[faero]

So - On my limited budget I have 1 X Sm57 and an Edirol UA-25 plus a latop from the office 

The results are generally 'fine' but not great.   I usually have a the mic on a boom stand in the middle of a welll damped loung (carpets, sofa etc) then a little popper stopper.

I did buy a sheet of sound deadening foam (egg box shaped) but I havent done anything with that yet.   Should I build a wrap around shield with that?  ie. does that really make a difference? 

What other tips are there to get on my setup?  Would using another pre-amp help to fill out the vocal sound  a bit better?

I am also assuming the 2nd hand SM57 is not a copy one of which there seem to be a fair few around....   t

Tips welcome!

[Boydie]

I know you are on a budget but I think a large diaphragm cadoid mic will give you the "studio vocal" sound you are after

The Se2000 is good value for money - but check thst you have phantom power on your audio interface or find another way to power it

This seems a particularly good bundle for the money:

http://www.dv247.com/microphones/se-electronics-se2000-microphone-bundle--97442

Having said that one of the keys to a great vocal take is the performance - which is sometimes so obvious it gets missed

I think it was your thread in the revies section where I recommended that you record some really over the top vocal takes, really "ham up" and over act the emotion

You will feel silly doing it but when you listen back - or play it to someone else - it is often the "quirky" vocal that sounds best - rather than a pitch perfect but "flat" vocal

I think this is one of the most common traps a home recordist falls in to as we are so focussed on getting our vocals "on pitch" it is easy to forget that the point of the vocal is to get across the emotion and meaning of the lyric/song - if it is in key and on pitch then that is a bonus! 

A good trick to use is to go through the lyric and ask yourself questions before each line:

What is she like?

How do you feel agout that?

This is to encourage you to give a more emotional response when singing and helps to "connect" with the lyric

When I am not typing on a tablet I will try to give an example as this approach can work wonders - especially with less confident vocalist

[faero]

Hi - yes, it was you who posted on the style of delivery and the message is along the lines of 'you can't polish a turd'   which is completelty true.

In theory the SM57 should work well if setup properly but it's not going to be super detailed so I would like to try a vocal specific condensor mic, even just to give it a try.   It may be that even with the same vocal style, it 'may' suit my voice better.   The UA-25 soundcard does have a Phantom input too so keeps options open.    I also read a high end pre-amp can make a big difference but those are very expensive.

Looking back, i have a 2nd issue as I am not in a band, the songs are very fresh so the take I have might be only the 2nd or 3rd time I've ever sung particular lyrics.  You can hear a difference in confidence after a few weeks of playing a song on and off, and then going back.
This is a time based issue:  The more time spent trying things and re-taking, the better it usually gets.

You are also right as when I do record, I am completely focussed on singing in time and being neat and tidy - which takes any emotion out of the singing.

Before I splash out on another mic, I'll have some fun with the and see how it sounds - and probably on my next song effort.   Thanks for the tips!

[Boydie]

Hi - yes, it was you who posted on the style of delivery and the message is along the lines of 'you can't polish a turd'   which is completelty true.

That is not quite what I meant! 

I was trying to get you to try out being really over the top with the acting/emotion - in my experience it is the takes where the singer accident laughs, or the voice breaks, or they sigh etc. that really does sound best in the mix - it is not always the perfect pitch take


You are soooooooooo right about it being difficult getting the vocal right on a song/demo when you have just written it

All of the songs I have posted on this forum have not quite been as good as I know they can be vocally for exactly the same reason

Due to family/work commitments it is also difficult finding time to set the mic up and record so when I do - I know I have a limited window of opportunity, which is also not helpful when trying to get a good take

I plan to revisit my vocals in a few months to "nail it" - although I am trying to write for other artisits to sing

I think if you already have phantom power I would definitely recommend trying out a large diaphram mic - better pre amps would help but I think the mic will make the difference and achieve the sound you are looking for

Hopefully JAMES NIGHTHAWK, RAMSHACKLES and others will be along soon to offer their $0.02 but for £85 I don't think you can go too far wrong with that bundle (even if you tried it and returned it if it does not give you what you want)

[James Nighthawk]

The SM57, my own opinions:

A wonderful little mic, hasn't changed in decades. Awesome when used properly on snare drum, brass instruments and guitar cabs. Also a great all purpose dynamic mic, but it needs more taming and caressing than the SM58 I find, especially if daring to employ with vocals.

It has a stronger presence peak. As in, it is designed to pick up frequencies in the mid area more than the highs and lows. This is one of the reasons it is awesome for a snare and brass. It also has a prominent "Proximity effect". The closer you get the warmer and fuller the sound. However it has an open diaphragm, so popping will be a bigger issue as you get nearer. Vocal wind blowing onto the mic from p's and b's, also know as "plosives", are a big concern here.

My advice to start with: Forget the external things. They are cardioid and pick up sound mostly from the front. So don't worry about foam etc. Find a room that is dead or has a nice ambience and set up central.

SOUL/BIG VOICE: I have recorded these dead on, at a distance of a meter of more. Kind of treating the vocalist like a brass instrument. This relies on the vocalist singing BIG to compensate for the distance. You won't get a close feel (naturally) but it will work with the right singer

POP/STANDARD-TO-QUIET singers: Firstly, treat the singer a bit like a guitar cab. Turn the mic 30-45% off centre, left or right, NOT up or down. Then place a decent pop shield over the mic, perhaps an inch or even less away from the mic head, so the singer is performing towards the SIDE of the mic head slightly. This seems to warm the sound as the mid-heaviness of the vocal is lessened. It also serves to reduce issues with pops.

Let me know if this helps 

[faero]

Boydie - ha.  I knew you didnt mean that directly - That was my own assessment on this post i.e. not throwing cash at equipment without assessing the source (me).      I realise I typed it a bit ambiguously....

Sounds like my time issues - plenty of 'really must go back and do a good version' that rarely happens as by then I have new more interesting song to try.

James :  Really interesting on the off angle comment on the mic.   I'll definitely give that a try.  (I am not in the SOUL style... 

I have a maplin popper stopper which does work / do something so I'll use this technique on my next idea and report back.

Cheers!

[Ramshackles]

Hey faero
I wouldnt consider getting any other mic or preamp/interface yet.... what you have should be able to get you decent vocals.

If you could post a clip of your vocals then we might be able to point you in the right direction a bit better.

I'd just point out a couple of simple things (as I have no idea whether new to this or not):

- Make sure you have the levels set correctly on your preamp (it's unfortunate that there is no level indicator, but as high as you can go without clipping generally gets best performance out of hardware. There is a limiter on the thing so that might help).

- Make sure you don't have phantom power turned on
- Make sure you dont have the the Hi-z switch pushed in (Dynamic mics are low impedance)
- Make sure that mono/stereo switch is set to mono (although its not clear from the website whether this is only for direct monitoring or not).
- I'd generally record at 24/48 all the difference is only really noticeable when mixing, or if you squint


I'd start by singing directly at the sm57 and very close to it. It is very directional and dynamic, so if you have a weak voice you need to get close to get that diaphragm moving

[Adam]

Just a suggestion but I've found the Samson C01U to be really really effective for recording vocals at home. It also does a fine job with acoustic instruments:

http://www.samsontech.com/samson/products/microphones/usb-microphones/c01u/

Basically a USB condenser microphone with large 19mm diaphragm and cardioid pickup pattern. Plug and play.

Big sounds for your pounds!