Vocal Microphone Placement

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jb4play

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Hi all? I have yet another question :P. When tracking vocals in a booth, what's the optimal mic placement? The mic pointing straight up? The mic pointing straight down? Or the mic slanted down pointed at the vocalists nose, etc? I use a Pop filter in between the mic and vocalist and I would like to know everyones opinion on how they approach this. I'm looking for that warm, upfront and in your face sound on commercial rap/hip hop/ r & b tracks. Holla bak with ur responses. thx in advance.
 
I usually have the singer about 4" fom the mic and have him or her sing right over the top of it. Good performers will vary thier position to the mic according to the song. I usually don't use pop filters unless they need one, which is not always the case.
 
I like pop filters, they never hurt. A good starting point is about 6" out, 2" up (from the mouth) and angled down just a tad. The best vocal recordings come from vocalists who know how the mic responds. They lean in and out, they turn slightly with dynamics.... they listen to themselves. It's a learned behavior.

I hope that helps somewhat.
 
So in other words, have it hanging upside down, and have the top of the mic angled away from the vocalist slightly? I heard soundwaves travel upward so this sounds like its the best position.
 
jb4play said:
So in other words, have it hanging upside down, and have the top of the mic angled away from the vocalist slightly? I heard soundwaves travel upward so this sounds like its the best position.
Click to expand...

I'm no physicist, but i never heard that! (I can just see all my old piano solos floating around in the stratosphere....!)

The reason why you see pictures of mic's hanging upside down is the base of old tube mics used to get pretty warm, and this allowed the heat to escape upwards without affecting the mic diaphragm. Heat, unlike sound, DOES travel upward. (In convection situations like air...)

These days people still like to hang their mics upside down. Sometimes it's for deliberate positioning reasons, but more often it's because people think it looks cool.
 
okay

i learn something new every day. well on here it's every hour.:D
 
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