SMb7 with what 500 series preamp for vocals.

[Bradahman]

Aloha, this board has been so helpful... What 500 series preamp do you tend to pair them up with for vocals. Thank you in advanced.

[AdamJay]

well, that depends...

what's the vocalist sound like?

[zimv20]

fwiw, i put a strong female vocalist through an sm-7b and a BAE 312a on wednesday. she sounded good.

for whatever reason, my drs-1 couldn't quite handle the task.

[AdamJay]

Originally Posted by zimv20

for whatever reason, my drs-1 couldn't quite handle the task.

gasp!!!

[max cooper]

SM7 with an API 512c is like bowling and beer.

There may be a more expensive date, but I can't guarantee you'll have more fun.

[zimv20]

Originally Posted by AdamJay

gasp!!!

yeah, i'm a little disappointed here. she's a powerful singer and her high notes had been causing some unpleasant distortion. i tried:

1. Dragonfly -> drs-1 (lots of distortion)
2. sm7 -> drs-1 (tiny bits of distortion)
3. sm7 -> 312a (no distortion)

[AdamJay]

Originally Posted by zimv20

yeah, i'm a little disappointed here. she's a powerful singer and her high notes had been causing some unpleasant distortion. i tried:

1. Dragonfly -> drs-1 (lots of distortion)
2. sm7 -> drs-1 (tiny bits of distortion)
3. sm7 -> 312a (no distortion)

hmmm, with the dragonfly, did you try padding the input and cranking the gain / cutting the output to taste... as to not drive the output transformer any more than it needed to be ?

i had a singer like that 2 weeks ago. every time she hit a high note she just belted it, i think it was just a lack of control.
used an AT4060 w/ DRS-2 and did what i described above... but also angled the mic a about 15 degrees off the stedman and up just a tad.
Distressor helped as well

[Bradahman]

Originally Posted by AdamJay

well, that depends...

what's the vocalist sound like?

Thanks for the info guys... Aloha Adam thank you for all the help. I was not thinking about a particular voice, but i have noticed that there are quite a few engineers that seem to like the combo of the Neve 1073 and Sm7, and I was just wondering what were the 500 series combinations like.

[Midlandmorgan]

Most of the time, When using an SM7, for warmth with clarity I go for an ADesigns P1....for sheer raw power, I'll plug into an EM-Silver...

The OSA MP1C adds an "old school" (pun intended) flavor as well that adds some unique character...but like what has been said before, it really depends on the vocalist...

[Youn]

I've been doing the sm7 > 512c for a long time on vocals, really lovely. Got my biz a month ago and it really really shines as well, it's more open and extended in the highs, shimmery I wanna say. worked amazing for most songs, but one song I wish I woulda used the 512, it was the groups most hard rockin' song and I think vocals woulda cut through better because of the extra 'bite' the 512 gives. I've no other 500 series pres.

[NathanEldred]

Originally Posted by Midlandmorgan

The OSA MP1C adds an "old school" (pun intended) flavor as well that adds some unique character...but like what has been said before, it really depends on the vocalist...

And also the OSA MP1-L "Mutant" will give you a very different vibe with a more extended top frequency that the MP1-C is not intended to have. The Purple Biz is very clear and open as well.

[jebjerome]

I like the OSA MP1-L with an SM7 on male voices and I imagine it would be pretty good (or better) with the ladies as well.

The L3 and SM7 seems a little dark for vox to me, but if you had someone with a really bright voice that would probably subdue it.

[zimv20]

Originally Posted by AdamJay

hmmm, with the dragonfly, did you try padding the input

nope. i had the drs-1 down so low, i certainly could have. next time.

[AdamJay]

Originally Posted by Bradahman

Thanks for the info guys... Aloha Adam thank you for all the help. I was not thinking about a particular voice, but i have noticed that there are quite a few engineers that seem to like the combo of the Neve 1073 and Sm7

well unfortunately nothing in the 500 series will give you the 1073 sound.
if you want smooth fullness though, P-1, Mono Gama, Biz, MP1-L do it well, all with a good bit more air on top.

IF you want versatility, i'd say Mono Gama, Biz, and P-1 w/ ATTY are the 3 most versatile available, IMO.
The dual button on the Biz is capable of making an engineer wet his or herself, then again so is the Nickel switch on the Gama, and then again again.. so is an entire mix tracked through A-Designs.

and now you see why i bought them all...

[chetatkinsdiet]

As much as I do love the SM7, it's not the go to mic for a female vox....ever. I typically think of the SM7 for gravely smoking, whiskey drinking rock vocals. That with any of the API pres is magic. For females....I have no clue....unless you're talking something sounding very Pretenders and I'd probably grab for the SM7....I haven't been so lucky as to record one like that.

