Getting a clean voice

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nightfire
  • Start date Start date
Nightfire

Nightfire

Aspiring Idiot
First off, I have NO experience on how to set EQ's etc. I got my gear about a week ago and I really want to learn how to do this, so please bear with me and my stupid questions.
Listen to this song
www.myspace.com/mikeduerksen

Im using a Behringer Eurorack UB1202, with a Behringer dynamic mic. From the console Im going from "tape out" to the "line in" on my comp (standard soundcard) and recording with Acoustica Mixcraft. My eq settings for this song were
-Hi: +7
-Mid: +7
-Lo: +3
The voice is not coming out clear enough. I added compression (dont really know what that does) as well as basic mid boost in acoustica mixcraft. Can you give me any pointers on how to make the voice clearer? I sing close to the mic...

Mike
 
Nightfire said:
First off, I have NO experience on how to set EQ's etc. I got my gear about a week ago and I really want to learn how to do this, so please bear with me and my stupid questions.
Listen to this song
www.myspace.com/mikeduerksen

Im using a Behringer Eurorack UB1202, with a Behringer dynamic mic. From the console Im going from "tape out" to the "line in" on my comp (standard soundcard) and recording with Acoustica Mixcraft. My eq settings for this song were
-Hi: +7
-Mid: +7
-Lo: +3
The voice is not coming out clear enough. I added compression (dont really know what that does) as well as basic mid boost in acoustica mixcraft. Can you give me any pointers on how to make the voice clearer? I sing close to the mic...

Mike
Click to expand...

Without listening to the song, I can tell you that if you're boosting frequencies by 7db, you might want to go back to the tracking stage and see why those frequencies are missing (if they really are). In general, with some exceptions, you should be cutting unwanted frequencies rather than boosting others.....Boosting lows on a vocal is usually the last thing you want to do and might be a huge reason for you not getting clear vocals.
 
One thing that is utterly important is to sing as clear as you can.

Try singing in to the mike from different angles distances, if its dynamic these options are limited off course.

Second is aplying a bass cut @ 100hz I would also lower both of the other settings.
Btw from my experience the Behringer Euro rack, hasent got the best of EQ`s, not efficiant, and usually bad sounding.

If your using a stock\standard soundcard, this will aslo need to changed to a proper soundcard.
The stock sound cards usually sounds very poor.

Last tip for better recordings Use a metronome, its very helpfull and if used properly it will make your tracks sync way better.

Do a few searches in the newbies section and ect lots of good info.
 
Thanks for the tips, I wish I could understand more of all this.
When you say "bass cut" at 100hz what exactly do you mean? I have a button on my "Lo" eq know that says "Lo cut", would this achieve a bass cut?
What have I done by adding "compression"?

Thanks,
Mike
 
nothing if you dont know how to use it..

look up southsideglens compression tutorial. good stuff.
 
I wouldn't use the eq on your board at all.

First off try and get as close to the sound you want at the tracking stage without any processing. Then it's better to do any necessary processing after you've recorded. Can you use vst plugins with your recording software? If so download a parametric eq and learn to use that.

The Paris eq is very nice (and free)

http://www.kvraudio.com/get/944.html

But yeah, you need to build your knowledge from the bottom up really, the RP mixing primer (that eZ--~WiiliS linked to) is very good. The project studio handbook is also a great resource.

http://www.theprojectstudiohandbook.com/directory.htm
 
RAMI said:
Without listening to the song, I can tell you that if you're boosting frequencies by 7db, you might want to go back to the tracking stage and see why those frequencies are missing (if they really are). In general, with some exceptions, you should be cutting unwanted frequencies rather than boosting others.....Boosting lows on a vocal is usually the last thing you want to do and might be a huge reason for you not getting clear vocals.
Click to expand...

Well I boost vocals by 7dB, and usually cut some lows. And I get a decent enough sound.
www.myspace.com/crystalmixing.

The first song in the link above I did some big boosts and cut the lows.
Eck
 
You boost frequencies in your vocal track by 7db???

Hey, as long as it works for you, I guess. :cool:
 
Last edited:
RAMI said:
You boost frequencies in your vocal track by 7db???

Hey, as long as it works for you, I guess. :cool:
Click to expand...
Yeah, even more sometimes.
I try not to go by set ways, as I beleive keeping an open mind about things like this can really progress my mixes.

