The above video features recording engineer Tim Leitner, one of the star instructors of both our Faders Up mixing courses, I: Modern Mix Techniques and II: Advanced Mix Techniques, explaining a trick he uses to minimize mouth sounds in a vocalist’s performance in the studio.
For more tips and techniques just like this, check out Faders Up I: Modern Mix Techniques or II: Advanced Mix Techniques. Preview both courses for free at those links.
So, does the “Green Apple Trick” really work?
Well, firstly, they certainly aren’t going to do any harm. They help prevent indigestion, reduce the risk of colon cancer, and they’re full of vitamin C, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fiber. Plus, they’re a natural energy booster!
Vitamin C is known to heal damaged vocal cords, as well. So if you’re a singer who is constantly worried about straining your voice, make sure you’ve got plenty of apples, apple cider, or even apple cider vinegar around! Apple cider vinegar, when mixed in a solution with water and honey, can affectively clear your throat of phlegm, and sanitize your mouth from bacteria.
Okay, but back to the Granny Smiths.
Any foods that contain high acidity will help get rid of mouth sounds like clicking and lip smacks. The malic acid in green apples helps flush away mucus and clean the mouth. And the fact that apples are both sweet and acidic gets your mouth watering, helping your tongue and cheeks move more smoothly against the teeth and gums. Green apples work almost instantly to get rid of those pesky mouth sounds, and can certainly save your session from an editing nightmare!
It is worth noting though that eating a single green apple is only a temporary solution. Depending on what’s really going on in a singer’s mouth, the “green apple trick” may only last up to 10 minutes before those clicks and smacks start to reappear. So if you’re recording an entire audiobook with a voiceover artist, this might not solve your problems.
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