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[Bradahman]

Here's what I am dealing with... I am doing a small local project, and trying to do as much as I can at home... I don't have a vocal booth, so I am doing it with a Sm7, and Heil 30 and 40... I have tracked all of my sequences with an OSA L, and have started tracking voice. Everything sounds cool, but Uncle Sam is giving me back a little and I am thinking about getting another preamp to go along with the L. I am considering the the Pacifica, Biz. Gama or another OSA. What would you do. Thank you in advanced

[NathanEldred]

Originally Posted by Bradahman

Here's what I am dealing with... I am doing a small local project, and trying to do as much as I can at home... I don't have a vocal so I am doing it with a Sm7, and Heil 30 and 40... I have tracked all of my sequences with an OSA L, and have started tracking voice. Everything sounds cool, but Uncle Sam is giving me back a little and I am thinking about getting another preamp to go along with the L. I am considering the the Pacifica, Biz. Gama or another OSA. What would you do. Thank you in advanced

I would put it into a better microphone (big sexy tube condenser, yep), it's not the preamp. Cart before the horse and all....

[Bradahman]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge Nathan... If the lead vocals can't cut it with the SM7, I'll be heading to the real studio to redo those tracks on some vintage Neuman's going through Neve's, like our last 3 albums. I feel like the singing performance of my group will improve if we are not "on the clock." It's a different approach and it's experimental. So far so good really. I like how the L sounds. The sequenced tracks are Phatt, and the few voices tracked, sounds good. I AB'd a track I did at the studio with a Neuman U47 into a Calrec, with my home set up with the SM7 into the OSA L, and my home set up held it's own on that song. Our music is kind of"lovers rock" type of reggae. Just wondering if anyone has another combination with the SM7 that is working for them that could complement the OSA. If another pre won't make that much of a difference, the BIZ, Pacifica P1 or Silver or Gama, then I'll use only the L and save my money for a new baby crib. Thank you all, Happy Easter and God Bless....

[Bradahman]

JOHN PORTER
Los Microfones de Los Lonely Boys

With an awe-inspiring resume that includes The Smiths' early albums, Bryan Ferry, B.B. King, Ozzy Osbourne, Ryan Adams and so many others, John Porter could well rest on his laurels, but instead he plugs on, still doing vital work. The L.A.-based Englishman's latest hit is Los Lonely Boys' self-titled album, which has produced the inescapable video hit, “Heaven.”

Porter is an old hand at recording vocals and for this project, which was cut at Willie Nelson's Pedernales Studio in Texas (where the Boys hail from), he kept his recording approach simple. “I have some [Shure] SM7s, which I think are really great and they've saved me in all kinds of situations and with all kinds of instruments. They're really suited to being in a room with a lot going on. And they sound great. So that was my mic of choice for the tracking dates. There was also an old tube [Neumann] 47 that was a favorite of Willie's that I used a little. I had some baffles out in the room with them for some isolation, but they were right out there in the middle of it.” Porter says his vocal chain comprised “the SM7 into a Neve 1073 and an LA-2A or an 1176. I use very simple compression; I don't use too much — I'll go 3 dB at 3:1 or 4:1. And we used Pro Tools|HD.

“After I've done the tracking,” Porter continues, “if I'm going to be doing overdubs, then I'll do a mic shootout: put up everything we think might work: If there's a Soundelux Elux 251, I'll try that, a tube 47, C 12, or if there's anything that anyone particularly likes, I'll try that. I might have certain mics I'll use for certain purposes. If there's a singer that's a little honky [not referring to any racial stereotype!] or has too much of a certain frequency, an Electro-Voice RE-20 might work. Sometimes, too, if the singer wants to sing in the control room with the monitors blasting, I'm not averse to using a 58. But I'll always put the SM7 up. I'll put it up against the more expensive mics and it's quite often the mic of choice."

“But there are no rules,” Porter concludes. “A good performance transcends everything.”

[beechstudio]

I've been going to the A-Designs P-1 exclusively here lately for vocals. Makes me smile every time I pull the fader up!

[NathanEldred]

Originally Posted by Bradahman

The sequenced tracks are Phatt, and the few voices tracked, sounds good. I AB'd a track I did at the studio with a Neuman U47 into a Calrec, with my home set up with the SM7 into the OSA L, and my home set up held it's own on that song. Our music is kind of"lovers rock" type of reggae. Just wondering if anyone has another combination with the SM7 that is working for them that could complement the OSA. If another pre won't make that much of a difference, the BIZ, Pacifica P1 or Silver or Gama, then I'll use only the L and save my money for a new baby crib.

Just my personal opinion, I just think the mic is going to be far more beneficial here. I use the SM-7b, and sometimes it's the right thing, but I think that with a different preamp you are just going to see different, not better. With a different microphone there is the very real possibility that the tone will be much broader/deeper in soundscape, and more extended in frequency response. I've also noted that with the SM-7b, I need a lot more compression in general than with most condenser mics, it's a very 'fast' sounding microphone, almost too much at times.

Thank you all, Happy Easter and God Bless....

You too! To everyone here.

[sharky]

Originally Posted by max cooper

SM7 with an API 512c is like bowling and beer.

There may be a more expensive date, but I can't guarantee you'll have more fun.

Just looking at this thread... this is an AWESOME quote. Nice one. thumbsup

[bobx]

i agree about trying something other than the sm7 on a female vocalist. but if you must, you can't go wrong with the P-1... tons of gain and tons of detail.