distorted live vocals - green bullet?

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billypeake
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distorted live vocals - green bullet?

Post by billypeake » Tue Dec 16, 2008 12:14 pm

Heya, long time lurker and fan of the mag.

I am seeking advice for distorting live vocals.

When recording in the past, I've used a green bullet to sing some counter melodies and really enjoy the sound. Do you have any ideas or thoughts on pulling this off live?

1. I don't want the mic to be on at all times and I don't want to rely on the sound guy, so I plan to run it through some sort of footswitch (maybe a Morley).

2. I need the bullet to be near my main mic - so I can sing through both at the same time. Will that be an engineering nightmare?

3. Do you have any suggestions on how to mount a bullet on a mic stand? Those things are odd shaped!

4. Do you have any alternative suggestions to the bullet or the process?

Thanks!

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Re: distorted live vocals - green bullet?

Post by joel hamilton » Tue Dec 16, 2008 12:18 pm

billypeake wrote:Heya, long time lurker and fan of the mag.

I am seeking advice for distorting live vocals.

When recording in the past, I've used a green bullet to sing some counter melodies and really enjoy the sound. Do you have any ideas or thoughts on pulling this off live?

1. I don't want the mic to be on at all times and I don't want to rely on the sound guy, so I plan to run it through some sort of footswitch (maybe a Morley).

2. I need the bullet to be near my main mic - so I can sing through both at the same time. Will that be an engineering nightmare?

3. Do you have any suggestions on how to mount a bullet on a mic stand? Those things are odd shaped!

4. Do you have any alternative suggestions to the bullet or the process?

Thanks!
I did sound for a band in the 90's that did this. We used a CB mic with the button, and ran it straight to a small amp, and mic'd the amp. the amp was not loud, just enough to get the level up for the mains and the monitor.
He would just have it hang off the main mic stand, and use it handheld sometimes.
If you are playing an instrument and need to do this with your feet, I guess a footswitch and a copperphone would be my first choice. Its not really about distortion like "gain" for a guitar, it is about limited bandwidth, so you arent feeding back the mains and monitors. If you go that route, you wont bum any sound guys out, even when you are singing through both at once.

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Post by billypeake » Tue Dec 16, 2008 12:24 pm

Thanks Joel - I thought about running it through a small amp as well. And yeah, I play the guitar while I sing, so holding it is a problem. I'll just get creative with the duct tape!

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Post by joel hamilton » Tue Dec 16, 2008 12:33 pm

billypeake wrote:Thanks Joel - I thought about running it through a small amp as well. And yeah, I play the guitar while I sing, so holding it is a problem. I'll just get creative with the duct tape!
The bullet has a stand mount. SO does the copperphone.

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Post by RoyMatthews » Tue Dec 16, 2008 12:36 pm

joel hamilton wrote:
The bullet has a stand mount.
The bullet I have doesn't have a stand mount. :(
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Post by bluesman » Tue Dec 16, 2008 1:05 pm

The newer Green Bullets, intended for harmonica players, have a volume pot in place of the traditional mic stand mount.

Back in the good ole daze, we used to run any hi Z mic into a fuzz pedal & into a guitar amp....turn down the gain on the pedal & play with the amount of distortion to dial in the Neil Armstrong effect.
Last edited by bluesman on Tue Dec 16, 2008 1:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by mdavenue » Tue Dec 16, 2008 1:13 pm

Here's another idea... I picked up a carbon mic some time ago - basically an old analog telephone receiver mic with a 9 volt power supply. It's trashy sounding in the best way and came with a power switch on the unit, so you wouldn't have to mess with a pedal if your hands are free. And it's got ok rejection if you're singing right up on it.

The guy who sold me mine is apparently out of business, but there are some specs out there and it seems like a pretty easy thing to assemble yourself with a visit to radio shack.

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Post by curtiswyant » Tue Dec 16, 2008 1:14 pm

Use an amp or, my favorite, a bullhorn!

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Post by billypeake » Tue Dec 16, 2008 1:27 pm

You guys are awesome. My hands aren't free, so switches are a bad idea.

My bass player is warming up his soldering gun to amalgamate an old red telephone and an XLR cable into a DIY mic. If we can't get that loud enough, I may look into a copper phone. Those look badass.

In the meantime, I am just gonna run a 58 into a little practice amp.

Thanks everyone!

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Post by thunderboy » Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:11 pm

billypeake wrote:My bass player is warming up his soldering gun to amalgamate an old red telephone and an XLR cable into a DIY mic.
Wire up the earpiece, not the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece requires voltage, while the earpiece is passive.

jt
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Post by calaverasgrandes » Tue Dec 16, 2008 11:13 pm

that was one of the first audio things I figured out when I was like 9 or 10. Then my mom got home and was like, WTf did you DO to the phone!

There have been a few previous threads on this topic, mostly to the tune of dont be dick to the sound guy by putting a distortion box on a 58.
The problem with a lot of harp mics like the bullet is that they are omni and sit right in feedback hell. If you dont have your hands cupped on it then it will feedback.
I have seen some bands mount bullhorns on a mic stand with some screw tightened hose clamps.
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Post by zachary » Wed Dec 17, 2008 1:20 am

i have a copperphone and one of those bing carbon mics that i use for this...

what also works well, is radioshack hi-z mics, i like to run mine into my tape echo with the input up all the way, obviously not everyone has these thing at there disposal, but maybe you can get a cool bandpassed thing going on with a really crappy eq pedal or two?
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Post by getreel » Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:57 am

you can use one of those cheap stereo bars to mount both mics on the same stand. that's all I had to add.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/search. ... +bar&rkg=1

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Post by TV Lenny » Thu Dec 18, 2008 7:04 am

The bullet mic is okay but for that real distorted vocal it has to come from within. You need to sing LOUD. Sure you might blow your vox chords every now and again but thats what singers do. I found smoking cigars in addition to everything else also helps. Develop some polyps. I found the only way to get raging, in your face, molest me I'm a clown, vocal distortion is by way of the throat polyps.
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Post by getreel » Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:01 am

I found the only way to get raging, in your face, molest me I'm a clown, vocal distortion is by way of the throat polyps.
Classic!

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