3rd Setup; NEED ADVICE!

[G0G3tta]

>WILL BE RECORDING RAP VOCALS<

Hi guys! Brand new to this site and I hope you guys/gals will be able to answer a few of my questions, if not all! This will be my 3rd setup and I need to know what you think about it.

Will consist of:
1) Rode NT1A Studio Condenser Microphone
2) M-Audio ProFire 610 Firewire Audio Interface
3) PreSonus Eureka Pro Recording Channel Strip

***UPGRADING FROM***
1) Audio Technica AT4040
2) Phonic Firewire 302 + Firewire Interface
3) PreSonus Studio Channel Tube Microphone Preamp

QUESTIONS:
Am I upgrading/degrading on the mic? Is there anything better in that price range? Do I need a mixer? Do I need any other hardware to produce a cleaner sound?

Just help me out, please!!!!

 

[Bisson820]

for recording vocals this is what i think of, maybe it will help you.

It will take time to get an ear for it but try to judge the voice that is to be recorded and then think "signal path"

you have to convert everything from the throat sound to the cool wave lookin thing on your software.

obviously it starts at the sound source but the first transfer is from the mouth to the microphone. a great mic can sound poor if it is utilized poorly. meaning... make sure to maintain a correct distance... the closer you are to the mic... the bassier the sound and the opposite, the farther away the less bassy the sound, so you gotta find that sweet spot. (im sure a lot of this you already may know, im just covering the bases here).

now, somehow you have to amplify that sound. depending on the mic... the preamps in the interface may or may not cut it for you... if not, as you've shown, you may need an external preamp.

now you need to get it on your computer into your software.... which you also have already shown that you have an interface.

but the hierarchy of making it sound good is this....

Singer > Mic > Preamp.

now you ask if its a downgrade.... could be, might not be.... finding the right mic for some can be difficult, it can also be easy. there are some mics that most people will sound great on..

dont be confused that a more expensive mic means its better.. thats often not true, obviously within reason.

sorry if this doesnt help at all.

edit - in some cases a compressor helps vocals quite a bit.. if the compressor within your software aint cuttin it, you may need to get a compressor.... maybe.

 

[austinm08]

Why is it that every one of these always includes the ever-present "will be recording rap vocals!".. aghh!

 

[G0G3tta]

Why is it that every one of these always includes the ever-present "will be recording rap vocals!".. aghh!

Why did you even post a reply is the true question...no help! Therefore, you're not needed here!

 

[G0G3tta]

for recording vocals this is what i think of, maybe it will help you.....

Simple but very helpful! You are knowledgeable and I thank you for replying.

 

[austinm08]

I'll take the spank

 

[moresound]

Why is it that every one of these always includes the ever-present "will be recording rap vocals!".. aghh!

Hey austin.............. I take it your a rocker?

 

[moresound]

>WILL BE RECORDING RAP VOCALS<

Hi guys! Brand new to this site and I hope you guys/gals will be able to answer a few of my questions, if not all! This will be my 3rd setup and I need to know what you think about it.

Will consist of:
1) Rode NT1A Studio Condenser Microphone
2) M-Audio ProFire 610 Firewire Audio Interface
3) PreSonus Eureka Pro Recording Channel Strip

***UPGRADING FROM***
1) Audio Technica AT4040
2) Phonic Firewire 302 + Firewire Interface
3) PreSonus Studio Channel Tube Microphone Preamp

QUESTIONS:
Am I upgrading/degrading on the mic? Is there anything better in that price range? Do I need a mixer? Do I need any other hardware to produce a cleaner sound?

Just help me out, please!!!!

GOG3tta --Is there any chance that you can keep both microphones?

 

[austinm08]

I guess.. yeah.. I'm a rocker. I listen to/play/etc a lot of 'Christian rock'.. but also secular. Not the heavy stuff.

 

[Bisson820]

oh and i meant to mention a pop filter

 

[G0G3tta]

GOG3tta --Is there any chance that you can keep both microphones?

Sure! Think I should compare/contrast the two?

 

[moresound]

Sure! Think I should compare/contrast the two?

Of course. and you may need to have the both of them later in the future.

 

[moresound]

I guess.. yeah.. I'm a rocker. I listen to/play/etc a lot of 'Christian rock'.. but also secular. Not the heavy stuff.

I run sound for a lot of praise bands!
My favorite gig is doing the live sound for the Apologetics.
If you know of them they take famous rock songs and change the words.
Really cool stuff.

 

[Kingofpain678]

Why did you even post a reply is the true question...no help! Therefore, you're not needed here!

Lol @ newb thinking he runs this shit

 

[Kingofpain678]

If you know of them they take famous rock songs and change the words.

Lol, anymore that's what everyone does

 

[Kingofpain678]

Sure! Think I should compare/contrast the two?

Expensive mic doesn't always mean it's a better mic, what you should be looking for is how it "hears"/captures your voice. Some mics are "sweet" sounding, some mics are "warm" sounding... so on and so forth. Do some research to find out what each mics characteristics are and Find the one that works best for your unique voice.
Also, Maintain a proper gain stage which means to set your preamp to get the signal of your mic at line level and keep it that way... If the sound you're getting out of your speakers is "too quiet", then it's not your preamps fault and you shouldn't turn it up to make it louder. A preamps job is to get a signal to line level to be fed into a power amplifier or line level audio input such as you would find on an audio interface
If you think the sound is too quiet then crank your speakers up! not the preamp...

Also, if you don't already know what it is, then look into compression for vocals to even out the loudness differences due to movement from and to the mic while singing/raping and the dynamics of your vocals