Recording Vocals With HypeMiC. Meet Singer-Songwriter Marian Carmel. Singer-songwriter and vocal producer Marian Carmel has been making waves in the industry with her indie-pop sound. Her latest EP, a testament to her growth and artistry, was largely recorded in the comfort of her home studio, utilizing our very own Apogee HypeMiC. In this exclusive interview, Marian shares insights into her creative process, her journey on writing the EP, and how the HypeMiC has become an indispensable tool in her arsenal.
Introduction Hi! I'm Marian Carmel, I'm a singer-songwriter, vocal producer, and visual artist based in Singapore and The Philippines. I make story-driven indie-pop music for hopeless romantics! Every song I put out is like a chapter in my life, and they mean a lot to me. I started writing music at 11 years old (after watching Camp Rock), and dabbled in production as a teen. I've been releasing songs for 6 years but I only started vocal producing in the comfort of my bedroom at the start of 2022.
That was after recording my first album to you, to me and learning what I could from watching the amazing vocal producers I worked with, Leo Goh from Soul Dot, and Jason Gelchen from Homeground Studios. I didn't intend to become a vocal producer, but in recording demos and guide vocals before going into the studio, I realized that I tend to get the best takes at home!
alt=Marian Carmel singing into HypeMiC at her home studio. class=wp-image-269850 data-lazy-srcset=https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/11/Image--1030x579.jpg 1030w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/11/Image--300x169.jpg 300w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/11/Image--768x432.jpg 768w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/11/Image--1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/11/Image--450x253.jpg 450w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/11/Image-.jpg 1920w data-lazy-sizes=(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px data-lazy-src=https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/11/Image--1030x579.jpg />Photo by Khairul Ameer
Working on What If Nobody Kisses Me EP What was the overarching theme or narrative you aimed to convey with this EP? I wrote the EP about learning how to love in my early twenties, getting my heart broken over and over, but getting up and doing it again anyway. It was my way of poking fun at the mistakes I've made (there were so many falling for a friend, talking to my ex as friends too early, never being able to forget a summer fling, etc) but at the same time, honoring the lessons I've learned. I started writing it in 2021 and recorded most of the demos in 2022 with my producer Charlie Kurata when I visited him in Paris.
I took a break from the EP in 2023 and released some collaborations, and then picked up the project again at the start of this year. Revisiting it years later made me realise that I had grown a lot as a musician, and I don't think I would have been able to record, arrange or produce the vocals the way that they are now if not for the break that I took in 2023!
How did you meet Charlie Kurata whose the main producer on the EP? Charlie and I had no idea that we were neighbors and schoolmates until our last 6 months in College. We met on Twitter as chronically online musicians do, and only realized that we were schoolmates after I posted a photo of me in school. We've been close friends and have written many songs together since, online and in person.
He moved to France after we graduated in 2021, and I bought his desk set up and gear from him because shipping a huge table and monitor across continents wasn't ideal. That really propelled my journey in vocal production and I'm still using the same set up today! The old interface I got from him isn't working very well anymore though, so I borrowed my friend's Apogee HypeMiC, and now I use it for all of my recordings.
alt=Front of HypeMiC in front of Marian Carmels bedroom studio. class=wp-image-269848 data-lazy-srcset=https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/11/IMage-4-1030x579.jpg 1030w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/11/IMage-4-300x169.jpg 300w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/11/IMage-4-768x432.jpg 768w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/11/IMage-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/11/IMage-4-450x253.jpg 450w, https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/11/IMage-4.jpg 1920w data-lazy-sizes=(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px data-lazy-src=https://apogeedigital.com/app/uploads/2024/11/IMage-4-1030x579.jpg />Photo by Khairul Ameer
Which track from the EP resonates most with you in terms of it's lyrics or message? I can't decide! All of them have a special place in my heart, and are about very different things. But if I had to pick, an evergreen song that I can relate to at every point in my life is we're gonna die anyway!!! . I wrote it with my best friend RENE, who is an extremely talented singer-songwriter-producer. RENE and I performed it for the first time for Pink Dot 2022 (Singapore's Pride protest), and that was when people really started to listen to our music. I really love the song because it's an honest recounting of queer people's lived experiences in Singapore, in the flavour of indie-pop with a sprinkle of optimistic nihilism. The song is a great song to dance and scream to, and we usually end our shows with it!
Recording Process and Equipment Could you elaborate on your home recording setup and equipment you primarily use? I use Logic Pro on my MacBook, that's connected to the monitor that I bought from Charlie. I also have a pair of M-Audio BX4s for listening to mixes (they're great for movie nights too!). But when I'm recording, I plug in my Audio Technica ATH M50X directly into my Apogee HypeMiC since it provides ze
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
Latino Film Institute Fellows Screen Their Short Films at the Egyptian Theatre
The Inclusion Fellowship and Spark Animation Grant uplifts 15 ...
29/05/2026
GLOOKAST LAUNCHES CINNAFILM TACHYON PLUGIN FOR MEDIA PRODUCER AND MEDIA SERVICES
This release first appeared here.
Visit our Tachyon product page or contact...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
Recording Vocals With HypeMiC. Meet Singer-Songwriter Marian Carmel. Singer-songwriter and vocal producer Marian Carmel has been making waves in the industry with her indie-pop sound. Her latest EP, a testament to her growth and artistry, was largely recorded in the comfort of her home studio, utilizing our very own Apogee HypeMiC. In this exclusive interview, Marian shares insights into her creative process, her journey on writing the EP, and how the HypeMiC has become an indispensable tool in her arsenal. 
