Vocal recording technique research

Vocals are usually recorded using large diaphragm, cardioid pattern condenser mics as it is capable of recording the somewhat wide frequency range of the vocals, and also the loud and soft dynamics of the vocals during a song. But there are also exception such as some like to use dynamic mics to record their vocal because it matches with their vocal tone colour.

Mic placement:
A good starting distance for recording vocal is placing the mic 12 to 18 inches from the vocalist, and adjust it to get the desired sound. When the mic is moving closer the the mouth of the vocalist, the sound will be more "intimate" as there are more direct sound compare to reflected sound recorded. On the other hand, moving the mic further will give a more room sound and ambiance sound. For the angle, while the mic is normally on par with the mouth, the mic can be raised to produce a more nasal sound or lowered to yield a more chesty sound.

Mic choice:
Large diaphragm condenser mic are often designed to have a specific tonal color such as warm, smooth, airy and others. By matching the tone of the vocalist with the right choice, it can give a optimal vocal recording, but a wrong choice of mic will make the sound even worse. On the other hand, small diaphragm condenser tends to be more accurate and they record almost the exact sound as the vocalist produced. As for dynamic mics, it is designed to be used up closed and it might be more suitable to record vocals for genres such as aggressive rock.
Vocals normally used cardioid pattern to record, so that it reject most of the off axis sound to get a clear recording. But in a controlled room, using an omnidirectional mic can get a more natural sound, and proximity effect can be avoided when the vocalist shift positions during recordings. Omnidirectional mics can also be used if we wanted to capture the natural ambiance of the room.

Room treatment:
During recording, the sound will be reflected on the wall surface and the reflected sound will be recorded into the mics too, causing a overlaying sound on the sound that we actually want. Some absorbance such as gobos can be placed to absorb the reflected sound so that we can get a clearer recording.

Experiment:
What sound are we trying to get:
1. A clear recording of vocal with and without the room ambience.

What we will be doing:
1. Prepare a close back headphone for the vocalist
2. Using the AKG C141 mic and set it on cardioid pattern
3. Placing gobos on different directions
4. Change the pattern on AKG C141 to omnidirection.

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 1, 2018 at 7:38 PM

    Good. Controlling reflections is important in vocal miking.

    ReplyDelete

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