I need simple tips for recording and editing my voice

[AA63]

Thank you so much. I won't be recording the background track myself; I'll be using tracks I download. I suppose I can still do it anyway, right?

Don't overthink it - just use Garage Band. You just drag your backtracks into the interface then record your voice over it. Seriously just open it and have a look around, watch a couple of videos - it is very easy to use and comes with way more than enough for your needs.

 

[ruidito]

Don't overthink it - just use Garage Band. You just drag your backtracks into the interface then record your voice over it. Seriously just open it and have a look around, watch a couple of videos - it is very easy to use and comes with way more than enough for your needs.

I´ll do that, thanks a lot.

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

Thank you so much. I won't be recording the background track myself; I'll be using tracks I download. I suppose I can still do it anyway, right?

Sure. Just sing to the background track regardless of the origin. You can record it as track 1, then your vocal as track 2. After that you can mix them however you like. Multi track recording offers a lot of possibilities.

 

[ruidito]

Multi track recording offers a lot of possibilities

That´s great, thanks.

 

[DVDdoug]

And no, no condensor mic is needed, you can use a dynamic mic if the preamp (build in with the rode usb mic) is strong enough.

If the preamp has enough gain. Many interfaces don't have quite enough gain or they are borderline. Most mixers or stand-alone preamps are OK. A lot of people end-up using a Cloudlifter or FetHead. Added "stuff" and added expense. Often it's unknown in advance and you end-up buying one of those boosters, or another mic, later.

And it depends on what you're recording, how close you are to the mic, and the strength of your voice, etc. Dynamic mics are fine for a snare drum but maybe not sensitive enough for an acoustic guitar, etc., depending on preamp gain.

Condenser mics are typically 20dB "hotter" which is a lot!

A hotter mic also helps with the signal-to-noise ratio with regard to preamp noise. It doesn't make any difference with acoustic room noise (which is usually a bigger problem than preamp noise) because the condenser picks-up more signal and more noise. A lot of people get the impression that condensers pick-up more noise but once you adjust the volume it's the same.

A directional (cardioid) mic helps a bit because noise from other directions is reduced. Most (all?) of the mics discussed so-far are directional.

 

[ruidito]

If the preamp has enough gain. Many interfaces don't or they are borderline. Most mixers or stand-alone preamps are OK. A lot of people end-up using a Cloudlifter or FetHead. Added "stuff" and added expense. Often it's unknown in advance and you end-up buying one of those boosters, or another mic, later.

Condenser mics are typically 20dB "hotter" which is a lot!

And it depends on what you're recording, how close you are to the mic, and the strength of your voice, etc. Dynamic mics are fine for a snare drum but maybe not sensitive enough for an acoustic guitar, etc., depending on preamp gain.

For recording my spoken voice, in a poetic style or for reading stories, what do you think of this combination:

Solid State Logic SSL 2 Plus MKII
Shure SM7B

 

[Waxx]

The preamp has 64dB gain, the SM7B, a true classic for this, need +60dB for a normal voice so that should work. And that combo is often used for voiceover recordings in the broadcast industry down here so except when your voice is very low volume and you're standing not close to the mic, it should work.

Condensors are hotter, but also way more sensitive for a not treated room with bad acoustics. So in general it's better to use a dynamic mic with a good preamp when home recording as they are way more forgiving for bad acoustics. And high gain preamps don't have to cost a lot actually. Even the very cheap Focusrite Scarlett has 69dB of gain today. Other microphones that are fit for the job are the Senheiser MD441 (very expensive), the EV RE20 and the Neumann BCM 705. They are all used a lot for radio broadcasts, podcasts and voice overs.

But even with less expensive mics you can do a lot. +20 years ago I recorded tons of radio shows with a SM58 on a Dateq broadcast console preamp and that worked also. And it sounded a lot better than the AKG C414 we also had in our toolbox for a while, because of the not-professional treated room we had to use for this (very low budget radio making it was). We used the C414 mostly as overhead of room mic for live broadcasted performances of artists on our station. If you use a condensor, make sure the recording booth has good acoustics, or it will sound bad.

 

[ruidito]

The preamp has 64dB gain, the SM7B, a true classic for this, need +60dB for a normal voice so that should work. And that combo is often used for voiceover recordings in the broadcast industry down here so except when your voice is very low volume and you're standing not close to the mic, it should work.

Condensors are hotter, but also way more sensitive for a not treated room with bad acoustics. So in general it's better to use a dynamic mic with a good preamp when home recording as they are way more forgiving for bad acoustics. And high gain preamps don't have to cost a lot actually. Even the very cheap Focusrite Scarlett has 69dB of gain today. Other microphones that are fit for the job are the Senheiser MD441 (very expensive), the EV RE20 and the Neumann BCM 705. They are all used a lot for radio broadcasts, podcasts and voice overs.

