EQing a Dozen Voices

[squids]

Hey Mark! It's sounding much betta now, way to work the eq magic dude!

[ernstinen]

Mark!Man, that's 110% better! Wow, what a difference. Good on ya, mate!Ern

[Mark Kaufman]

Thanks Squidly and Ern...Yeah I think I learned something here thanks to youse! Trouble is...I also see the remaining flaws. Proximity effect is killing me. Time for me to find a windscreen...but what I really want is a proper GOOD mic. I'm using an SM-58 for everything. I love my SM-58, mind you, but I really wish I could afford something more appropriate right now.Thanks for all the help, folks!

[ernstinen]

May 21, 2008, 3:04pm, lyle wrote: Proximity effect is killing me.Ya know, that doesn't bother me at all. The line with the bass boost sounds natural to stand out like that, IMHO.I love Tom Petty's studio vocals --- RIGHT on the mic (probably an expensive tube mic) which is a big part of his vocal sound.Then I saw him live with the Heartbreakers on TV recently, and the band was great, but Petty sang like s---, er, not very well. His voice is really thin, and the live vocal mic just didn't work for him. He NEEDS proximity effect bigtime!A 58 can work fine for a male vocal, but I've recorded female vocals on them (a long time ago), and it was like fingernails on a chalkboard when that upper-mid peak kicked in. Yow! 58s are designed to be "eaten," and if you get too far away from them they sound pretty puny, even on stage.My 2 cents,Ern

[silvercord]

Yeah i love the 58betasdidnt Tom Petty use '57s for his live stuff? at least thats whati saw him use in his videos...i remember it was the first time isaw an old '57our band's lead singer cringes when he notices that the bar weare about to play at has a 57 in the lead singer's mic stand..but hey its better than a gold star 'dynamic' mic with a 1/4 jack;)

[Mark Kaufman]

May 21, 2008, 6:14pm, ernstinen wrote:Ya know, that doesn't bother me at all. The line with the bass boost sounds natural to stand out like that, IMHO.Well, maybe I succeeded in taking out some of the Bill Cosby-style blowing in the mic distortion. I agree about that line being okay with some bassy oomph...but the earlier version pushed it a little too far, I thought.Yeah, Tom Petty. He's my kind of guy...we both sound a lot better in the studio.Here's some good watching: the DVD included with the Traveling Wilburys collection. It shows them in the studio as they worked those songs...they would get together in the morning, write a song as a group, lyrics and all, and record it before they went home at night. A song a day. Damn. I love those guys.

[ernstinen]

I like 57s for my own live vocals. I eat 'em and know how to not pop my "P's" on a 57. I think it's a better sounding mic than a 58, probably because there's no pop filter on it. I'm sure it's really the same mic basically.But I've got a HUGE voice, like Barry White. The opposite of Tom Petty. Ern

[edteja]

Tell your singer to buy himself a 58!! They aren't that expensive.

[Mark Kaufman]

Self, buy a 58.But I already have one.They aren't that expensive.But I--Just DO it!Okay.

[mojobone]

I've been getting excellent results with an inexpensive large-diaphragm condenser, the Marshall (MXL) V57M (69.95 from AMS with clip and shockmount) Not a U87 by any stretch, but in the ball park for under a c-note is muy bangs for the buckage. And yes, the shure SM57 and SM58 have the same capsule.Mark, your upgraded track sounds excellent. I've been wanting to attempt that 'beach boys' thing for a while now, and you've given me some inspiration!