recording a fan 'voice' ?

bubbleboy

bubbleboy

New member
i'm sure this will amuse someone, but me and my buddies were wondering what you think the best mic, technique, etc. would be if we wanted to record someone talking/singing into a fan to get that effect we all know so well. small diaphragm instrument-type condenser? use any dynamics effects? the wind from the fan has us wondering about mic placement, too
 
Personally I would point the mic away from the fan at a 45 degree angle with a windscreen on it, and on the side that the air isn't blowing towards.
 
As soon as I saw this post I had to try it...just sounded weird. These were just a couple quikie test but found that a large condenser right next my head, by my ear while singing into the fan worked best. I had had to move around to find the sweet spot where the fluttering was most intense. When I put the mic on the other side, I didn't find it to be as effective. I think the ticket is to find the spot where the singer hears it (again at the singer's ear).

Good luck
 
oh the embarrassment!

...but i've done this!

we were recording a special FX vocal for a sci-fi sitcom and wanted a voice for this demon thingy and i remembered a boring afternoon of doing this very thing while i was working at a radio station (yes a boring afternoon at a radio station...i didn't say it was a good radio station!!)

because it was a ridiculous thing to do , we decided when we recorded it (just to stop from laughing all afternoon) that we should find a sober and profesional way to do this (like you do)

so we did as one poster suggested and recorded beside the point where we could hear the sound when we did it trying to kep as much fan noise out of the mic as possible (we used a rode NT1 condenser) - BUT - and here's the clever bit, we also recorded the fan alone and threw that track out of phase with the original track. there were some slight variations as we discovered that the fan speed wasn't entirely constant and so we got a little extra 'phasing' - but with reverb and a little ring modulation WE HAD OUR DEMON.

after a glass of red wine it sounded really scary.

so....
One 16" office fan (speed 3)
One devoted actor
Rode NT1
tfpro P2 preamp
digital performer v4
waves trueverb
glass of 2001 cabernet sauvignon

can't go wrong really.

thanks for the post - things have been getting a little tense round here recently - also i've just had a hard day mixing and it was really nice to relax with this memory - thanks man.

paul d :D
 
thanks for the posts--tollbooth that story is the shiznit. never would have thought of the out of phase deal, either. i am trying a combination of what everyone recommended.--this should rock
 
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