First recording

"I'm serious. Your voice is stunning when it comes to interpreting melodies. It's truly rare," but Marc didn't understand Hugo's teasing and continued to explain seriously. It was evident that he was a diligent person. "However, I'm not sure about your performance once you're inside the recording studio. Many people have a good voice, but they don't know how to control it once they enter the studio. That's why they can't become singers."

Marc's sincerity made Hugo feel comfortable. At least it was clear that Marc was someone who worked diligently. "Let's not jinx," Hugo said, meaning to pray. "So why don't we give it a try? If there's anything to improve or learn, we should make the most of our time."

Marc immediately nodded in agreement with Hugo's words. "Go inside the recording studio and get accustomed to the atmosphere first." After watching Hugo enter the studio, Marc walked to the control desk. However, he suddenly remembered something and turned back to Joseph. "If you feel bored, you can go outside and explore. There are plenty of recreational facilities here."

Joseph, being a movie agent with no knowledge of music, was initially lost in thought. But when Marc said that, he quickly waved his hand and said, "It's okay, don't mind me. Focus on your work." He nervously sat on the sofa. This place was different from the familiar film sets, and the professional yet unfamiliar equipment made Joseph feel pressured. At the same time, he was curious about how Hugo would perform in the recording studio.

Marc, just saying what he had to say, quickly shifted his attention to Hugo. After sitting down at the control desk, he pressed the large red button on his right and spoke into the microphone in front of him. "Hugo, put on the headphones, yes, those ones." The sound from the microphone was transmitted through the speakers above the recording studio, indicating Hugo's actions. "I'll play the music once, and you listen to the effect. Then, try singing along with the music into the microphone. That's the recording effect. Let's give it a try first."

Hugo gestured with a "no problem" hand sign. He was familiar with these processes in the recording studio, not only because of his experience in recording for "Death or Glory" but also because he had seen actors do post-dubbing instead of live sound during his extra work. Although he hadn't personally recorded vocals before, the process was clear to him.

Soon, music began to play in his headphones. It wasn't purely instrumental; it was the master tape of Hugo's own singing. In simple terms, it was like karaoke, where the music was played directly into the singer's ears, and they were required to sing along. However, the difference between the recording studio and karaoke was that once the singer put on the headphones, their own voice and the sound were isolated. The microphone captured the singer's voice, stripped of any added elements, and presented it in its raw form, exposing all the strengths and weaknesses.

The recording studio was scarier than singing acapella because during acapella, at least the singer could hear their own voice and have control over the rhythm and pitch. This was why many singers didn't like wearing headphones during live performances. Although the headphones eliminated the noisy elements from the live environment and delivered the accompaniment most directly and clearly to the singer's ears, they also affected the singer's control over their voice. In the recording studio, singers couldn't control their own voices; they relied solely on their raw sense of music interpretation.

In short, the recording studio showcased the singer's fundamental abilities, presenting everything from talent to strengths and weaknesses.

Of course, the existence of the recording studio was meant to compensate for the flaws in the singer's voice and present the best possible state. Even issues like going off-key or vocal breaks could be partially repaired through adjustments in the studio's tracks. This was why some people were referred to as "studio singers" because their live performances were unbearable, and they could only rely on lip-syncing while playing the studio recording.

In the 21st century, the role of the recording studio was maximized, to the point where people joked that even dogs and pigs could become singers. Many idol singers had nothing but a pretty face, and some even suffered from tone deafness, relying solely on rap. However, the recording studio concealed all their flaws, allowing them to become legitimate singers with albums.

In Hugo's view, a truly outstanding singer needed to have an excellent performance in the recording studio. It was the medium that maximized the singer's strengths, and the album would be the most widespread means of promotion. But at the same time, the live performance had to be exciting enough, as the same song could have different flavors depending on the different live performances, living up to the expectations of all the audience members who came to listen in person.

In reality, if given a choice, Hugo would prefer to be in a band. In the past ten years, he had always been part of a band. Now, being alone in the recording studio felt very strange, not to mention being directly positioned as the lead vocalist. It was challenging to adapt.

So, when Hugo tried to sing for the first time, he embarrassed himself.

