recording metal vocals

[Fishbrain]

what mics do you use, do you use a popping shield and if so har far away do you have it and how far away do you like the vocalist to be?

short and sweet

thanks

[csholtmeier]

Shure SM7b.

It's dynamic so you don't need a pop filter. The vocalist can handle it and jump around or do whatever. That fact alone helps bring out a better performance from a lot of harder style vocalists.

[Fishbrain]

cheers =)

[AGCurry]

Originally Posted by csholtmeier

Shure SM7b.

It's dynamic so you don't need a pop filter. The vocalist can handle it and jump around or do whatever. That fact alone helps bring out a better performance from a lot of harder style vocalists.

A pop filter is needed if the singer pops. This is true of all types of microphones. The SM7 comes with a foam condom, so the need for a pop filter will be lessened but may not be eliminated completely.

It is true that dynamic microphones can take more abuse than condensors or ribbons, and many of them are well-suited to many singers. It's not the only reason to choose a mic, though.

It's a general guideline that you choose a recording mic which, paired with the source, maximizes good qualities and minimizes bad ones. It's not rocket science but it is something that experience will definitely help with.

Other factors in choosing the mic are polar pattern and proximity effect.

[msquared]

Before you continue, reread AGCurry's post a few times and commit it to memory because it's the perfect answer to probably 1/4 of the questions that get asked in this forum.

"Metal vocals" could mean any number of things. Here is a quick and dirty list to help if you're not actually interested enough or able to put in the time and resources involved with an afternoon of serious mic testing.

If your metal vocals are Dream Theater style metal vocals, get any large diaphragm condenser. Put the pop filter 1' away.

If your metal vocals are Metallica style metal vocals, get a Sennheiser MD421. Put the pop filter 2" away.

If your metal vocals are Cookie Monster style metal vocals, get a Shure SM57. Don't bother with a pop filter, you need any kind of dynamics out of the performance that you can get.

[ric1312]

I'm somwhere inbetween the dream theater/james hetfeild vocals, in that I hit some high clearn notes, but I do some screaming too.

I bought a blue baby bottle condenor mic, not too long ago. Cost me about $600 or so dollars. comes with a it's own shock stand and pop filter.

I used to record with my 58 and got frustrated about the lack of detail.

What a difference, the baby bottle condensor is very nice it picks up every little bit of my voice.

I use a lot of input on the preamp. I like to use from tip of thumb to index finger as a guide for the distance from mic to mouth. This avoids the proximity bass boost that a lot of mics give. Of course with the shure I had to be right on the mic as it isn't nearly as sensitive as a condenser mic.

And don't forget to record vocals in a closed space like a closet or rig something up with a heavy blankets. Otherwise the mic will pick up background noise and reverb from the walls and will be hard to make sit in the mix right.

[Musiclogic]

EV ND767 isa great choice for dynamic if you need more detail and the durability. I use an AKG C3000B for the heavier vocals
and a Neuman TLM 103 for more melodic passages. My voice is smilar to LaBrie but a little clearer and not so nasaly in the upper register. And I always put the popfilter 3" from the shock mount

[chrisp2u]

Originally Posted by AGCurry

Other factors in choosing the mic are polar pattern and proximity effect.

The room you're recording in plays a pretty big part too (overall size, dimensions, acoustical treatment or lack thereof). This is particularly important with your distance from the mic as the room sound will be more enhanced as you move further away from the mic.
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