Singing in the control room!!

[Morgan C]

No, the idea is that you flip the phase on one of two monitors that are symmetrically placed so that they're bleeding into the vocal mic equally. When you flip the phase on one of them, they'll effectively cancel out at the mic, but the singer will still be able to hear them.

Can you also just record the song through with no singing, so you're just getting the backing mix through the mic, and then reverse the polarity of THAT after recording, and then mix it in with the recorded vocals? Now that I think about it it seems like a lot more work though..

 

[guitar08man]

No, the idea is that you flip the phase on one of two monitors that are symmetrically placed so that they're bleeding into the vocal mic equally. When you flip the phase on one of them, they'll effectively cancel out at the mic, but the singer will still be able to hear them.

aah I see. That only works provided that the microphone is equidistant from the speakers, so that the sound of each speaker reaches the mic at the same time.

With a highly directional mic like a 57 or 58, if you get far enough away and monitor at a reasonable level the bleed shouldn't be too bad.

 

[Omega_Void]

Can you also just record the song through with no singing, so you're just getting the backing mix through the mic, and then reverse the polarity of THAT after recording, and then mix it in with the recorded vocals? Now that I think about it it seems like a lot more work though..

More work, but with one monitor inverted the sound in the room is a bit weird. I reckon I'd find it offputting trying to track vocals to out-of-phase monitors.

Effectiveness of the cancellation will change as the vocalist moves around in the room. I'd expect best results from using a single speaker for the backing and riding the levels on the vocal-free "cancellation track" to compensate for the vocalist's movements, but that's likely more finicky than you'll need.

 

[GarethSE]

i recorded the slice the cake ep this way, with the monitors cranked REALLY loud, stood about a foot away from them haha
there will be bleed, and it will be audible in the vocal tracks, but in the context of a mix you wont hear it AT ALL.
get a decent distance away from the monitors, stand facing them so that the mic is facing away, and then some crazy vocalist screaming angry things at a point blank range in to the microphone should cover it.

 

[fearhk213]

Cool tip! I'd heard of this before, but never heard it explained. Thanks! So if I have passive speakers and I run speaker wire w/the ends bare would I only need to take the left monitor and switch the wires at the "+" & "-" posts at that monitor? Sounds easy enough....

Do you have to worry about any speaker damage?

 

[Omega_Void]

So if I have passive speakers and I run speaker wire w/the ends bare would I only need to take the left monitor and switch the wires at the "+" & "-" posts at that monitor?

That's right.

Do you have to worry about any speaker damage?

No, it's AC signal so it goes both ways anyway.

 

[fearhk213]

That's right.



No, it's AC signal so it goes both ways anyway.

Awesome! Thanks dude!

 

[SentencedToBurn]

im not recording metal this way though... more like country/blues/rock shit. but i think it should still be fine. if there is a really quiet part, i might do the vox with headphones. but for the rockin parts, the monitor deal should work.

 

[LeSedna]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuuRuL3HbH[/ame]