How far should the mic be from the vocalist?

[DigitMus]

Empty thread?

Well, I'll answer anyway:
It depends on -
1) the mic (condenser? dynamic? ribbon?, proximity effect?)
2) the vocalist (how does s/he sound in the room, how aware are they of mic charactersistics, how wide is the dynamic range?)
3) the song style (too many variables to mention)
4) the room ( is it good?, bad? neutral?)

Rule of thumb - if you're getting good levels to the recorder without clipping and the soft parts aren't too low (and there's not too much low end "woof" from proximity), that's the right distance for that particular recording - everything else can be dealt with at mixdown.

Scott

 

[sjjohnston]

The Singer

Sounds right.

I'd say it mostly depends on the singer. With many singers, the mic should best be located in another room (preferably in the vicinity of a better singer).

 

[chessparov]

Typical distances;

1) 3-6" away for a dynamic microphone
2) 8-10" away on a large diaphram cardiod condenser microphone

Chris

 

[Robert D]

Far enough so that they don't drool all over it