I've got problems with recording a loud vocal in rock songs

L

Lida

New member
Recently, I've been working on recording the vocal in a rock song. As many people might have noticed that rock songs require loud and strong vocal, and here comes the problems.

When I get closer to the mic (say, one vertical hand's length away), I could clearly hear the detail of my voice. When the song goes to the chorus, which requires louder and stronger voice, however it comes with the sound peak. :confused::confused:

I tried staying further to the mic, it had no sound peak but it had no detail either. My vocie sounds blank, tame, and weak, not loud and strong anymore. :(:(

The mic I use is bluebird, which I think is a quite proper mic brand. It shouldn't be the mic's problem, should it? :(

Does anyone has any suggestion? Many thanks!!
 
If i understand you right, you want to be close to the mic because you like the upfront sound, but doing this is causing distortion?

Do you use a pop filter to protect from plosives (wind from words that start with P, B, etc)

If it's more consistent distortion, try turning the gain on your interface down.
 
To clarify what Steenamaroo said:

Don't try to get the vocal loud during tracking. Make it louder than the other tracks during mixdown.
 
true-true.

Thanks diggy.


Fwiw. i think it'd be better to work out why the vocals sound bad further away, rather than why they are peaking up close.

Possibly time to read up on room treatment?
 
Lida said:
My vocie sounds blank, tame, and weak, not loud and strong anymore. :(:(
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Always start from the source.... your voice. Are you being blinded by the proximity effect as to its normal richness?

How close are you getting with "one vertical handlength" away.... pick up a ruler and measure it. Speak in actual inches / cms. How close are you when you're getting the right level with the louder signal?
 
Yes, it causes distortion. I want to close to the mic because I want the detail of my voice (vibrant.etc) recorded, but it causes distortion when I sing louder
I use a pop filter, there is no much of plosive problem.

If I turning the gain on my interface down, the mic probably wouldn't catch the detail of my voice, even I sing louder.

Sorry for any misunderstanding, because English is not my mother tongue, I'll try to explain my problem as clear as possible.
 
it's about 15cm-20cm away from mic when I'm getting the right level with the louder signal. but most of my voice detail lost. I could only hear a very thin line of high notes, very dry, no vibrant, no resonance.

when i get closer to about 10cm, it causes distortion.
 
Lida said:
...If I turning the gain on my interface down, the mic probably wouldn't catch the detail of my voice, even I sing louder..
Click to expand...
The position that's getting the tone you like is likely where you should be. The recorder won't much change the tone you're feeding it by changing the record level. We (you :D) do need to be sure it isn't the mic that's distorting (you might need to turn a pad on) but you'll know that when you see record levels are not in the red'.
Job one is getting a clean track- Don't be fooled by 'louder sounds better! (It always does that!) Get some headroom in there first, worry about the volume later in the mixing, not during tracking.
 
mixsit said:
getting a clean track- Don't be fooled by 'louder sounds better! (It always does that!) Get some headroom in there first, worry about the volume later in the mixing, not during tracking.
Click to expand...

clean track, medium volume, don't worry about volume during tracking..It sounds effective. I'll give it a try.
Thank you mixsit!!
 
See, I don't think 20cm for a really loud voice in peaks is that far away - you do have to be accurate when you're going back and forth, though.

Put a pad on and try to get a non-distorting take of your loud voice closer up - see if you like the tone then. Forget about the lower volume stuff for a while...
 
mixsit said:
Job one is getting a clean track- Don't be fooled by 'louder sounds better! (It always does that!) Get some headroom in there first, worry about the volume later in the mixing, not during tracking.
Click to expand...

Isn't that what I said? Y'all niggaz betta act like y'all know.
 
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