loud vs soft vocals

[stupidfatnugly]

OK I can get a good recording of vocal parts when it is a soft part of a song(not pushing the air out forcefully). I am right on the mic when I do this, slobbering all over it. But, I have yet to get a desired sound out of belted-out, soulful, shouting vocals.

I have to stand quite a ways away from the mic when I do this and am wondering if I am picking up too much of the room sound which isn't fully treated yet and it is small(approx 7'x11') I have one GIK 244 on the ceiling, 2 of the corners are covered from floor to ceiling with 244's, and I got one on each of the 3 walls. The walls behind where I sing is not treated yet.

my soft vocals sound rich/warm and my loud vocals sound tinny. I'm using a blue baby bottle condenser

any ideas?

 

[Dogbreath]

You using a compressor in the chain?

 

[stupidfatnugly]

afterward i'll put a little on it

 

[mjbphotos]

get closer and back down the gain on the input.

 

[Synergist]

Sticking something on the wall behind the mic's rear face is definitely going to help counter reflections too - I've heard people say that the sE Reflexion Filter does work (although it can't work miracles), have you considered hanging / attaching something like a duvet or some pillow cases with rockwool inside to the wall?

 

[Nandoram]

I think you just have to lower the volume level of the preamp (or whatever you're recording into) to match your voice when you're singing louder. You might be standing too far away when you sing louder, and this will make it sound distant. Record the softer parts the way you're doing now, but adjust the recording volume when you sing louder.

 

[RAMI]

I am right on the mic when I do this, slobbering all over it.

get closer

Any closer and he'll be behind it.

 

[Yammie072]

Lots of people wont recommend it... but:

Don't be scared of really globbing on the compression. Most professional studios hit the vocals hard with compression, then go over and do it AGAIN. Theres lots more harmful things you could do then putting on some 1:8 (or more) compression. I find my vocals sit better in the mix when i use upwards of 1:16... directly on the input signal chain.

 

[mjbphotos]

Any closer and he'll be behind it.

You didn't read the post close enough - when he's slobbering is for the soft vocals - when he's singing loudly: "I have to stand quite a ways away from the mic when I do this ".

 

[RAMI]

You didn't read the post close enough - when he's slobbering is for the soft vocals - when he's singing loudly: "I have to stand quite a ways away from the mic when I do this ".

I read the post just fine. It was my attempt at a joke.

 

[Dogbreath]

This might be worth a shot...

If you've got another mic (other than the Blue)...set up the Blue for soft and the other mic for the harder parts. Put em maybe a couple of feet apart.

Like maybe a dynamic...57 or 58 if you've got em and start out compressing the snot outta it. Do a few rough takes and back off the comp til it starts to sit right to your ears. Just remember, you can't take compression off once it's tracked. But I don't see a problem with comping on the way in. Just keep backing it off til you're taming it, not smashing it.

Or start the other way around....really light comp and bring it up til it starts sounding the way you want it. Tame...not dead.

A little more experimenting.
Good luck man....
Kel

 

[deejaytrixx]

u def. gotta get a lil closer to ur mic and turn down ur input..maybe even istall a pad on ur mic line before ur pre amp to avoid clipping the MIC at higher volumes..most ppl seem to forget that they can actually clip a mic and think its a phenomena reserved for pre amps and DAWS..

This of course is an assumption based off of u saying that you have to stand a "good distance away" from your mic on louder parts...I'm thinking the only conceivable reason you do this is because of clipping

 

[stupidfatnugly]

Sticking something on the wall behind the mic's rear face is definitely going to help counter reflections too - I've heard people say that the sE Reflexion Filter does work (although it can't work miracles), have you considered hanging / attaching something like a duvet or some pillow cases with rockwool inside to the wall?

does the sound pass through my body or my head?

I put an acoustic panel behind me but was thinking it was strange and that maybe I should put 2 panels: one behind my right shoulder and one behind my left. eh?

I tried my sm57 for the louder parts and it sounds alot better

I only have a compressor as a stock plug-in with ptle so I guess I can't compress on the way in.
I was clipping the mic too. Is that bad for it?

 

[mattdee1]

I find it funny that somebody with my experience level would give advice but I encountered the exact same problem you're describing and have found a solution that works for me.

On songs of mine that have "high SPL" vocal sections--usually a chorus or whatever--I simply experiment with preamp gain until I can stand with my mouth about 6"-8" from my pop filter, sing my heart out like I want to, and have it stay comfortably in the non-clip zone.

Of course whenever I do this I use completely different settings for the quiet parts and the loud parts, record them on separate tracks, them mix them to taste later. I don't know, maybe this is cheesy but I like the control it gives me, and I like not having to worry about volume consistency between the soft and loud parts, having to rely too heavily on compressors, etc.

 

[Dogbreath]

Not a bad idea MattDude.
Kinda like comping vocal trax.

 

[mattdee1]

Not a bad idea MattDude.
Kinda like comping vocal trax.

I suppose it is, isn't it? Key difference being separate tracks are used and mixed separately, rather than doing one track with loud and soft and using automation.

 

[stupidfatnugly]

I think the answer is the sm7 from what I've been reading.

Apparently Brandon Boyd of Incubus, U2, Metallica and others use it for their vox

I might be able to experiment more with my input volume but it was almost all the way down last time.

 

[mixsit]

I find it funny that somebody with my experience level would give advice but I encountered the exact same problem you're describing and have found a solution that works for me.

On songs of mine that have "high SPL" vocal sections--usually a chorus or whatever--I simply experiment with preamp gain until I can stand with my mouth about 6"-8" from my pop filter, sing my heart out like I want to, and have it stay comfortably in the non-clip zone.

Of course whenever I do this I use completely different settings for the quiet parts and the loud parts, record them on separate tracks, them mix them to taste later. I don't know, maybe this is cheesy but I like the control it gives me, and I like not having to worry about volume consistency between the soft and loud parts, having to rely too heavily on compressors, etc.

Yes indeed. When it fits the situation I'll ride the input gain to the vocal comp (same as doing post gain on the pre but easier for me here) on the loud/soft sections. A bit of best of both worlds but on the fly. Although this wouldn't work to pretty good if I was doing the singing though..