Getting a good vocal sound (for n00bs)

[Freak Of Metal]

Hey everyone, I dont have much experience recording vocals. I am currently recording the demo for my band and we are in need of a good vocal sound for growls/screams. Unfortunately the only mic at my disposal is a Shure Beta 58A vocal microphone. If you were me, how would you go about getting the best sound with this mic? I would love some tips on acoustics, plugins, mic placement, etc. Remember, I am an amateur and dont really have much cash at my disposal. I do however, have a lot of experience using DAWs (currently using Sony Acid Pro because Cubase seems to fuck up with Vista).

Cheers!

 

[Melodeath]

I think people worry a bit too much about whether their vocal mic is good enough sometimes.

You can get a good result with almost anything.

Takeout lows with EQ. Add Presence if need be. Tons of compression (or just use a limiter or something). Reverb

 

[DanLights]

Yeah It won't be that hard, you could get a good sound from that mic, IMO dinamic mics tend to work great with death growls. I recorded a death metal band with just a SM57 and vocals came out surprisingly well. And yeah do some Eq'ing, probably a high-pass filter, and lots of Compression

 

[kev]

Beta 58 is still an amazing mic!

 

[ahjteam]

I have gotten a decent results with wide variety of mics, but I have noticed that it doesn't matter what mic you use, just get a helluva good performance out of the singer. I would rather take an amazing performance out of SM58 clone than a poor performance thru U87.

If you use a large diaphram condencer mic in the shockmount with a popfilter, going to the preamp, you have 90% have of the needs covered for the vocals. If you can use a compressor in the way in it's a plus. You can buy the cheap ones from Thomann for like 50€ or something

Remember: do not give closed headphones to the singer. They pretty easily sing 8 cents below the pitch with those

 

[jrt12]

Remember: do not give closed headphones to the singer. They pretty easily sing 8 cents below the pitch with those

wow! i've not heard this before and really curious about this. what makes that happen and what do you recommend for tracking vox then?

 

[Fox Mulder]

Automate every goddamn syllable before squashing it - Very, very important.

 

[sgt.pepper]

What are your tips / tricks getting the best performance out of the singer?

 

[ahjteam]

wow! i've not heard this before and really curious about this. what makes that happen and what do you recommend for tracking vox then?

I really have no real answer here but I guess it has something to do with isolating properties of the closed headphones, as the voice inside your head is different than the voice coming outside so you can't hear the bleed and then it results that you sing a bit off the pitch. Thats what I have noticed and after my university teacher (edit: now that I think about it, actually three of them) told the same, I have been giving the singers open headphones instead of the closed ones.

edit: Gearslutz

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-m...singers-out-tune-without-open-headphones.html

 

[Ancient_Acolyte]

^^^ +1 ever listen to someone singing on the {insert undesired mode of public transport}?

a quick blow on a pitch pipe/note from guitar/keyboard before a take works a treat - screaming or otherwise

 

[ahjteam]

What are your tips / tricks getting the best performance out of the singer?

Get everyone else off the studio if possible to relieve the pressure from the singer (you can't believe how many singers are shy about themselves), get the singer comfortable, dim the lights, make the room a bit warmer than usual, serve them room temperature water and put a nice hall reverb to their ears. And do all the nessecary magic mojo that makes them pull their emotions out to the recording medium.

And remember to go and listen to their cue mix before you put them to the booth because if the mix in the cans is just shit, they will most propably sound like shit too.

edit: and oh yeah, TURN OFF THE AUTOMATIC DELAY COMPENSATION! If the delay is more than 6ms, the singers (and other musicians too) usually start to whine whats wrong.

 

[jrt12]

@ ahjteam: thanks so much, the gearslutz thread looks really interesting and i'm definitely gonna look into this more

 

[Fox Mulder]

So, what's the ultimate solution?

A guy at gs mentioned that it's all bullcrap, and that it all depends on the cue mix. What does he intend to say? The drums are too high and the rest are too low, and that's why the vocalist can't tune himself?

 

[xMannequiNx]

Automate every goddamn syllable before squashing it - Very, very important.

Do you mean automate the volume?

what the hell would that do if your squashing it with a comp??

 

[Tachy]

 

[devouredremains]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N97iKNdfVTs&feature=related

THIS

 

[Jaymz]

Tad knows his shit

 

[Styvo]

I witnessed some work completed by a fellow sneapster Ermz earlier on tonight.He tracked some vox with this U87 thingy and man i was blown away.
Not just by the mic ofcourse but also the intensity and delivery in attitude the vocalist put out.
Ahjteam makes great sense in his post's above and just to add regarding the headphones,the alternative i suggest to clients is to take one can off the ear so to better hear themselves pitching.
I have not yet tried alternative headphones and haven't yet had a scenario were we didn't get the results we were after,so i'll just keep powering on with that.
To Freak Of Metal,don't chase perfection in your signal chain if it's not available to you.
As already pointed out,chase an awesome performance and then do what you can to reinforce the performance.
Most people will critisize a well recorded voice thats out by miles.So i would encourage you to capture the essence with what you got and then do what you can to give it the justice it deserves.
Mind you a 58 Beta is a good mic,atleast i think it is anyway.

 

[Freak Of Metal]

Thanks guys for all the feedback. I'll try my best.

 

[Styvo]

And thats all you can ask of yourself........have fun.