It's ain't the Pre...It's the Mic !

  • Thread starter Thread starter mark4man
  • Start date Start date
Today (11/5/05), mixsit wrote:
What they said.
Are you sure it's not your voice?
Since we have not heard the buzz, I'm still leaning to this.
On 10/11/05, mark4man wrote:
So here's what I'm going to do. At the risk of humiliation...I'm going to record this problem (distorted) passage with at least two different mics; & upload it to my test server for you guys to give a listen to. I still think it's the gear...but maybe with all the vast experience around here someone can say: "hey...I know what that sound is...it's _ _ _ _ _ _ !"
OK...here's the link to my server:

http://www.moonjams.com/musiclinks1.htm

& let me back up a little bit (before you listen)...all of the vocals on this CD project...as recorded raw...lack a bit of luster. They're all pretty much flat response w/o high-end sparkle; & sound dull (& somewhat low in gain) in the mixes. So to compensate...what I do is to clone the raw track; & back the clone off to around -7.5dB or so...to make the presence in the mix a little more robust. Then I apply a brightness EQ curve I devised (in Cambridge), to both tracks in the pair; & on just the first track (the one at 0dB), I also apply an airy EQ curve from EX-1.

[there's also a screenshot up there of the track pair & the plugs, so you can see these settings.]

THEN...I pipe that signal out of the DAW, thru the reverb hdwe. & back into SONAR.

Well, I guess the combination of settings on the two plugs aren't as dandy as I thought they once sounded...because in listening to just the EQ'd tracks, without verb...they have a "hollow, ringing" type sound...like they're rattling around in a bottle. The whole vocal line sounds a little too edgy (notwithstanding the fact that those settings are helping to push the questionable clips over the top.) Too much high end prior to reverb, maybe? Check 'em out:

The 1st set of streaming files is wet...the 2nd dry.

mark4man


BTW - Tonite, I'm going to make some adjustments (roll back on the high end) to the plugs (& also solve that conflict between plugs at 308 & 317Hz); & then go the route of convolution reverb (as opposed to algorithmic) to see if I can fix this. But then agin...you guys may not think it needs fixing...I don't know.
 
Mic or Pre - which was first - chicken or egg?

mark4man said:
BTW - Tonite, I'm going to make some adjustments (roll back on the high end) to the plugs (& also solve that conflict between plugs at 308 & 317Hz); & then go the route of convolution reverb (as opposed to algorithmic) to see if I can fix this. But then agin...you guys may not think it needs fixing...I don't know.

Hey mark4man,
I listened to your links. Not bad but couldn't hear a lot of difference on my office computer speakers. I noticed you have Echo Layla. Do you like it? I have two for sale if you know of anyone looking. I went to the RME 9652 and Apogee Rosetta 800 converters.

I also see you have the UA plugs. They are GREAT!!

Paul
 
I went to the RME 9652 and Apogee Rosetta 800 converters.
How do you find the 9652 in comparison to the Layla. Someone told me they both have the same onboard ADC's (AKM 5383.) If that's true (& I'm not sure); & the RME sounds better, it has to be the front end circuitry.

Thanks,

mark4man


BTW - How much for the Layla?
 
The RME 9652 doesn't have any converters. I use the Apogee converters.
 
Here is a thought......

mark4man said:
How do you find the 9652 in comparison to the Layla. Someone told me they both have the same onboard ADC's (AKM 5383.) If that's true (& I'm not sure); & the RME sounds better, it has to be the front end circuitry.

Thanks,

mark4man




BTW - How much for the Layla?

I think that sound energy decreases as the distance increases? start 10 or 20 feet away from the mic and do your 'res' or 'rasp' thing. move a foot closer(or one third of a meter (your choice)). do it again. repeat. is it present at all distances?

or get a mike with a figure of 8 pattern, move around it as you sing, from off axis to on axis your input should go from about max to zero, what happens to the 'res' or 'rasp'?

go to 3 professional voice coaches or teachers. do your thing where the 'res' or 'rasp' appear. believe the two that agree. Don't believe SOME GUY THAT SELLS STUFF!

THEN GET ON WITH YOUR LIFE! (unless this is your life)
 
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