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Distortion when recording loud vocals

Matthew	Date: March 11, 2007 @ 6:29 AM Hi there, I've recently had some probs with recording vocals on my new track "The Idea of March". Towards the end I'm singing a lot louder than I was at the beginning, but some line are still performed more quietly. Anyway, it doesn't seem to matter how low I set the gain on the mic channel it still distorts when I sing loudly, even if I'm doing it at the other end of the room! Has anyone got any recording tips for vocals that might help me along the way? My equipment is an MXL990 condenser mic,a 10 year old Numark DMX1100i dj mixer and a pc with adobe audition.
Orion	Date: March 11, 2007 @ 6:41 AM I can't help you
hate9wicket	Date: March 11, 2007 @ 10:50 AM Use a pop filter, one of those things shaped like a disc, that you clamp in front of the mic, so you don't get to close to it and it cuts out some of the sibilance....you can make your own stretching a pair on nylons over a clothes hanger, it achieves the same thing...I just put a stocking cap right on the mic, cuz, you know..microphones get cold too! You might also experiment with compression, to even out the peaks and valleys in your singing volume, however, remaining at a consistant distance from the mic helps more than anything. One other thing: it might be the mic itself, does this occur often?
LiQuidMetamo...	Date: March 11, 2007 @ 12:20 PM Like what he said...esp. compression. If the volume varies widely and you're not singing very expressively with a wide range of notes and octaves then use a compression ratio of 4 or 5 to 1. If you are singing more expressively you don't want to lose so many dynamics so 2:1 compression . Also use a limiter to limit peaks and prevent digital overs. Set it to -2 or -3 db just to be sure ! How close to the mic are you? If you have a naturally loud voice either move the mic back, sing a little more controlled (quieter) or replace your mic with a dynamic mic like a Shure SM58 etc. and see if that gets you a better result. Usually condensers are better for recording vocals but if you're loud, then a dynamic mic may fit the bill.
Matthew	Date: March 11, 2007 @ 3:40 PM Well, if I want to sing lower parts I usually sing more quietly and closer to the mic. For the louder parts on this particular song I was literally jumping back a few feet to try and stop the distortion! I've now tried the compression (never understood what it was before) and it works well, I'm gonna play around with is in future and also make my own pop filter like H9W said (I've been meaning to for a while). Thanks for all the help guys
Thaspian	Date: March 11, 2007 @ 5:04 PM You're probably overloading the mic preamp. You're going mic --] mic pre(inside the mixer) --] interface.. if you turn the mic pre gain down, you lower a distorted signal. you can buy pads for mics that lower the signal coming out of the mic. I think condenser mics usually have a pad on them to prevent the signal going to the small transistor inside the mic from distorting, guess it depends. As far as compression, IMO, it's best to compress after recording, because you can't change it if you record compressed. Also, just my opinion, but after 3:1, you have serious compression going on. 4 or 5 to 1 is only something I'd use if I were looking for that kind of sound, not just for everyday stuff.
LiQuidMetamo...	Date: March 11, 2007 @ 5:15 PM Agreed. Good, experienced singers only need 1.5 - 2.5 to 1 ratios to even out the peaks and troughs. If I'm singing whack it up to 8:1 and get out the autotune Agree also that compression is better used as a post recording effect. Another thing to do is clone the vocal track and put the non compressed track in the background underneath the compressed vocal and then it gives extra power to reverb and delays. A great plugin for vocals (imo) is Voxformer from Voxengo. It is a channel strip, featuring 2 compressors, gates and 1 compressor can do deessing. It also includes saturation for adding a little extra bite. Costs 60 US dollars only.
hate9wicket	Date: March 11, 2007 @ 7:57 PM Right, pads help, but you might also look and see what db signal you are sending to the interface as well, if you've lowered the pre's all the way down and you're still getting a distortion from the mic, the level you are sending still might be on the hot side. If this be the case, lower the signal to at least -4db. Then you will have more head room to work with.
ray104	Date: January 3, 2008 @ 5:39 PM Maybe a better mic will help.
pog	Date: January 4, 2008 @ 8:16 AM Yes, a dynamic mic is more suited to vocal work, particularly live, and with loud vocal work. A condenser mic can theoretically produce better results, but generally you need to sell your car to afford one thats suitable for this kind of work. For this reason the dynamic mic is a good, robust solution.
DannyHowe2	Date: January 10, 2010 @ 12:23 AM Work the mic
DannyHowe2	Date: January 10, 2010 @ 12:34 AM Oh maybe I should explain about working the mic , sounds as if you have a good enough mic and you are a very powerful singer with a lot of rich harmonics ect ect ect... Well then control the distance and direction you send your voice , move up on the mic in softer points and back off on the louder and sing in a direction of hard powerful notes away or over or under the direction of the mic. There is another thing that will help if the music is loud you will naturally sing loud so turn the music down and you will sing softer. The vocal works the opposite turn the vocal up in the monitor and you will sing softer.
woodhead	Date: January 12, 2010 @ 12:24 AM compressor in front of signal will fix this
GeneHilbert	Date: January 12, 2010 @ 2:39 AM You're just singing TO DAMN LOUD. There is a lot to think about. Look at all of your gain stages (any device in the signal chain) plus your gain on the DAW or recorder. Any red is a dead giv-a-way of an issue. Even on really good gear 0db will distort if your trim is too hot or one unit is overdriving another. I try to keep my DAW recording levels to appox. -2 to -8db. You can go less but with digital you will lose bit depth. Meaning less data is recorded. Listen carefully through your head phones - if there is distortion there it will be recorded. Using a dynamic mic is a good idea for an untrained singer. They are a little more forgiving that a high-end condenser, tube or ribbon. Still use a windscreen and a mic stand. Get use to them - 6 inches from mic +/- depending on parts and intensity. Time of day is also something to consider. I sing my lower parts in the morning and higher parts later in the day, and always, always warm up your voice before tracking vocals. Drink plenty of water - room temp (never, never, never drink ice cold anything when tracking vocals) unsweetened tea w/lemon is kewl. No milk, no honey, no sugar. Water is still the best for hydration when stressing your throat.

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