Odd Vocal Recording Techniques

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Bear
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Odd Vocal Recording Techniques

Post by Bear » Wed Oct 17, 2007 5:20 pm

I tried searching for this, but didn't exactly find what I was looking for. But I've been messing around with vocals a lot lately (singing through paper towel rolls, metal cans, tracking stuff outdoors, etc), and it's been fun. I want to do more of it. But I was curious as to what other things people have come up with. It'd be nice to have some more ideas and approaches, some more angles to come at this from.

So what do you got? Even if it's just plug-ins or stomp boxes you've messed with. Anything and everything is fine.

And for old time's sake ... boobs.
I am wangtacular.

???????
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Post by ??????? » Wed Oct 17, 2007 5:52 pm

what would happen if you got a box fan, put it on low speed, directed the airflow at your face (away from the mic) and sang into it? I guess you'd have to get one with a quiet motor or sing loud.

Sorry, I got nothin.

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BradG
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Post by BradG » Wed Oct 17, 2007 6:59 pm

I used to use the Merlin phone system in our old studio to run stuff (especially vox) through. Just mic the speaker of the phone in the hall and intercom from it in the control room. It sounded pretty awesome actually.

Another cool trick is to put a cone of paper (or preferably something harder) around an SM57, making a sort of "reverse megaphone". Sort of like those things they put around a dog's neck to keep them from chewing themselves. Then vary the distance to the vocal until you get what you want.

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Post by Recycled_Brains » Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:02 pm

a recent song i tracked involved the singer singing his harmony parts into a toy megaphone from one room, into another larger room (distance of around 15 feet or more) where i had placed an LDC in omni. sounds awesome.

in my band, i handed my Boss PS2 pitch-shifter/delay pedal over to our singer for contorting his screams and growls. can't wait to record that.

can't believe i've never thought of that fan idea. how many times had i done the "Luke, i am your fatherrrrr" routine when i was younger.

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Post by tommy » Tue Oct 23, 2007 2:43 pm

stick every single acoustic guitar (or any acoustic stringed instrument for that matter) on stands and all tuned to various notes within the key and relative minor key/s of the song and stick the whole lot into the vocal booth with the singer and mic. Try an omni on the singer to capture both the singer and the sympathetic notes that ring on the guitars. Or use a separate room mic for the guitars.

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Post by ??????? » Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:20 pm

just this past weekend I sang into an old crystal-element plastic microphone from god knows where in the 60s, into a tube echoplex, and into a tweed champ miced up with a sennheiser e609.

It sounded great! :shock:

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Post by @?,*???&? » Tue Oct 23, 2007 6:09 pm

Best kept secret is varying lengths of PVC...

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I'm Painting Again
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Re: Odd Vocal Recording Techniques

Post by I'm Painting Again » Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:19 pm

Bear wrote:I tried searching for this, but didn't exactly find what I was looking for. But I've been messing around with vocals a lot lately (singing through paper towel rolls, metal cans, tracking stuff outdoors, etc), and it's been fun. I want to do more of it. But I was curious as to what other things people have come up with. It'd be nice to have some more ideas and approaches, some more angles to come at this from.

So what do you got? Even if it's just plug-ins or stomp boxes you've messed with. Anything and everything is fine.

And for old time's sake ... boobs.
your going to crash the board with language like that Ben..


ever sing into the snares of a snare drum?..that doubled under a main take can be very cool..sing into vases, pipes, etc.

sticking shit up your nose can change the sound too..

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Post by PIAPTK » Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:20 pm

I went up to the school I taught at late at night a long time ago with my four track and recorded myself singing through the PA system. I'm pretty sure there are much easier ways to achieve that sound, but it was fun.

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Post by Patrick McAnulty » Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:11 pm

PIAPTK wrote:I went up to the school I taught at late at night a long time ago with my four track and recorded myself singing through the PA system. I'm pretty sure there are much easier ways to achieve that sound, but it was fun.
but then it won't be as authentic. :)
?_?

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Post by drumsound » Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:19 pm

Let's see,

-handheld mi into guitar amp,
-cheap-ass cassette recorder mic right next to good mic
-megaphone made of poster board
-mic tailored for another instrument (Beyer TGX50 'designed' for BD or D112 come to mind"
-Mylar ductwork
-Aluminum tube that I think used to be a table leg
-sing at a metal music stand, pointing mic at the mic stand
-SCD pointed at a tri-corner with singer standing off axis
-singer singing or talking into piano with the sustain pedal down
-cell phone on mic singer calling cell phone
-person calling one studio line from the other
-sing through Leslie

I can't think of any other's I've done but I'm sure there are some. Let's see,

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A-Barr
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Post by A-Barr » Tue Oct 23, 2007 11:42 pm

How about the Bowie/Heroes trick?

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Post by kearnsalot » Wed Oct 24, 2007 7:28 am

A-Barr wrote:How about the Bowie/Heroes trick?
Beat me to it.

Take contact mics and wrap them around the next so they are over the voicebox and vocal chords. I can't wait to try this one.

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Post by qball » Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:25 am

How 'bout hanging a mic from above and swinging it in a circle?
I think women should leave the toilet seat UP!!!

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red cross
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Post by red cross » Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:40 am

Or hanging the singer from his feet and swinging him round the mic?

Or micing the singer lying on the floor?

Or micing the back of the singer's head?

Or plugging a direct inject socket into the singer's throat?

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