It sounds like I'm singing through a telephone.

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Vortex_Trooper

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Ok guys, I know about the whole different mics for different voices things, but maybe you can help me anyways.

I got a mackie VLZ, and I don't have alot of mics, so I record my vocals with a sm58. whether i stand far away with the pre cranked, or close range, it always ends up sounding like i'm singing in a telephone. It sounds super thin with my voice and i just don't like it.

I have about 300 bucks to spend on a decent condensor mic. I'll also be using it to record acoustic guitar. I guess I need something with a little more bottom end... something that sounds a bit richer. I've tried the ATA 3035 and honestly I wasn't all that amazed.

Is this information enough for you pro's to suggest anything for me?

thanks!
nic
 
while an sm58 isn't the greatest mic for vocals it shouldnt make your voice sound like a telephone, and you should be able to get a usable clean sound out of it

i would check your signal chain, you settings on your mixer (trim, level, eq ect.) and see if you can clean it up there, i would also try the mic on another system which you know has no problems (in order to check the mic),

I would do this before you buy a new mic, because if you have the nicest mic in the world but your signal chain and gain structure is wrong then it will not sound good
 
My bad, i suck at metaphores. it doesnt sound distorted like a telephone, it just sounds really thin. its clean, but its really thin.
 
It sounds like you'd benefit more from a quality preamp than a better mic. And/or converter. And/or cables. Maybe if you take the mackie out of the picture and just pipe the mic(sm58) straight to your soundcard with the appropriate cable / adapter. Sure it'd be a little weak on the gain side, but if that sounds better when normalized than the other method, there's your problem.

Or it could be the source, not the gear. (just kidding, sort of)
 
I agree i would bypass the vlz and try going straight into the sound card, or spend the money that you would spend on a new mic on an interface to get some better converters

Most interfaces come with pretty decent pres as well
 
I don't agree with most of the above advice. The SM58 and AT3035 are well-respected mics, especially in their price range (the AT3035 is now discontinued). If you can't get a good, useable result out of either mic, I would be stunned if the preamp or converters were really the issue.

Since both mics should be solid if basic, any guess we could make for a more suitable mic for your vocals would be that, just a guess. My recommendation would be to find a good local studio with a wide selection of vocal mics, book a half-day session, and find out what mics and techniques really work for you. Then all you have to do is buy that mic :)
 
Poor room acoustics are frequently the cause for thin-sounding vocals. Changing the mic and/or the preamp may not solve the problem. What have to done to treat the room thus far?

Frank
 
How close are you to the mic? Where did you get the mic? Did the mic ever work for you? The last thing I would call an sm58 at close range is thin. The proximity effect of that mic is fairly large but you have to be right up on it. If you are eating that mic and it sounds thin then I would say ther's a problem with the mic.
 
While the SM-58 is not the greatest mic for recording, you shouldn't be getting a "thin" sound. If anything, the 58 should be thick and meaty. Also, you shouldn't be back very far from the mic. Take advantage of the proximity effect.
 
I have done absolutely nothing to the room, i am thinking of maybe making a deadroom in my clauset, i dunno.

I am outputting to a digi002 from the direct outs on the VLZ. I was thinking of maybe getting an octopre and connecting it with lightpipe (i know i know this is for another forum) but im not too sure where to invest right now...

Basically, its not like it sounds like complete hell... i am just trying to keep progressing y'know? Maybe ill post a sample actually.
 
Vortex_Trooper said:
I have done absolutely nothing to the room, i am thinking of maybe making a deadroom in my clauset, i dunno.

I am outputting to a digi002 from the direct outs on the VLZ. I was thinking of maybe getting an octopre and connecting it with lightpipe (i know i know this is for another forum) but im not too sure where to invest right now...

Basically, its not like it sounds like complete hell... i am just trying to keep progressing y'know? Maybe ill post a sample actually.
Click to expand...




More gear isn't going to help at this point. Are the EQ settings flat on the vlz?
 
Vortex_Trooper said:
Ok guys, I know about the whole different mics for different voices things, but maybe you can help me anyways.

I got a mackie VLZ, and I don't have alot of mics, so I record my vocals with a sm58. whether i stand far away with the pre cranked, or close range, it always ends up sounding like i'm singing in a telephone. It sounds super thin with my voice and i just don't like it.

I have about 300 bucks to spend on a decent condensor mic. I'll also be using it to record acoustic guitar. I guess I need something with a little more bottom end... something that sounds a bit richer. I've tried the ATA 3035 and honestly I wasn't all that amazed.

Is this information enough for you pro's to suggest anything for me?

thanks!
nic
Click to expand...

I tend to agree with marshallpk89. I would troubleshoot the system first by process of elimination.

Plug some headphones straight into the mixer and listen to the mic. If it sounds full and natural then the problem is somewhere else in the system. If a decent working mic sounds thin then the system could be missing or cutting low frequencies somewhere. Either your low EQ is turned down too far, the low cut is engaged, or something like that.

At least try a few experiments before you declare it to be the mic's fault. Do you have decent monitors? Do you have a sub?

Are you recording both left and right channels out of the mixer as a stereo track? Then it could be a phase thing. If so, listen to only one side to see how it sounds.
 
Then are you sure you have no eq engaged in the software on playback?
 
No everything is flat.

I'm actually going to compare the pre's on the Digi with the pre's on the VLZ tonight... and if the digi is better, then goodbye VLZ.

I don't need more than 4 tracks for now anyways.
 
It really depends on how you're perceiving thin. If you're recording at 8kHz it might account for it. If you have the option of the higher rates 192kHz? You might see if that helps.

When I first started recording, I started with those cheap electret mics ($10) and my computers integrated soundcard. Very thin sounding. Recording at the higher rates 192kHz helped a little. I eventually bought an LDC and preamp. AT4033a + Art Tube MP. Much better. And eventually replaced the preamp with a DMP3. Much better. And eventually upgraded interfaces from the integrated soundcard to a Mobile Pre to a Delta 44. Much better. And then eventually realized that carrying a computer plus interface plus mics plus stands plus cables plus..... was too much of a hassle and got a field recorder. Much much better.

The point being that I don't think it's the mic. Unless you're recording crickets in a dead sounding closet from 100 yards away. Of course we'd need samples to get a better feel for what you might be hearing. It could just be that your monitors suck. I bought one of thoe Bose Companion II deals, pure mud, nothing sounded good on them. I didn't even bother taking them with me when I moved.
 
Shadow_7 said:
I bought one of thoe Bose Companion II deals, pure mud, nothing sounded good on them. I didn't even bother taking them with me when I moved.
Click to expand...

BOSE the number one choice in pro audio, lol

having heard the vlz pre's im going to take a wild guess and say that the digi's are better (though i havnt heard them),

While i understand the desire to upgrade your gear i was always taught to make the gear you have sound good before upgrading to better gear, that way you have properly learned how to use your equipment before getting better stuff.

You dont learn how to work on guitars on several thousand dollar instruments, you learn how to make cheap guitars play and sound good and then when you upgrade they will play and sound better
 
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