Sometimes little or no EQ is needed, sometimes loads. Its what sounds best for a certain situation Id guess.

Eck
 
Your vocals arent sung very cleary. You have a deep drowny voice and you arent even singing more of talking. Trying to actual sing more or less talk. I dont know why your trying to get clear vocals on a dynamic mic anyway. It can be done but large diaphram condensors are the industry standard for recording vocals.
 
DAS19 said:
Your vocals arent sung very cleary. You have a deep drowny voice and you arent even singing more of talking. Trying to actual sing more or less talk. I dont know why your trying to get clear vocals on a dynamic mic anyway. It can be done but large diaphram condensors are the industry standard for recording vocals.
Click to expand...
Anthony Keides uses an SM57 to record vocals. They sound pretty clear to me. :)
I say its more to do with how well you pronounce, not how well your mic picks up details, as if you dont pronounce, a great condensor isnt going to make those bad pronounced words more pronounced! Its going to make things more detailed like bring out the Ss etc.

Eck
 
ecktronic said:
Anthony Keides uses an SM57 to record vocals. They sound pretty clear to me. :)
I say its more to do with how well you pronounce, not how well your mic picks up details, as if you dont pronounce, a great condensor isnt going to make those bad pronounced words more pronounced! Its going to make things more detailed like bring out the Ss etc.

Eck
Click to expand...


+1

Plus, it sounds like you should back off the mic a tiny bit.
 
ecktronic said:
Yeah, even more sometimes.
I try not to go by set ways, as I beleive keeping an open mind about things like this can really progress my mixes.
Click to expand...
I agree about keeping an open mind.

I guess what I meant to say is that it's one thing to be boosting things like crazy if you're looking for a specific sound or you want something different or special. But if you HAVE to be boosting frequencies that much just to get the vocals to sound decent, then there's something wrong and it probably happened in the tracking stage. There shoudn't ever be a need for that much boosting on a vocal track just to get it to sound normal or decent. But I have nothing against weird or original.
 
Thanks. Like I said, Im new to all this. I didnt know a clean voice couldnt be achieved with dynamic mics, I cant spend the dough on anything else at the moment. Thanks for the links, I have read through most of them :D
I am a little shy when it comes to singing, I'll give the vocals another run without touching the EQ, stepping back from the mic a little and trying to sing clearer and more open as well.


Mike
 
ecktronic said:
Anthony Keides uses an SM57 to record vocals. They sound pretty clear to me. :)
I say its more to do with how well you pronounce, not how well your mic picks up details, as if you dont pronounce, a great condensor isnt going to make those bad pronounced words more pronounced! Its going to make things more detailed like bring out the Ss etc.

Eck
Click to expand...

I dont know which recordings he used an sm57 but I know on all of the newer stuff he used a better shure dynamic (forgot the model) not a 57. Let me see if I can find that article.
 
Nightfire said:
I didnt know a clean voice couldnt be achieved with dynamic mics,
Click to expand...

They can, it just depends on your definition of "clean".

Michael Jackson recorded Billy Jean with a Shure SM7, so don't buy into the notion that you "can't" do it.

Nightfire said:
I am a little shy when it comes to singing
Click to expand...

This will hurt a vocal performance more than anything else.

Singing MUST be done confidently! Practice, get familiar with hearing your voice, and relax!
 
Nightfire said:
Thanks. Like I said, Im new to all this. I didnt know a clean voice couldnt be achieved with dynamic mics,

Mike
Click to expand...
What?!!
Of course a clean voice can be achieved with a dynamic mic! One of my posts above says how Anthony Keides from Red Hot Chili Peppers uses an SM57 to record vocals. Clean recording is more so to do with your singal chain after the mic. What pre you use, how well you set your pre what soundcard, what cables you use, what conectors etc.

Eck
 
DAS19 said:
I dont know which recordings he used an sm57 but I know on all of the newer stuff he used a better shure dynamic (forgot the model) not a 57. Let me see if I can find that article.
Click to expand...
Probably on hiw older stuff then.
I did read it a while back.
I bet the engineer had a hard time getting him to change mic from SM57 to a Beta! Hes probably used the 57 most of his career and got stuck to it. But obviously a Beta will sound better in most cases.

I read that he also holds the mic in his hands when recording and puts it right up to his mouth to sing. His recorded sound is a really upfront sound.

Eck
 
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