Hi everyone, been a long time and I need help with my Micro BR and vocals

[dragonshade]

Hiya friends... some of you no doubt know me, to the others.. a fond hello 

I have written and recorded a rather B-E-A-utiful acoustic/vocal song, but I want to tweak it. How are you all recording vocals on the microBR? I did a track in stereo and really had to boost the track to try to blend it. Was done at +6db, 22 reverb, with effects set (MCP09: Vo Comp) through the BR condensor mic (all I have). It sounds good but I want more. Also tried a track mono, to even worse results. Please give me some tips on doing an acoustic song vocals with my BR. I have recorded other songs yes, but never vocals. Anything would be a help. This song is gorgeous, and I do plan to copyright it, but would like it to be better for friends and family to hear it at least. Thanks everyone.

Ray

[Hilary]

Could you post a couple of bars to we can hear it (vox and guitar) - we can hopefully hear how to help then. I've posted a lot of my experimental vox recordings and no-one minds.

[Flash Harry]

Hi dragonshade, nice to see you around again.

OldRottenHead is the BR Vocals man, or perhaps Geir, although he has moved on to BR800 now.

Haylie is being a bit modest, she has done some fab vocals on this site, but I think that she uses a Rode mic into the BR.

From what I have heard, you need to hold the BR at a constant distance, make sure that you don't grip it too hard to avoid the annoying clicks and pops and I have also heard of people wrapping the BR in a nylon stocking to avoid breath pops.

I know that ORH uses the For Nylon effect quite often, it gives you fatter vocals.

A good clean recording is always a good place to start. Quiet environments and preparation go a long way.

Good luck, let us hear it when you're done!

 

[dragonshade]

Hiya Haylie... Much as I would like to share, I simply love this song. It has become my pride and joy. It is a beautiful, yet simple love song, based on a simple progression. Though at first it bugged me there is no true chorus (kind of a faux chorus tho), and it is more all verse, but it works SO WELL, and is complete at 4:04 minutes. I have put up other songs (Chrome collaborations), but this one.. I really could hear this one making it (with some more tweaking). I have promised my wife I will not post it anywhere, none of it, and there will be no copy made or given to anyone until copyrighted, much as adore this group of people, and SO want to share it.

Harry.... GREAT to see you my friend. I think I mainly need a better mic. Perhaps I have just reached the limitations of the built in condenser mic. The vocals are good.. good enough to have family etc hear it, and I am sure they probably would be impressed, but I am just trying to squeeze out as much as possible mainly. The setting I mentioned above seems to do the best, but I am curious what other settings everyone else uses. I am recording in stereo (yes I know many people say not to, and to go with one channel on the vocals). Doesn't seem to work as well for me... need some tips in this area. Why shouldn't I record vocals in stereo with both channels? Is the Shure mic the best peeps have found? Wasn't everyone excited about some Sony mic back in the day? (Cody may have used it). Think I'll try the nylon stocking trick, but my current best vocal track is very fat and rich (almost too much) already. Quiet enviroments??... is it better to record in an acoustically "flat" area (a carpeted livingroom for example), or a bathroom with an echo (you know everyone sounds better in the shower lolol)?

Yes, I read a thread of ORH's and heard him saying about the nylon setting, with tap delay. Right after posting here, no doubt I'll be trying it to see how it does for me. The vocals are soft in many places, very intimate, yet power in others... so is demanding. At first I tried holding the microBR.. much like a harmonica.. moving it closer and further, add to that I am not used to doing vocals with it.. maintaining correct vocal volume throughout was impossible for me. I ended up keeping it at one distance, and adjusting the track volume at the appropriate places/passages.

Ray

[Hilary]

Hiya Haylie... Much as I would like to share, I simply love this song. It has become my pride and joy. It is a beautiful, yet simple love song, based on a simple progression. Though at first it bugged me there is no true chorus (kind of a faux chorus tho), and it is more all verse, but it works SO WELL, and is complete at 4:04 minutes. I have put up other songs (Chrome collaborations), but this one.. I really could hear this one making it (with some more tweaking). I have promised my wife I will not post it anywhere, none of it, and there will be no copy made or given to anyone until copyrighted, much as adore this group of people, and SO want to share it.

I love you Ray, you are a man after my own heart - stay true to what you believe xx

Don't go with a Sure - I went with a Rode on the advice from here (I already have a Sure and didn't like the sound at all - having said that I'm a beginner at recording so if I'd known what to do I'd probably of got a better sound). Have you got something that your not bothered about posting that sounds simlar so we can listen coz it's not really a formula it's about finding the best sound for you.

The BR really does have good inbuilt condenser mics though - I've got a BR80 which is slightly different from yours but you don't need to record in stereo you can clone the track in Audacity (or whatever you use). Sorry I don't know how acquainted you are with recording but the best advice I had on here for the internal mics was to adjust the internal sensitivity (to stop the peaking) also I have my BR vertical (if using the internal mics) and some distance away (at least an arms length). Also really great advice was to pan the vox tracks 80% left and right and add some delay on it (for natural reverb). I like recording on the MTR mode with the internal mics and adding some condenser and EQ on the way in which really helps because I have a strong voice. Oh and bumping up the mid EQ makes the vox pop out more. Finally mastering it on the BR - the vocal one is quite good. That's it, all my knowledge on the back of a postage stamp!

