Recording vocal....techniques

[roon]

I´ve been experimenting with using 2 different mics in different positions simultaneously when recording vocals, blending the two tracks afterwards. It has given me something that I have been looking for, and above all given me much better results with cheap-gear recording. Also, it opens up a whole new world of possibilities and combinations.

The first combination that gave me the wow-effect was a fat Ribbon-mic closeup (GR-8, similar to nady, tsm-84 and others), combined with a bright condenser a few feet behind (CM-H8C, resembling rodeNT series). Both through the same SPL Goldmike pre. Then mixing them with a 4/3 blend......sounded very nice and expensive to me......but above all it has it´s own unique sound, fat and warm but still present without being too bright.

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Anybody heard of this before or tried it ?

Anybody else care to share experiments they´ve tried ?

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Anyway, thanks to Gearslutz for being here.....getting internet at home is the best thing that happened to me in years

[joelpatterson]

My favorite tack is a typical stage dynamic, like my Sennheiser 835, paired with some kind of LDC like a CAD E-350. Especially with whisper-to-scream singers. If it's the first day of a project, I'll put up all kinds of things--Oktava 319, Nady ribbon, whatevers--and it seems like there's always a coupling that works best.

You are on the right track. But it's freakin' weird how every voice is so uniquely suited to a different thing. Almost like God planned it that way.

[roon]

Originally Posted by joelpatterson

You are on the right track. But it's freakin' weird how every voice is so uniquely suited to a different thing. Almost like God planned it that way.

Thanks Joel, nice to hear about your aproach.

And you´re so right about every voice being uniquely suited....I´ll even take it further and say, not just every voice, but also every song, your present mood, the location, every instrument....the whole situation at a given time.....

Thats why the game of experimenting and keeping my creative ears open is of much importance to me. I hate the standard pro-studio-wannabe phrase "just get a good neumann and your off and running".... Anyway I´m not an engineering pro myself and am not aspiring to be one either. I´m a soloartist looking for the right sonic ideas to suit my songs. And ofcourse most of my songs probably will end up being retracked with a pro-engineer and Royer, Neumann, Great River, SSL etc.....or whatever might make my sonic idea sparkle even more.

Guess my point is :

I´d rather take all the time I need to experiment untill I get the right sound on tape from the beginning. That means searching for right locations and the sweetspots of a setup.......almost like old classical 2-mic recordings.....no plugins or effects and ideally only mastering afterwards.

But the most important issue for me is to seach for the golden live take, musically and every other way (=that needs no editing or dynamic tweaking !!!)....might be take 255...or take 912......I know a lot of you might see this as some crazy almost zen-like sh*t.....but please let me live my dream for now

Any thougths on this aproach ? (All songs will consist mainly of a piano/vocal take....in some cases one or two strings and some extra vocals will be added....but all is acoustic)

roon

[Junkie]

Try combining a decent condensor (ribbon) with, wait for it, an AKG D112. When applied with the relevant EQ I really can work well

[Jules]

Re20 up close + distant PZM stuck on the live area side CR window - gave me an odd 'tiled room' / Smashing Pumpkins "Adore" vocal sound..(I think I blended each mic to a separate channel)

Never had much joy with dual mic's on vox appart from that.. but that's probbably due to fear of expirementation..

[roon]

Got a point Jules.....I ought to get my soloartistic fingers out of my ass before I expire ....ever heard of the prefectionist syndrome ?

Anyway what would be the best ribbonmics for vocal ?

How would you record the same person on vocal and piano live ?
(not concert, but live-recording)

I don´t necesarily wan´t it to sound 100% natural....more like vintage from venus