That old radio/record/tape sounding effect on vocals

Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:57 pm

I was wondering if anybody knows any shortcuts on how to obtain that old record sounding vocal effect (kind of portishead sounding)? I have an eq setting on my korg d3200 recording studio(i bought this for portable recordings), but I've already recorded this onto protools LE before I decided to change the recording. I was wondering if there is any eq tactics i can do post recording. I would rather not bounce the recording back and forth from my mac to the korg. The recording is rather dry, but a clean recording. This is for a "triphop- lounge" song so i need something "gritty", but my vocalist is classically trained, and tends to have a "pretty voice"- a lot of vibrato and proper pronunciations. I may have him come in to record again, but I still would like to use that old speaker sound. Any creative suggestions?

Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:34 pm

Back in the way old days, guys would use miniature megaphones to sing into their carbon microphones.

A fun device available at most children's toy stores called a SPECO is a miniature battery powered amplified megaphone. On an SM 58, can't be beat. Just the kind of understandable distortion that otherwise costs many thousands of dollars, time and trouble to obtain. All this for $19.95.

Conversely, telephone frequency response is sharp cut off filters at 300 hertz and 3000 Hertz. Brick wall type. Easy to do if your software has an FFT filter you can add points to and draw. That frequency response will give you that telephone like quality. Scratchy records sound optional. Circumcisizing frequency response at 300 & 3000 is all that's really necessary.

If your notebook studio box thingy doesn't have that capability, the next best thing is to turn down all bass. Turn down all treble. And give yourself a big peak yank at 2000 to 3000 hertz. Voila! Telephone effect Sound.

Please deposit another $.25 for an additional five minutes
Ms. Remy Ann David

Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:42 pm

Quote:

Back in the way old days, guys would use miniature megaphones to sing into their carbon microphones.
A fun device available at most children's toy stores called a SPECO is a miniature battery powered amplified megaphone.

Hittin' it on the head yet again!

We've been using those toys for years!

Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:23 pm

isn't this still quite popular with alot of the new music. It seems I hear it all the time with bands like Linkin Park, hip hop, rap. I guess old radio is also new radio.
I actually do the eq thing and have pondered if I should add the record noise plugin just to hear that good old vinyl sound again.

Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 11:51 pm

Not sure what DAW software ou are using, but you can use a free VST plug-in called Northpole. The results are incredible.

Other than that, some tube distortion from one of your plug-in's and roll off the bottoms and tops as per the other posts.

Cheers
Gary

Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 1:55 am

Try Rubberfilter if you're on a PC: slopes available up to 384 dB/Oct.
http://www.savioursofsoul.de/Christian/?page_id=8 (scroll down the page a bit)

Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 6:46 am

You could always try manipulating the sound through real-world media. If you insist on recording a clean vocal track to toy with, maybe consider re-routing the vocal through a tiny amp, like one of those cigarette box types, and then mic'ing this signal. I can almost assure you it will be more authentic sounding than using a plug-in, but of course, whether it works as well with the recording would have to be determinded.

I really enjoy iZotope's free Vinyl plug-in. It doesn't really sound like a record to me, but it does notch frequencies in a way that feels cooler than eq: crank the "Wear" control and set the "Year" to 1970 or below.

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:10 pm

How about giving some examples of what you mean?
Louis Armstrong?
What exactly is Old radio/record/tape sound?
All those black singers in the 30's and 40's were recorded on inferior equiptment and medium on purpose. Record company masters were thrown away, as if to say that those singers were not important because they were black.

Do you want your singer to sound like an old black woman?
That is the logical thing, and what everyone strives for.

Robert Johnson was recorded with one carbon microphone in a hotel room, nothing else.

Stay away from electronics all together. A plug -in can not help, go to the source.

Listen to vocal recordings from the 1930's (Bessie Smith) and get back to us.

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:11 pm

filmmusic2008 wrote:

How about giving some examples of what you mean?
Louis Armstrong?
What exactly is Old radio/record/tape sound?
All those black singers in the 30's and 40's were recorded on inferior equiptment and medium on purpose. Record company masters were thrown away, as if to say that those singers were not important because they were black.

Do you want your singer to sound like an old black woman?
That is the logical thing, and what everyone strives for.
If a white singer is not trying to sound black, then lord help them.

Robert Johnson was recorded with one carbon microphone in a hotel room, nothing else.

Stay away from electronics all together. A plug -in can not help, go to the source.

Listen to vocal recordings from the 1930's (Bessie Smith) and get back to us.

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