My vox rec setup

[deeaa*]

Here's how I record my vox these days:



Scary thing, huh?

What I have there is an SM57 with popscreen for close-miking my vox. From there the signal goes to a DBX 387 tube preamp, and from the preamp it goes to my 8-channel Presonus soundcard and also via a Boss SE-50 Fx unit to a behringer MiniMon mixer, allowing me to sing and hear effects that won't get recorded, plus mix the level of vocal monitoring as I sing in relation to the backing. The recording is however straight from DBX to Presonus.

I also have a little farther off an AKG 414 large diaphragm condenser, which provides a natural ambience sound and, mixed in and phase-corrected, also adds a nice air and sensitiviness to the vocal sound...this goes straight to DBX not to monitors.

Then I also have on the stand a headphone output, and a Shuttle jog wheel device for remote controlling the DAW (play/rec, fwd/rwd, undo, change channel) so I can carry the whole mic stand monster with all its features to the bathroom and sing there in quiet :-)

Only of late I have had intermittent problems with scratches and pops...maybe a bad lead, seems hard to pinpoint where it comes from really, but it's driving me nuts ruining great takes now and then with garbled tracks. I just went over all connections and all seems to work fine...we'll see when the next track gets done!

[Eric***]

When I saw your picture, my response was "with a robot?"

Any descriptions like this always make me want to give up on real recording, because it seems so complicated and expensive. It's taken me forever just to figure out guitars a little bit...

I did get a Zoom H2 recently that I'm itching to try out. Maybe tonight.

[deeaa*]

zOoms are superb for recording! I've been seriously thinking I'll just record my next guitar tracks simply in stereo with the Zoom R16 mics, no hassle and they sound great.

Seriously, you can get great vox sound just with a decent soundcard with mic in and an SM57 or 58. But you do NEED a pop filter; nylon panties stretched over a ring will suffice for that. I used to have this wireframe I'd wrap over the mic and hold the mic&frame in my hand when I sang. All the other stuff is just final touches and there for the sake of usability away from the DAW.

[deeaa*]

Yep the 414 is an industry standard for sure.

I have now changed my setup entirely, tthough...I omitted the 57 and just use the 414 in a cradle now...and put up a monitor on the wall for seeing the lyrics/Cubase as I record, some 4 feet away from the computer. Much more economical.

[deeaa*]

Well, the setup's changed drastically. I got a suspension cradle for the mic, and put it some way from the computer. I bolted a 20" flatscreen on the wall behind it, as 2ndary monitor, so when I record I can just look at Cubase and lyrics off it. Also put a small shelf under the monitor for the Shuttle remote; now that it's isolated from the stand and especially with the cradle, there's hardly any handling noise from using it.

To top it off I put a webcam there so I can record my 'performances' for band video purposes. To do all this I also needed a bright light over the monitor plus an USB hub there so I can have 6m plus lines no problem. Put the Stealth Pedal there too on the floor so I can play standing up.