Recording Vox w/ EQ

In answer to a question at TOMB regarding recording vocals with EQ (in this case on a Meek VC3Q), I posted:

One way to approach it, and I did this when I used my VC3Q a lot, is to think of the EQ as a way of getting a sound, vs. as a EQ. By what I mean, I made it sound good going in in the context of how the full song was progressing. Then I did whatever corrective EQ was necessary in the mix.

Lemme note, and this is my current practice, other than pass-filters, I try to make EQ decisions by the mic’s and their placement, as well as the hardware I’m recording through. For example, an SM58 will sound much different than yer Rode through the same recording chain.

To take that example further, I quite often merely change mic’s for the backing vocals, leaving the pre and compressor in the chain set the same (inspired by something cgarges posted, altho’ I’m not saying he does that).

All of that said, if yer vocals are consistently too dark, roll of some bottom, add a cuppla dB at 4kHz, etc.

How do *you* spell “Nijmegen”?

Black Francis/Frank Black says most of this concert is an opera:
*Opera* (English plural: operas; Italian plural: opere) is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text (called a libretto) and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting.[wikipedia]

Whatever.

I think this live recording is another compelling example by BF/FB of why a live performance can extend, explain and exceed the original studio recordings.

The lyrics are clearly heard, the emotions revealed, and the power-trio band straight-out rocks. (BF/FB is funny in his patter, also.)

This is a worthy companion to *Live at Melkweg* with his then-band The Catholics; both recordings are terrific performances with excellent live-sound quality, and BF/FB, whether he’s BF or FB, is an unusually literate and musically sophisticated performer who is only getting better.

 

Some short reviews

Soundgarden, King Animal: terrific, but I am a long-time fan. I have the Best Buy version with some included demo’s – enlightening.

Trixie Whitle, Four Corners: the more I hear it, the more I love it – what a voice.

Steve Wynn, live in bremen: as a fan, I treasure the patter about the songs, and the clarity of the vocal performance. If I’d never heard of him, I think I’d find this fascinating; it’s very intimate, even as it’s an acoustic and an electric guitar with 2 vocals performance.

Tom Waits, Bad as Me: I keep going back to this to hear”Choicago”, and end up playing the whole thing. The commercial side of Waits, to be sure, but still so unique …
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vlayman; THD; blog; TFP

*Celebration Day*

Watched this 2007 concert DVD, a cuppla pops in hand, straight through last nite. It was not my intent, I meant to watch mebbe half and then come back to it, but it was just too damn cool. The video is very good, altho’ some of the “old film” effect is annoying, but the performances are amazing, even with the limitations of age. And there are the slight miscues every band player encounters, and they are handled like pro’s, made me smile. The sound is awesome, couldn’t be better, and on 1st listen/viewing I detected only one edit. Yes, it’s a geriatric re-hash with a substitute drummer (Jason is perfect!), but it fuhking rocks. _________________ vlayman; THD; blog; TFP

Vlayman: “I Was One “_2-20-13 challenge

cabinetpin.com 2-20-13 challenge

I Was One
c. ’13 Vlayman Produx.

It’s funny how nobody knows my name yet
There’s so many things about me that they’ll never get
How I think and why I do and why I did what I’m gonna done
They can’t conceive and will never believe that I was one.

It’s silly how nobody knows my face before now
There’s a certain look I got that’ll be all they see in their dreams
It’s me and it’s mine and it goes with what I’m gonna done
They can’t conceive and will never believe that I was one..

It’s a hoot that no one knows what I sound like
There’s probably a accent to some and a certain evil tone
But I’ll speak out forever thru what I’m gonna done
They can’t conceive and will never believe that I was one. 2x
SOLO

I’m laughin’ hard stand here lookin’ in the mirror
I’m all in black leather and filthy combat gear
I hate me and everyone else and they’ll know that by what I’m gonna done
They can’t conceive and will never believe that I was one.

Drums: Chelsea
Bass: HnrHdls-1176
LdVoc: Beta58-VC1Q
BV’s: Lanier DM1525-VC1Q, RS33-1070D-VC1Q
RthmGtrs: KramerAlum-E609-ISA1
LdGtr: Paul-Mrshl-E609-ISA1
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vlayman; THD; blog; TFP

Talkin’ patchbays correction

I previously totally made a mistake describing my set-up; I blame the martoonies.

My stage-box is actually XLR to XLR, used to extend access to the the typical back-panel XLR jacks on most pre’s. Doesn’t work on my The Brick, of course, so that one’s not patched in.

FWIW, what is is:
Eureka, VC3Q, Altec 1589B, VC16
ISA1 , Summit 2BA-221, VTB1, UA710

Some of the pre’s (Summit, Meek, ISA1) are routing-flexible, so they are connected both to the stage-box via XLR, TS to the patch-bay.

I also have a Rolls MP105 that I only use on bass, so that’s just connected via TS to the patch-bay.

Some stray mic commentary

, … from various posts at TOMB.

I have a RE10 is a go-to for me for BV’s.

——————-

I actually just got a MXLV96ME, which I like, because I so dislike the MXL9000 I have.

——————-

I, too love the Peavey 520i, often using it as the lead vocal mic, with the SM7b (which is darker) for the BV’s.

——————-

I will add that I really like omni dynamics in general, including the Rat Shack 33-1070d, EV635a, the Shure SM63L, and the AT802.

The latter three are “reporters’ mic’s” and serve wonderfully on BV’s (and guitars and percussion and even room), with the 635a in particular being useful on occasional lead vox. As omni’s, of course, there’s little to no proximity effect, and often no add’l EQ required.

