Original Message 1/5                 Date: 24-Aug-00  @  05:04 AM   -   Effects on vocals

DZ

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Hi all,

Does anyone have some advice on how to get good effects on a main vocal track.
Things like whether to use a mono/stereo track, order of insert effects in a chain, use of Reverb (and good parameter settings), etc in a bus configuration.

Anybody...Im pretty much a novice but would like to step up to semi-pro..hack  

Thanks.

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Message 2/5                 Date: 24-Aug-00  @  02:06 PM   -   RE: Effects on vocals

k

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well, it all starts with the mic - crap mic = crap vocal (well notwithstanding the actual vocalsits ability, but er.. let's not even go there !!  

so, getting a decent mic, building a decent pop sheild to get crispy tops without sibilance and also to avoid popping from lo-frequency explosives...

then a decent mic pre-amp, mebbe a little compression just to hot it up... then it's down to the placement in the mix & eq, followed/jointly with reverb settings etc - the reverb wants to emphasise the fact the vocal is in a space, but you dont want to over emphasise the lower & midrange frequencies as then it get's too 'deep' into the reverb feild and can also sound boomy - so usually if reverb is heard on the more glossy thin top-end frequencies of the vocal this is enuff when heard to psychologically suggest and sound like the vocal is in a reverb feild without having to suffer any unwanted reverb artifacts....

next delay - IF you add any pre-delay or actual de4lay, make sure the tempo fits the track, the delay taps MUST compliement the tempo & feel of the track as nothing thrwos it worse than a delay with the wrong timing... make the delay subtle to 'fill-out' the vocal... mebbe 'gloss' the vocal up with enhancers or some subtle chorus (also good to help shakier pitching problems) -

but, sitting it in the mix is the overall onjective, and for e3xample some folks spend loadsacash on expensive reverbs that sound awesome IN ISOLATION - but never really sit the vocals right in a mix, as the reverb is so intrusive it sounds wrong - the basic reverb on old SPX90's is still used alot as a reverb for vox, as it is VERY good to sit vocals well, where more lusher 'better' reverbs dont get that always... so overall - use your ears first.

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Message 3/5                 Date: 24-Aug-00  @  02:29 PM   -   RE: Effects on vocals

gb

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So, assuming I want a 'decent mic' which ones should I consider ?

The one I have right now is a rather cheap Shure mic labeled BG1.1. Would this one be considered ok ?

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Message 4/5                 Date: 26-Aug-00  @  01:26 PM   -   RE: Effects on vocals

k

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hmm... actually, beleive it or not, sm57's give a very easy to balance vocal, and dont add that fat mid boost like 58's do.... even tho the quality isnt 'super-hi' on 67's they sit well in the mix albeit they are not very 'glossy' - i use an old Calrec condenser which is superb, but cannot handle hi SPL's, so it only works with singers who have at least 'reasonable' mic technique BUT, adding the old home-made pop-sheild REALLY makes a huge difference - AKG c1000s is quite nice, as is the c3000 (lovely large diaphragm, but more expensive) - those old russian Octava's are very good for the dosh if you can find one..... Beyer make nice mic's but i cant recommend one as i dont use beyer and never have - but, try the pop sheild first on the mic you have already, cos it'll allow you to boost the tops/treble without getting sibilence

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Message 5/5                 Date: 29-Aug-00  @  12:40 AM   -   RE: Effects on vocals

Defector Z

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I have one of them Shure BG1.1 shits and I can't get a good vocal from it. Records guitar okay, but I just don't care for the vox at all from this thing. I think every quasi-professional studio around the world has at least 1 SM57. Used for EVERYTHING. Electronic Musician just did a mic round-up that you should consider reading. Offers suggestions for a "mic cabinet" on different budgets and different goals. The Audio Technica 4033 came pretty highly recommended to me for vocals. Haven't used it, but that is just what I have heard. I, too, am looking to improve my microphone "cabinet". Mostly for vox, too.

Problem I have with getting the vox to sit in the mix is getting the hi-end right. The audio always seems to be bass heavy that I can't eq out. Add a little reverb, as k suggests, but it reverbs the low-end as well, and that just muddies it up. Maybe I'll try another vocal track, with everything below 600hz filtered out and the reverb on THAT track. You know, throw a little doubling in there. Just a thought - what do you think?

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