But even with less expensive mics you can do a lot. +20 years ago I recorded tons of radio shows with a SM58 on a Dateq broadcast console preamp and that worked also. And it sounded a lot better than the AKG C414 we also had in our toolbox for a while, because of the not-professional treated room we had to use for this (very low budget radio making it was). We used the C414 mostly as overhead of room mic for live broadcasted performances of artists on our station. If you use a condensor, make sure the recording booth has good acoustics, or it will sound bad.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply.

So in general it's better to use a dynamic mic with a good preamp when home recording as they are way more forgiving for bad acoustics.

Which ones would you recommend?

 

[AnalogSteph]

Condensors are hotter, but also way more sensitive for a not treated room with bad acoustics. So in general it's better to use a dynamic mic with a good preamp when home recording as they are way more forgiving for bad acoustics.

I will add that this is mostly down to average speaking distance, which directly impacts the ratio of direct to reflected sound in a major way. If you have a vocal mic tuned for use at 2" (5 cm) and use it at that kind of distance, of course it'll pick up a lot less ambience than a condenser at 8" (20 cm). The difference is going to be biggest in the low end as proximity effect is involved as well. Your average condenser will be tuned to be flat in far-field, so at short distances they'd get pretty wooly. (Conversely, you wouldn't want to be taking ambient recordings with a dynamic, as the lack of low end and uneven und fairly directional high end make them anemic and dull sounding.)
Condenser vocal mics also exist though, mainly for live stage use, and they handle much like their dynamic counterparts. Which is both a blessing and a curse as short distances make getting rid of plosives a lot more tricky. At a larger distance a bit of off-axis placement may well be sufficient, even without a dedicated pop screen in front of your mouth (good enough for ABBA, good enough for me).

If you (OP) are serious about this, look up tutorials on how to make a budget vocal booth (it's not necessarily hard or expensive) and go for a traditional LDC. Audio Technica AT2035, RØDE NT1 (not so much the -A which is the "radio voice" version) and Sennheiser MK4 (+ MKS4) would be typical "relatively neutral" choices with more or less slight treble tilt.

If you want more of a typical streaming setup instead, there's multiple ways of skinning this particular cat... LDCs, pencil condensers or dynamics can all be made to work decently in some fashion.

 

[ruidito]

I will add that this is mostly down to average speaking distance, which directly impacts the ratio of direct to reflected sound in a major way. If you have a vocal mic tuned for use at 2" (5 cm) and use it at that kind of distance, of course it'll pick up a lot less ambience than a condenser at 8" (20 cm). The difference is going to be biggest in the low end as proximity effect is involved as well. Your average condenser will be tuned to be flat in far-field, so at short distances they'd get pretty wooly. (Conversely, you wouldn't want to be taking ambient recordings with a dynamic, as the lack of low end and uneven und fairly directional high end make them anemic and dull sounding.)
Condenser vocal mics also exist though, mainly for live stage use, and they handle much like their dynamic counterparts. Which is both a blessing and a curse as short distances make getting rid of plosives a lot more tricky. At a larger distance a bit of off-axis placement may well be sufficient, even without a dedicated pop screen in front of your mouth (good enough for ABBA, good enough for me).

If you (OP) are serious about this, look up tutorials on how to make a budget vocal booth (it's not necessarily hard or expensive) and go for a traditional LDC. Audio Technica AT2035, RØDE NT1 (not so much the -A which is the "radio voice" version) and Sennheiser MK4 (+ MKS4) would be typical "relatively neutral" choices with more or less slight treble tilt.

If you want more of a typical streaming setup instead, there's multiple ways of skinning this particular cat... LDCs, pencil condensers or dynamics can all be made to work decently in some fashion.

Thank you so much, I'm taking every piece of advice you're giving me. I have one last question, I don't want to take up any more of your time: how could I improve the Shure SM7B in conjunction with the Solid State Logic SSL 2 Plus (since that's what I ended up buying based on the advice I received before reading yours)? What exactly should I do?

 

[AA63]

Thank you so much, I'm taking every piece of advice you're giving me. I have one last question, I don't want to take up any more of your time: how could I improve the Shure SM7B in conjunction with the Solid State Logic SSL 2 Plus (since that's what I ended up buying based on the advice I received before reading yours)? What exactly should I do?

1) Learn the basics of EQ, Compression/limiting and gain staging.

2) Record a few tracks. Listen back to them on different devices (headphones/monitors, your house stereo, car, computer).

3) Adjust EQ/Compression/limiting and gain staging - LOL.

Depending on how "pro" you want to get - you will most likely want to do some basic acoustic room treatment for recording to cut down the reflections that the mic picks up while recording - the reflections will come from the walls (maybe ceiling too) where the microphone is pointing (behind or to the side of you).

You easily build these yourself, or buy a few of them - they are called bass traps. 8-10 cm thick will work well. To start with you could just tack some moving blankets (or thick curtains) to the wall behind you to see how it affects the sound. If you take a few pictures of your room, I can show you where the traps should be hung. Don't bother with the foam type thingies. If you take a few pics of your room setup I can show you where to hang them.

Those will most likely make a big difference. The reason is that when you compress your voice (to make the recording even and smooth), you are raising the quietest recorded frequencies and noise -> which will be your room - this is why some recordings sound boxy - the "box" is your room.

