Question on Vocals.

[JesusFreak]

Hey all,

I recently purchased a Rode NTK and am running it through a Grace 101 mic pre into a D1600 recorder. Nothing else in the chain at all.

The problem is that for some reason, the vocals are sounding very brittle.

I'm just wondering if you all have any tips or techniques to try to take some or all of the brittleness out of the vocals.

I am probably considered a Tenor. I have the mic positioned straight up and down and I am facing directly into the capsule or directly facing the Rode "dot". I have a pop filter about 5 inches away and am standing and additional 5 or 6 inches behind that.

I do tend to sing rather loud but certainly not screaming. Could I be pushing the max spl's of that mic and that is where the brittleness is coming from??

Any other ideas or suggestions are certainly appreciated.

Thanks a bunch and God Bless.

[chessrock]

It's not unlike mic'ing a guitar amp, when you think of it. Think of your mouth as being the very center cone of the amp -- where if you mic it straight on, it might sound a little harsh and thin. So the idea is to aim the mic off-axis somewhat so it points more toward the outer edges of the cone where you get a meatier tone. Your throat/chest is kind of like the meatier area, so you might try aiming the mic off-axis pointing more at your chin.

It could also just be the style of that particular mic. It's designed to give that scooped, airy sound and the treble boost is a big part of that. Having a decent de-esser or multiband comp is kind of a must.

[JesusFreak]

Hey Chess,

Thanks a lot for the reply. I will try some different mic positions and see what happens.

Also, I don't know much about High Pass Filters but the Grace has one. Would using that help at all along with the different positions??

Or maybe you could give me a description of what a high pass filter is supposed to do.

Thanks again.

[crazydoc]

What do you mean by brittle? Thin or lacking in bass frequencies?

A high pass filter basically "rolls off" the bass frequncies at a given slope below a certain frequency - it would decrease the lower frequency amplitude (typically below 100Hz) of your signal. It can be used to decrease the proximity effect, or boominess in an accoustic guitar, etc.


Go to this site an look at "application guide" in the section called "microphone university" for tips on mic'ing voice and other instruments.
http://www.dpamicrophones.com/eng_pub/

[Big Kenny]

Hey freak,
I have an NTK and have found that placing the mic forehead level on a 45 degree angle at the source takes out that 5-12k bump
maybe a little eq drop later In His Name
BK

[JesusFreak]

Fantastic....thanks a lot. I will check out your references right away.

And yes, I mean that they seem to have an over exaggerated high end.

They just don't have that warm, or silky sound that you normally hear. Like on some of the louder parts, it sounds like it just really gets harsh.

I just wouldn't think that I'm pushing that mic that hard. The loud parts just aren't THAT loud. And while I know that the NTK isn't a neuman, it certainly isn't a radio shack mic. And I have a pretty decent pre too.

Maybe I just have an unrealistic expectation of what it should sound like. I just think that it should sound warmer than it does.

[JesusFreak]

Hey Kenny,

Thanks for the response. Any chance you could be a bit more descriptive in your application??

Like, is the bottom of the mic at your chin and then it is tilted and pointed at your forhead?? Like is the dot pointing at the ground??

Just maybe a bit more detail would be very helpful. Thanks again.

[crazydoc]

Have you used other mics through this same chain that have given better results?
If not, maybe it's not your mic or your technique. Could be room accoustics, or some setting not tweaked right on the pre or recorder.

[JesusFreak]

Doc,

Thanks for the response.

I'm actually beginning to think this same thing. I have tried other mic's, but they are pretty cheap.

Ranging from an Octava MK-319, Rode NT1-a, and the SM57 even and while the over all tone is different for the mic's, there still seemed to be a bit of that harshness on them as well.

So maybe just trying a vast aray of techniques or messing with my pre is the answer.

[Big Kenny]

Sorry,
Mic is inverted ........so diaphragm is a little above eye level pointing at my pie hole
Check your "gain staging" too

Input to compression (any make up there?) to output
could be in that scenery too