Sing under, directly at, or a little above the mic?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bodhisan
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Bodhisan

Hillbilly
Lately it seems I've seen studio shots of the mic about two to four inches above the mouth of a singer...

Comments?
 
Only lately? No disrespect, but that is all I have ever seen. Forehead level and up, pointed at the mouth (source)
 
Not an unusual position at all, also standard for voiceover work. It reduces plosives by not having the mic in the direct path of the burst of air. Depending on how the mic is pointed it will pick up more chest resonances and fewer nasal resonances.
 
It also tends to make the singer sing up just slightly. This makes the throat open better.
 
Oh, Big Kenny. There are plenty of classic photos of Dylan and the Beatles, among others, singing with the mic directly in front of their mouth. Honestly, though, since I've only been recording "seriously" for a few years, I never paid that much attention to something like that. However, even now I'll sometimes see professional situations where the singer's even with the mic. I would think if it's not a harsh singer, with proper distance and a good popper, being even with the mic, or even a touch above it, since our sound goes down, would be best. But that's why I pose the question.
 
Bodhisan said:
I would think if it's not a harsh singer, with proper distance and a good popper, being even with the mic, or even a touch above it, since our sound goes down, would be best. But that's why I pose the question.
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No, sound radiates from its source. However, breath goes down, and with it sibilance and plosives.
 
Yes, you see the straight out position too. It all depends on what you want to emphasize in your tone and vocal characteristics. BTW most folks also don't know is that nearly all radio work is done with the mic about 30 to 45 degrees to the side and even with the mouth.
 
I'll take advantage of this thread to pose a question. I've been using a LD condenser to mic my voice, and the tone is fine, except it seems to pick up something in my voice that it doesn't like, and produces a kind of... almost hissy sound (not nice enough to be called "air"). Someone did a test with the wave and it seems to be a problem at about 6800Hz. Is there anywhere in particular I should put the mic to avoid these kinds of problems? Cheers :)
 
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