Large Airing Cupboard Vs Duvet.....

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Cazrolina

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« on: April 06, 2017, 04:24:27 PM »
Just been reading with great interest (whilst scratching my head a bit and googling here and there) the Golden Nuggets thread.

Record your vocals at low levels and make sure you "deaden" your recording room as much as possible. I use an old duvet to surround the vocals mic

you need to be careful with this John, your reducing the hi frequencies but not the low frequencies (which are much harder to get rid of)..so you could end up with a boomy vocal..ie hi frequencies removed, low frequencies not removed, better to reduce reflections from certain parts of the walls, particularly corners..low frequencies love corners...

best, Kevin :) :) :)
 


The thing is, I am about to embark upon recording vocals "properly" at home - as up until now I have just been using my iPhone.
 
I plan to purchase mic and studio bits and bobs in the extremely near future - so i can finally rerecord MULTIPLE works in progress - but Im just wondering where in gods name should I be doing this???

My house has wooden tiled floors downstairs, thin walls and noisy children upstairs, but i DO have a pretty large airing cupboard with space to stand up and multiple power sockets (yeah baby).

Will this work, or am i sitting under a duvet in my garage.. haha.

What i should be doing with either of these options? What be your thoughts? Any general tips for a first timer?

Cheers all
Caz x
Caz
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Yodasdad

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« Reply #1 on: April 06, 2017, 05:16:49 PM »
Hi Caz,

The general idea is to get as uncoloured a signal as possible going to the mic, ie no reflections.

The duvet option seems to work well for a lot of people.

Personally I think the best thing you could invest in is a reflection filter, basically does the job of a duvet only better, stops reflections bouncing back from behind the mic.

My recent recordings have been made using a reflection filter in a room that couldn't have more natural reverb, laminate floor, bare walls, big space etc.  I don't have any issues that I've noticed using the filter.

You could combine this with a duvet hung behind you and maybe a bit of carpet under/mat under the mic stand to improve things further.

Trial and error is probably your best bet, starting with the cheapest option.

I do like the mental image of you siting in an airing cupboard trying to record though!

Yodasdad

Skub

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« Reply #2 on: April 06, 2017, 07:14:03 PM »
I'll watch this thread with interest. I record my vocals using a handheld SM58.

Boydie

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« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2017, 08:08:49 PM »
I would go for the airing cupboard with a duvet in front (behind the mic) and behind the singer

This will deaden reflections and also act as a "vocal booth" so may help keep unwanted sounds out (unless it is under the stairs and people decide ti run up and down them!!)

A reflection filter is a good option in a bigger space

I am eyeing this one up when I build my studio - it stops reflections from the rear of the mic, form the floor and from the ceiling - on the downside it is quite expensive, but a big plus point is that it is PURPLE!!! ;D

https://www.andertons.co.uk/p/ASTHALO/acoustic-treatment/aston-halo-ultimate-reflection-filter-and-portable-vocal-booth
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tina m

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« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2017, 09:08:10 PM »
Dont you always have pipes & things in airing cupboards making gurgling noises?
Im afraid Im with Skub here, I just hold the mic...it always sounds alright to me? (& presumably to everyone here as no ones ever mentioned bad vocals)
thats in our boxroom which has carpet & curtains & some Argos portable vocal booth laundry baskets :)
Tell me Im wonderful & I ll be nice to you :)

pompeyjazz

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tina m

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« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2017, 10:11:07 PM »
omg the history of rock n pop is full of laundry & bedding & I never knew!
do you think theres a airing cupboard at Abbey Road?
Tell me Im wonderful & I ll be nice to you :)

adamfarr

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« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2017, 12:50:56 PM »
But wait ... do you know you have a problem that needs solving? I'd give it a go in a comfortable place  and see what it sounds like before trying these *extreme* solutions... Maybe it sounds great... maybe the background noise isn't picked up that much?

Probably try both and see what sounds better to you...

But then my approach is similar to Skub's (except with mic on stand so I can wave arms like Joe Cocker).

Skub

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« Reply #8 on: April 07, 2017, 02:00:21 PM »
omg the history of rock n pop is full of laundry & bedding & I never knew!
do you think theres a airing cupboard at Abbey Road?

Idea for a song right there Tina!

Cazrolina

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« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2017, 10:27:47 PM »
Taken out of context this is such a great sentence Pompey, haha.
I'm still a duvet and wardrobe man with a pile of ironing thrown in  :)

Thanks team. Some fab responses and advice, as usual.

Well, it is a very big airing cupboard - now fondly nicknamed Abbey Road. :)
It's more like 1/2 a box room really and as the boiler controls and spare duvets are already stored in there it's worth a try. (Although I might pick up the sounds of socks being sorted whilst recording. If only they sorted themselves...)

Thanks for all the pointers, folks. 
I'm loving the descriptions of what everyone is doing re DIY vocal booths.

That portable booth looks Awesome but there might be some royalties due for purple laundry basket sales in Argos now, haha ;D 

Caz
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Ramshackles

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« Reply #11 on: April 10, 2017, 11:59:54 AM »
If going for the airing cupboard, you might end up with a 'boxy' sound. Lots of duvets will help. Being a female voice, you can probably be quite aggressive on the low pass filter aswell, to help reduce any boominess that will arise.

How big are they wooden tiled rooms? If you can find a moment it would be worth giving them a try, out of interest. I'd do it fairly central in the room and throw up a duvet behind the singer....

tone

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« Reply #12 on: April 10, 2017, 08:28:44 PM »
I tried the airing cupboard duvet thing and my recordings sounded proper naff. I got far better results with my SM58 just stuck in front of my face in my (untreated) bedroom than I did with my condenser in the cupboard. I'd give Ramshackles' suggestion a try if I were you. Let us know what works when you find it :)
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Cazrolina

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« Reply #13 on: April 10, 2017, 09:39:33 PM »
Sure will, folks. Thanks again for the great advice. Much respect.
Caz
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