Har-Bal Users Forum BBS

Hi everybody.

I record my vocals by a ShureBeta57a. I know there are much better mics, but my budget is to low at the moment. My usual settings are this way:

- Beta57a in the mixer and pop-screen
- No mixer eq (flat sound) except the 80Hz cut off button checked
- Slight compressor to the input
- the output mixer signal recorded in Cubase Sx3

I obtain a good sound, rich both on bass and high. However after i put my tracks in the mix (with compression and eq fx applied) it seems that the sound is always too enhanced on high freq. If i compare it with a similar commercial one, these vocals are very clean, no mudiness, with smooth "shh/ess" and no strong high. I use a de-esser and it works great on "shh/ess" but the other high freq seems always to exposed.

Everybody say to roll off under 150Hz, cut off around 500Hz, eventually boost at 2-3KHz... but what about higher freq? Don't they need a roll off around 7KHz or similar? Sometimes to remove conflict i attenuate lead vocal at 1-1.5KHz with a Q of 0.50... can anything similar be done on other freq?

Is it the type of mic i use that leads to this behaviour?
Anything to do with mouth position to the mic?
Or have it to put an equalizator in the mixer line so that the signal recorded in Cubase is already filtered?

Any comments will be great.

thanx,

Sam

It's takes more than just a Mic. to get those great sounding Vocals of the Commercial Recording industry. There are to many things to list here between those great sounding Neumann Tube Mics & the finished product.

But you might start with a Tube Pre-Amp and see if there's an improvement. Art makes an entry level one that works ok for about $50.00.

Lucky

Thanx.

I've just tested a tube-amp vst plugin and the vocal sounds much better.

Sam

You need to buy external preamps. (Presonus Tubepre's are about Ł70 each).

Have the mics going staight into the preamp, then the outputs from preamp into mixer/soundcard.

I had the same problem with harsh sounding top end. Id spend hours tring to deeser the silibance out. But....then i recorded some stuff in my hallway .....and the sound is 100% better! The boominess/harsh mids/trebs gone.


I personally think the room is the most important factor here. (i only a newbie still)

Also i was tring to add convolution reverbs to my recordings, but the real thing is REAL. Now im recording in a reflective hallway, i dont need to worry about adding reverb cause it sounds quite atmospheric/reverby already.

Good! The Tube-Amp helps alot.

Next your Room. Try different spaces. Closets for Deadness, Bath Rooms for Echo & So on. If budget allows apply Acoustic materials to your Room for better results. Go to Auralex.com for ideas.{no affilliation}.

Lucky

Yea, we recorded some vocals in the bathroom too. Very nice atmosphere, but had a nasty resonance to the room for load vocals..might be better for soft acoustic guitar