Recording with microphones

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chewmanfoo

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OK, this is a very elementary question:

I'm recording with a PC with an MAudio Delta1010, a Soundcraft Spirit M12, and SONAR XL. I'm using an acoustic guitar (with a pickup) and a microphone (a Sure 55SH Unidyne Dynamic). When I record the guitar(via the pickup) on a track and the vocal (through the mic) on another track, I can hear a little bit of the guitar, the metronome, etc. on the vocal track. I don't want this. What are some techniques for getting rid of extraneous noise and only having vocals on the vocal track? If you want to record guitar and vocal at the same time?

Thanks!!!
chewy
 
...record the guitar first, and overdub the vocals after that. Use proper headphone for monitoring during recording. There's NO WAY, you'll get good vocal recorded (without getting the guitar blended) if you sing along with playing guitar.

James
 
What James said. You really have to learn to play without singing, and then sing without playing. Here's a tip that will help. If you're recording the guitar first DI, you can sing along *very softly* without too much bleed. This will help you get the timing right. When you sing, use good closed headphones, and don't turn them up any higher than you have to.-Richie
 
Thanks, any more ideas?

Guys,

This is just what I expected. But, are their microphones which do a better job of isolating the singer? --- for instance, I often see a drum kit with microphones for every drum and symbol. Surely the microphones do a better job than I did of getting the pure sound of a symbol, without the bass drum crowding out the signal. Maybe not.

Anyone else have any suggestions?
 
The human voice is not a drum kit, and bleed from other channels will interfere with the mixdown, big time. Give it up. You have to track acoustic and vocals separately. In general, the mics that will produce the least bleed are cardioid and hypercardioid dynamics- Cheap- Shure SM57, AKG D770, EV N/D 267a. midrange- Shure SM7B, Sennheiser 421 To die for- Sennheiser 441, EV RE20.-Richie
 
drum kits are notorious for bleed. and, bleed is also a good thing most of the time....it all depends on how to mix it.

you have to look at the context of your mix. a lot of times bleed can be the extra "glue" the track needs to really hold the mix together.

also, it's spelled "cymbal", fyi.

-wes
 
A figure 8 microphone will give you excellent off axis rejection - point the null (90degrees from front) toward what you DON't want. Note that this only works on direct sound, reflections (which will be coming from many different directions ) will still get in. So unless you have an anechoic chamber, you're STILL gonna get some bleed.
James and Richard had good advice, learn to do the singing and guitar playing on seperate passes.

Scott
 
I guess I'm just a lone voice in the wilderness. Most of the greatest classic records of singer/guitar players were done recording both simultaneously. And, of course, every live album.

Sometimes the solution is using just one mic (avoids phase issues). Sometimes a small baffle is used over the guitar. Experimenting with mic position(s) is critical.

Recording seperately is fine, but some artists can't get the same performance quality that way, and it is a cop out for the engineer to force them due only to the engineer's own technique limitations.

Just one example: current issue of MIX has an interview with the producer of some of the classic Bob Dylan albums which discusses recording techniques. Clearly recording the vocals seperately was NOT an option.
 
Thanks Everyone!

Thanks lone voice in the wilderness, and everyone else in the thread. I'm such a beginner!

My question was answered from almost every direction. I was really wanting to know if the engineer <i>could</i> reasonably demand that the performer record the guitar first and then record the voice on a different take.

Anyway, thanks again everyone.
chewy
 
Hey Littledog!

Have you ever tried to use a classical xy-setup just placed in vertical axis instead of horizontal? (or lets say in the plane mouth-guitar recording 'point')? This should give some nice separation but nevertheless a 'real' feeling...

aXel
 
volltreffer said:
Hey Littledog!

Have you ever tried to use a classical xy-setup just placed in vertical axis instead of horizontal? (or lets say in the plane mouth-guitar recording 'point')? This should give some nice separation but nevertheless a 'real' feeling...

aXel
Click to expand...

Actually, I hadn't thought of that, but it sounds like an interesting possibility. nice idea!
 
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