In popular music, the vocals are the first thing people hear and make an immediate judgement on the quality of the whole song in that first split second. It’s the main thing people connect to.
Large diaphragm condensers are better so I used a U87. I simply read a sentence from the course outline. No eq, no double tracking, nothing. I didn’t even manage to get any pictures. I had the mic raised and angled slightly back to open the throat and to help projection. I’m really keen to try Michael Stravrou’s “Killer Vocal” technique[1] which involves riding the fader and staggering compressors, but unfortunately I didn’t have a separate vocalist with me. Besides, I didn’t have the nerve to pull the console apart to repatch it for the job.
Large diaphragm condensers are better so I used a U87. I simply read a sentence from the course outline. No eq, no double tracking, nothing. I didn’t even manage to get any pictures. I had the mic raised and angled slightly back to open the throat and to help projection. I’m really keen to try Michael Stravrou’s “Killer Vocal” technique[1] which involves riding the fader and staggering compressors, but unfortunately I didn’t have a separate vocalist with me. Besides, I didn’t have the nerve to pull the console apart to repatch it for the job.
Sound 1: six inches from mic.
Sound 2: 3 feet away from mic.
Sound 3: controlled a dynamic section by starting at 6 inches away and moving back to 12 inches away during the loud part.
Sound 4: this is basically the same as Sound 1 but with the high pass filter engaged on the M5. I started losing my sanity at this point too.
Sound 5: recording of a singing voice, or at least a vague attempt at singing.
Sound 6: don’t ask me why.
There was noise in the control room that is present on the recording, and of course I wouldn’t normally record open mics in there, but this was done out of necessity.Compression was applied to give it a final touch of ‘evenness.’
Sound 2: 3 feet away from mic.
Sound 3: controlled a dynamic section by starting at 6 inches away and moving back to 12 inches away during the loud part.
Sound 4: this is basically the same as Sound 1 but with the high pass filter engaged on the M5. I started losing my sanity at this point too.
Sound 5: recording of a singing voice, or at least a vague attempt at singing.
Sound 6: don’t ask me why.
There was noise in the control room that is present on the recording, and of course I wouldn’t normally record open mics in there, but this was done out of necessity.Compression was applied to give it a final touch of ‘evenness.’
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Fieldhouse, Steve. 2007. “Audio Arts 1 Seminar – Vocal Recording.” Seminar presented at the University of Adelaide, 24 April.[1] Stavrou, Michael. “Chapter 14. Vocals too hot to handle.” In Mixing with your mind. Christopher Holder ed. Flux Research. 2003
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