So my bandmates and I got free access to a humble little studio a couple weeks ago to begin recording pretty much whenever want. It's gotten to the point where we're comfortable (or I am, at least) with using the board. We've actually gotten a decent amount of material recorded, that's decent enough quality considering we're just kinda fumbling around. My main problem though is with recording vocals though. They sound great, but they don't soundright. They just come through reeealy crispy and clear. I'll upload a song soon to show ya what I mean, but I'm hopin to get some tips until then. We're recording through an akg c 414 B-XLS mic, set to cardiod and bass cut to 40hz. I've fiddled with different combinations of settings on the mic, and while it sounds better, it's still off. Maybe someone knows what I'm talkin about. Thanks for the help.
Question on Recording Vocals
- Thread starter kuhniget
- Start date
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
That's why.
I assume you want them to be a little fatter and fuzzier?
What kind of preamps are there....and what other mics are avaialble?
That's why.
I assume you want them to be a little fatter and fuzzier?
What kind of preamps are there....and what other mics are avaialble?
Haha well that's a nice straightforward response. Uhh well like I said it's a humble lil studio, so as far as preamps...none ha. But there a few shure sm 57/58's lying around. I even tried eq'ing the vocals and that provided some relief, because I'm tryin to fatten/warm them up a bit, but I know that isn't the proper solution. Is a preamp the real solution, or even just a different mic?
Steenamaroo
...
different mics and preamps will give different sounds...
if you're 'stuck' with the 414 tho, you could try recording vocals, then duplicating the track.
use heavy compression on the duplicated track, and eq it to taste, then gently fade the volume in until it fattens the sound of the original...
that way you get the tonal benefits of adding compression, but keep the natural dynamic range of the recording.
might not be what you're looking for, but worth a try.......
if you're 'stuck' with the 414 tho, you could try recording vocals, then duplicating the track.
use heavy compression on the duplicated track, and eq it to taste, then gently fade the volume in until it fattens the sound of the original...
that way you get the tonal benefits of adding compression, but keep the natural dynamic range of the recording.
might not be what you're looking for, but worth a try.......
Yeah I've already got a pop screen up, and ill give the close up singing a try. As far as mic's and preamps, what do you recommend for warmer/fuller sounding vocals? It recorded acoustic guitar great so ill keep it around for that.
Don't use the bass roll-off. If you need to tame the low end, do it outside the microphone. Be advised that AKG 414's are not the easiest mics to work with. They can be most unflattering to some voices and nothing you do will correct for that.
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
Try a dynamic. Even an SM58 or SM57 might be closer to what you want. Other likely candidates are: RE20, RE15, MD421, SM7, SM57 w/transformer bypass mod, D1000E. An M500 ribbon mic may work in some situations.
Yeah I figured bass cut was not what I was looking for since I was wanting it to warm up, so I turned it off eventually (only did it to follow the manual in hopes it would help somehow). And yes I think I have one of those voices it does not flatter haha, thanks for the tip, time for a different mic. Might as well give the SM57/58 a try.
Yeah I attempted to copy and eq a little today and there was definitely an improvement, so that's an option. I just don't have the best eq'ing skills in the world.
I couldn't do much singing today because of darn allergies, but as for singing through the sm58, it had its moments. It sounded muffled at times, which I guess got me away from the crispiness I didn't want, but now I'm looking for a balance between the two. Anyhoo, here's a sample of what I recorded last week with the akg. Probably not the best mix in the world. Only one vocal track. Lemme know if I'm not crazy for thinkin it sounds a lil "disconnected" from the music, and if that's just a characteristic of the mic, poor mixing, or poor recording technique (most likely a combination of all the above haha). And any new suggestions on how to improve it. Thanks mucho.
Maybe
Hmm maybe I'm just bein picky then ha. Yeah the guitar was recorded direct and I just left it. I'd rather it just be a nice acoustic. Thanks for the input
I can't tell from this post if you copied your original track or sang another vocal track and mixed the two. i was suggesting the latter. The slight timing and pitch differences can really fatten up the track. i usually mix the best take louder than the alternate take but you can 'mix to taste'.
O no, that one there is neither, just single vocal track. A friend of mine had actually suggested that also, I was just intimidated by the thought of having to sing the same exact thing twice, but hopefully Ill be able to give it a go tomorrow.
Todzilla
New member
What is on the other end of the cable from the 414?