Vocal tracking mic placement

davecg321

New member
I'm soon going to be tracking the vocals for a project I've been working on.

The room I use for recording is fairly large (35 ft X 20ft or thereabouts)

I use a reflection filter most of the time as this seemsite to eliminate most or those nasty highs and room/kitchen noise. One half of the room has been treated with some cheap acoustic foam, rugs and whatever is at hand. The other half I put up an old mattress to cover the bay window.

Where abouts would be a good starting point for recording vocals. I've seen lots of pictures of people singing into the corner of the room (usually highly treated with foam or whatever) however others suggest singing into the room.

any thoughts?

;)
 
What mic are you using? In a bad-sounding room, a dynamic mic like a SM58 may give better results than an LDC, because it will pick up less of the reflections.
Since you have a reflection filter (what make? some are better than others), I'd suggest singing out into the long axis of the room, with a wall a few feet behind you that has any kind of treatment at all - even an old quilt hanging there.
 
Assuming your Reflection Filter is a proper one (i.e. the sE version) this will do a lot of the job. Finish it off by putting something thick and soft behind you (but a foot or so away from the wall) and you should get a pretty decent recording without a lot of room ambience. Note that room ambience is only a good thing if the room is designed and treated for recording. Otherwise, go for "dead" and add reverb etc. later.
 
...a dynamic mic like a SM58...will pick up less of the reflections.
LOL. How's it do that?!?

The correct answer is to try it and see what works best in your room. Set up the mic. Record. Move the mic. Record... Listen back and pick. Then wish you'd made some note of how that take was set up. ;)

You went and looked at posts by people with your same question and all of the answers are different. You asked the question again and all the answers are different. Nobody's right because every situation is different and the only way to know for sure what's going to work is to be there and try and find out.

Do you not trust your ears? Then post here and set up a poll or something.

Don't have time to try a couple different setups one time to familiarize yourself with your own room? :/ Sorry about that. Try somebody else's advice each time you get the chance to record. Maybe you won't get exactly what you want, but it's not going to kill anybody. It can't even really suck that bad as long as your voice and mic are decent and you stay fairly close to it.
 
The room doesn't sound echoey or tinny at all. More just a natural sound with minimal reverb. The flooring is laminate fake wood of some sort and I have a few rugs put down.

The filter I'm using is indeed an sE one.

Should I use this when tracking/recording acoustic guitar as well? It doesn't seem to be common practice to do so, however it does seem to eliminate roomyness. Most people say to record without one for a more natural sounding guitar sound/tone.
..?

I think there are so many variables to take into account here, I'd take forever trying to get the best sound by moving the microphone around. Only to find out retrospect I perhaps preferred my first or fifty second mic position haha! I'd rather just settle in something that 'should' work ok and making the best of that position/environment..

By the way, my ceiling is made up of old wooden beams interspersed by 70's artex. I was thinking of putting up some foam there too.

;)
 
I think there are so many variables to take into account here, I'd take forever...
How long have you got? Who's setting this schedule? Do you want to learn and get better or just get it done? I didn't exactly say "try everything". I said try a couple different things that "should work" and pick the one that actually works best for you. Then try minor variations of that to see if it gets better or worse and try to understand why.

I also said that if the room doesn't suck, and the mic doesn't suck and the performance doesn't suck then damn near anything "should work" and not actually suck. If all of those things are true, then you're asking us to make a subjective judgement call based on things we've never even heard. Frankly, I think that's your job, but the MP3 Clinic is pretty good for that, too.
 
Fair point. I'll try out a few placements based on what I think will work best.

I work varied shift patterns days/nights 12 hours. I have a whole album written (most of it has been written for quite a while now) I don't want to frustrate myself and get bogged down by spending too much time on things that others maybe spend a lot of time on. So yes, in a way I do just need to record the damn thing haha. I've already procrastinated over a whole bunch of other recording/production techniques to spend heaps of time again.

I guess what I was asking in my original post was: what NOT to do?

Dave
 
The filter I'm using is indeed an sE one.
Should I use this when tracking/recording acoustic guitar as well?
I don't use one but my impression is -and this loosely applies in general; With small absorbers you're basically only effectively 'controlling a limited area around the mic- much of it the back of the mic where they're least sensitive, some on the sides, nothing from the floor/ceiling. For a voice, it's also reducing some of your voice bouncing into the room. Good so far- and as far as that goes; I.e. a rather limited working area- which = limited mic position options.
Now compare that to lets say 4 or 5 slabs of 24x48 2 or 3" fiber board. One on either side of you and the mic, one behind the mic, one over head, maybe one behind.
They don't have to be -actually don't want to be all snugged up' and making a 'box.
But now you have 'five times (made up number :>) the working area. Turn them, set them as needed', good enough for 'tight dry to farther back and airy' vocals, and enough to set up' for an AC guitar.. etc.
The big plus' is enough treatment to allow placing the mic for best tone, before running into 'too wet' / too much room.

