best position for mic while singing -- studio

  • Thread starter Thread starter hooneey
  • Start date Start date
The variables here are innumerable. What kind of mic? What kind of room? What are the the soundproperties? etc?
 
hooneey said:
so wats best distance?
from mouth to mic
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This question is so incredibly subjective it ain't even funny! :D

I'll answer your question....IF you can tell me what the best type of ice cream is.
 
guitaristic said:
This question is so incredibly subjective it ain't even funny! :D

I'll answer your question....IF you can tell me what the best type of ice cream is.
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Well, Baskin-Robbin's Jamoca Almond Fudge, of course! Everybody knows that!
 
I used to like Ben & Jerry's "Chunky Monkey", 'til i found out they don't actually use real monkeys :mad:
 
If the singer really sucks, then 1000 miles is the best distance. :D
 
RawDepth said:
If the singer really sucks, then 1000 miles is the best distance. :D
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Meh, the other side of the world with a sock shoved in his mouth is more like it.
Oh, and anyone can sing over Skype from half way around the world, so thats why he has a sock in his mouth.
 
Hooneey, no one really answered your question for you. Sorry, man. We're just havin a little fun at your expense. (Consider it an initiation of sorts.)

Anyway, I usually put a pop shield at around two inches or so to start. Then ask the singer to sing out for a bit to warm up and to keep his lips near the shield. I then make adjustments as needed based on how it sounds. If his voice is strong and seems to overdrive the mic, I'll move him back some by adjusting the shield. If his voice is soft and the preamp ends up in the "audible noise floor/hiss" zone, I'll move him closer to the mic so that I can lower the preamp.

If his voice is all over the place, I just keep it from clipping and use a compressor later during edit/mix.

Hope this helps.
 
Part of being a good singer in the studio is developing "mic discipline".

You need to figure out how to move your head while singing to adjust for breathing, plosives, and sibilance. At the same time, you're looking for a certain tone and dynamics, so you're controlling your distance to the mic to adjust proximity effect and room sound.

It sounds complicated and it is. But just like any other instrument, you will learn with practice to compensate for all these small considerations while you capture the sound you want, without being overly conscious of it.

So the answer is, as usual, "it depends".

Practice is what you're looking for. Experiment and have fun, and you will settle on a technique that works for you.
 
RawDepth said:
Hooneey, no one really answered your question for you. Sorry, man. We're just havin a little fun at your expense. (Consider it an initiation of sorts.)

Anyway, I usually put a pop shield at around two inches or so to start. Then ask the singer to sing out for a bit to warm up and to keep his lips near the shield. I then make adjustments as needed based on how it sounds. If his voice is strong and seems to overdrive the mic, I'll move him back some by adjusting the shield. If his voice is soft and the preamp ends up in the "audible noise floor/hiss" zone, I'll move him closer to the mic so that I can lower the preamp.

If his voice is all over the place, I just keep it from clipping and use a compressor later during edit/mix.

Hope this helps.
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And this is a really good answer.
 
Ah, well thank you bro. So too are yours. (Reputation added.)
 
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