Beth Orton vox thru SM57 on new record

[max cooper]

I dig the ol' 57 on vocals, and some hate it.

Just reading that Beth Orton's vocals were recorded into a 57 on "The Comfort of Strangers".

Of course, the other mics were all the usual suspects; 4038/C-12/U-47/M-160 so it's not a "cheap gear record" by any stretch of the imagination.

There's just something about the 57 that I sometimes like better than anything else.

The Audix I-5 doesn't come close when I need that thing.

Interesting, anyway.

[BB Bill]

My favorite vocal sound in the world is on "Leaving Las Vegas" with Sheryl Crow, I read somewhere that that was a 57 through an old neve desk and slammed with a Fairchild.

Sometimes I can get a 57 to work for vocals, other times it just sounds like ass. Positioning is a bitch because once the singer starts getting close to the mic to get a little bit of proximity effect going, if he/she moves just an inch it changes the sound completely. But if you can find the sweet spot and keep the singer there, a 57 can be pure magic on vocals with the right pre.

[Killahurts]

I read that too (Beth Orton). It also said everything was recorded to analog.

It's been a while since I tried a 57 on vocals.

Seems like almost every time I have, it was close but didn't end up making it on the track. Sometimes an RE20 worked better.

[TonyBelmont]

People were slamming on me in other threads when I said I use the 57 for vocals... It's nice to hear that the 57 works for others, too.

[snappydad]

I have a crush on Beth Orton, especially now that she has been hanging with Bert Jansch! All that AND she can sing through a 57. MMMmmm...dreamy.

[aevan]

I love a 57 for vocals. 57 into shep into 1176. I write with singers a lot so we record in the control room as we go, speakers blarin, but in mono. A lot of these vocals have been used as we can never get the same vibe in the big room with headphones and condensers.

PS I too have a crush on Beth Orton. I have for a long time now. If only she would return my calls. Something about a restraining order....

[The dman]

I thought I read once the Paul Rodgers (Bad Company) cut some of his vocals in the control room with a sm57. Don't know if it's true

[Ol' Betsey]

She was at my last London show and came up and asked for a CD afterwards.

I saw her a few weeks later at Kristen Hersh (now there's a songwriter...) and she blanked me.

Guess she thought my record was shit...



I actually know a few people that have worked/work (engineering/producing/writing) with her and hear she's really lovely if a little artistically, um, tempermental. But then again, aren't we all?

Anybody check out the Emiliana Torrini album? Would really like to check out the Exchange recording studios some day...

Sorry to go off topic.

I really like the vibe and sound of 57/58 in front of blaring monitors too.

For some reason I tend to stick with 58's but one band I was working with had this raunchy rock and roll thing goin' on and I threw up a 57 and they were like 'hey, the Jon Spencer mic'. Did the trick...

R.

[aevan]

Oh, I forgot to mention that on the 57 I put a foam sock from a U87 and tie a rubber band around it so there's probably an inch of space between the mike diaphragm and the top of the foam sock. It keeps them from swallowing the mic and stops them getting to boomy. It also looks like one of the mics from the old wrestling matches on tv if you hold it hanging by the cable above your head.
Lets get ready to rrrrrrrrrummmbllllllllllllle

[RCM - Ronan]

Originally Posted by TonyBelmont

People were slamming on me in other threads when I said I use the 57 for vocals... It's nice to hear that the 57 works for others, too.

Quite a few hit records have been cut with 57s and 58s as the lead vocals.

[theblue1]

Having a pair of '57s and being lazy, I've used them a few times for vocals.

For my voice (and since I quit taking clients, it's all about me ) , they don't work so good. But I do like them on strummed acoustic guitars and until recently they were my first choice for miking my guitar amp.


But the other night, being lazy, instead of going and getting my kick mic stand and SM57, I laid my NT1, already out and on a stand, sideways and propped it up to about 8 inches from my Blues Jr amp, off-axis and got one of the best, warmest clean blues tones I've ever got.

So, I'm rethinking my SM57 amp miking habit a bit...

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by rcm

Quite a few hit records have been cut with 57s and 58s as the lead vocals.

That's what I said, but some people don't want to listen..

[bloodstone]

Saw Beth Orton at Antone's in Austin during SXSW. The show was amazing. Very moving. She reminded me of a pre-heroin Marianne Faithfull. I'd never seen a woman swear so much on stage! The crowd was talking a lot and it pissed her off. A very talented artist!

[shikawkee]

You might be surprised how many great vocals were recorded with a SM57.

[max cooper]

Originally Posted by snappydad

All that AND she can sing through a 57. MMMmmm...dreamy.

Yeah, I think that way too. Sure, I can ask for a super expensive mic, but can I make a 57 sound good too?

I think that before you ask a girl to marry you, you should make sure she'd be ok with a 57.

[bloodstone]

Originally Posted by max cooper

Yeah, I think that way too. Sure, I can ask for a super expensive mic, but can I make a 57 sound good too?

I think that before you ask a girl to marry you, you should make sure she'd be ok with a 57.

Also, make sure her favorite mayonaisse is Duke's.

[mookie]

i don't have a 57, but i really do like my 58 on my own vox. and a lot of my first album was thru a 58.
i'm trying to figure out how to record myself this time round. now i have a 58, an sm7b, and a 414 b-uls. they all have qualities i like. i think i may switch from song to song, trading on acoustic and vox mics.

[Jonathan.D]

*manual quote for a forum dummy*Anybody check out the Emiliana Torrini album? Would really like to check out the Exchange recording studios some day...*end of m.quote"

YES! she has the most exciting vocal sound, what's in her chain?
the exchange work with some self made consoles that haven't got more than a gain knob, makes sense that she recorded through it. When you work with good performers all you need is to get as many circuits out of the way to the recorder as possible... i can really recommend the exchange from my experience, fresh approach to recordings but especially to mastering!

Back on topic; just last week i made a battle between the blue bottle and the 57, we ended up recording with the blue, but i noticed the 57 does deliver some 'intimacy' if you can call it that. as if the vocalist's lips are ON the speaker and he's really close to you (i wouldn't mind...say... emiliana in that situation)

[petsematary]

Now, THERE's a great rock singer!! Sweet lord, he rocks thy asses.

Originally Posted by dsd

I thought I read once the Paul Rodgers (Bad Company) cut some of his vocals in the control room with a sm57. Don't know if it's true

[taturana]

i love her voice... it probably sounds good anyway on any mic....

[espasonico]

I´m surprised to find that there is somebody surpised by the fact that the SM57 is used for vocals on a " not cheap gear record". Mics are just mics, just choose the right one, don´t care about the price tag tutt

[redddog]

Doesn't Bono regularly cut keeper vocals with a 57?