Room size for vocals

[Pharaoh's Curse]

Does the room size make a huge difference for vocals? I record vocals in a basement, low ceilings with some 703 panels but the vocals always sound small and boxy to me.

Does anyone have some raw vocal files I could listen to for study? Something in a basement studio or even a decent sized treated studio? I need some kind of comparison.

Preferably, singing metal. Not the low cookie monster stuff. Wish I had some Max Morton raws!

 

[DullElysium]

The easiest solution might be to make the room as dead as possiblr and use reverb to bring the life back to the tracks. I rarely like the room sound on vocals anyway. Atleast the noticable ones.

For metal that is.

 

[Pharaoh's Curse]

The easiest solution might be to make the room as dead as possiblr and use reverb to bring the life back to the tracks. I rarely like the room sound on vocals anyway. Atleast the noticable ones.

For metal that is.

Yeah, always sounds small, boxy and like all the life is sucked out of them.

Always struggled with this and I really begin to think it's the environment.

 

[neptunian]

Put up some temporary treatment to make it real dead, record your test vocal, and see if it's more small/boxy or less. If less, then you know to install some additional proper treatment. If more, then it's probably lack of room sound that's making it sound small. In which case, follow DullElysium's advice. I recommend trying a slight room or short plate reverb prior in the chain to the larger reverb. I like Valhalla Room for this.

 

[Kohugaly]

why don't you try the same setup (same mic, vocalist and song) in a different room? From what I can tell with my little experience - room makes a HUGE difference (and even the position in the room).

 

[sbwakfk1]

The room (even a dead room) plays a huge role in the sound of the vocals. Usually making it "dead" involves a lot of 703 panels (or similar) which take a lot of high end out but is not as effective at the boxy frequencies (600hz and below). Try a larger room and place a few baffles placed close behind the singer. This will kill the reflections you dont want from the large space, but will allow for a more even sound. Just stay away from overly reflective surfaces like rock/glass

 

[Pharaoh's Curse]

The room (even a dead room) plays a huge role in the sound of the vocals. Usually making it "dead" involves a lot of 703 panels (or similar) which take a lot of high end out but is not as effective at the boxy frequencies (600hz and below). Try a larger room and place a few baffles placed close behind the singer. This will kill the reflections you dont want from the large space, but will allow for a more even sound. Just stay away from overly reflective surfaces like rock/glass

This is great information, thank you!