Whats your go to vocal chain?

[maxy]

Just wondering what people out there use most often for vox.

If you have different style (rock, country, etc) specific set ups that would be cool to know too.

This just seems like a cool thing to talk about.

Thanks
maxy

[sarza73]

Neumann 47 FET or BLUE KIWI - AMEK CIB - UREI LA3 or UREI 1178.

My style is POP/ Rock

Cheers

Sarza73

[DrC:Drive]

M149 or BLUE Dragonfly to AMEK CIB to Purple Audio MC76 to Cranesong HEDD

Rock /Pop

James Cullen
Seabrite Studio

[The Reel Thing]

Hi there,

I'm recording a rock band with two male singers at the moment, using one of my favourite mics, the Shure SM7 for both the vocals. Interestingly, one of the singers sounds great through an API512 Pre & API 550A EQ & 1176, the other one sounds great through an SPL Gain Station 1 with transformer, not requiring any EQ, but an API 2500 compressor.
If I forget to change the input cable to the right signal chain for the singer, you notice the mistake straight away. There is no 'golden' signal chain, just the right one for the moment.
Cheers,

Tom

[Wiggy Neve Slut]

Originally posted by The Reel Thing
. There is no 'golden' signal chain, just the right one for the moment.

Truer words could not have come from anyones mouth..

But i do find a Tube Tech CL1B is a great starting point in most cases, either with a dash of 1176/distressor or Neve 32664

Cheers
Wiggy

[doorknocker]

Originally posted by The Reel Thing
[b] There is no 'golden' signal chain, just the right one for the moment.

For me this has momentarily been a vintage 'Telefunken' MD 421 thru a TG-2 and a NTP 179-170.

Andi

[D'Kowmashev]

For my own voice, singing pop/rock, I have been quite parital to the innertube magmic -> martech -> atomic squeezebox -> DW Fearn eq -> Fatso -> Hedd 192. always magic

[DrC:Drive]

Sheesh.... that's one hell of an input chain!!!

[bloodstone]

I don't have a lot of high end mics, but with my gear I like CAD M9 or AKG Solidtube/Langevein DVC/Distressor. Alternative: Oktava 319/Drawmer 1969, or Oktava ML52/Drawmer 1969. Sometimes I like a Sennheiser MD421/Joe Meek VC1Q.

[mwagener]

For rock/pop I'm using a Soundelux E47 or ELUX 251 into a GrooveTubes Vipre > Distressor > HEDD 192 > Euphonix 703 converter.

[Jam]

Michael

Why not the convertor in the Hedd ?

Jam

[mwagener]

Originally posted by Jam
Michael

Why not the convertor in the Hedd ?

Jam

Jam

I'm using the Euphonix for all initial conversions so I have the same latency on all conversions to multitrack. Don't get me wrong I love the converters in the HEDD, but it has a slightly longer latency compared to the Euphonix, might have to do with the Euphonix converting to MADI. Also, in most cases I use the HEDD when comping vocals, but I consider that still part of the vocal chain. That way I have more control over separate vocal lines, for instance when the singer moved further from the mic and there is less of a proximity effect, I make up for it with a little more "tape process" on the HEDD.

[mgod]

Mic will vary: U47, U48, M49, C12, C-37A or SM7:

into EAR 824M mic amp, 822Q or 823Q eqs, 660 comp/limiter.

Pretty much my chain for everything when recording one or two things at a time, but mics might vary further for instruments.

DS

[Dave Martin]

Originally posted by mgod
Mic will vary: U47, U48, M49, C12, C-37A or SM7:

into EAR 824M mic amp, 822Q or 823Q eqs, 660 comp/limiter.

Pretty much my chain for everything when recording one or two things at a time, but mics might vary further for instruments.

DS

mgod has ALL the cool toys!
It's good to see you here, DS - haven't seen you on line since I gave up on rec.audio.pro...

[mgod]

Hi Dave!

Haven't been around r.a.p., in a few years my own self. Brian Kehew turned me onto this place yesterday because they were talking about Helios. (Ran into a very r.a.p. situation right away of course - the power of personal computers, you know).

As for this:
"mgod has ALL the cool toys!"
...long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away, before I got married and had a kid and bought a house, what else was there to do? Have a life?

Hey, I've been to Nashville a bunch in these last 6 months, but I forgot to dig up all the cool people I met through r.a.p. who camp there. I'll remember next time.

DS

[NathanEldred]

EDIT Feb 2006:

These days I'm using a variety of pieces....

