good mic technique when using SM57 for vocals

J

JimmyPeteKeith

New member
Any advice for recording male vox with SM57?

My space has a few hung blankets to kill obvious gross reflections. I use Scarlett 2i2 interface and Reaper DAW. I know all of that affects results but ignore that stuff for now. I want to improve my technique using the SM57.

At present I point the mic directly at the singer's mouth, put a pop filter as close as possible to the mic (literally millimeters away) and have the vocalist sing as close as possible to the pop filter without bashing it into the mic.

There's got to be a better way than having everything jammed right up to the mic and forcing the singer to stay restrained within such tight proximity to the mic.

Thanks for any suggestions.
 
Sort of an 'as always'- Adjusting the pop screen distance offsets the singer's working distance, this tweaks both the mic tone balance (full and intimate, or lighter) plus mic height and distance adjusts what portion and balance is coming off the face. Also as you increase the working distance, say a few inches vs right up on it, means the singer's little distance variations also don't have as much impact in tone and volume variations as they do right up one it.
 
JimmyPeteKeith said:
At present I point the mic directly at the singer's mouth, put a pop filter as close as possible to the mic (literally millimeters away) and have the vocalist sing as close as possible to the pop filter without bashing it into the mic.

There's got to be a better way than having everything jammed right up to the mic and forcing the singer to stay restrained within such tight proximity to the mic.
Click to expand...

Well that's the thing....that's the way singers use a 57 live....they put their mouth right on it. :D
If you want an airy sound and/or a nicer, bigger tone without having to kiss the mic....you might consider a condenser mic instead of a 57 dynamic mic, which is really meant to be an instrument mic.
Not saying a 57 can't be used for singing....but it's not going to give you a lot of versatility for a lot of different vocalists.
Even as an instrument mic on guitars or drums....it's about sticking if right up against the source, and then you get what you get.
 
Have you tried using a foam windshield instead and getting the singer to put it to their lips? The foam gives you separation distance, and keeps them at the same distance (important with 57s, because the tonal change between on the mic and 50mm away is pretty extreme - the bass drops off really quickly. With a popper stopper type device, the distance is more tricky. Foma, they can feel at home with.
 
miroslav said:
Well that's the thing....that's the way singers use a 57 live....they put their mouth right on it. :D
If you want an airy sound and/or a nicer, bigger tone without having to kiss the mic....you might consider a condenser mic instead of a 57 dynamic mic, which is really meant to be an instrument mic.
Not saying a 57 can't be used for singing....but it's not going to give you a lot of versatility for a lot of different vocalists.
Even as an instrument mic on guitars or drums....it's about sticking if right up against the source, and then you get what you get.
Click to expand...

not disagreeing with you here but on some singers the sm57 can sound better than a condensor, I'll never forget this singer/songwriter who's voice just sounded amazing with the sm57, but all other mics sounded bad, including a Neumann TLM103 in comparison, he had a quite trebly and almost sharp voice, and it was also loud as hell.
 
The sm 57 live is a standard piece. The sm 57 is not a professional recording instrument on its own. You need a nice transformer and pre amplifier section.

If you do that , then you could say that singing into your headphones sounds killer as well.

If you like dynamic of the shure, step up to the sm 7 b. A better microphone of that type.
 
...

Turn up the gain & back the singer off to 12" or more, then ask the singer to project his/her voice and not be conscious of the mic. Recording is a much different atmosphere than onstage performance.
:spank::eek:;)
 
Btyre2013 said:
not disagreeing with you here but on some singers the sm57 can sound better than a condensor, I'll never forget this singer/songwriter who's voice just sounded amazing with the sm57, but all other mics sounded bad, including a Neumann TLM103 in comparison, he had a quite trebly and almost sharp voice, and it was also loud as hell.
Click to expand...

I didn't mean that a 57 can't sound good for recording with some vocalists...but as you said it's a very specific combination of a certain voice and the 57 that will work better than any other mic/voice combination --- for recording.

We use to use them live all the time....but the beauty of the 57 is that it allows you to put your mouth right up on it and sing loud if needed (which was usually the case in a band gig)...and you won't blow out the mic.....so I was saying that in most cases that's the technique that works for a 57.
It will NOT sound good on any/every voice ---- for recording.

A Reel Person said:
Turn up the gain & back the singer off to 12" or more, then ask the singer to project his/her voice and not be conscious of the mic. Recording is a much different atmosphere than onstage performance.
:spank::eek:;)
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He can certainly try that...I just don't know how well that will work with a dynamic like a 57.
 
Yeah...2-6" is workable with a 57...and of course, it all depeneds on the singer.

