vocal fx

[pcp]

im currently using my pc with the audiophile 2496 and an analog mixer (the yamaha mg10) for hip-hop recordings, and i use cubase sx as my recording software. i dont like the fx and eqs that are included in cubase and they are all but nonexistent on my mixer, other than a worthless 3-band eq. the quality in my vocals is terrible, and although i certaintly dont have the best mic (mxl 2001-p) or the best studio, i still think if i had more control over my vocals through eq, compression, limiting, and fx like reverb and distortion i would be much more satisfied. my question is: should i get an external unit like the DigiTech 300 or one if its rackmount equals, should i get a different mixer with more effects and eq, or is there good software or vst, or i guess what im really asking is am i gonna have to get all new equipment or can i get good vocals out of what i already have?

 

[apl]

...the quality in my vocals is terrible...

When you use a condenser microphone you need to stay 8 to 12 inches away from the mic when singing/speaking/rapping/hip-hopping or otherwise vocalizing.

 

[traidma]

mxl 2001 is a good mic..
DigiTech 300 wont make you sounds better if you sounds like crap now... maybe take few singing lessons...

 

[pcp]

mxl 2001 is a good mic..
DigiTech 300 wont make you sounds better if you sounds like crap now... maybe take few singing lessons...

i dont know if that was a joke, but its not my singing thats the problem its just the quality. as far as how far from the mic i know thats part of the problem is that im too close but on this mixer i have to have the channel turned all the way up and the gain up way high just for it to even pick up the vocals at a decent level, so I have to be real close to the mic. is this something wrong with my mixer? (yes it is phantom powered) or is there something im doing wrong.

 

[apl]

i dont know if that was a joke, but its not my singing thats the problem its just the quality. as far as how far from the mic i know thats part of the problem is that im too close but on this mixer i have to have the channel turned all the way up and the gain up way high just for it to even pick up the vocals at a decent level, so I have to be real close to the mic. is this something wrong with my mixer? (yes it is phantom powered) or is there something im doing wrong.

Something's wrong. You should be blowing out the channel. I've had similar experiences when I forgot to turn the switch on the mic itself, when I had a bad cable, and when I forgot to turn on phantom power.

 

[pcp]

yea

i was thinking it may be the cable but it used to work fine when i was using the US-122 its just with this mixer...and plus when i plug a guitar or something into a different channel i have the same problem...i found the right spot on all the knobs to where i can get the level decent but i still have to be real close to the mic and have it turned all the way up. plus i run the instrumentals from my computer out to the 2TR input on the mixer and on the vocal track it still picks up the beat...ive gotten in to where its very minute but its still annoying because when i mute the intstrumental track you can still hear it very faintly on the vocal tracks which takes away from the quality slightly and makes it to where i cant copy and paste vocal tracks....this is actually a totally different problem than what i originally posted about but i figure i already got people responding so i may be able to sort this out too.

 

[apl]

i was thinking it may be the cable but it used to work fine when i was using the US-122...

It sounds like something's not set right on your mixer. What kind of mixer is it? Some have a line/mic button on them. Or maybe a pad button that turns them down. Most have two gains for each channel. One is the pre-gain usually at the top of the row, and then the slider for the channel. You want to turn the pre-gain up as far as you can without overloading.

 

[pcp]

no

theres no line/mic switch...its the yamaha mg10/2. i dont need a preamp if its got phantom power do i?

 

[apl]

OK, I've got my 10/2 on my lap. Is the mic plugged into #1 in the XLR (round with 3 pins)? Is the phantom power light on? Turn the little gain knob at the top by the peak LED up until the LED starts to light while your talkin' at it, then back it off a little. You should be able to do that from 12" from the mic.