need to clear throat?

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robjh22

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When I sing into my new LD condenser, the playback, especially when played back with overdubbed voices, lacks clarity. It sounds like I need to clear my throat or something, but I do not. Is this "distortion"? I turned the gain way down so I know I am not overdriving my preamp (1 external, 1 internal).

I do not have a pop filter or any other screen. Would this be helpful?
 
Could actually be the sound of your voice. When I got my MXLV67 after using a cheap dynamic mic, I was dismayed by the graininess of my vocal sound. I asked a friend to listen to my recordings and he goes "umm....that is what your voice sounds like".

Maybe the increased detail captured by the mic is what you are hearing.
 
You may be experiencing proximity effect. Try increasing the distance between the mic and your mouth to see if there is any difference. Also, if your mic has a bass rolloff switch, this may help to some degree.
What kind of mic and pres are you using?

Terry
 
tkingen said:
You may be experiencing proximity effect. Try increasing the distance between the mic and your mouth to see if there is any difference. Also, if your mic has a bass rolloff switch, this may help to some degree.
What kind of mic and pres are you using?

Terry
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I've heard about this "proximity effect". can you explain in more detail exactly what this is?
 
The closer you are to a cardoid mic the more bass response you will capture. Think of your mic as an ear. It's very much like someone talking into directly into your ear, as opposed to talking to you from 5 ft away.
I'm sure that others can explain this much better than I. Do a search and you'll probably be educated on it in short order.

Terry
 
You may need to consider mic placement, or it may be just the additional detail that condensers have.

If you are used to recording on something like a SM58 (dynamic mic with a mesh bal at the end) you may be used to sticking that thing right in your mouth like the posters of the rock stars. DO NOT DO THAT WITH A LARGE DIAMETER CONDESNER! 'Close' micing with a condenser would be at least six or eight inches away from your mouth and either off-center or with a pop flter.
 
Innovations said:
DO NOT DO THAT WITH A LARGE DIAMETER CONDESNER! 'Close' micing with a condenser would be at least six or eight inches away from your mouth and either off-center or with a pop flter.
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Depends on your vocal style. I've recorded some vocals with my mouth about 2 inches away from the mic - soft, intimate vocals work well like this, as long as you're monitoring carefully. Obviously, not a wise idea for screamers.
 
This is just a quick thanks for the responses. I do think I was too close--I asked others to listen, and they agreed the "fuzz" was not in my voice. I have backed away and it helps some. I'm not sure on balance that I don't like the sound of my voice in an SM57 just as much. Isn't that terrible? Oh well, I can use the condensers for acoustic guitar.
 
lo beam said:
Depends on your vocal style. I've recorded some vocals with my mouth about 2 inches away from the mic - soft, intimate vocals work well like this, as long as you're monitoring carefully. Obviously, not a wise idea for screamers.
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Still that is further away than the way a lot of singers handle a SM57, and I am presuming that at two inches you would really need to use some sort of pop filter to keep you from spraying the capsule.
 
what mic is it? some mics just sound like "that", let alone "sound like that" on some voices--yours could be one of those voices. so, in addition to the above responses, it could be that it's just not the right mic for your voice, or it could be mic itself. without knowing what you mic is, as well as the entire signal path, i can't really tell ya anything too terribly useful.

however, i'll reiterate what's been said above--definitely use a pop filter and back off the mic some. i don't generally let vocalists get within 4-6 inches of my ldc (unless they're doing soft, intimate vocals which require one to almost eat the mic) and i use the pop filter to enforce that distance--most folks seem to like to sing with their face right up against something, and the pop filter makes sure it's not the mic. :D plus, it keeps all their funky spray out of the mic, and that's nice too.


wade
 
Tell you what's funny, to me. After I started this thread I heard a Phil Collins song on the radio. I like Phil, but I noticed that he had that same airy, faintly "fuzzy" timbre in his voice that I complain of above. Now I am back to thinking it really was my voice all along. I guess no law says you can't use your 57's to sing thru even if you have a better mike, the latter of which I can always use for guitar.
 
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