Looking to warm up vocals any suggestions?

S

SappyHad

New member
Hello all I'm looking to warm up my vocals, and to add some warmth when mixing/mastering. My usual setup right now is Blue Baby Bottle Mic/Oktava 319 into M-Audio DMP3 into Lexicon LXP-1 into Behringer Tube Composer into Behringer Ultrafex Pro into Yamaha AW4416.

I like the DMP3 as a pre, but would also like something that can give a little more warmth when I need it, so i'm looking for either a tube pre, or tube compressor that would warm up vocals, mixes etc. for a budget price, around $300.00.

I have heard about the ART VLA Pro, and the Studio Projects VTB-1 as being nice units.

Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations?

Any input would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Eric J.

"Music Heals"
 
You'll really struggle to get anything even half decent for $300.
Save another $200 and check out the Groove Tubes "Brick"
 
The VTB-1 is pretty decent for cheap. I picked up a used GT Brick for $300. It's probably warm enough for ya.
 
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Well Bear the best way i can describe the so called "warm" sound i'm looking for is ,a lot of the vocals done in the 1970's, particularly they way Karen Carpenter was tracked, Paul Simon (Slip Sliding Away), just to name a few examples.

Also I need to sound proof the room i'm recording in (which i'm sure would help) so if you have any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it Bear.

P.S. I especially love the way Karen Carpenter sounded back in the early to mid seventies, as well as the way the Carpenters music was produced, it seemed to me to have a really "warm", "mellow" sound, which is what i'm basically after.
 
SappyHad said:
... it seemed to me to have a really "warm", "mellow" sound, which is what i'm basically after.
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If that was what I was after, I would probably go with a ribbon mic (and a nice EQ to get some of the high end back). Mellow is a good way to describe ribbon mics in general -- at least from my experience.

You're not going to get anything for $300 that will magically impart a 70's style mellow vibe. A decent, used reel-to-reel tape deck might make for an interesting effect or a starved plate tube design can add some distortion / mud. Not sure if lessening detail and clarity is ultimately your goal, though.
 
It's probably a bit unrealistic to want to get sound with budget gear to rival sounds that were captured a) in an amazing sounding room, b) with high-end mics and pres, and c) top-notch engineers behind the console!! ;)

There's so much to getting that sound IN FRONT of the mic that you need to worry about before what's coming in after. That being said - a relatively good start is probably the Groove Tubes Brick or an FMR Audio RNP.... much closer units to high-end than everything else in that price!

As to sound treatment, I suggest checking-in to the John Sayers forums... he's the designer that did my studio and provides exellent (and free!) advice on his forums! (http://www.johnlsayers.com)
 
SappyHad said:
Hey thanks Bear I have a Behringer T1952 i like it more for the limiter and the gate, compressor seems ok, would the FMR be a substantial upgrade over this unit?
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I haven't heard the T1952, but based on other units I've heard from Behringer, I would guess the answer would be a big YES!
 
Sappyhad, I have both the Behringer T1952 composer and Art Pro VLA. The Pro VLA does lend warmth to anything you run through it. I highly recommend it. I also use my T1952 and it does what its supposed to do but does not have any tube warmth in my opinion. The tube warmth knobs seems to add some high end enhancement on my unit.
 
SappyHad said:
My usual setup right now is Blue Baby Bottle Mic/Oktava 319 into M-Audio DMP3 into Lexicon LXP-1 into Behringer Tube Composer into Behringer Ultrafex Pro into Yamaha AW4416.
Click to expand...

That's your recording path? :eek:
Whoa nelly that's a lot of stuff, and a lot of subpar stuff at that.

Keep it simple for tracking. Mic --> DMP3--->AW4416. Add all the other stuff later if you must. Everything in your chain has an impact on the sound, even when the settings are "flat."
 
SappyHad said:
Hello all I'm looking to warm up my vocals, and to add some warmth when mixing/mastering. My usual setup right now is Blue Baby Bottle Mic/Oktava 319 into M-Audio DMP3 into Lexicon LXP-1 into Behringer Tube Composer into Behringer Ultrafex Pro into Yamaha AW4416.

I like the DMP3 as a pre, but would also like something that can give a little more warmth when I need it, so i'm looking for either a tube pre, or tube compressor that would warm up vocals, mixes etc. for a budget price, around $300.00.

I have heard about the ART VLA Pro, and the Studio Projects VTB-1 as being nice units.

Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations?

Any input would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Eric J.

"Music Heals"
Click to expand...

This lack of warmth you experience must be tracked down. Is it the recorded vocal sound you don't like or the source vocal sound you don't like?

Try listening to the sound from the mic to the mixer in the monitors and see if it is closer to the sound you want. The mic and DMP3 should sound fine. If your source sounds fine and the recorded signal doesn't sound fine, you may have to look at A/D converters as these are usually the culprits. Don't just buy another pre-amp or mic if it is not the problem.
 
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