dynamic vocals

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rogernumber2

New member
I am looking for info on how to record vocals when there are both really soft whispering and loud belted-out vocals.

how do you keep from clipping? just move away from the mic?
 
rogernumber2 said:
I am looking for info on how to record vocals when there are both really soft whispering and loud belted-out vocals.

how do you keep from clipping? just move away from the mic?
Click to expand...

Leave headroom so that the loud is about 80% of clipping and the soft is 30% or whatever. Be sure to record at 24-bit precision.
 
And have the vocalist move near the mic in the whispering parts
contra the louder parts, let him/her monitor him/her with good
phones ( and a good mon. mix ) I quess the balance is found naturally

Matti
 
rogernumber2 said:
so it really is a balancing act?

there's no type of compressor that prevents clipping to begin with or the like?
Click to expand...

Compressor can help, but really the gain knob is on a preamp for a reason. If you have "whisper" type tracks, I'd track those on a separate track.
 
same thing with "p" words and "b" words ?

just move away?

are you saying that I should put a compressor on the track through a plug-in before recording?

thank you
 
Also keep in mind that the preamp has to do with that. For instance, I had an emo-music guy in the studio and we recorded the guitar through a UA 610. Sounded great. Then we recorded the vocals through the UA 610 again, but this time he was clipping out. Switched to a API lunchbow with preamp inserts (don't bash it til you try it). Used a Shure KSM 32 (Again, dont bash it til you try it) and it cut down tremendously. Some preamps are more forgiving than others.
 
yes a compressor before tape will help, but really, it's all about the vocalist.


this is why it's really nice to have a treated room, i know some people that will go from kissing the mic to as far as 3 feet away.

if your room sounds like crap, then every time they try and step back, your vocal will sound like crap.
bummer.


if your looking for a compressor get a
fmr rnp
or a
fmr rnla
 
Since I assume you're recording digital and you have unlimited tracks, why not just record them separately? That way you could eq and mic them separate and save his or her voice for the screaming later.
 
hungovermorning said:
Since I assume you're recording digital and you have unlimited tracks, why not just record them separately? That way you could eq and mic them separate and save his or her voice for the screaming later.
Click to expand...

that may be harder then you think for the vocalist, depending on the nature of the piece.
 
rogernumber2 said:
same thing with "p" words and "b" words ?

just move away?
Click to expand...

And use a pop filter.

rogernumber2 said:
are you saying that I should put a compressor on the track through a plug-in before recording?

thank you
Click to expand...

No... a plug in won't help during recording. You will have to use a hard ware compressor on the way in. A plug in only compresses after the signal has gotten into the computer. You want to prevent clipping before the signal hits the computer's audio interface. (Keep in mind, you can clip at various places along the path... the pre amp input, the audio interface, the compressor input etc) So either get a hardware compressor, get a vocalist with good mic technique, record with plenty of headroom and compress in the box, record in separate takes, or compress on the way in with a hardware compressor. Those are pretty much all the ways to deal with this problem.
 
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