recording without headphones

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raven46

raven46

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hope this is the right place to post this,

this has probably being discussed on the forum loads but...
i was recording a friend the other night, it was just in his living room but its plenty big, he did'nt want to use the headphones when recording i tought that was ok for guitar parts if the guitar is mic'd anyway, i would use the headphones and turn down the monitors but when it came to singing he didnt want to use the headphones either so i had to turn up the monitors for playback and he sang, it sounded ok though, but i did'nt have the monitors up too high coz i tought it would create unwanted reverb or delay or something

is there any draw back in using monitors for playback instead of headphones when recording vocals...
 
raven46 said:
is there any draw back in using monitors for playback instead of headphones when recording vocals...
Click to expand...

- Guitar track bleeding into the vocal mic (though if the bleed is minimal the vocal track can still be usable)
- Potential for feedback

How are YOU monitoring the recording with this method? It seems like it would be difficult for you to deal with his vocal dynamics this way.
 
Youll just be dealing with alot of bleeding problems it seems like. It might be able to work but it is still not very professional.

Dave
 
I think you'll be fine. I've done it plenty of times because sometimes headphones are just annoying. As long as there's no feedback, I think you'll be find. Ultimately, just listen back, if you like it, you like it. It may just make the music itself sound "bigger," as they say.
 
hey i guess.

i woudlnt have the monitors on during recording though. there could be latency that the mic pics up. i would just wear the headphones. if your buddy/client is comfortable with large studio phones, let them bring some cheap ipod earbuds or some small headphones. as long as you are actually monitoring it and listening during tracking, who cares what the musician wants to use. they just need to hear the backround music/beat/tempo or whatever. you need to hear whats going on though.
 
I don't think latency would be too big of a problem if the sound coming from the monitors is pretty good (in that the monitors are good), it would probably just sound like mic bleed if anything, which shouldn't be too big of a problem. Just make sure you have the monitors in the null of the mic for extra comfort when mixing.
 
nice one for all the info,

i've been listening back to the recording and it sound ok to me but then again im very new to all this, if i figure out how to post it i will, i'd like ye to hear it and give yer opinions...

i never heard the term mic bleed or bleeding used in music before where can i find more on this so i can get a better understanding...
 
I think it's a bad ised for vox not to use earphones.

But if you must, do the following for minimal bleed / feedback.
--Use a directional mic.
--Use 2 closely matched identical speakers, wired out of phase on the same amplifier channel (check that it is capable of the impedance).
--Place the 2 speakers in the null areas of the microphone's polar pattern. With one speaker in a left null and the other in the right.
--have the speakers up only as loud as needed.
--Filter EQ the feed to the speakers, especially the high frequencies since those are harder to align the phase inversion. And while you're at it kill the subharmonics.

This also works with an omni, but 99% of the time I prefer a directional mic on vocals. So you have to use the nulls to your advantage.
 
raven46 said:
nice one for all the info,

i've been listening back to the recording and it sound ok to me but then again im very new to all this, if i figure out how to post it i will, i'd like ye to hear it and give yer opinions...

i never heard the term mic bleed or bleeding used in music before where can i find more on this so i can get a better understanding...
Click to expand...

Mic bleed is basically just the mics picking up anything you don't really intend on them picking up. Like when micing a drumset you usually try to have the back (of a cardiod) mic on the snare facing the hi-hat, so there's not too much hi-hat picked up in the snare mic. Anything the snare mic picks up besides the snare would be considered bleed. That goes for pretty much anything you mic.

Some people will be mic-bleed nazis and want to gate everything and hunt down little resonant frequencies in a drum or something, but there are also many people who like it as well.

I hope that helps your understanding.
 
You can get away with this (though I wouldn't think of doing it) if the room is pretty anechoic, the mic is not omni and you use the null, and if monitors are kept at the lowest possible volume. But this really isn't a good idea in any circumstance. This is a bit different from normal bleed, where everything is real time. Once you start recording things that have already been recorded, there is a small amount of latency that's going to introduce some weird phasing effects when mixed back in with the original tracks.
 
raven46 said:
hope this is the right place to post this,

this has probably being discussed on the forum loads but...
i was recording a friend the other night, it was just in his living room but its plenty big, he did'nt want to use the headphones when recording i tought that was ok for guitar parts if the guitar is mic'd anyway, i would use the headphones and turn down the monitors but when it came to singing he didnt want to use the headphones either so i had to turn up the monitors for playback and he sang, it sounded ok though, but i did'nt have the monitors up too high coz i tought it would create unwanted reverb or delay or something

is there any draw back in using monitors for playback instead of headphones when recording vocals...
Click to expand...
we sometimes record backup vocals in the booth with the mix being played in the control room. the vox track on the mixer is muted of course. sometimes it helps you feel like you're not performing vocal surgery on a track and just singing along.
 
rory said:
Barry Manilow does it like this. For what its worth.
Click to expand...
Oh ANDY you came and you brought me a turkey!! On my vacation away from workey! You kissed me and stopped me from something.....
 
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