Best Possible Vocal Recording

[Fingerpistol]

I have an Avalon 737 and access to a Neumann U87Ai but my current Audio interface is a Tascam US 2X2. From what I have read, any sound quality gains made from having the Avalon and the Neumann will be canceled out by having the cheap interface. I don't really have a need for multiple inputs, I just want to record the best possible vocal track I can on my own schedule, without the pressure of paying studio rates. I have a decent sized home studio, but other than being reasonably well insulated, it hasn't been engineered for perfect sound quality. I am recording to Pro Tools 12 on a laptop via USB. I have read the Apogee Duet will give me the best AD converters short of a multi-thousand dollar system. So... does anyone have any recommendations for the best possible vocal recording setup utilizing the Avalon 737 and the Neumann U87ai? Is the Neumann- Avalon - Apogee setup the best that I could do?

[joninc]

Use the line input on your tascam out of the Avalon. Keep your levels well below clipping.

If you don’t think it’s good enough, buy the best converter you can afford.

Focusrite Scarlett. Apogee etc

[A.David.MacKinnon]

Try what you've got before you buy new stuff. I don't know the Tascam unit but in general I find converters make the least difference of anything else in the chain.
Better and best are subjective and moving targets but I'd be amazed if you can't get good results with what you've got.

[vvv]

+1 on what them two said.

[Snarl 12/8]

You might also find that room treatment and monitoring setup makes more of a difference than converters in terms of overall recording quality over the long term. How can you make good recording/equipment decisions if playback is lying to you?

[kslight]

I don't really subscribe to the often repeated idea of a nice chain between cancelled out by a low-end interface, but its true that its not ideal for cumulative reasons (ie: some interfaces you can't bypass their internal preamps, some interfaces may have worse latency, etc...and yeah some converters could be bogus) . Whether or not its audibly significant though...I couldn't confidently say without trying it. The converters I've compared feel only subtly different to my ears. Your current interface seems pretty new so even though its on the low end side I would imagine that its converters are equal or better than maybe 10-15 year old pro level converters. And a lot of commercial recordings have been done on things like ADAT and old Pro Tools Mix systems that most people wouldn't touch today..

On the other hand, how well your room is treated is a pretty noticeable improvement, if not as sexy a purchase. I would argue more beneficial than a fancy preamp.

Though it does seem sort of unbalanced to put thousands of dollars of gear into a $150 interface, if you aren't having any trouble now, and it sounds fine...I'm not sure I would change it right away. I have no experience with the Duet but even though it bears the Apogee name, it is still for all extents and purposes a low end interface and probably would not be a massive (if at all) sonic upgrade.

I guess you could always buy an interface from a dealer with a loose return policy, and see for yourself if the difference is worth it to you.

[losthighway]

Good advice on here so far. I'd also say the "best" possible vocal recording depends on how the mic is paired with the singer.

Any of the 'ai' edition, newer Neumann stuff is pretty top heavy in my limited experience and extensive research. This might be ideal for some singers and less flattering for others. Sometimes a different mic helps make the best possible vocal recording.

[drumsound]

I'm going to agree with the posts above me. You should start by doing some recording with the pieces you already have. If you are unhappy, its time to start investigating options. A new U87ai is going to hear a lot of your room, so if it is problematic, that mic will point it out. Some simple and effective treatment will always be a long term benefit. There are a lot of good options in 1-2 channel interfaces if you decide you are not happy with your Tascam's conversion. As mentioned, go into a LINE input from the Avalon. See what you get.

[floid]

I read a post somewhere recently which argued the "best first good" mic for a home studio vocalist is not a condenser, but an re20. One of the key points was that the re20's reduced proximity response and lower sensitivity let it work better in a less than acoustically ideal room.
Which is not me saying, "Oh, your mic sucks/ is the wrong one," but an agreement with others that there are likely other less subtle improvements to be made to your recording and playback chains, and the acoustic space(s) they occupy, before you can accurately judge the impact of a converter upgrade.

[losthighway]

I read a post somewhere recently which argued the "best first good" mic for a home studio vocalist is not a condenser, but an re20. One of the key points was that the re20's reduced proximity response and lower sensitivity let it work better in a less than acoustically ideal room.

Totally. You could record vocals in a coat closet, or in a garage with a mattress behind you on an RE-20 or an SM7 and get usable results.

[vvv]

Jeez, it's gettin' like g-slutz around here.

Now, somebody tell the Bono-SM58 story.

Or the Thriller thing.

[losthighway]

Jeez, it's gettin' like g-slutz around here.

Ouch.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

+1 to:

1. use what you have
2. converters make the least difference of anything (i'm keeping my lavrys though)
3. room treatment room treatment room treatment
4. re20/sm7

[A.David.MacKinnon]

Jeez, it's gettin' like g-slutz around here.

Now, somebody tell the Bono-SM58 story.

Or the Thriller thing.

I love that the big difference between tomb and GS is “use what you’ve got” vs “buy more stuff”.

[losthighway]

I love that the big difference between tomb and GS is “use what you’ve got” vs “buy more stuff”.

I'd like to see a gearslutz thread where someone recommends trying something less expensive.