[Mr_Jr]

Originally Posted by percussion boy

Hey --

I kind of feel like no one's answering what you asked, so here's some generic info that might be helpful. I'm not a beatboxer, just know the basics of it.

1. The closer the beat-boxer gets to the mic, the more low end you get (proximity effect). You can use this to shape your tone. I imagine the guys in the early club days were probably right up on the mic.

2. P's and b's give punch to the sound, because they cause a blast of air to hit the mic.It seems like this could be good for beatboxing, up to a point -- more attack, like a kick drum.

Since you don't like what you're getting with p's/b's, you could experiment some: (a) Record at a lower level (if the nastiness is caused by clipping in the pre or the recorder); (b) Try compressor or limiter with very fast attack and very high ratio; (c) Put a wind screen (one of those round mesh ones that clamp to the mic stand on a metal arm) between the beatboxer and the mic (if the nastiness is caused by the mic getting hit too hard by the air blast); (d) ask the beatboxer to make the p's/b's more lightly, with less lip action -- I find when I'm singing that I don't need to hit consonants hard, but yet the words can be understood. Let the mic do the work.

3. A 58 seems like what the guys who invented beatboxing were probably using: typical '80s club dynamic vocal mic. There are also a billion cheap condenser mics out but I'm not sure which one would fit what you're doing. If you could borrow a Sennheiser 421 dynamic, that might be an interesting experiment: Not very bright, but nice punch in the lows.

4. I'm not sure about specific compressor settings for beatboxing . . . remember that regardless of tempo, if you set the attack too fast, it will take the edge off a little; probably not good for the groove, unless you need to tame the p's and b's as mentioned above.

I hope something here is useful . . . Good luck.

Thank you for your time