Recording Vox with Stereo Mics

[burns46824]

I'm recording an analog synthpop record in a few months. I'm thinking about using a Neumann U69 (stereo mic) for lead vox. The acoustics of the studio are fantastic. Needless to say, I've never recorded lead vox in stereo before...

Thoughts? Tips? Rebukes?

[boojum]

You can run that puppy in any number of configurations. You could run it as a single cardioid. Or, as an omni but then there is bleed. Can you tell us a little more???

[burns46824]

We were talking about the best possible vocal setups. He has access to a wide variety of mics, but he's had success on occasion with recording vox with stereo mics because they sometimes "float" better, as I recall him saying.

Wait, how exactly do you even interface a stereo mic? Does it have 2 XLR outputs or something? Would I need a stereo preamp?

Whoa, boojum, just saw you live in Astoria!

[boojum]

Here is the Neumann info: Georg Neumann GmbH - Products/Current Microphones/USM 69 i/Description


As it is two microphones you will have two XLR's which need phantom power and a feed into a mic input (pre-amp) rather than line in. I see on the site that it is used as an announcer and vocal mic but it is not clear if the mode is stereo.

[Sheikyearbouti]

Well, the problem would be that if the guy is moving too much (L-R) you will hear it. I am not sure that you want the vocal to jump around the speakers.
Perhaps you can enchain him This is why people record vocals in mono. However, this doesn't mean that you shouldn't do it!

I have done a few non-classical vocal recordings in stereo. I would go for MS. You can always bring down/automate the S fader if he is moving too much and you can actually chose how much of that stereo you want in the mix for the different sections. A good room is a must though - otherwise I see no point.

Once I used MS for beatboxing where we were after the space where I tracked the guy. Many times I have used a stereo pair to record backing vocals from distance in well sounding rooms. When the distance is greater even if the singer moves it is not too noticeable. Unfortunately I don't think that this would be suitable for a non-classical lead vocals.

[grrrayson]

MS is the way to go; you can leave it in mono as usual, adjust room to taste, or easily automate the ambiance per different parts of the song.

[JonesH]

As long as it's coincident you can move fairly freely from LR to MS. That said I've done this a few times ad usually ended up having the 69 in MS with omni Mid. If you like the sound of U87 on the talent you'll probably like the SM69.

[TapeOpAl]

SM69 is a great vocal mic - I'd echo the other suggestions of using it M/S then you've got the cardioid as a mono backup anyway. If it's the newer USM69 then you'll need two inputs with phantom power. If it's an SM69Fet or a tube SM69 they both have external power supplies.

[api2500]

I'd say M/S becaus that will stop the drifting. And use the Side as ambience. I wouldn't personally use Coincident for the same reason I wouldn't use Spaced Pairs. They give great stereo width so any wandering is going to be quite noticeable.

Why though? If you confident you can shoehorn the acoustics into the mix jus set a U87 to figure of 8 and go crazy.

[JonesH]

M/S is a coincident stereo technique, but do you mean that you don't matrix the MS to LR? If so, it's not really stereo. Might sound great though

[api2500]

Originally Posted by JonesH

M/S is a coincident stereo technique, but do you mean that you don't matrix the MS to LR? If so, it's not really stereo. Might sound great though

Sorry. I meant coincident as in the XY technique and coincident and near coincident.

But I think M/S is seriously underrated in the Pop/Rock/Synth world.

[slaphappy]

I've sung into a couple of different stereo x/y mics (Brauner, Avant) and found the results to be OK. All depends on what you're trying to accomplish. Singing straight into the mic, you're basically singing across (not straight into) 2 diaphragms which tends to give you less punch, and tones down dominant frequencies.

I've also sung into the 'space' of a spaced pair and found that to be enchanting (huge!) while tracking but a bit of a nightmare while mixing.

There are also issues of how far you'll pan the results, and what happens when you fold it to mono.

I'm not a fan of m/s, btw - always sounds fake to me.

If you want to hear what a stereo mic'd vocal sounds like, go to itunes and listen to tracks from 'Booker's Guitar' by Eric Bibb. 1 stereo royer on vox, 1 stereo on guitar. And for a solo artist, it sounds huge! But you can tell when he shifts his head a bit, and there are limits to how big you want something to sound.

Let us know how it goes!

[api2500]

I think for solo artist and guitar that makes sense. There is a lot less to mix so it's about getting it right at source (something I'm sure we love doing). I will check that track out thou.

[David Spearritt]

I have been recording classical singers for many years with stereo mics in Blumlein (SF24, AKG426). I have tried mono LDC and SDC mics and low spaced pairs and none of them produce the natural and focussed result that is fully integrated into the room sound like a stereo mic.