Soundelux E47, U47, Soundelux iFET7, Shure SM-7b (and soon the new UM57 original I just bought). I also like the Charter Oak stuff a lot, but haven't been able to pull a demo to use because they've been pre selling before they even arrive to us. Those are the go to mics, before I have to dig through the rest of the closet (which is a pretty nice variety).

For preamps lately it's been Vintech X73i or 473 (same thing), OSA MP1-L3, Buzz MA2.2TX or Mercury V72 or V76. I usually put the Chandler TG channel, MC77 and TG-1 on vocals during mix, but it's too risky for tracking IME (dial in the color). If it's not just a little light CS Trakker, then it's no compression at all during tracking. That's enough variety to work with any voice in my studio.

[chessparov]

Two homerecording microphones that, along with the SM7, stand up to the 'big boys" are the
Shure 546 (or SM56) and the Beyer Soundstar MKII aka Model 400 for my vocals.

These two have been the most likely for happy "accidents" :) so far.

To supplement the local pro studio, would bring these two, and also a Joe Meek SixQ-getting that when it's available. The pre is comparable to the
Grace units IMHO. Plus I like a Meek compressor's coloration, if used wisely.

Chris

[bloodstone]

Always a contender, the VC6Q. Electric guitars, voices and sometimes snare seems to always sound better through it. I'm glad I have three of them!

[StuartMac]

At the moment an ADK CE or a Soundelux U195 > Buzz MA2.2 > Buzz SOC1.1 or a Distressor > Crane Song Ibis (sometimes) > RADAR.

[mpr3]

Originally posted by NathanEldred
Usually...Soundelux E49 or E47--->Buzz MA 2.2 (using the Sowters on outputs)

Wow, I agree with you. If the tone needs more thickness, and less depth, I substitute the Vipre (low impedence) for the Buzz. I usually like a little HF boost on the E49. The E47 and E49 compliment each other nicely, so I wonder where the ELUX 251 would fit in?

The SM7 is finding constant use here as well, but it only seems to play well with high gain pres, usually taking more gain than the ribbons.

[James 'LA' Lugo]

Soundelux E49>1073>Distressor or E49>1073>737

We use the 737 on females sometimes to boost the hi end.

[Ckevperry]

Elux 251 to a Spider with Trakker on the insert.

[robmix]

The mic varies but I usually start with a BLUE Bottle, B6 or B7 capsule, into a Wunder Audio PEQ1 then an EAR660 into the DAW du jour. I have a HEDD but never got into using it's convertors, maybe on the next project. Right now I'm doing a punk record and the pre is the Great River MP2nv into a Neve 2254a, then a bit of 1176 on the mix.

[theom]

U67 or U47 0r sm7 or AT4047 into
John hardy M1 with output tranny into
La3a with the 1 resistor mod into
lucid a/d - PT or nuendo.

mostly doing girl rock/pop vocals of late.

Unless I'm going for a super compressed vocal this is the most workable chain for me.

faster comps always screw me when it's time to mix.
The la3a is smooth and wont kill transients.

[lowswing]

rock/pop c12 or sometimes beyer m500 i do a lot of singer /songwriter/folk thing and for some voices a ribbon mic with sanken 77dx mod is magic.
the pres are 80% of the time v72 the rest is v676 or cadac pres(+eq) i often compress the vocals "to tape" with compex or ADL lately with hard rock vocal the chain was 77dx-tele v676- ssl compressor

[airmate]

tracking:

brauner phantom c
siemens v72 or v276
pultec hlf-3
dbx 160sl

mixdown:

sonalksis eq plugin or urei 546
spl de-esser (optional)
urei 1178
dbx 160sl

style: soul, jazz, r&b, deep house

[mardyk]

My main vocal chain:

Soundelux u99
A-Designs MP2
Spl de-esser
Cranesong trakker

Or:

SM7b
Vintech X73i
Fatso (tracking comp/warmth3)

[brownmouse]

lately i've been starting with a soundelux u-195> speck 5.0> pendulum es-8 and/or distressor and/or trakker> cranesong hedd.... of course it varies radically depending on the song, singer, etc...
joshua

[5150MP]

Korby Kat 4 (vocals usually get C12 head first) into a Requisite Audio Pal Plus.

[Tim L]

Initial setup might be either an:

L47MPmkII -> Phoenix Audio DR2146

- or-

a Blue Kiwi -> Pendulum MDP-1a


Compression might be a Distressor, an RNC, Expressor maybe... chance decides.