Troubles With Nearfield Vocals

[reverbbb]

I really dislike my own voice. I think a few would agree. While others think it is unique with character. So, I keep trying.

 

I have so much trouble with my voice in recordings. I know a lot of it is bad vocal habits. On the other hand, I feel that I just don't know how to capture the essence of my unique voice, yet sound full and near. I have tried sound isolation (literally building a blanket tent around me & mic), lips on the mic, compressors, EQ after EQ attempts, multi-tracking and different singing voices. Everything comes out sounding thin and far away from the mic.

 

I am using a Russian made Oktava diaphragm mic. I have also used my AT4033 several times. On stage, I simply use a SM58. None of these seem to help.

 

I was reading some insight on recording mics. There is no 'right' way or 'right' mic to use. I thought about this a lot. I have concluded that even a $3000 Neumann U87 will not address the problem. I am beginning to think my voice is simply not a good tool in the woodshed. 

 

Should I be spending more effort on fixing the technology or fixing the vox? I don't know what the REAL problem is, so I don't know what to fix.

 

Any thoughts?

Edited April 24, 2014 by reverbbb

[john]

What is your overall set up? Your mic plugs into what? etc

 

Do you use compression? EQ filtering?

 

How close you are to the mic can really affect the tone with capacitor mics (the proximity effect), but that shouldn't affect your SM58

 

[reverbbb]

I have tried using a Bellari RP503 preamp. It makes it warmer, but is tricky to keep from crossing the threshold of distorted. I have also used dbx 266XL on the input. But I am not skillful at compression at all. More often, I feed direct into my TASCAM 2488. I then try to EQ everything in the POST FADE in the mix down.

 

I use a pop screen sometimes. I also think it is my small studio acoustics contributing. But I have recorded in a closet full of clothes and got slightly better results, but still not where I want my voice to be.

 

It is probable that 80% of my issues are voice control related. I just can't seem to find the punch with soul in my voice.

[reverbbb]

Also, on stage, I get a lot of feedback that I am not loud enough on the mic. I know that is directly a voice control issue.

 

Perhaps I should take some good vocal lessons. I have always felt too cheap to spend money on something that is supposed to come naturally. I also get concerned that the wrong teacher will cause me to loose what little soul I have in my voice. I watched that happen to a friend. He spent so much time working on his 'improved voice', that he completely fell flat in the soul department. It was difficult to watch him have perfect projection, pitch, breath, but not enjoy it because it was seriously lacking soul. It sounded just plain nerdy.

[reverbbb]

....couple more questions here.

• When you record your vocal tracks, are you seated, or standing? Generally, standing get's you more power and better depth.
• When you sing, are you pushing it out from your diaphragm, or simply throat singing. Where it comes from can have a huge impact on thickness and power.
• "Sometimes you record with a pop-screen".....my advice would be to ALWAYS record with one. Honestly, I can't think of a good reason not-to...esp. with a condenser mic.
• Sounds dumb, but are you certain you're singing into the intended side of the condenser mics? If not, you will get a very weak, distant sounding vocal.

As for applying compression pre-deck, I often do....just to keep the signal strong, but controlled & below the clipping point. My advice would be to apply a minimum going in. FYI - your 2488 has onboard compression, which is what I use.

You can always add more later both premix and to your final mixdown. I've done both and use a cheaper mic ($100 MXL)...straight into my deck. 

 

As far as your live issues, you may simply have a weaker, thinner voice. Were it me, I'd try staying a bit further back from the mic (don't eat it), apply heavy compression to the channel carrying my vocal input, run the volume on my mic hotter and dump some reverb on to help thicken the texture.

 

Hopefully, something I've said helps. I'm just tryin' to address some of the simpler possibilities.

 

Tom

 

 

Excellent tips and observations.

 

Answers to your questions:

 

• I always stand when singing.
• I have improved my diaphragm usage in the past several months. But I think that is the area that needs the most work.
• I never have 'pop issues'. So I actually have not used the pop-screen only a few times. The times I didn't, I was trying to get closer to the mic.
• Mic orientation is not that dumb, I have made this mistake a few times. But now I always watch for that.
• I have used the 2488 onboard compression on mixdown, but almost never on input. I worry that I will over-process and cannot undo that effects on a great take.

 

All these suggestions/questions are good insight. It also reassures me of things to remember or I am doing correctly. I will try to work with compression a little more. It is just a mysterious artform to my ears. It is often either over-baked or under-cooked to my ears.

 

Thanks for your help!

[reverbbb]

As far as phantom power, my mic will not without them. So, yes to that question.

 

As far as the patterns, I am not sure if my mic have a switch (but they may). I know that I often use the Lo pass filter so I don't pickup street noises or rumble from the mic stand. Maybe that is part of the problem. However, I read that low pass filters don't effect most vocal ranges. So, that is why I use it often.

[starise]

If you can't sound decent on a cheap mic, chances are you won't sound much better on a better one. Vocalists tend to be tough on ourselves. I heard you on one recording and it was ok IMO. Nothing wrong with trying to better ourselves either. You might make good use of proximity effect...the closer you get to some mics the more detail you get in the lower voice ranges. Dynamics usually are better at this kind of thing but it can be done with a condenser mic too.

 

Sometimes a dynamic like an SM 57/58 actually works better that a high end condenser for some vox for proximity effect. Tom -lol, I have done that (had my condenser mic backwards)..some of those mics don't make that very apparent.