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Originally Posted by Fletcher  OK... this technique usually comes out a bit better with a stereo mic but it can work with a mono mic as well... find the mic that best couples with his voice... then run the output of that mic into two separate mic pre-amps. Set one of the pre-amps to have 10db more gain than the other pre-amp.
On the back of the pre-amp that has 10db more gain than the other patch in the STC-8. Set up the STC-8 so that when the volume on the "screaming" increases by 10db you have 12 - 15+db of gain reduction on the STC-8 (which will effectively shut that channel off in relation to the channel with 10db less gain).
Sum the outputs of the two mic-pre channels. Run the output of the sum of the two channels into the other channel of the STC-8... and use the limiter so you aren't going to clip the input of your A/D converter (you can do some "overall" compression as well... or string a couple together if you'd like).
This way, when the singer is singing softly or whispering you have a setup that will give you sufficient gain so you'll be able to hear what he's saying... and when he gets "loud" the compression will kick in and turn down that channel so that the channel with less gain will now be the 'dominant' aspect of the signal path.
This is about the most natural way I've found to reduce the dynamics with a very dynamic singer.
With a stereo mic you can pick which capsule sounds best on the singer for the "loud" parts and the "soft" parts [singers invariably move their head when they get loud & soft... using a stereo mic you can optimize which capsule is doing what... but you don't have that option so the point is moot].
Hope this helps.
Peace. |
Very good suggestion. If you realise this technique with the Josephson C700A you have even more possibilities to manage that situation.
The C700A has 2 capsules, a LD figure 8 and a SD omni as pressure mic. Both signals lead out seperetely and make it possible to adjust pattern s from omni to supercadiod later. So I would just increas the distance beween singer and mic a little more than you would with a cardiod. When he whsipers you can zoom in via hyper cardiod and support directivity and intimacy. When he screems just go mor on the omni side.
Another technique that makes this approach even more versatile is to use different compressor adjustments for both capsules. So you can even have a kind of automatic zoom in and out with polar patterns via different compression ratios depending on how loud the singer is.
If you go further and use a little different EQ settings you also avoid the voice to be to sharp during screeming and get more highs when the singer whispers.
http://www.josephson.com/pdf/srs7.pdf
As always, take what I write as maybe biases. I´m the german dealer for Josephson Engineering and will show that mic at the Musikmesse in Frankfurt this week. But still I can say the described technique is not theory from marketing it is used technique in several studios with this mic.