——————-

I just bought a used 460 from a fellow TO’er. Of those two capsules, do you reco one, and why?

I’ve a MXLV69ME I recently picked up cheap, quite broken in, and I really like it as is. (I have a MXL9000 I kinda don’t.) My intent was to obtain the 460 as a complimentary but different-sounding tube mic to the 69, for use in the same tracks, and separately. And as I’m new to tube mic’s, I thought to mod it (and the 9000, also).

In keeping with the theme of this thread, I really like tube mic’s as a “winter alternative” to condensors. I live in a tract house where the heating system is forced-air and quite loud, making condensors unusable unless I remember to turn the heat off – I’ve ruined a lot of good takes by forgetting.

And I love large and small dia. dynamics, and use them regularly, but I like variation, and tube mic’s are perfect – they sound quite different, I believe more detailed than dynamics, yet aren’t so sensitive as condensors.

They shall undoubtedly become a “summer alternatve”, also, when the AC is necessary. 

——————-

([After it was noted a “tube” mic is a type of condensor:)

I knew that! I just forgot … 

That said, the tube mic’s I have are far less sensitive to ambient noise then my “regular” condensors.

For that matter, the Luna with its transformer is less sensitive in the same way than, say, the FET mic’s like my AT4040’s, KSM 27, Blue Spark, and various POS Chinese LDC’s from ADK, MXL, Bellwanger and Samson.

FWIW, I find onna kinda general dark to bright scale the following order:

Ribbon – Lrg.Dyn – Sm.Dyn. – Tube – Trnsfrmr.Cndnsr. – LDC FET Cndnsr. – SDC FET Cndnsr.

I’ve not yet used any crystal mics, nor tube/ribbon mic’s nor a SDC condensor with a transformer. And I acknowledge that the above is approximate, and doesn’t account for transformers or not in dynamics nor high vs. low impedance, etc.

Also, I find that scale also roughly corresponds with sensitivity, altho’ most women who know me would rule me unqualifried to comment … 

——————

…  altho’ I never use the roll-off. I really like the 421 II, also, on voc’s, better than the RE320. I find the 421s to be very smooth and balanced (vs. sibilant, hyped or skewed.)

——————

Re the SM7, I had read that the Peavey 520i was very similar. I finally got one for a reasonable price and actually find it like a brighter SM7b, and very complimentary for less than 1/2 the price.

I’ve never used an RE20, but do like the RE320 for vox and bass. The MD421 II is totally worthy; while I prefer my 421n that’s as much to do with mojo as sound.

I love omni’s, and invite you to look at the “sleeper vocal mic” thread for mine and other’s comments about various dynamics.

Old AKG mic’s are a trip – IMO, often over-engineered works of visual art.

EV’s almost always rock, and the various N/D mic’s are cool.

I really like the Beta 58 for live rehearsals – terrific rejection and good sound.

Finally, one of my fave amp mic’s lately is the venerable Shure 545.

Vlayman: “In Decision”

In Decision
c. ’13 Vlayman Produx

I’m on the edge of fallin’ off to Nevermore
I got no wedge, to buy myself inside the door
Can’t get myself inside the door

I’m in the middle of everything that’s goin’ on
You love him and she loves him and all I got’s this song
all I gots this song right now

CH:
Gonna take makin’ a choice, whether or not I’m gonna voice
What I want over what I been given
I’m in decision

SOLO

I’m standin’ here, lookin’ at y’all fuckin’ up
It’s pretty clear, we mighta used up all our luck
we prob’ly used up all our luck

CH

Drums:Breezeblock
Bass: HnrHdls-MP105-dbx160XT
LdVoc: MD421n-UA710SS-RNC
BV’s: MD21n-UA710SS-RNC
RthmGtr: Strat-ProJr-AKG D5-Altec_MXL R144-ISA1
LdGtr: Paul-Marshall-AKG D5-Altec_MXL R144-ISA1
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TFP; THD; vlayman; blog

Talkin’ patchbays

In answer to a question at TOMB, I posted:

PB I

Outs: / Summit/ VC3Q/ ISA1/ MP105 /Meek MC2 L/ Meek MC2 Rt/ RNC/ 163X/ 1176/ Altec/ Open/ Brick/ VTB1/ GM200 L/ GM200 Rt
Ins: ” ”

PB II
Outs: / Tuner/ Eureka/ ART TPS L/ ART TPS Rt/ Microcab/ VC1Q/ Open/ Hafler T2/ UA710/ VLA L/VLA Rt/ 166A L/166A R/ 866 L/ 866/Rt/ Open/ 160XT
Ins: ” ”

I use a short stage snake with a XLR box to TRS cable ends to the patchbay for the XLR ins on the pre’s. I take the out of the last piece in a given chain (say, Summit pre to 1176) from the patchbay to my M-Audio Delta breakout box.

It looked like this a while back. (PB’s top left, yellow cable to breakout box, snake lower left.)

Re “Play ‘Em Hard”

In answer to a question at lostoverture.com, I said:

There’s a rhythm guitar on each side, my Gibson American (SG) into a Quadra-Sound Blender into a Musicman HD130 head into a 2×12″ Celestion open-back cab, close mic’d witha AKG hand-held and a room ribbon mic.  They’re played immediately after each other with mic’s in place and the same amp/guitar settings, and recorded and mixed exactly the same, except the right side has 10% more room on the mixdown. (The lead is my MIJ Strat into my Marshall what was sitting right next to the other rig – I just turned the close mic on it’s stand to face the Marshall and left the room mic in place, gave it a touch of slap-back in the mix.)

I re-did the vox at the last minute because the refrain was “You gotta look hard” and I thought the new refrain fits better, and I can use “look hard” on another song.