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Recording female vocals.

ray104	Date: January 28, 2008 @ 2:49 PM how do you take the reedyness out of female vocals? without getting another female vocalist? So that the track will sound like a commercial CD?
zedsalt	Date: January 28, 2008 @ 10:54 PM When I want a little more "reedyness" to my vocals, I put down the dynamic mic and pick up the small diaphragm condenser. So, if you've been recording the female vocals with a condenser, I'd try switching to a dynamic. There might be a little you can do with the ones you've already recorded by playing around with an EQ, but one can only do so much that way before it starts to really mess with the sound.
RichLum	Date: January 28, 2008 @ 11:01 PM Not exactly what you mean by "reedyness" but if it's too much of a mid frequency or something then maybe EQ, or maybe a different mic as Zed suggested. Also maybe just different mic placement. Stand back a bit further or not so straight on or move the mic up or down vertically. Listen with headphones whilst the singer sings and someone moves the mic (or you move it and have the cans up loud enough to hear what is coming through the mic)
leedsquietman	Date: January 29, 2008 @ 12:09 AM read some good mixing books like The Mixing Engineer's Handbook (2nd edition) by Bobby Owsinski. and maybe take a trip to Tweakheadz site and read 'the guide' it's full of useful stuff for noobs and even some not so noobs. http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm
evansorchid	Date: January 29, 2008 @ 12:13 AM A tracheotomy usually does the trick.
Rodrica	Date: January 29, 2008 @ 7:30 AM The right equipment and an understanding of engineering techniques helps...but frankly the best way to take reediness out of the vocal is to make sure the vocalist knows how to use proper vocal techniques. It's a complicated process, but in short, how you use the vocal folds in the larynx can dramatically alter the sound that comes out, as can the way air is expelled when singing. If you're gonna get a book I would say get one on vocal training - most ppl never operate beyond their "neutral voice" and there's a lot to be learned if you want the right sound. In order of maximum vocal impact I would say vocalist first, mic second and (if you have this kind of set up) digital converters third.