I think what the OP was saying about that vocalist who had a birght/edgy voice....he probabaly got right on top of the 57, which helped him, and gave him the low-end he was missing.
 
miroslav said:
Well that's the thing....that's the way singers use a 57 live....they put their mouth right on it. :D
If you want an airy sound and/or a nicer, bigger tone without having to kiss the mic....you might consider a condenser mic instead of a 57 dynamic mic
Click to expand...

how can that not have occurred to me?

of course you're right. that's the way vocalists use 57s and 58s, pressed right up to their mouths. that IS the best technique for using those mics.

all the other suggestions are much appreciated. there are a couple of ways to change the sound those mics produce... back off several inches, sing off axis, etc. but basically 57s and 58s are eater mics that sound like they sound!

thanks to all.
 
JimmyPeteKeith said:
how can that not have occurred to me?

that's the way vocalists use 57s and 58s, pressed right up to their mouths.

but basically 57s and 58s are eater mics that sound like they sound!

thanks to all.
Click to expand...

how can u have a good natural vocal sound while eating your mic?? sound waves absolutely dont have a space to develop and close proximity shit is overwhelming.. its only for special effects or "vocals" like motorhead... and still lemmy doesnt eat the mic all the time.. i guess they use very high gain on mic so it is more sensitive from a some distance..
isnt it??
 
I use Shure Beta.

Try singing 3-5 inches away and slightly off angle to the microphone and not straight into it. If you go too far back, it doesnt pick up the voice well.

And it depend on the song. For soft songs, you can sing directly to the mic. But for songs where you have to raise ur voice, IMO singing slightly off angle sounds better.

Adding: Also, if you keep it a bit lower than your mouth, you feel more of the low end/chest voice. And if higher, I hear more of the high end. Give it a shot and see.
 
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anoopbal said:
I use Shure Beta.

Try singing 3-5 inches away and slightly off angle to the microphone and not straight into it. If you go too far back, it doesnt pick up the voice well.

And it depend on the song. For soft songs, you can sing directly to the mic. But for songs where you have to raise ur voice, IMO singing slightly off angle sounds better.

Adding: Also, if you keep it a bit lower than your mouth, you feel more of the low end/chest voice. And if higher, I hear more of the high end. Give it a shot and see.
Click to expand...

agree,.. u r right! but look what phil collins or peter gabriel does.. they sing into such mics from a f-ing mile away... seems they have very high sensitivity set up... and i guess lots of compression and limiting to keep dynamics in place..
 
Stage and studio have different requirements.

If in the studio, I'd often crank up the gain on a vocal mic and stand at least 12" away, sometimes up to an arm's length, and sing out from the bottom of my heart,... or stand a bit closer at times to catch the lower volume delivery in certain parts. To me that gives very satisfactory, even, roomy tone to the track with some semblance of room acoustics, etc. Never any proximity effect or plosives at that distance.

On stage there's a completely different set of issues. Often you'll be at high volumes and high gains on the mics would pick up too much ambient noise and interference from the other instruments, (monitor feedback, etc.), so a lower gain and closer distance on the mic would be appropriate and necessary. Not that it's the best thing ever, but it's the best you can do with the circumstances. In this case I would use a foam pop filter, lower but adequate gains, & not "eat" the mic but closer distance within 0-4", and just deal with it caus it's not ideal but it's maybe the best you'll get while balancing other factors.

This would apply to any mic, but I often used SM57's under both scenarios. I've found the SM57 to be a flattish, unremarkable mic in most cases that needs some high end EQ to really sound nice. Maybe some mids or low end EQ too, depending on the situation. You can't just pop the SM57 in and expect it to sound pleasing or natural, as is. EQ contours are a must in my book and especially with the 57. Lower gain and closer distances bring a very pronounced proximity effect within about 0-5", but higher gains and larger distances smooth out the response considerably. I've never had a SM58, but would be virtually identical application and advice. YMMV.

:spank::eek:;)
 
After to use a Behringer C3 mike for a little while with all its fancy appearance and get tired of its poor results I decided to try a cheap SM57 CLONE that I had and never had used before. All that I can say is that I cannot go wrong with it. No matter if is my wife singing or me, no matter if we stand closer or farest, no matter if we sing in a middle volume or scream. Of course the result will be different, but it is always good. Seriously, it is almost incredible. And I have NO one treatment in the room. The only accessory we use is a home brewed pop filter made out of an embroidery frame and a panthose.

In short, today I think that the SM57 may not be the more indicated mike for voice recording but it is the best one if you have not experience due to the fact that it seems to be very indulgent with the newby or the eventual producer.

:)
 
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