High notes gets distorted during high notes.

[shakra00]

Hi guys, Im having a dilemma when recording songs with lots of high notes.

Im using a blue yeti, and garageband (mac) for my recording. Everytime I hit a high note, it gets distorted, like the mic and the software can't handle it. How do I get around this? Thank you!

 

[MatthewH]

Id say you're probably singing louder on the higher notes, pushing them out harder.

Try turning your input level down so when you sing the loudest note, it still doesn't distort, that way you can be sure you'll always get a nice clean signal into your mac

 

[Armistice]

You need to learn about microphone technique, gain staging, and at least the basic concepts of what you're trying to do.

The answer is not necessarily just turning the input down, although you probably like most noobs have the gain set too high anyway, it's to learn how to sing into a recording microphone.

 

[shakra00]

I have the mic gain on the lowest. But still sometimes, the high notes kind of gets ear-piercy.

 

[Armistice]

How close to the mic are you? What levels are you hitting in your DAW?

 

[shakra00]

Im 4-6 inches from the side of my mic. Im hitting about 80 to 100

 

[nkberg]

I have the Blue Yeti aswell, when I sing falsetto real loud (without the levels peaking) it gets that weird ear-piercy sound you are talking about, unfortunately it's just the way the Yeti handles high notes...

 

[shakra00]

The best thing I could improvise was to turn down the gain and farther from the mic

 

[mixsit]

I have the mic gain on the lowest. But still sometimes, the high notes kind of gets ear-piercy.

'Piercing can simply be a tone quality. To differentiate that from a level problem, is it actually still clipping or overloading turned all the way down?

 

[shakra00]

'Piercing can simply be a tone quality. To differentiate that from a level problem, is it actually still clipping or overloading turned all the way down?

By clipping you mean distortion?

I think my voice can have a contributing factor in the piercing sound too.

Where can I adjust this "overloading"? Sorry, im a newbie to recording.

 

[mixsit]

By clipping you mean distortion?

I think my voice can have a contributing factor in the piercing sound too.

Where can I adjust this "overloading"? Sorry, im a newbie to recording.

Usually there's some kind of metering. Your levels should be somewhere well below any clipping/red indications on your loudest peaks.

You said the mic gain was already at min. Do some tests, compare close to the mic like you were vs backing off the mic.