Vocals on High

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

I run a small project studio, and while I get good vocal results, I am
never too happy with them. I was wondering what all of you thought of
the following technique:

A long time ago (I think it was the early-mid eighties) I read an
article that claimed the best way to record vocals is to place the mic
in front and ABOVE the singers mouth... preferably 6-10 inches above
their head. The obvious idea being that the singer is not singing
directly into the diaphragm.

This works well for me. Have any of you had luck with such an
arrangement?
Short of buying a new room I would like to improve the overall
transparency of the recorded sound. I would like to know of your
favorite techniques for
placement.

Before you ask, I usually rent a U-87 for my vocal tracks... my gear is
what it is... what I am most interested in is where you put the mic.


Ratt Mahem
www.themourningsickness.com

PS Thanks for all your input on my "recording the Banjo" query!

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

This always puzzled me. A lot of the sound of a singer comes from the
resonance of the chest cavity, so one would think that having the mic low
would give a more natural result. I'm not a recording guy, so I've never
had the chance to experiment with it.


"Ratt Mahem" <maher@mscd.edu> wrote in message
news:41019EE1.1CF8AD34@mscd.edu...
> I run a small project studio, and while I get good vocal results, I am
> never too happy with them. I was wondering what all of you thought of
> the following technique:
>
> A long time ago (I think it was the early-mid eighties) I read an
> article that claimed the best way to record vocals is to place the mic
> in front and ABOVE the singers mouth... preferably 6-10 inches above
> their head. The obvious idea being that the singer is not singing
> directly into the diaphragm.
>
> This works well for me. Have any of you had luck with such an
> arrangement?
> Short of buying a new room I would like to improve the overall
> transparency of the recorded sound. I would like to know of your
> favorite techniques for
> placement.
>
> Before you ask, I usually rent a U-87 for my vocal tracks... my gear is
> what it is... what I am most interested in is where you put the mic.
>
>
> Ratt Mahem
> www.themourningsickness.com
>
> PS Thanks for all your input on my "recording the Banjo" query!
>
>

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Tim Padrick <Padrick@comcast.net> wrote:
>This always puzzled me. A lot of the sound of a singer comes from the
>resonance of the chest cavity, so one would think that having the mic low
>would give a more natural result. I'm not a recording guy, so I've never
>had the chance to experiment with it.

For pop vocals, a natural result is the last thing you want.

For classical singers, we tend to mike them at more of a distance, both
so the room adds a sense of space and to combine the chest and mouth sounds
effectively.

I have seen classical singers who had to be miked for PA (even Caruso
couldn't fill a typical football stadium's rotten accoustics), being
miked with a chest mike in addition to a mike on the mouth.
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."