Recording Vocals

[Ryan Rickenbach]

Any good tips for this? I find when I lower the volume on the preamp and get closer it pops, and when I raise the volume and get farther back I get background noise.

[Future Boy]

If you are going to close mic without a pop guard you need to be very much aware of how strong your plosives are. It is possible to sound a P or T close to the mic and not have an incredibly loud pop. It's simply a matter of control.

[jb]

If you're too much of a cheap bastard to buy a pop screen, point your mouth a little above the mic, so the air from your undisciplined consonants shoots away from the capsule. But not too far above it, or you'll just get a far-away sound that you don't want.

[toddlans]

also try standing to the side of the mic a bit and singing across it at an angle a bit to the opposite side. with some people it can also help get rid of some sibilance (the high pitched s sounds). try each side because one side may get rid of more sibilance than the other. but yeah buy a pop filter. or you could make one. i've heard of people stretching pantyhose across a rigged up metal hanger. or there are those metal ring clamps that i think are used for quilting or sewing. compression can further control some peaks but you probably won't have much luck completely eliminating plosives with just compression, get pop filter too.

[jack]

How to make a cheap popscreen

[Southwest_Statistic]

When I'm on stage and have to use a crappy stage mic, I just do what Billie Armstrong does.



Stick your nose right on the microphone, and then your mouth will set a little bit below it. All your heavy P's and T's go under the microphone.

[roymond]

Buy the pop screen, although the home made variety do have character.

Also, on a related note... I record late at night, and don't have a room to let loose in, so I build a vocal booth with the couch pillows. It creates a well padded box, into which I stick the mic boom (pop screen attached) and a flashlight to read the fresh lyrics I never successfully memorize (now I need reading glasses cause I'm becoming far-sighted). My next move will be to cover myself with a heavy quilt, much like an old box camera apron. It looks pretty goofy when the misses strolls out for a glass of water, but it's helped a great deal, both in keeping my noise in and cutting out the outside noises (hard drive, refigerator, planes, firetrucks).

[j$]

If you're too much of a cheap bastard to buy a pop screen, point your mouth a little above the mic, so the air from your undisciplined consonants shoots away from the capsule. But not too far above it, or you'll just get a far-away sound that you don't want.

Yes. This works for me, generally. I 'aim' my vocal a couple of inches above the mic-top, from about 6-9 inches away. That's the optimum for me ...

[Mostess]

I build a vocal booth with the couch pillows...a flashlight...cover myself with a heavy quilt

I love this image. You should do this in concert. I must try it. I had to set such a strong gate on our "Zero to Phantom" vocal track because we had guests chatting upstairs when I recorded it. Couch pillows would have helped that (although the guests thought I was being weird enough as it was...)

In my experience, getting closer to the mic, almost kissing it, will get the best sound. Pop screens are nice, but they do muffle the sound a wee bit. I have weak overtones, so I prefer to sing my plosives without puffing so much air, and to turn my head a bit when singing a bit louder. Yeah, sometimes I mess up and pop. Just another reason to do the track again.

I love the sound of a condenser mic for vocals, though cardioids seem more rock-appropriate. I find cardioids a little unwieldy for singing, though I don't know why. Probably just me.

I love watching professionals use their mics onstage, especially crazy powerhouse smooth-pop vocalists (the W. Houstons and C. Dions). They tend to play the mic like an instrument, steering it and pulling it toward and away. You can pick up some neat tricks from them, even if you find that style insufferable.

[roymond]

I had to set such a strong gate on our "Zero to Phantom" vocal track because we had guests chatting upstairs when I recorded it.

** kicks self for never applying a gate and instead hand-editing each and every audio segment with silence, fade ins and fade outs **
Thank you. An good hour has now been trimmed from my production process.

I love watching professionals use their mics onstage, especially crazy powerhouse smooth-pop vocalists (the W. Houstons and C. Dions). They tend to play the mic like an instrument, steering it and pulling it toward and away.

Phil Collins

[ken]

I'd like to add that the Stedman Pop Filter is great. Waaaay better than the fabric screen kind. If you think a pop filter changes the color of your voice, try the Stedman. Andy Hong shared that he often points a mic at the vocalist's forehead when recording vocals.

Ken

[Ryan Rickenbach]

I have a pop screen, it's a pretty nice one. It's just in "Janjaweed" I sing "Twiddlin'" fairly loud and high, but I managed to angle my mic so I sing at an angle. If you think the "p sound" is bad, try singing "twi" without blowing air. Very hard.

By the way, I found that instead of putting a nice mic back in a case every time you're through, I put a glasses case (the stretchable pouch kind) overtop of mine to protect it from dust. It's an easy way to protect your mic.

[j$]

It's just in "Janjaweed" I sing "Twiddlin'" fairly loud and high.

The obvious answer to that is don't, then I am sure there is a less difficult-to-shape (and potentially aesthetically more pleasing) alternative.

[boltoph]

How to make a cheap popscreen

All you really need is a pair of pantyhose and a metal coathanger, to make a perfectly solid pop screen.
Might bend the long arm of the coathanger, stretch them pantyhose over the coathanger, and just duct tape it to a broomstick or right to your mic stand. Or hold it. Or have a friend hold it.

