RECORDING VOCALS

[CK]

I am hoping someone out there can help me with this, and also, I've
never been to this group so I apologize if this is the wrong place for
this question.

I've just started recording music, nothing fancy just a 4-track.
Although I wasn't expecting anything amazing it sounded alright.
However, can someone tell me if there is some special microphone used
to record the vocals. The level never seems to be steady, when the
pitch gets higher or the vocals get a bit louder, the level of the
voice just keeps fading in and out. Basically I want it to sound
steady, the way it does on CDs. I don't know too much about
recording, can anyone help me out with this?

Thanks

CK

[Don Pearce]

On 10 Mar 2004 00:32:52 -0800, (CK) wrote:

>I am hoping someone out there can help me with this, and also, I've
>never been to this group so I apologize if this is the wrong place for
>this question.
>
>I've just started recording music, nothing fancy just a 4-track.
>Although I wasn't expecting anything amazing it sounded alright.
>However, can someone tell me if there is some special microphone used
>to record the vocals. The level never seems to be steady, when the
>pitch gets higher or the vocals get a bit louder, the level of the
>voice just keeps fading in and out. Basically I want it to sound
>steady, the way it does on CDs. I don't know too much about
>recording, can anyone help me out with this?
>
>Thanks
>
>CK

Either your vocalist is actually modulating the loudness of the voice
or, more likely, swaying backwards and forwards in front of the mic,
making the sound louder and softer.

The two solutions are a little discipline from the vocalist, and
either manually riding the fader to keep the level still, or using
some compression to reduce the loudness range.

Leave some of it in, though, if there is artistic merit to it.

d

_____________________________

http://www.pearce.uk.com

[Jonny Durango]

yep i'd suggest using a compressor and making sure that your vocalist is
concious of how a mic works..., mainly, when singing really loud parts, move
or turn away from the mic enough to compensate for the extra
volume...likewise when singing quiet parts, be closer or sing more directly
into the mic.....if you're still having trouble after this, get a cheap
compressor


--

Jonny Durango

http://www.soundclick.com/ratcitymusic.htm

"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the
country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag
the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a
parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can
always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have
to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for
lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."
-- Herman Goering, Hitler's Reich-Marshall, at the Nuremberg trials after
WWII.



"Don Pearce" > wrote in message
...
> On 10 Mar 2004 00:32:52 -0800, (CK) wrote:
>
> >I am hoping someone out there can help me with this, and also, I've
> >never been to this group so I apologize if this is the wrong place for
> >this question.
> >
> >I've just started recording music, nothing fancy just a 4-track.
> >Although I wasn't expecting anything amazing it sounded alright.
> >However, can someone tell me if there is some special microphone used
> >to record the vocals. The level never seems to be steady, when the
> >pitch gets higher or the vocals get a bit louder, the level of the
> >voice just keeps fading in and out. Basically I want it to sound
> >steady, the way it does on CDs. I don't know too much about
> >recording, can anyone help me out with this?
> >
> >Thanks
> >
> >CK
>
> Either your vocalist is actually modulating the loudness of the voice
> or, more likely, swaying backwards and forwards in front of the mic,
> making the sound louder and softer.
>
> The two solutions are a little discipline from the vocalist, and
> either manually riding the fader to keep the level still, or using
> some compression to reduce the loudness range.
>
> Leave some of it in, though, if there is artistic merit to it.
>
> d
>
> _____________________________
>
> http://www.pearce.uk.com

[Garthrr]

In article <xBC3c.225212$uV3.970135@attbi_s51>, "Jonny Durango"
> writes:

>yep i'd suggest using a compressor and making sure that your vocalist is
>concious of how a mic works..., mainly, when singing really loud parts, move
>or turn away from the mic enough to compensate for the extra
>volume...likewise when singing quiet parts, be closer or sing more directly
>into the mic.....if you're still having trouble after this, get a cheap
>compressor
>

I think most of this is bad advice (unless you cheap compressor is an RNC).
Yes, make sure the vocalist is concious of how the mic works. But, when you
turn away from the mic you drastically change the tone, mostly you lose highs.
When you back off from the mic you also change the spectral balance and in
addition you change the ratio of dry signal to room sound. If you want an
unnatural sound then I guess its ok.
The thing to do is learn how to control your volume when you sing. Usually,
singers that have sung in clubs or concerts for years learn how to stay up
above the band and keep their volume appropriate to the situation because they
have no choice except getting drowned out. When singers come down in volume
even though the band has not you run into trouble. The singer has no choice but
to ride the dynamics of the band. Thats why good musicians will use dynamics to
accomodate the singer. If the singer is singing with a pre recrded track they
must follow the dynamics of the track as the track is not going to follow them.
Some compression can be a big help as is riding faders.

Garth~


"I think the fact that music can come up a wire is a miracle."
Ed Cherney