30th June 2012
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#1 | | Gear interested
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 7
Thread Starter | Muffled, crappy sounding vocals. Need advice on making them sound better.
I am having a really hard time getting anything I record vocally to sound decent and not muffled or boxy. I recently started doing pre-production on my bands newest release and, at the moment, I am trying to track vocals. In the end, we will be going with a professional, but, for right now, I am just trying to learn. With that said, the gear I have, while not being top of the line, is certainly not terrible. I have an SM58 mic running through an ART MP pre amp (by far, the lowest quality thing I am running), as well as a Tascam US-122 MKii interface. While this rig is not great, I still feel like I should be able to get vocals to sound better than what they do currently. I have heard that my biggest problem is probably the closet that I am recording into. Basically, I opened my closet doors, put covers around the sides on the inside of the closet, then I took some foam and put it behind the mic. While I'm not walking in the closet and shutting the door behind me, I'm still in the closet when I record. I'm going to post a clip of one of my bands songs and get some opinions from you guys. Do you think this has to do with my closet, equipment, or just eq'ing in general? I really want to know what I'm doing wrong here. Please, let me know. I am definitely new to this as far as vocals go, so I am quite clueless right now.
Here's the link: Clip - Vocal Diagnosis by SFSErik on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free | 
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30th June 2012
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#2 | | Gear maniac
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 286
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I had awful recordings also. They only way was too buy decent mic and pre. Your mic is great for live work but unless you have a top end pre it's going to sound boxy.
I think a nice condenser mic would be a start.
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30th June 2012
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#3 | | Gear addict
Joined: May 2006 Location: VA
Posts: 467
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I had an old us-122 once upon a time...
Can't listen to the link currently....
Do you use the sm58 on stage with good results??
doesn't the tascam have enough gain w/o the art??
Apparently u can't delete posts from the droid app btw
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30th June 2012
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#4 | | Gear interested
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 7
Thread Starter |
Thanks for the reply's, guys! Honestly, I probably don't need the pre. I've just been using it because #1: it was suggested to me that I get one get one and #2: because I'm a gullible noob. That, honestly, might be the result of my problem. However, I'm still not sure. Also, I'm going to be getting a condenser soon, anyways. However, do you think a condenser will be decent for recording more aggressive vocals with? I have heard from some other people that dynamics are often better for that sort of thing. What do I know, though, lol. Oh, and, yes, the SM58 usually sounds fine onstage. It is rather old, though. It has got its dents and dings.
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30th June 2012
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#5 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Feb 2009 Location: San Diego
Posts: 1,899
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I would not use a tube pre for this style unless it was a really good tube pre. A solid state with transformer would be better.
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King's Ransom Studio
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30th June 2012
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#6 | | Gear interested
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 7
Thread Starter | Quote:
Originally Posted by KRStudio  I would not use a tube pre for this style unless it was a really good tube pre. A solid state with transformer would be better. |
Any that you could suggest for a decent price?
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30th June 2012
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#7 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Feb 2009 Location: San Diego
Posts: 1,899
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The Daking one is one of my favorites for under $600. Great pre at any price really. The Universal Twinfinity is nice. The gap 73 is great also. If these are out of your price range just use Mackie, Behrenger or what ever and keep the gain low. Bring up the level at mix down in your DAW
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30th June 2012
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#8 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Mar 2012 Location: Yay Area
Posts: 1,101
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Maybe it sounds boxy because your recording in a box?
A dynamic mic is not going to sound overly bright. Which is why some people love recording with dynamic mics. Could be that the mic does not fit the singers voice or that closet boxing in you bass tones.
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30th June 2012
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#9 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Feb 2010 Location: New York
Posts: 1,508
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The sm58 may be the culprit. 95% sure. That mic always makes me sound like I stuck something in my nostrils! There are some inexpensive alternatives, like a Blue Yeti or Rode. Try em out!
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30th June 2012
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#10 | | Gear Head
Joined: Apr 2012 Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 47
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The first problem is the the vocal referenced is too loud over the music, which sounds slammed through a brickwall Limiter. While the music may be compressing, the vocal over top of it doesn't sound nearly as compressed.
What you should do is cover the basics:
Low cut/Hi pass everything below 100hz or so, wherever you can get to without hurting the fundamentals.
Since it's recorded in a closet, sweep through the frequencies of the track with EQ during playback and find those standing waves that stick out the ugliest and notch them down.
