SM57+Tube MP = mud ?

[MrLip]

Hello world.

(That's how you open a thread when you've been doing computer programming tutorials for the past 2 months)

Dragon, I don't know what you've done, but with the amount of users you're getting on this site these days you're either rolling in dough or else you're going nuts maintaining everything. Probably both (hopefully the former more than the latter).

Anyway......

SM57 + ART Tube MP

Has anyone found this combination very muddy on vocals? The tracks sound nice and warm when solo'ed, but in the mix they just don't stand out.

I have recorded some vocal tracks with this combination and have had to cut a lot of the bass frequencies to get the vocals audible in the mix.

I know the SM57 isn't really a vocal mic but it's all I can afford for now. I'm saving up for that Taylor

Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem because I've heard mp3s from guys on this forum who use this combination and their stuff doesn't seem to sound muddy.

Maybe I'm just doing something wrong.

 

[Guest]

Move the mic back and turn up the pre, you might get a little more room noise but hey it will clear up some of the mud. If you are recording on a DAW just move it back and then add noiseless gain after the fact. Let me know if this works, and your right the 57 isnt the best for vocals ;-) but it works!

 

[sonusman]

Noiseless gain?

That is just outright not possible. Maybe no NEW noise would be added, but certainly what noise there IS would be far more noticeable. Also, recording at low volumes, then using DSP to maximize the volume after the fact is not the way to go in digital. You start out with a low volume, which equals low bit resolution, then add bad DSP to it, which lowers the bit resolution even more. This equals bad, stale, edgy digital sound. Every effort should be made to get the hottest signal to the A/D converter as possible with or without compression (some prefer to compress going to the converter, some don't. I go both ways on this depending on the situation). Then if you need to apply DSP for whatever reason, at least you have more bits of resolutiont to work with, which equals a better sound.

MrLip, you may also try not singing directly into the mic. Try angling the mic away from being directly in front of the mouth. This will help cut down on some of the direct pickup of low frequencies. Shakes has the right idea of backing off of the mic, but with a 57, you are not really dealing with a high output mic, and really, the mic will sound much better up closer because of it's proximity effect. A good condensor has enough output to back it quite a ways from the source and still get a good level going to the preamp, but a 57 on a voice would require a ton of preamp gain if it was even two feet away from the singer, and that gain would equal a big increase in noise, especially with the ART Tube MP.

Good luck.

Ed

 

[BobO]

Thanks for asking this question, MrLip. I use a BR-8, and an SM57 is my one and only mic (saving up for a Taylor, too! Only mine has to be left-handed!). I wanted to know if I should buy a mic preamp or an SM58? Are the built-in preamps in the BR-8 of a high enough quality?

Someone please tell me how to spend my next hundred bucks!

Thanks...