Hope this helps - have fun!

A

 

[ruidito]

1) Learn the basics of EQ, Compression/limiting and gain staging.

2) Record a few tracks. Listen back to them on different devices (headphones/monitors, your house stereo, car, computer).

3) Adjust EQ/Compression/limiting and gain staging - LOL.

Depending on how "pro" you want to get - you will most likely want to do some basic acoustic room treatment for recording to cut down the reflections that the mic picks up while recording - the reflections will come from the walls (maybe ceiling too) where the microphone is pointing (behind or to the side of you).

You easily build these yourself, or buy a few of them - they are called bass traps. 8-10 cm thick will work well. To start with you could just tack some moving blankets (or thick curtains) to the wall behind you to see how it affects the sound. If you take a few pictures of your room, I can show you where the traps should be hung. Don't bother with the foam type thingies. If you take a few pics of your room setup I can show you where to hang them.

Those will most likely make a big difference. The reason is that when you compress your voice (to make the recording even and smooth), you are raising the quietest recorded frequencies and noise -> which will be your room - this is why some recordings sound boxy - the "box" is your room.

Hope this helps - have fun!

A

Thank you so much for your detailed help. To address the basic acoustic issue (since I don't have a suitable place to even install the panels), I was thinking of buying this. What do you think?

Soundbox

 

[AA63]

No, save your money. Try some test recordings to see if you have any problem before buying anything.

I would think that that thing will do more harm to your sound than not - it is totally disrupting the pattern of the mic and if I had to guess would create a very unnatural boxy result.

 

[ruidito]

No, save your money. Try some test recordings to see if you have any problem before buying anything.

I would think that that thing will do more harm to your sound than not - it is totally disrupting the pattern of the mic and if I had to guess would create a very unnatural boxy result.

Perfect, I'll do that. Thank you very much.

 

[ruidito]

No, save your money. Try some test recordings to see if you have any problem before buying anything.

I would think that that thing will do more harm to your sound than not - it is totally disrupting the pattern of the mic and if I had to guess would create a very unnatural boxy result.

Will something like this generate the same "lockdown" effect?

 

[Cbdb2]

Condenser mics are typically 20dB "hotter" which is a lot!

A hotter mic also helps with the signal-to-noise ratio with regard to preamp noise.

There hotter becuase they need an internal pre amp (thats why they need phantom power). So the noise depends on that internal pre and there not all the same.

 

[Cbdb2]

Will something like this generate the same "lockdown" effect?

View attachment 504706

If your close enough to a cardioid and dont whisper that wont make much difference. (unless your room is an echo chamber). Bigger concern might be ambient noise. How quiet is your room?

 

[ruidito]

If your close enough to a cardioid and dont whisper that wont make much difference. (unless your room is an echo chamber). Bigger concern might be ambient noise. How quiet is your room?

Generally quite quiet, except when an ambulance siren passes by the door or a neighbor's dog barks for a few moments.

 

[Cbdb2]

If your recording than your a recording "engineer". Dont know how your gonna get around that.
The hardest and most important things to do properly are proper distance from the mic and compression.
A mic thats too close adds a load of bass and increases level at the same time (a compressor wont change the bass boost). So any movement will change the sound. The real pros know how to "work the mic". When they belt out a line (some singers add 20db to there level) they will pull away from the mic (or move the mic away). You can see this in live performances. This sounds much better than hitting the compressor with that boost or even overloading the mic.
Compression can be tricky. Especially if the vocal is very dynamic. With 4 different parameters (threshold,ratio,attack/release times) there are dozens of combinations. Too little compression and the vocal can go from uninteligible to overwhelming. Too much and the vocal looses impact and character and can even distort. Most novices have trouble hearing it in the mix, which is where it should be dialed in.
With todays digital recorders you dont have to compress till after recording (back in the tape days it was done during recording to decrease tape noise and if not done properly could ruin a take, and a career) so you can adjust compression till the cows come home.
Good luck and have fun!

 

[ruidito]

If your recording than your a recording "engineer". Dont know how your gonna get around that.
The hardest and most important things to do properly are proper distance from the mic and compression.
A mic thats too close adds a load of bass and increases level at the same time (a compressor wont change the bass boost). So any movement will change the sound. The real pros know how to "work the mic". When they belt out a line (some singers add 20db to there level) they will pull away from the mic (or move the mic away). You can see this in live performances. This sounds much better than hitting the compressor with that boost or even overloading the mic.
Compression can be tricky. Especially if the vocal is very dynamic. With 4 different parameters (threshold,ratio,attack/release times) there are dozens of combinations. Too little compression and the vocal can go from uninteligible to overwhelming. Too much and the vocal looses impact and character and can even distort. Most novices have trouble hearing it in the mix, which is where it should be dialed in.
With todays digital recorders you dont have to compress till after recording (back in the tape days it was done during recording to decrease tape noise and if not done properly could ruin a take, and a career) so you can adjust compression till the cows come home.
Good luck and have fun!

Thanks? JAJAJAJ