Help please: Mic./Vocal Problems with DAW

[gvdv]

Hi,
I recently switched to a DAW, after having recorded with a 4 track analog (Tascam 424 MKII)
on and off for the last few years.

I'm noticing that I'm getting quite different results using the same mic./recording set up that I
used to use with the 4 track, and I was wondering if people could help me with this.

Specifically, using my SM58 (recording in exactly the same location as I used to with the 4 track)
I'm getting a noticeable mid-range 'blur' kind of sound on vocals. When I'm singing words involving
'n's and 'm's (e.g. 'from', 'sun', 'sense') it sounds like my nose has been blocked when I sang
those words, or like I have a cold for the duration of the time I was singing.

My recording set up is:
Mac Pro Quad Core 2.66 GHZ
5 GB RAM
1 x 250 GB (system) HD with OS 10.4.9
1 x 1 TB Seagate Barracuda HD (internal)
1 x 1 TB Western Digital (external)
Presonus Firestudio audio interface

At the moment, I'm just going into Garage Band, but will soon be using the Cubase LE software that
came with the Firestudio.

As I said above, I'm puzzled by the difference in sound between the 4 track
and the DAW set up. The Firestudio's pre's are certainly better than the
analogue inputs on the 4 track.

I would greatly appreciate any help.

Thanks

 

[NL5]

As I said above, I'm puzzled by the difference in sound between the 4 track
and the DAW set up. The Firestudio's pre's are certainly better than the
analogue inputs on the 4 track.

There is your answer. That and the firestudio is going to record much cleaner than a porta-studio.........You're just able to better hear what you were recording before.

 

[Freudian Slip]

There is your answer. That and the firestudio is going to record much cleaner than a porta-studio.........You're just able to better hear what you were recording before.

+1

Time to find a better mic for recording.

F.S.

 

[gvdv]

Hi,
Thanks very much for this.

I was wondering if it might have been something to do with better fidelity.

 

[gvdv]

I've actually been thinking about this a bit, and have realized that I could quite easily get the sounds I wanted out of my four track, and other things (Yamaha MD 8 Minidisc recorder, for example), but I can't get the sounds I want out of the Firestudio.

I think that part of this is because the Pre's on the Firestudio don't have a lot of gain. I've heard this complaint from others.

 

[mixsit]

.. it sounds like my nose has been blocked when I sang those words, or like I have a cold for the duration of the time I was singing.

This particular symptom could be of being up close and not picking up the other tones that are coming off of your face.
The bugger with 'close mic designs (most of the live mics), their range of balanced tone is set to be fairly close or right on top of them. You can back off some, but small movements also trasnlate to large volume and tone changes.

 

[gvdv]

This particular symptom could be of being up close and not picking up the other tones that are coming off of your face.
The bugger with 'close mic designs (most of the live mics), their range of balanced tone is set to be fairly close or right on top of them. You can back off some, but small movements also trasnlate to large volume and tone changes.

Hi mixsit,
Thanks for your reply.

The problem/characteristic exists regardless of positioning from the mic. (I had wondered if there was, in effect, some kind of proximity effect going on here when I first noticed this, and did some tests, leading me to the conclusion that I note above).

Others have recommended that I try a mic. preamp of some sort, but without knowing what kind of 'colouration' a particular preamp could provide, I'm reluctant to do this.

Even if what others in this thread say is true, that I'm now getting a less adulterated signal because I'm using better equipment, I'm still left with teh annoying realization that I can't get a simple, more 'trebly' result with the vastly more expensive DAW, and audio interface to which I have upgraded, in comparison to the humble old 4 track that I used to use.

Thanks for your post