The decision process of determining the equipment components of the vocal recording chain is probably the most crucial piece of the vocal recording puzzle. As one could deduce from the previous chapters, the components become more limited and specific as the vocal recording chain is built. In other words, there are more microphone choices than there are microphone pre-amplifier choices, more pre-amplifier choices than compressor choices and likewise more compressor choices than EQ choices. This is mostly because as one progress through the chain, the choices of quality components become fewer and more crucial to a pristinely recorded vocal. Out of the four
components of the recording chain, the first two are the only requirements. The third step of compression is desirable, but not always available. The fourth step of equalization is optional and not often used unless there is a problem that needs a surgical solution.
The first step in finding the perfect vocal recording chain is to consider what voice-type you will be recording. Some microphones work better on certain voice-types than others. For instance, the Rode NT-1a, a very inexpensive mic, is one of the best for sopranos, but doesn’t sound as good on male voices. Conversely, the U67 is a really nice microphone for tenors because it has a high frequency “present” sound that sounds good combined with the warm frequencies in male voices.
In considering the different colorations of soprano voices, let us first take a look at a soprano voice that is extremely bright. First of all, if the brightness is extreme, then one might consider at least trying a ribbon microphone. The ribbon microphones rarely
themselves auditioning all the condenser microphones available on a singer and still feel the voice is extremely bright, then a ribbon might be the “one-in-a-million” solution. If a voice is just slightly bright, there is a possibility that a semi-warm condenser like the Neumann U47 might be perfect. It will just take a little of the harsh edge off, but still will have a very present sound. An AKG C-12 is also a microphone that adds even a little less warmth, but still leans more heavily to adding a darker color as opposed to adding an airiness or glossy quality.
For a soprano that is a light breathy quality soprano, a microphone that might work wonders would be a flat response microphone like the Telefunken 251 or even the AKG 414 (silver). These are both nice microphones and well-known for recording a voice pretty flat. The Telefunken 251 is better known for this than the AKG 414, but the 414 is known for adding more gloss or air to the sound. A rich heavy and warm sounding soprano would never sound very good on a U47, but needs a microphone to add a little bit of high end frequency to the rich warm character of the voice.
An alto that has a heavy rich tone almost comparable to a tenor, would probably sound great on a Neumann U67. This microphone tends to love warm rich voices. There is a certain amount of air or edge that this microphone tends to add to such a voice. It is kind of like the buzz you hear acoustically in a cello. The body of the instrument is very rich and warm, but there is a high end frequency or air with the bow hitting the string that has to be captured in the recording. It is exactly the same thing for a warm alto or rich male voice.
A lighter alto with less bump in the lower frequencies would probably sound better on a microphone like the Sony C-800 that has a bump in both the lower and higher frequencies. This microphone tends to fatten up a voice that might be a little thin.
The Sony C-800 is also a good microphone to use on an alto that perhaps has a bump in the middle frequencies of the voice somewhere around 2 KHz. This type of singer would tend to have a brighter, or more nasal sound. In this situation, the microphone would be smoothing or tapering the harsher quality existing around the 2KHz frequency in the voice.
Male voices in general all tend to sound good on a Neumann U67. The
tendencies of that microphone to have a bump in the upper frequencies are a match made in heaven with the male voice. Tenor voices especially sound good on that microphone, but also would probably sound great on the Telefunken 251. Male voices in particular need not be paired with a microphone that tends to add more warmth or richness in color unless the male voice is bright and nasal. In this case a Neumann U47 or one of the microphones built to emulate it, would probably be just what is needed.
In choosing the microphone pre-amplifier, one has to consider what colors are already “on the table” so to speak, as it pertains to the voice-type and microphone that has already been chosen. Some microphone pre-amplifiers tend to have a characteristic that is considered to be more smooth or, as some engineers describe it, more “buttery.” Other microphone pre-amplifiers tend to be more flat or natural sounding. The “buttery” microphone pre-amplifier would not normally be paired with a warm microphone and also a brighter microphone would not be paired with a microphone pre-amplifier that has
The compressors will tend to add a bit of color to the vocal but it is usually always an improvement. The use of the term color here is more in terms of making the vocal sound fuller and fatter. This quality is what I would call approaching more analog characteristics. It is along the same lines as a doubling effect, but not really the same principle being applied. The vocal will tend to sound more present, thicker and richer than when the compressor is bypassed. Both the attack and release should always be set to slow, around 3 o’clock, when recording a vocal. The ratio should also always be set to a slight setting of a 2:1 ratio unless one is recording a very hard-hitting vocal. The threshold is always at its best around zero or slightly under. The gain or output is sometimes bumped above zero, by 5-10 dB. Essentially, the compressor should be sonically undetectable, mostly being used to capture some of the additive characteristics of the compressor and catching a few of the hard-hitting transients that might occur while recording the vocal.
An equalizer is not normally used in the chain when recording a vocal. But if there is a frequency in the vocal that is presenting itself as a problem, then the Equalizer might be quite helpful. The Massenburg GML 8200 is a stereo EQ that might be one of the most affordable for what it does. It can surgically reduce or increase a frequency in the voice and do it by the thinnest of margins. This is a good piece to have in ones’ rack of equipment, but more of a luxury than a necessity.
In summary, as you can see pairing microphones with a particular voice is mostly about filling in a frequency range in the voice or carving out a range in the frequencies
that might be a little too prominent. The further down the vocal chain one progresses, the more perfect the pairing will start to sound if it is done correctly. And, if done correctly where the voices are recorded true to the acoustic instrument, very little equalization will be needed on the voice in the mix process. If the frequency response graph on the end of the chain can be close to flat without any dramatic peaks or dips, then the engineer has managed to capture a relatively true recorded waveform of the human voice.
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PERFORMANCE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE GLASS