You neverr said what mic you had (I don't think..
In a fairly big room, and ceilings like that, and what you said, sounds like you'll be ok.
I.e. way ahead of the 'close walls/ceiling (= stronger reflections) and 'box resonances of real small rooms.

Because a condensor mic is more sensitive than an SM58. Try it.
Can we agree that with dynamics or condensers of equal patterns, similar freq responses.. That working distance trumps 'pickup type' by a mile?
;)
 
Can we agree that with dynamics or condensers of equal patterns, similar freq responses.. That working distance trumps 'pickup type' by a mile?
;)
Thanks. Though I suppose with a 58, some of the room sound might be masked by noise. :)
 
You can find many that have recorded a great vocal in shit rooms. The room is never the most important issue though it can be. I know really vague huh?...

These first two episodes I have watched kind of sum it up in a way.

Watch Full Episodes Online of Soundbreaking on PBS
Good stuff. Just got back from my gig and watched the second one.

Thanks. Though I suppose with a 58, some of the room sound might be masked by noise. :)
? Like, 'breath noises up close or..?
 
I don't use one but my impression is -and this loosely applies in general; With small absorbers you're basically only effectively 'controlling a limited area around the mic- much of it the back of the mic where they're least sensitive, some on the sides, nothing from the floor/ceiling. For a voice, it's also reducing some of your voice bouncing into the room. Good so far- and as far as that goes; I.e. a rather limited working area- which = limited mic position options.
Now compare that to lets say 4 or 5 slabs of 24x48 2 or 3" fiber board. One on either side of you and the mic, one behind the mic, one over head, maybe one behind.
They don't have to be -actually don't want to be all snugged up' and making a 'box.
But now you have 'five times (made up number :>) the working area. Turn them, set them as needed', good enough for 'tight dry to farther back and airy' vocals, and enough to set up' for an AC guitar.. etc.
The big plus' is enough treatment to allow placing the mic for best tone, before running into 'too wet' / too much room.

You neverr said what mic you had (I don't think..
In a fairly big room, and ceilings like that, and what you said, sounds like you'll be ok.
I.e. way ahead of the 'close walls/ceiling (= stronger reflections) and 'box resonances of real small rooms.


Can we agree that with dynamics or condensers of equal patterns, similar freq responses.. That working distance trumps 'pickup type' by a mile?
;)



I have a Rode NT1A but may hire a U87 for final vocal tracking

Wouldn't fiber board be too reflective for the technique you suggested?
 
? Like, 'breath noises up close or..?
No. Electronic noise. The SM58 is one of the least sensitive mics out there, so whatever signal its diaghram picks up is already pretty deep in the noise floor compared to most condensers.
 
I have a Rode NT1A but may hire a U87 for final vocal tracking

Wouldn't fiber board be too reflective for the technique you suggested?
No.Maybe you're thinking of the wrong thing - fiberglass, 701, 703, 705 etc, or rockwool are The standard in sound control. You can come close with heavy quilts' and such. (heavy' but not tight weave -that could reflect.
 
No.Maybe you're thinking of the wrong thing - fiberglass, 701, 703, 705 etc, or rockwool are The standard in sound control. You can come close with heavy quilts' and such. (heavy' but not tight weave -that could reflect.

They are the standard for acoustic control for panels added to an existing space because they have the ability to be encased in a frame. Not the best option but I have had great results with placement of two 4" thick 2'x4' panels hung from ceiling behind a mic in a reasonably treated room.
 
I'm soon going to be tracking the vocals for a project I've been working on.

The room I use for recording is fairly large (35 ft X 20ft or thereabouts)

I use a reflection filter most of the time as this seemsite to eliminate most or those nasty highs and room/kitchen noise. One half of the room has been treated with some cheap acoustic foam, rugs and whatever is at hand. The other half I put up an old mattress to cover the bay window.

Where abouts would be a good starting point for recording vocals. I've seen lots of pictures of people singing into the corner of the room (usually highly treated with foam or whatever) however others suggest singing into the room.

any thoughts?

;)

i agree with ashcat . depends what kind of vocals, mics, ...just try different things and trust your ears. if you don't know how to get the sound you want ask others ,try it, like it? don't like it.use your ears,experiment......
 
Back
Top