Voice recording tips and tricks needed

  • Thread starter Thread starter conamor
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conamor

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Hi,

I started to record a friend voice for vocal only, not singing. These voice file will be played in a like theater room where shows are played, but not like an arena hehe.

My setup is:
- REAPER DAW
- focusrite Scarlet 2i2
- audio technica ath-m50
- audio technica AT2035
- some m-audio monitors pair

How should I be recording him properly.

What I usually do is turn off the monitors and I am in front of the computer starting the software with the headphones. Open a new track and arm it to record.

The person is standing in front of the mic with home made pop filter for now until I receive the good one, might sound funny but he has a big bed duvet on him to cut the external sound.

So! :)
How would I improve my sound? Should I change any options in Reaper and not leave defaults?
Any tips and tricks?

When we record, what I hear in the headphones is really low sound. Is this normal?
The frequence line in the track is really small also and doesnt touch the edge of the track until we normalize the track.

Anyway, I would love to receives tips on how I could improve this setup :)

Thanks so much!
 
Yes, it's totally normal that your level will be "low" compared to a commercial CD, for example. You can take care of the volume at a later time after you've mixed your tracks, though I'm not sure what kind of mixing will be involved in what you're doing.

As far as ricks are concerned....no, there are none. You seem to have the right idea. Just record straight into REAPER from your interface.
 
Ok thanks.
But am I doing it right, while he reads his text, I listen to him with the headphones, I suppose I have to set the volume to low so the mic doesnt catch the sound.
I thought and I should have been changing some options for better results but if it straight recording to the daw then normalize is the way to do it, then it's easy!
 
If you are listening to him with the headphones, how is the microphone supposed to pick up your headphones' sound? Unless you have headphones that leaks enormously huge amount of sound! Try setting it to high and see if it records from your headphones.

Cheers,
Darren
 
A couple of suggestions...

Instead of covering him with a duvet (and that's a trick I've used recording TV reporters in a hotel room) build yourself a light framework out of PVC pipe to create a 3 sided "room" and cover the frame with duvets or movers blankets. Place the speaker just inside the room but not so deep it sounds boxy--might take some experimenting.

Second, you might acquire a headphone amp (the Behringer one is dirt cheap and cheaper still if you watch fleabay. This will give you a means to adjust headphone levels without hurting the record levels--plus you can give the speaker headphones as well which can improve his sound--note how all radio announcers wear headphones to hear themselves!

Edited to add: I hope when you mention headphones you mean the closed cup variety--other sorts DO bleed sound. Closed cup should be fine.
 
They are closed cups. I don't think it will leak any sound. Great idea for the little room.
It's normal that when we start the recording that the sound comes out of the speakers right away, correct? I should turn them off and give him the headphones so he can hear himself. If I leave the speakers on for me then I am really sure that the mic will pickup the sound.

What is an headphone amp?

And again, in the DAW-Reaper, I should leave everything as default, create a new track, arm it and record? I do not have to play with the dB volume?

Thanks so much again
 
THIS is a headphone amp. Basically you plug it into the headphone socket and it gives your 4 outputs with volume controls instead of just one. There are lots of others (more expensive) but for basic stuff this is fine and only about $30.

When you're both in the same room, just turn off the speakers entirely except for listening to takes after you've laid one or more down. The headphone amp will help to make this possible.

Yes, you should set levels for your recording--but just at the beginning. You want the voice to AVERAGE about -18 on the Reaper scale with peaks up to -12 or a bit higher. This leaves you lots of room to avoid clipping and you can bring up the levels to normal CD style later on.
 
Quick question:
Those M-audio AV40 speakers I have, when I turn them on or off, they make a loud sound. Is this normal?

I can use these speakers to listen to music also right? Should I unplug my interface audio, scarlet focusrite when I am done with it? It's usb powered. I heard people saying it died because it was too often plugged
 
Alas, loud pops are normal but not good on a lot of amps (or speakers with internal amps)...even quite good ones. I recommend just turning them down rather than powering on or off--if the volume know is inaccessible there are various things (like a Mackie "Big Knob" or the cheapest second hand mini mixer--likely Behringer again--you can find on fleabay) you can put between the interface and the speakers to give you control.

Yes, you can use your monitor speakers and interface for normal listening as well as recording and mixing...should sound a lot better than an internal sound card and computer speakers too! There IS a limit for plugging and unplugging USBs but I've never run across it with any of my gear.
 
The M-Audios do 'pop' when you turn them off, the on/off is on the volume control. They'll even pop if you turn them off from a separate power strip with the volume down, but if you have them cranked full on and turn the power off remotely, the pop will be louder.
 
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