To ultimately match your vocal tone to the music you'd benefit from some multiband compression to tame out some of the low mids and mid range timbre in the track
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30th June 2012
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#11 | | Gear maniac
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 286
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Usually people recording vocals using dynamic mics ( Metallica , chili peppers , Pete Murray ) are running them through expensive high end equipment like 1073 and 1176 s and they add the zing. My live vocal mic was a beyer dynamic that was awesome for me live but no matter what I did trying to record with it sounded like shit.
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30th June 2012
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#12 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Feb 2012 Location: Yonkers, NY
Posts: 1,482
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No need to go in the closet with the sm58. Room shouldn't be a problem with that dynamic. Those mics do have a sound though that won't work on everything no matter how you eq it. Try a different mic before you go crazy.
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30th June 2012
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#13 | | Gear interested
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 7
Thread Starter |
Okay everyone. Thank you all for your responses. It has really helped! I have taken from all of this that #1: the mic is most likely the problem, #2: Eq'ing could also be a major culprit, and #3: the closet is also hurting the sound. I've decided to address the mic problem first. With saying that, I'm planning on buying a new mic. Can I get any suggestions on good mics that will give out a better sound that won't indeed break the bank?
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30th June 2012
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#14 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Feb 2010 Location: New York
Posts: 1,508
| Quote:
Originally Posted by SFSErik Okay everyone. Thank you all for your responses. It has really helped! I have taken from all of this that #1: the mic is most likely the problem, #2: Eq'ing could also be a major culprit, and #3: the closet is also hurting the sound. I've decided to address the mic problem first. With saying that, I'm planning on buying a new mic. Can I get any suggestions on good mics that will give out a better sound that won't indeed break the bank? | I would go to your local music store and try out a Rode & Blue Yeti condenser mic. I think the Yeti is surprisingly great for a mic under $100. I had a voice over person come over recently and she preferred the Yeti to a Neumann u87ai! Getting a sound you like will depend on what works for your voice, so try before you buy!
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30th June 2012
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#15 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Feb 2009 Location: San Diego
Posts: 1,899
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Get a used Shure KSM 32. You will never regret it.
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30th June 2012
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#16 | | Gear interested
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 7
Thread Starter |
You guys think its just best if I sac up and shell out the money for an SM7B?
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30th June 2012
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#17 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Feb 2010 Location: New York
Posts: 1,508
| Quote:
Originally Posted by SFSErik You guys think its just best if I sac up and shell out the money for an SM7B?
Sent from my ADR6300 using Gearslutz App | No, No, No. You need to try before you buy. Try the SM7B, Rodes, Blue, etc.... pick the best one for your voice!
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1st July 2012
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#18 | | Gear maniac
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 286
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Yes try before you buy if possible . Unless your like me who buys with his "stupid" part of the brain and leaves the "smart" part of the brain to deal with it later.
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1st July 2012
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#19 | | Gear interested
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 7
Thread Starter |
Haha! Okay. I will definitely push to try out whatever I can before making a purchase. The only sad thing is that the nearest music ANYTHING around my area is about an hour and a half away :(
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1st July 2012
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#20 | | Gear Head
Joined: Apr 2012 Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 47
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Personally the only 2 mics I ever felt had a professional quality sonically at the recording stage (recorded in the bedroom) were the sm58 and the sm7. 2 Dynamics, yes people say the sm7 has ultra low output but in my experience I never had a problem with this and you can practically kiss that damn mic without it distorting or popping on the right levels.
If you have an untreated room you shouldn't bother with a super sensitive condenser, but really just focus on your performance out of anything, that's the key to fitting the song
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1st July 2012
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#21 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Mar 2012 Location: Yay Area
Posts: 1,101
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or maybe focus on treating your room and stop letting that cripple your music.
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1st July 2012
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#22 | | Gear doesn't kill people.
Joined: Apr 2006 Location: NY
Posts: 1,988
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Even through a decent pre, an SM-58, with the right singer, can sound great. With a great pre it can sound fantastic. The Art pre is a piece of sh*t. I'm not saying it might not work for somebody somewhere in some oddball situation but the chances are slim. Replace it and you'll see an immediate improvement.
A too dead closet is not a great place to record vocals a lot of the time. Again not that it can't work but people tend to overdo the damping. Take some of the foam out and see what happens.
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