Dealing with a wimpy voice

[BrentDomann]

Let's say you've got a vocalist with a wimpy voice, but who writes tunes that work best with a little more edge. I good example would be something like Dinosaur Jr., where the vocals are quiet, choked, and anything but powerful - but the band breathes fire. (Not a dig on Dinosaur Jr., they're great!)

Are there any special considerations here? Is this a "go for it and let things fall where they may," or is there some special way to get the wimpy vocals to sit with monstrous instrumental background work?

 

[Seafroggys]

Slam it with an LA2a

 

[mixsit]

Listened to one track, didn't really hear much in the way of added 'edge. More just basic mixing to get it to fit and sit well.
A few things to look at would be -a voice in higher register and/or louder' obviously is easier to have more presence and top end, but even singing quieter it can have focus, and with that some of what we're talking about.

Second and maybe someone who's familiar is what is the frikin edge' done on radio talk'. I suspect that'd be your combinations of saturations and frequency responses -at the mic, compressions, etc (and at the voice again- it always has to be to at the source to some extent.

I tried an old ADK large dia (no longer in their line i think) years ago that got you about half way there on it's own. It was harsh as hell- and I loved it! (but not such a good choice for my first 'voc mic
The closest I have any where near that tilt is at4047 and I'd guess that's rather a tame example in that department

Hell almost forgot -simple, cheap, easy to try-- SM57!