Suggested distance from mic- vocals

T

Titanship

New member
I have a Rode NT1A, and an AT 4033. What would the optimal distance from the mic be, to do vocals. Vocalist style would be "average" to "soft."

I would ASSUME the further away, the less need for compression. But obvioulsy, I want the best signal/noise ratio.

Thoughts? Thanks.
 
Titanship said:
I have a Rode NT1A, and an AT 4033. What would the optimal distance from the mic be, to do vocals. Vocalist style would be "average" to "soft."

I would ASSUME the further away, the less need for compression. But obvioulsy, I want the best signal/noise ratio.

Thoughts? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Your gonna have to experiment some to find the sweet spot... try putting a pop filter about an inch or so from the mic and your lips about 2 inches or so away from the pop filter... and adjust to taste.
 
So much depends on what sound you want to achieve. Proximity can be good and bad. I start about a foot away (Follow JL's advice on the pop filter)
 
i learned this standard rule :

you got the mic, a popfilter and yer mouth,

put the mic in a little angle so it points a little upwards,
then make a fist (which is about 6 inches wide) and put it between the mic and the popfilter

then you can KISS the popfilter, don't lick it, don't make it too wet,
stand close enough to the popfilter so your lips sometimes touch it

of course, this is nothing but a starting point, every singer i work with sounds different
 
Experienced singers and VO, I let them tell me what they do. They don't want some engineer to break their highly codified mic technique. :D 2 inches...20 inches...the good ones know exactly what they like to do. but if you need to make the decision...

I'd go with what people are saying here about putting a pop filter half a foot away (I tend to go slightly more) and keeping the singer there...mostly because if they DO happen to move further from that position, the difference in sound is much less than if the singer started out at 1-2 inches from the mic.
 
Yo Titan:

Another factor is the quality of your mic pre. It is a pleasure to watch mic-savvy singers perform. Not much to tell them....their experience and ear gets them to do the cut in a couple of takes most of the time.

Another key word offered by the talented suggestions so far is "experiment."

I like to use the RNC on vocals so I can prevent clipping. But, your gear and ear and experimenting will get you to the best finish.

Cheers,
Green Hornet :D :D :o
 
Thanks All,

Yes, pop-filter is in place. We were about 1-1/2 feet away. I think I need to squish it a bit more with the compressor. I use a DMP-3 preamp, and Blue Max compressor.

Fear God and give him Glory
(in a good way)
 
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