The perfect vocal * * * LIVE

[elliottwinston]

I know there were a couple threads started on this.. and im sure im gonna get corrected .. ugh.. but this is about LIVE vocal sound..

Let me explain what im using..
I am using JBLS Srx tops with two Mrx duel 18 subs....
crown power
and digital Yamaha board..
and a BSS Opal FCS-966 Graphic Equalizer
singing through beta-58

what im having trouble is..getting that perfect vocal sound.. I have eliminated some of the annoying frequencies i have found.. I took some of the 1k and 500 out.. im wondering if there's something else im missing .. what is the secret to eq-ing a vocal.. i know every room is different and every system is different.. but are there frequencies that no matter what, you take out, almost every time???

THANK YOU

[Thumper]

What style of music? Male, female?

Mic technique is THE BIGGEST factor.

Depending on how close you are to the mic, proximity effect has a ton to do with it as well. If the vocalist is right up on the mic, you're going to get a ton of 250hz.

Don't highpass too high or too low. 80hz area for dudes, 125 for chicks.

I wouldn't take out 500 or 1k unless something else is way out of whack. A lot of definition hangs out there, and that's what you need.

If it's sounding too "middy" you might think about adding some 4-5K. (watch that though, because those are the feedback frequencies that KILL)


Make sure you have decent and properly setup compression as well...

[glissando]

disagree with the above.....JBL is usually harsh at 2.5...630 gets chopped a lot, 400 sometimes, 200-250 sometimes

[bishopthomas]

Glissando is spot on with thse frequencies. Maybe a little 1.6k as well. But now we're talking about JBL's, not vocals. Each voice is going to be totally different so just use your ears. A trick for finding frequencies if you're not too experienced at it is to take a big cut and sweep your frequency until you find it. Then add back what you need. By the way, I high pass WAY higher than 80Hz. 125 is my goto but I've done 160 many times with much success.

[jasonraboin]

I would have to say that with a B58, SRX, and Yamaha digital console, the "perfect" vocal is a bit out of reach. That said, have you tried recording it and listening back? This will tell you if it is the input or the system tuning (or both) that you don't like. If it sounds exactly the way you want it to on playback in headphones or on studio monitors, then you need to work on your system tuning, speaker placement, etc. If not, then I would start with the mic. There are much better vocal mics available than the B58. I am a HUGE fan of the Heil PR35, and others rave about the Telefunken, Neumann, and some of the higher end Sennheiser mics. I also use a high end mic pre for my main vocal. It makes a difference, but at a significant cost. Another word of advice is to try not using the high pass filter on the Yamaha consoles. They always seemed to me to cloud up the lower mids. Try a low shelf instead. This is more feasible on systems with the subs on an aux send. The PR35 has a high pass filter built into the mic so that helps, too.

[mixedupsteve]

Beta 58s have a hump at 8k. If there sounds like a problem up there then I often set high mids eq there and cut a little and then slowly sweep down to see what works best.
What exactly is it about the sound you don't like?

[elliottwinston]

Thanks guys..

what i guess i feel like is missing is some highs.. the bottom end is nice..and the mids are screaming.. but im missing some nice highs.. i hate boosting anything for live.. id rather just take away.. but damn..not sure what to do..

[hbphotoav]

Originally Posted by elliottwinston

Thanks guys..

what i guess i feel like is missing is some highs.. the bottom end is nice..and the mids are screaming.. but im missing some nice highs.. i hate boosting anything for live.. id rather just take away.. but damn..not sure what to do..

I worked a SRX system at a thing in Florida in March. The singer likes what he hears in his ears from a Beta 58... however, the SRX are, to be kind, a bit honky. Even after spending a good bit of time tuning them, the B58 still sounded a bit woofy, without a lot of presence... to be fair, he's a lips-on-the-grill singer, and the 58 has a bunch of proximity effect. I went to a Beta 87A and things got immediately a lot better, with less cut at 125/250 and a nice, open bit of "air" without channel EQ.

If you can get to a Beta 87A (also nice for dual wedges, being hypercard) or a SM86, I think you'll have the top end you're looking for, with, perhaps, a bit less channel futzing. Beta 87A is pretty much my goto for small systems that rely on 2/12 and 2/15 mid/hi boxes over subs. It was a bit much, however, through a demo D&B T10 line array back in May. Of course, going from a pair of 1" HF drivers per side to eight HF devices per side with a lot more directional control might have had something to do with it...