Recording Vocals

[BeastraEatsAll]

I just mixed down a song I finished, and there was a lot of clipping on the vocal parts. I was having trouble getting good levels when recording them, and even with the recorded parts clipping at times, the faders were still all the way up on the recorder. Even when the signal was strong but not clipping, the vocals sounded kind of thin and didn't seem to blend well with the mix of music.

I'm thinking I should be using a compressor or limiter to control the dynamics of the vocals to help me record good steady levels without clipping. But even then, the mixdown sounds like I'm singing kareoke or something.

I'm using a generic dynamic mike with a berhinger eurorack for a pre-amp and a midiverb III for some reverb. I know with my budget I'm only going to get DECENT quality at best, but that's all I really want right now. What's the technique for getting good-sounding vocals in a mix?

 

[ssscientist]

You got it - compression. But don't overdo it. You'll need to experiment before you find a good setting that works for your voice. The Behringer board has insert points and that's the place to insert compression. As far as which compressor to buy, I recommend this.

 

[mixsit]

... Even when the signal was strong but not clipping, the vocals sounded kind of thin and didn't seem to blend well with the mix of music.

From the first-things-first dept, try using distance to the mic as a very powerful tone control. Most dynamic mics tend to sound more balanced fairly close up and by nature, very thin too far back.
Nail a decent up-front dry tone, then work back up to the comp. and verb.
Wayne

 

[BeastraEatsAll]

Thanks a lot for the advice, as well as the link to that one compressor. You mentioned using insert points on the mixer. The manual for my eurorack was poorly translated from german, and I think they left out the section on using the channel inserts. I see inserts referenced to in the german section of the manual, but as a monolingual I'm stumped. Would I go from the aux out of the mixer into the compressor then into the channel insert?

 

[ssscientist]

I should have asked what size your Eurorack is before I told you that it has insert points. If you have one of the bigger, older models it is almost guaranteed to have them - if you have one of the newer or smaller models you may be out of luck. Inserts are 1/4" TRS jacks (usually) found directly behind the channel on the back panel of a small format mixer. If you find such a thing on your board, go to a local music store and buy an insert cable. It will have a three conductor plug on one end which breaks out into two regular mono 1/4" cables. One of these will be the input to one side of the compressor and the other will be the output.

 

[BeastraEatsAll]

i'm %100 positive it has insert points - i've seen exactly what you described and they're all labeled "insert". i swear i'm telling the truth, the manual was poorly translated and they left out the section on how to use them! and thanks, i get it now and i've seen what cables to use.

 

[ssscientist]

go to a local music store and buy an insert cable. It will have a three conductor plug on one end which breaks out into two regular mono 1/4" cables. One of these will be the input to one side of the compressor and the other will be the output.

Any music store clerk will know what you mean when you ask for an 'insert cable'. It will look a lot like the cable described above...