Sorry if all this is really obvious and I'm no expert by a long way but I've gone through trials to get a vocal that I'm anywhere near happy with and have learnt such a lot here. The only real way is for you to play around with the settings and see if there's a mix you are happy with.

The best of luck with your song.

[dragonshade]

LOL, thank you Haylie.. I'm loving you too... good info. I had not even thought of that.. no I do not have any other tracks of vocal recordings.. as this really is my first attempt at doing vocals with my BR. But that is easy enough to fix. I'll upload a backing track of some cover and through down some vocals... really hoping you all can help me tweak.

I get the cloning, what is the benefit in that over just a stereo recording though I wonder. This song... 70% is soft sweet singing, so I really need that clear enough, peaking the stronger parts doesn't seem to be a problem. What setup are or have you run with the inbuilt mic tho? I'll try the panning with delay. I do need more "pop" so I'll try playing with boosting the mid EQ also.. had not thought of that. Not sure that have an MTR mode in my microBR.

I have done lots of recording on my little dream machine, but again never vocals, so there I am a total newbie.. anything and everything you can give is a big help.

Thank you.

.. and please anyone else with experience too... please feel free to add anything ya got!!




p.s. ----  Haylie... just saw your post on copyrighting questions, don't have time atm but will read thru all 4 pages tomorrow. This is something I have done some research on.. since I posted my first work with my buddy Chrome. Laws are different depending where you live but the bottom line is mailing it yourself or any other means will NOT entitle you to a penny in court if someone hears an original song of yours and then remakes it, copyrights it, and then performs/sells it. I have no real aspirations to make it "big", but this recent song for me.. well honestly I could hear this on the radio (studio recorded of course). I really could hear it as a hit. I have no interest in performing it in any way, however if a known artist wanted to buy it, record it, and THEN I could hear it on the radio I'd be VERY happy lol. I am dying to hear your songs, but currently have a bad sound card in this (my only computer), and have absolutely no sound through it, so will have to wait.

[Hilary]

I might be wrong but there's a better sound if you clone it rather than record a stereo version but there are folks on here (just about all of them) that can advise you better on that than me.  You must have an MTR mode probably just called something different - it's the one where you can record multi-tracks.

My intentions are honourable - I'm just really pleased to find someone that feels exactly the same about their songs as I do and my husband is really keen for me to copyright my songs properly too.

I've just done a recording tonight with the internal mics and am pleased with the sound on the vox (recorded vox and guitar simultaneously so the guitar's a bit quiet) here's the link https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=15847.msg198832;topicseen#new
it's the slow version of Get Ready (not the fast version the sound on that is v bad) - I know it's no good to you at the moment (sound card an all) but I pretty much followed my own advice and it's definately a lot better than I've recorded before with the in-built mics!

[Flash Harry]

Ray
This was recorded with a Rode NT1-A in my dining room with ORH and OsCKilO.

https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=13142

It's very dry and very clear. The trouble is that it's recorded with a condenser mic which needs phantom power. And if you're powering it, you may as well get a decent preamp with the phantom power module.

These have a huge dynamic range, more than you need and you will have to compress somewhat to get your desired effect.

http://www.rodemic.com/mics/nt1-a

If you are spending money on a mic, spend it wisely, a Shure SM58, which is probably the live music industry standard will cost you £80 to £100 depending on special offers and the Rode will cost £130 to £150 depending on where you get it. The Rode is the 'better' microphone, having a lower noise spec, larger dynamic range, better linearity, but it's a studio mic, it would be unusable as a live vocal mic (great for drum overheads) so be sure (ha) of what you need.

Get a decent boom mic stand too. The shock mount for the Rode is worth using.

And the bonus is that the Rode makes a fantastic acoustic guitar mic too.

[Hilary]

Ray
This was recorded with a Rode NT1-A in my dining room with ORH and OsCKilO.

https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=13142

It's very dry and very clear. The trouble is that it's recorded with a condenser mic which needs phantom power. And if you're powering it, you may as well get a decent preamp with the phantom power module.

These have a huge dynamic range, more than you need and you will have to compress somewhat to get your desired effect.

http://www.rodemic.com/mics/nt1-a

If you are spending money on a mic, spend it wisely, a Shure SM58, which is probably the live music industry standard will cost you £80 to £100 depending on special offers and the Rode will cost £130 to £150 depending on where you get it. The Rode is the 'better' microphone, having a lower noise spec, larger dynamic range, better linearity, but it's a studio mic, it would be unusable as a live vocal mic (great for drum overheads) so be sure (ha) of what you need.

Get a decent boom mic stand too. The shock mount for the Rode is worth using.

And the bonus is that the Rode makes a fantastic acoustic guitar mic too.

I agree 100% (I've got 2 Shure58s for gigging and a Rode for recording)

[na_th_an]

I usually sit down on my desk, put the BR on it, hit rec, and sing. Results are good enough. But again, I do some post processing (EQ, compression, de-essing, tape delay).