Quote:
| a basic one is to not have the vocalist be too close to the mic if it's a LDC. too much mid up there. |
Mids, and lows too. That's the "proximity effect."
Thing is, one can capture some intimate vibe with the vocalist close to the mic.
I like to have the Stedman about 1" from the mic, and the vocalist 1-2" from the Stedman.
I end up lo-shelf-cutting those tracks up to 500Hz sometimes, by as much as -5dB. Depends on the vocalist, and the velocity of the track's delivery.
If it's a soft ballad, I want the vocalist right up against that mic, like she's whispering in your ear. But if she's belting, yeah, she's gotta back off a bit.
Yeah, it's a bitch, to struggle with that beast, but it's worth it to capture "that" vibe.
Close-mic'ing vocalists is the "sweetest taboo" of sound engineering. Enter at your own risk.