As soon as Hugo started singing, he felt something was off but couldn't pinpoint what was wrong because the headphones isolated his own voice. However, when he glanced up, he saw Joseph's dumbfounded expression. On the other hand, Marc appeared calm, with no particular expression on his face, still engrossed in his study. It wasn't until Hugo stopped on his own that Marc paused the music.

"Hugo, listen to the performance from earlier." Marc didn't scold Hugo but instead cut the track and played Hugo's singing directly in the recording studio.

When Hugo heard his own voice, he was startled. People always felt unfamiliar with their own voices, and more importantly, in his previous singing, he had gone off by four notes in one line of lyrics. Moreover, there was a trailing note of "oh" at the end, and Hugo had sung three incompatible scales in a row. To be able to go off-key to this extent was indeed not easy, and even amateur singers couldn't compare to such a performance.

However, Hugo didn't feel ashamed. On the contrary, he burst into laughter. If this kind of music recording was released, not to mention others, even he himself would be hit with a CD. It was like watching "American Idol" where those who sang off-key to the point where no one could recognize the original song insisted that they were musical geniuses. It was truly absurd and hilarious.

Seeing Hugo's unrestrained smile, Joseph couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter. Even Marc, who wanted to be serious and earnest, couldn't help but suppress his amusement.

"Hugo, you care too much about the music. Your focus is on the music, but you should pay attention to your own singing." Marc pressed the red button again and spoke to Hugo, "You know, besides going off-key, you were half a beat too fast earlier. Because you've been so concerned about the music and trying to actively match it, you lost control over your voice. In reality, music is just a point, and true singing should flow naturally. As long as you have a sufficient understanding of the music, you should focus on your own singing and deliver it effortlessly. Then, there won't be any issues."

Marc didn't mention any technical aspects, he simply asked Hugo to focus on his own singing. Hugo thought for a moment, then extended his index finger, indicating that he wanted to try again. Marc didn't say much and immediately stopped the music.

During the second attempt, Hugo still couldn't find the right state. He felt that the music in his ears was distracting him. It was like having two people speaking in his head simultaneously. Even though the two voices should be in sync, one voice always tried to accommodate the other, resulting in a tense rhythm. Any slight lack of attention could lead to mistakes.

"Let me listen." Hugo voluntarily requested to listen for a moment. As he expected, his voice sounded too strained, and the entire singing sounded dry. Although he didn't go off-key as severely as before, he still missed two notes, and the rhythm was somewhat chaotic. "Give me a few minutes," Hugo said into the microphone.

In fact, Hugo wasn't a rookie in the recording studio. It was just that he had never been the focus of a recording session before. Hugo started to recall the feeling in the recording studio. Standing in the recording studio wasn't much different from regular singing. The most important thing was to immerse oneself in the music, sing along with the melody, and treat the music in the headphones as accompaniment, not a guide.

Truly skilled singers didn't need to follow the beats of the music or consciously control their singing during the performance. Instead, they engraved the rhythm and melody of the music in their minds and then smoothly interpreted it. In contrast, during live performances, singers would change the pitch, rhythm, and style of singing based on the atmosphere, creating a unique version of the song for each live performance.

Hugo seemed to grasp some tricks, but he wasn't sure if they were correct. So he took off one side of the headphones, just keeping it against his ear, and said to Marc, "Let me try again."

Marc didn't immediately start the music but pressed the red button and said, "Relax a bit, don't try to control it deliberately. Just imagine the feeling of your usual singing." Then he started playing the music.

"Next time you see me, things won't be the same." Hugo closed his eyes. He could hear the music flowing gently in his left ear, while his own voice resonated like guitar strings vibrating softly in his right ear. It felt good, like lying under the shade of a tree on a summer afternoon, watching the sunlight gently sway through the leaves.

Unconsciously, Hugo completed the first four bars of the song. Marc's face curved into a smile. "Very good. Your performance this time was great." Finally, a smile appeared on Hugo's face, indicating that he had found the right approach. "But you're still a bit too nervous. The expressiveness of the master tape you sent me has improved a lot. You should let go and not be constrained by the recording studio."

"You must know that you are an extremely talented singer. The recording studio amplifies your strengths, so go ahead boldly and showcase your abilities." Marc encouraged Hugo through the microphone, gradually relieving the tension in Hugo's heart.