compression to make sure every word comes through clearly. However, this can be a lot of work, so why not sound great to begin with? That’s where HypeMiC comes in. The built-in compressor does much of the work for you, with three presets that instantly enhance your sound:
- If you’re already confident in your delivery and mic technique, Shape mode’s gentle compression will keep your volume in check without affecting your sound.
- If you’re struggling to make your voice “pop,” the Squeeze setting can give you a richer, fuller sound and enhance intelligibility.
- For a truly commanding sound, turn it up to Smash This setting applies heavy compression that will make every word come across loud and clear, while keeping your volume consistent even if you tend to get excited and raise your voice.
HypeMiC also features a convenient desktop stand that tilts it up toward your face at the perfect angle so you can place it out of the shot and still get great sound. And, with 96 kHz resolution, your sound won’t suffer when YouTube compresses your videos.
READY TO BE HEARD?
You’ve done your homework; now it’s time to level up your vocal sound and make something awesome. Learn more about HypeMiC and how it can help bring your music, podcasts, voiceover and videos to life with professional production value right out of the box.