I've done it, Johnsonic had one that looked like a fuckin sting ray. I wish we still had a picture of it. That thing hangs on the wall as a piece of artwork

[Dan-O from Five-O]

Any good tips for this? I find when I lower the volume on the preamp and get closer it pops, and when I raise the volume and get farther back I get background noise.

Umm.....not to break up all this fascinating pop filter stuff, but are you raising and lowering the gain or the overall output? There's a big difference. You want to keep the gain as low as possible and still get a good signal, preferably around 10 o'clock and no higher than 12 o'clock unless you want distortion. At least that's how it works for my tube pre-amp, others may be different but I would think the principle to be the same. Finding the balance between gain and overall output should help.

And then use a pop filiter of course. I've used one of the coat hanger / hose deals before. Damn was my wife pissed. I had her permission and all, it's just that I used her newer black ones instead of the older flesh color because I thought it looked cooler.

[supernipple]

You want to keep the gain as low as possible and still get a good signal, preferably around 10 o'clock and no higher than 12 o'clock unless you want distortion.

that all depends on what sound you want and what pre-amp, and what mic you are using. the mic you are using might greatly effect where your gain will be. Dynamic mics have a very low output (but again it differs from mic to mic...an Sm7 will need more gain than an Sm57) so you'd need to have the gain higher. Condensors have a much hotter output and don't need as much gain as a dynamic. Sometimes with a high output condensor and a powerful pre you might not want it past 10 o'clock, but sometimes with a dynamic you might want it up at 3 o'clock. Plus different preamps sound better or worse at certain volumes. there is usually a range you want to stay between though, not too low or high. it also depends on what the source is. to put it simply if it sounds bad or is distorting (without you wanting it to) or if your preamp is hissing, turn down the gain. If you're not getting enough gain (somewhere at least above -12db is optimal, but usually not higher than -3 to avoid clipping or compressing to hell) or if the source is straining to get that loud (like your voice when you don't want it to sound that way) then turn it up.

[Caravan Ray]

Buy the pop screen, although the home made variety do have character.

Also, on a related note... I record late at night, and don't have a room to let loose in, so I build a vocal booth with the couch pillows. It creates a well padded box, into which I stick the mic boom (pop screen attached) and a flashlight to read the fresh lyrics I never successfully memorize (now I need reading glasses cause I'm becoming far-sighted). My next move will be to cover myself with a heavy quilt, much like an old box camera apron. It looks pretty goofy when the misses strolls out for a glass of water, but it's helped a great deal, both in keeping my noise in and cutting out the outside noises (hard drive, refigerator, planes, firetrucks).

Ha! trying to visualise this - how about a photo?

Does this mean you're singing lying on the floor? Or do you have big couch pillows so you can stand upright?

I love the idea though - I'm gonna start working on my own version of this - I'm thingking a "cone-of-silence" type thing I could suspend from the ceiling would be cool

[Mostess]

I'm thingking a "cone-of-silence" type thing I could suspend from the ceiling would be cool

I think a "dog-can't-chew-the-bandage" cone made of foam rubber would be even better. Especially if you made a slot for the pantyhose/hanger contraption.

Quiet rooms are impossible to find. What is wrong with this society?

[Adam!]

I'm thinking a "cone-of-silence" type thing I could suspend from the ceiling would be cool

I've got one of these. I wired a large hula-hoop to my drop ceiling and put shower-curtain rings on it. Then I got two medium thickness blankets and attached the short side to the rings, each ring spaced about 8 inches apart. Now I have a little circular recording booth that I can draw shut around me when in use, or I can bunch the blankets together, put a tie around them, and tuck them more or less out of the way when not in use.

It works well in theory, but it gets really really hot. This summer I haven't been using it; I've been getting closer to the mic instead. Still, recording inside a little booth where no one can see you (and to a lesser degree hear you) is great for your confidence, if that's a concern.

[roymond]

I'm thinking a "cone-of-silence" type thing I could suspend from the ceiling would be cool

I've got one of these. I wired a large hula-hoop to my drop ceiling and put shower-curtain rings on it. Then I got two medium thickness blankets and attached the short side to the rings, each ring spaced about 8 inches apart. Now I have a little circular recording booth that I can draw shut around me when in use, or I can bunch the blankets together, put a tie around them, and tuck them more or less out of the way when not in use.

It works well in theory, but it gets really really hot. This summer I haven't been using it; I've been getting closer to the mic instead. Still, recording inside a little booth where no one can see you (and to a lesser degree hear you) is great for your confidence, if that's a concern.

Pure genius. I may do to do this with packing quilts, and make it portable so I can put it back into my little closet when I'm done.

To answer Caravan...my little setup is on the upholstered chair, making use of its seat pillow as well. So I'm on the couch, sitting without a seat pillow, leaning into this pillow cave, and getting severe back cramps as a result. I will take a picture next week.

[ken]

Daniel Lanois has a motorcycle helmet with an SM57 in it. total isolation.

Ken