Vocal sound - natural or larger than life?

[Meriphew]

How do you prefer to have the vocals end up on your recordings - natural sounding, like the singer is standing right in front of you, or larger than life with alot of color? How do you get (equipment and techniques) what you're looking for?

I like my vox to be a combination of the two typically (THOUGH leaning a bit more to the colored side of the spectrum), and use either a Soundelux Elux 251 > GT Vipre > HD or a Shure Beta 58 > API > HD. Normally sung about 8" away from the mic w/Stedman windscreen in a small vocal booth.

[John Jeffers]

Totally depends on the style, but given that I usually do a fair amount of verb and delay on the vocals. I mix exclusively in the box (for cost reasons), and like the UAD-1's DreamVerb on vocals.

One track I did recently was a rock track with a rap vocal in the middle. I treated the rock vocals as I usually do, but ended up leaving the rap vocals completely dry except for some LA-2A compression.

[lyman]

One track I did recently was a rock track with a rap vocal in the middle. I treated the rock vocals as I usually do, but ended up leaving the rap vocals completely dry except for some LA-2A compression.

i find that hip hop vocals sound terrible with reverb on them. compression is good, especially with a handheld mic as many artists like recording that way.

[JGriffin]

How do you prefer to have the vocals end up on your recordings - natural sounding, like the singer is standing right in front of you, or larger than life with alot of color? How do you get (equipment and techniques) what you're looking for?

For clients, I prefer to make it sound how they want it. One of my clients likes lots of reverb and I tend to add short delays as well. He's a big fan of production. Another client likes things very dry and up-front; I've found the 1176-type plugins by Bomb Factory and Purple Audio to be helpful here. For me, it varies. Sometimes "natural sounding," which can involve some light compression, rolling off lows, a little delay. Sometimes I like to jazz it up a little, and add a short delay (10-25 ms) for a slight thickening/doubling, sometimes with a touch of modulation. I also double-track a lot, and in general I enjoy slappy delays. My more "naturalistic" vocals have been cut with an EV 667; mostly though I tend to use U87, U89 or AKG 414s for vocals.

[cgarges]

It's TOTALLY different from project to project. And that's not to say that there's "either-or." Take something like System Of A Down and you've got seemingly dry vocals in the context of something that sounds sort of "larger than life" overall, then look at something like Emmylou Harris' "Wrecking Ball," which has very bright and effected vocals in a very personal-sounding context. Either way can work, depending largely on the emotional context of the material. I enjoy the challenge of mixing, say, a hip hop project involving two guys and working on giving each their own "identity" in terms of sound, without it being like "Oh, here's reverb guy and now here's dry vocal guy." There's a lot you can do with subtle verbs, delays, EQs, filtering, compression, distortion, mic selection and mic technique.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[surf's up]

I try to keep things "realistic" partly because the reverbs i have access to tend to sound fake when used too copiously. I like to double-track, it just gives a beautiful effect. I almost always add a touch of reverb, sometimes a little bit from several different reverbs. Im still kind of figuring out whether or not i like delay on vocals. sometimes it seems to work and then doesnt, other times it does. i guess, like others have said, it depends on the project and needs of the artist you are working with.

[joel hamilton]

I like to go for the perfect vocal sound.

[JGriffin]

I like to go for the perfect vocal sound.

That'd be Emmylou Harris, then.

[joel hamilton]

I like to go for the perfect vocal sound.

That'd be Emmylou Harris, then.

[nick_a]

what I like to hear (which is not at all what i end up doing every time) is something lifelike, which to me a lot of times makes it larger-than-life. if that makes any sense. like something that when you turn it up is scary because you feel like the person is all around you.

[joel hamilton]

what I like to hear (which is not at all what i end up doing every time) is something lifelike, which to me a lot of times makes it larger-than-life. if that makes any sense. like something that when you turn it up is scary because you feel like the person is all around you.

I agree.

I dont even feel like there is a distinction to be made between "larger than life or realistic."

It is a human voice. some people sound larger than life standing right next to me. Some dont. I go for huge every time i put up a microphone, and then start whittling if needed to suit the song.

[joelpatterson]

Turn the mix all all ALL the way down, and can you still hear the words?

If you can't, then you don't really have a "song," do you?

[the brill bedroom]

I like to go for the perfect vocal sound.

That'd be Emmylou Harris, then.

Where can i get that plug in?