Problem with Vocals on my SP B1...help?

[GhostOfMe]

Alright, here's the situation...

I spent the day yesterday trying to get a good sound out of my Studio Projects B1 on vocals and I couldn't get anywhere close. We recorded acoustic guitar blending the mic signal and a line in signal and it sounds wonderful (even the mic signal on it's own was great). It's balanced, full, and sounds just how we want it.

The problem came when we moved to vocals. The high end on the recording was extremely harsh, the vocals came through very thin, and it just was unpleasant to listen to.

A large problem, I believe, is the room...because we're recording in a (finished) basement. There is carpeting, but the walls around the mic are "fo-wood" walls (about a 6' by 6' square). Basically thin layers of plywood with nothing behind them except another room. I tried hanging blankets to deaden the small space.

I also tried lowering the B1 below the mouth line and taking down the highs, which made it sound a tiny bit better - but muddier, and I don't understand how the guitar could sound so balanced and the voice suffer on a mic that seems to always be reccomended for vocals over guitar.

Any ideas? suggestions? Let me know if you need any more info to help out.

Thanks!

Nolan

 

[GhostOfMe]

I'm also running the B1 into a Behringer 602A mixer...if that helps.

 

[chessparov]

Contact Ethan Winer at www.realtraps.com

He also has a forum for acoustically related questions at www.musicplayer.com

Chris

 

[GhostOfMe]

Is there a lower cost solution? I plan on traveling all around the room to test tommorrow. However, is there a better room in the house I should be trying? (Basic living room, bathroom, etc.)

 

[Gidge]

maybe post a short , high quality unprocessed mp3 of your results....i can tell you that you are only going to get average results out of a b1/602......

 

[ausrock]

It doesn't matter what mic it is, no one mic is great at everything.

While unquestionably, the B1 will work on some voices, it doesn't guarantee that it will work on all voices, just as it will be the duck's guts on some acoustics it won't be on ALL acoustics........and this is regardless of room acoustics, etc.

This is one major reason for having a variety of mics in your locker.

 

[c7sus]

Yeah, try it in the biggest room you have available.

Also, if the vocal sounds thin, try pointing the capsule more at your chest and singing alomost over the mic.

 

[GhostOfMe]

Thanks...any more ideas?

 

[DJL]

Thanks...any more ideas?

Yeah... try using a different mic.

 

[GhostOfMe]

haha....yea...I would except for the fact I have no money. This is a real beginner project. We recorded vocals with a rented beta 58 back a while ago and those recordings sounded 20x better than the B1. We also purchased a SM57 for the amps, but I'm trying to work out a mix between the 57 and the B1 to see if that comes out any better.

 

[billisa]

I'm using a PVC frame booth with movers blankets all around. Most vocalists like it when the B1 is positioned with the grill at nose height, about 6" to a foot away, with a pop-shield...

 

[noisedude]

Not quite sure what you're saying - do you think there may be a problem with the mic? If you got a balanced sound of it on acoustic in the same room, there's no reason for a totally different sound (especially all that extra top end) apart from perhaps really weird positioning.

Try moving the mic around some more, facing different directions and adjusting your distance from it.

Failing that, it's time to try other mics!!!! Give your '57 a try - if you have a horrible room, the good news is that the '57 ignores most frequencies anyway ...

(oops, did I really say that? )

 

[chessparov]

Your SM57 should sound better than the B1, or any other large diaphram condenser in that tight of an untreated/poor sounding recording space.

BTW if there's an outside area that's quiet-and NOT raining, etc.
that can be a good place to record vocals.
Church's and such also can have excellent rooms available for little or no cost.

Chris

 

[noisedude]

And my top tip of the day (oh, excitement) is not to bother renting mics in future (apart from to try before buying) and instead save the money and buy! Often a few rentals will have cost you near the price of a product anyway - pointless. Find somewhere that will give you your rental money back if you buy afterwards.

 

[Paj]

B1

What are you plugging the B1 into?

Did you set up in the center of this small, regular acoustic space (not always the best idea)?

Paj
8^?

 

[GhostOfMe]

Well the rental was free...a school thing...so that covered any cost of the mic.

But back to the B1, yeah...it's about 5' by 6' square with one side opening up to a 20' by 14' cement (painted and carpeted) room. When I turned the mic towards the large portion of the room there was a large amount of natural reverb. I tried putting the mic towards the corners of the small cutaway room, but have yet to go down and try it in every possible place.

Is singing outside really a viable option? Has anyone else tried it?

 

[mrface2112]

sounds to me like it's a combination of an untreated (and bad sounding) room, cheap/crappy mic pres, a mic that's not suited to the voice and possibly poor mic placement.

my B1 sounds great on some singers. on me, it sounds harsh and thin and i won't EVER try it on my voice again.....but it excels at a lot of other things. in contrast, my V67 sounds pretty damn good on my voice.

sounds like if you got "usable" sounds on the acoustic, then it's not the mic that's the problem here.....


cheers,
wade

 

[omtayslick]

G.O.M.

I used to own the Behringer 602A and was never really happy with it. Harsh and thin is exactly the way I would describe it. In fact I went through the process of buying, then exchanging a couple of mics to try to get an improvement in sound. Then I got a DMP3 preamp and the problem was taken care of. In other words, it may not be the mic. If possible can you boorow/rent etc. anything else to run the mic through? (i.e. preamp another mixer etc.) I went for months blaming my mic choices, but it turned out to be the mixer.