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mate112
New member
Hello all,
How does one record loud vocals without having experiencing any distortion.
Thank you,
mat
How does one record loud vocals without having experiencing any distortion.
Thank you,
mat
DarrenVocal
New member
First of all, get a good microphone.
Second of all, there is a plugin in Audacity that allows you to remove clipping if ever needed.
Third of all, your audio interface should be able to allow you to control your microphone gain, right? Use it.
Lastly, how would you define loud?
Cheers,
Darren
Second of all, there is a plugin in Audacity that allows you to remove clipping if ever needed.
Third of all, your audio interface should be able to allow you to control your microphone gain, right? Use it.
Lastly, how would you define loud?
Cheers,
Darren
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mixsit
Well-known member
Really. 'Sounds loud', in your face', compressed/effected-- or just a good solid recording then you turn it up?
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mate112
New member
Loud as in louder than regular rapping. If I turn the gain down on my interface then the track turns out too low.
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mate112
New member
Would you know the plugins name? I'll give it a try.
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
If your vocal tracking is distorting then you're probably running your backing tracks too hot. They should be peaking around -12dBFS. You should also be tracking with peaks around -12dB.
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Turn up the volume of your *speakers* so that the vocal is a loud as you want it to be....
...then turn down the backing tracks *in your computer* to where you want them to be.
...then turn down the backing tracks *in your computer* to where you want them to be.
MrWrenchey
Member
So much this it hurts.
Loudness is all relative, and if you're recording digital, 0dBFS is the max level you have.
If you want your vocals to be loud, you obviously mean in relation to the other elements in your mix. Turn down everything else but vocals, and you have loud vocals.
Phrasemaker
New member
Duplicate the vocal track, two vocals @ a given volume will allow more vocal output without maxing the volume of either.
It works, I've done it a few times where I have had a loud, busy arrangement.
Tim
It works, I've done it a few times where I have had a loud, busy arrangement.
Tim
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
Double tracking is a valid technique, but not really a solution to improper gain structure. Hopefully you're not talking about copying/pasting a track, because all that gets you is 6.02dB of gain.
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ecc83
Well-known member
You don't RECORD anything loudly! Much depends upon whether you are trying to capture a "performance" or are building tracks. If the former you have two choices.
1) Get the "live" sound balance right and then record the result to a stereo pair staying, as all have said well below 0dBFS. The great gift of digital recording is that at 24bits (44.1kHz, 48kHz if a vid) you can record way down at -20dBfs average and have no noise issues at all. All recording software gives you the ability to crank up the level post tracking. You cannot of course change the RELATIVE levels of voice/instruments (well, wee bit with EQ) and you need to be accomplished musicians, so to do that you need to go to...
2) Multitracking: With just 4 tracks say, you can dedicate a pair to voice and pan it where you wish. Ever more tracks give you ever more choices.
But multitracking is expensive on hardware and in practice getting the separation is far from trivial so building tracks is the preffered method of the "bedroom jockey".
Once again, record at neg 20 or so. In any event, if you had say 6 tracks all recorded to -6dBFS you would have to pull them all down again for the mix!
Not rel' but for completeness. If you were recording an "ensemble" be it string quartet or pub band, where you have no control over their levels, with 'puters you could just setup for peaks at -15dBFS or so and sit by the bar rest of the night. The ROOM will be far noisier than a 24bit system...Could not do that with tape. Mr Dloby or no!
Dave.
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
Turn your recording level or preamp down.
Farview
Well-known member
If the music that you are performing to is already just about clipping, you need to turn it down. It doesn't have enough room for you to add anything, like vocals, without sending the mix into clipping.
Once you have the backing track turned down so it peaks at around -10 or 12dbfs, turn up your monitors to get the listening volume you want.
Record the vocal at levels that don't peak any higher than -6dbfs.
Through EQ, compression and/or limiting you should be able to get a solid sounding vocal that you can place in the mix the way you want. Render the mix and send it out for some mastering or try to do some yourself as a separate process from the mix.
Once you have the backing track turned down so it peaks at around -10 or 12dbfs, turn up your monitors to get the listening volume you want.
Record the vocal at levels that don't peak any higher than -6dbfs.
Through EQ, compression and/or limiting you should be able to get a solid sounding vocal that you can place in the mix the way you want. Render the mix and send it out for some mastering or try to do some yourself as a separate process from the mix.