Anyone else's Valvet just sound harsh?

[Matt Grondin]

Hi, the last couple of sessions I've tried using my Valvet on vox and it just sounds really harsh... I'm not sure if I even like this microphone anymore... it does sound good on acoustic guitar, but I don't really need a 3000 dollar acoustic mic. I don't feel like I should have to do drastic EQ on my vox since both singers have pretty mellow voices... the Soundelux U195 sounded better on both singers. Are there any other mics you'll might recommend that I ditch the Brauner in favor of? I always wanted a U67 but I don't have that kind of money. Maybe something's wrong with it? Brad/Klaus, etc... is there anything that could make a Brauner sound harsh such as a dying tube? It sounds clear and unaffected other than the harsh top end. Thanks.

[Matt Grondin]

Thoughts anyone? I'm really worried that my mic isn't working up to snuff.

[Matt Grondin]

Ok, this is the last bump I promise... I just thought with Monday coming up, Brad Lunde might be in the office and checking the threads and I didn't want him to miss this one. The Valvet is several years old and it could probably use a checkup. I don't know what kind of tube life those things get...

You know, the more I think about it, the Great River preamp that I had paired it with could have been adding some of that harsh top end... I had the impedance and loading switches in. My only othe preamp choices would be an API or the pre's in my Midas Venice. I guess it's time to buy a preamp exclusively for vocals that's really smooth and not overly bright. Any thoughts?

[Jens]

Originally Posted by dobby12

Ok, this is the last bump I promise... I just thought with Monday coming up, Brad Lunde might be in the office and checking the threads and I didn't want him to miss this one. The Valvet is several years old and it could probably use a checkup. I don't know what kind of tube life those things get...

You know, the more I think about it, the Great River preamp that I had paired it with could have been adding some of that harsh top end... I had the impedance and loading switches in. My only othe preamp choices would be an API or the pre's in my Midas Venice. I guess it's time to buy a preamp exclusively for vocals that's really smooth and not overly bright. Any thoughts?

Why don't you upload a vocal snippet? Harsh to you might be silk to me :)

J

[David Rick]

Originally Posted by dobby12

Hi, the last couple of sessions I've tried using my Valvet on vox and it just sounds really harsh...

I couple of years back, I was looking for a new vocal mic, and I got both the Valvet and Valvet Voice on approval. I kept the Valvet Voice. On most singers I tried it on, the regular Valvet was way too detailed on the top, and didn't have enough body. The Valvet Voice, OTOH, produced a result that sounded more "finished". It sits well in the track, and sounds "big" without sounding muddy or boomy. These comments apply to conventional close-micing of a lead vocals. But if you have a strong singer and a good room, try pulling the mic back 18 inches or so, and bypass the compressor.

I did find one singer on which I prefered the Valvet to the Valvet Voice. My wife is a low soprano whose favorite stage mic is a Beta58. For some reason, the V.V. seemed to emphasize characteristics in her voice that weren't very flattering. Well, I am required to make her sound good because she is my wife, but I am not required to do it at the expense of paying clients!

For male singers, I find the Valvet Voice to be the clear choice. For females, I'd say "it depends". Some (but not all) may sound better on the Valvet.

David L. Rick
Seventh String Recording

[Matt Grondin]

Yeah, looking back I wish I had purchased the Valvet Voice but it wasn't available at the time. I wonder if they could tweak it out to sound more fitting for voice... and yes, it's a male vocalist that I was having problems with. Here's the most recent thing I did with the mic:

www.myspace.com/louieleclaire

All the instruments besides the bass and drums are going to be recut... we just put that together to try and get the guy an opening gig at this club. Thanks for the input. Later.

[not_so_new]

I have never used the Valvet so take what I say with a grain of salt but I really doubt what you are hearing is the preamp. A really cheap pre might cause this problem but the Great River and the API's are good units.

People seem to think that a preamp will make a HUGE difference but I tend to find, at least at the level of the GR and API stuff you have, the difference is much more subtle. The API might be a bit more punchy and the GR a bit more round but I don't think either is going to cause a mic that is already smooth to get peaky or help a peaky mic smooth out (enough to matter anyway).

I would tend to think this is an issue with the mic more than the preamp is all.