Help please! Vocal volumes........

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 5:35 am

Ive been recoring for about a year now, I feel im pretty good at it but there is one big issue i can not figure out. When i record vocals i find it hard to adjust volumes to keep them equal though out the whole song, is there a way to limit the vocals to keep the volume from varying? I can adjust them manually after ward, but its never perfect. Like when the artist sing his voice varies, some times they are quiet at the begining of a verse and they get louder, and some times yelling. Is there a way to set a limit of some sort, so even if they get loud the volume stays the same??? I cant realy fully explain what im tryn to say for i lack in technical terms, if any one can help me it would be GREATLY apechiated.

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:23 am

BBBucka wrote:

is there a way to limit the vocals to keep the volume from varying?

Have you tried a Limiter? Wink

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:01 am

Same question. Different thread. Should be helpful:

http://www.recording.org/ftopict-47906-compressor.html

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 1:17 pm

thx

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 2:05 pm

Drop the face thing, not knowing about compressors is pale in the shadow of what I did when I was new...

No less than routing the output from a 500W amp into a laptop line in.

Also, if you want more information on compressors, check the search function for "vocal compression". Should return a few different takes, and remember there is no magic setting.

Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:55 pm

"No less than routing the output from a 500W amp into a laptop line in."

Oh please do elaborate. Razz

Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 1:53 pm

500W amp -> adapter -> laptop mic in in fact, wasn't even a line in.

Rather than use the line level outputs or the Rec out from the top of it... I take 4 completely gainless mic signals, mix them at badly crafted levels so that the LED ladder barely lights, and then turn down the mono out, and the laptop's rec volume in, until the clipping is only about 20% as bad as it was.

Surprisingly, nothing caught fire and the laptop sound card still works. Since then I've learned a bit more about amplifiers and their purpose, and where better to tap the feed from.

I guess that kinda makes it pathetic that nothing got damaged.

Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 2:23 pm

That's gold.

As long as you live and learn.
Though you must be blessed to have not blown the soundcard.

Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 9:30 pm

It's not my laptop Razz

and the guy who owns it hates it.
With 192MB ram and a 500MHz CPU so would I.

Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 9:31 am

What would be a good pre amp to use, And how do i use it??

Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 1:12 pm

You take your mic, plug an XLR cable (about 1" wide, circular 3-pin connector, in case you didn't know) from the mic into the preamp input, then a cable from the preamp output to your interface. Turn up the preamp until the microphone is at the desired level.

Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 1:34 pm

I know that much, But do u have a good preamp in mind? And within a resonable price range?

Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 1:38 pm

You asked how to use it.

No I don't. Decide what is a reasonable price range, and search for "preamp $XXX". There should be dozens of threads on preamps within certain budgets kicking around in there.

Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 2:28 pm

Im not tryn to be annoing, it seems im getting on ur nerves, but one last question and i will not bother you any more. I have a TAPCO D.I. BOX
used for limiting and evenibg out instermnts, would this work temporarly, untill i can afford a preamp??

Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 9:41 pm

No, it's not a preamp and can't be used as such.

Also, it shouldn't even out instruments.
My understanding is, a DI box contains a transformer. Basically it transfers the guitar signal from one circuit (guitar + input side) to the other circuit (output side + interface/mixer). In doing so, it allows the input to be at guitar level and the output at line level.
There WILL be a limiter in it, to prevent the signal going over a certain value which will overload the electronics, but you should be trying to dodge that.

Guitar signals are at a higher voltage than microphones which is why it doesn't work as a preamp.

I personally do compression after the recording, mainly because I don't have a hardware compressor but also because computers allow non-destructive editing. If you're happy to use software, find a free VST compressor (there are plenty), there are also a million limiters and EQs and reverbs and ... you get the picture.
That could save you getting a hardware compressor unless you have to work in realtime (eg live sound).

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