Vocal- LDC vs Nice Quality Dynamic

[dgatwood]

A plastic garbage can is not breathable, if your absorbtive material is covered by something you want it to be thin and breathable. Also, does sand have good absortive qualities?

I would think that the thin plastic of a garbage can would be almost acoustically transparent at low frequencies. I could be wrong.

As for the sand question... there's a lot of debate on that subject. Some people say yes (and build these things and sell them), while some people say no. I'd be interested in seeing somebody actually test them to see what happens.

Acoustic impedance of sand (as best I can tell from random PDFs) is on the order of 22,000 g/cc * ft/sec, which Google says is 6,705,600 N*sec/m^3. The acoustic impedance of air is on the order of 400 N*sec*m^3. The sand should basically act like a very solid wall from the perspective of sound. I'm thinking diffuser at any frequency.

Based on that, my guess is that if it helps, it is really acting as a bass diffuser rather than a trap, interfering with the buildup of standing waves in the corners of the room... and also adding mass to the floor so that it won't resonate as much.

However, that's purely speculation on my part. I'm not an acoustician. I'd love for one to chime in on the subject.

 

[kidvybes]

...I've had terrific success with simultaneous dual-micing on separate tracks (one w/condenser, and the other w/dynamic) and then mixing/blending the characteristics that best compliment that particular voice from the 2 sources (brighter, more detailed condenser and smoother, warmer dynamic)...

...if you haven't tried this technique, you're missing out on getting much more versatility from the mics you already own...check out this older thread for more info:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=217043

...also, for about $35 in parts from Home Depot's plumbing dept. (including the Home Depot movers blanket) I've built this baffle for vocal tracking...and I agree that the blanket behind the singer has little or no benefit (IMHO)...
here's a pic of the baffle:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/attachment.php?attachmentid=24255

 

[Richard Monroe]

Mostly I agree with Dgatwood. Treat the room... Just some bass traps and some diffusers can make a world of difference. Build a vocal booth. Then use the type of mic that sounds good on your music. FET or Tube condenser, Dynamic, Ribbon. Mega hits, classics, Grammy winners, banned songs, have been sung on all three types of mic, and probably one or two on a crystal mic. Who are we to tell you what sound you want? Work on the room, and all three will be possible. Start with the dynamic, because you can get a top of the line for $300-600. Consider MD421, SM7, RE20. Later on, buy a real condenser, not a cheap copy of the one (or ones) you want. None of the mics I listed above will *ever* require replacement or upgrade, unless they die.-Richie