vocal recording problems?

[dannymix]

Hi.

Iv never realy recorded vocals that often and just tryed today and came accross some problems that I thought you experts should have some answers.

first of all im using a Behringer MX2642A mixer and a Sure SM58 mic the out put of the mixer is fed into my Behringer Ultramizer Pro then out to the computer for recording.
Im recording in Cubase 32/5.1.

Now! Im recording somone who is not a professional and am finding it hard to get an ideal ballance of levels for a recording .
What level say during a verse should I be expected to get? Im aiming to get a max of 0db when hes into the chorus and about
-4db on verses, im finding that it all gets set up so he dont clip out above 0db by getting him to sing the loudest part of the song but when I record it he give even more and it clips so I turn it down on the input untill he dont no longer clip but when he goes back into the verse he is singing at -10 to -15db is it his bad mic usage or am I doing somthink wrong? Im using my ultramizer to compress him but it still cliping and he dont like the sound that my ultramizer is giving out for some reason its sounding a bit chours effect slightly so im not using it now.

Whats the normal procedure of getting ready to record singing?

 

[detuned6]

Well i would go channel insert out into the Ultramizer insted of the mixer output, you could reduce some noise(because ALL behringer mixers have a bit of self noise) I wouldent worry about haveing the vokillist sing the verses softer, and the chours louder, YOU can arrange that once its tracked. Try using less reduction from the ultramizer , you can comp after. Just worry about that the levels dont clip while rec. (If i use comp while tracking i use a very light setting, like 2:1 and -3db reduction)

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

It's common during the level-setting warm-up that the talent doesn't perform quite as forcefully as they will on an actual take....

You get the levels in the ballpark during warm up, then drop them 3db or so, anticipating higher performance levels.

If the talent still blows the meters, then don't tell them to change anything - simply tell them you made a mistake in the levels, adjust and continue -- if you make the talent responsible for your levels in any way, then they're not concentrating on performance, they're concentrating on watching their levels - that's YOUR job!

 

[powderfinger]

also, an sm-58 isn't going to be the best option for studio vocals....it will work, but a condensor will probably be a significant step up..........the sm-58 is a great live mic, but can be a little muddy compared to even a cheap condensor.