why do rappers record with mic upside down?

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:54 pm

I sow many rappers (on tv mostly...lol) when recording put they mic upside down... why?

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:08 pm

You might be interested in reading this thread.
http://recording.org/ftopic-29446-0-days0-orderasc-tube.html

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:21 pm

thank u... its interesting and i didnt know that, but i dont think they record that way cos of mic heat problems... I heard someweare "artist" voice is record better that way or something, but im not shure...

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:37 pm

I sometimes hang an LDC upside down when recording vox, even thought I don't have a tube mic (yet). It's just less of an obstacle for someone trying position lyrics/music they might want to see while singing.

Other than heat on a tube mic or logistics, I know of no other reason to position a mic like that.

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:52 pm

They always shoot those handguns while holding them sideways too! What up w'tat?

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:31 pm

BRH wrote:

They always shoot those handguns while holding them sideways too! What up w'tat?

Lord.

STFU.

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:46 pm

It seems Zemlin is correct that it is mostly done with tube mics, and maybe has jus carried on as the way a vocal mic is "supposed" to look. Heat disipation doesn't mean shit on a solid state mic. ANDY

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 7:51 am

drumist69 wrote:

It seems Zemlin is correct that it is mostly done with tube mics, and maybe has jus carried on as the way a vocal mic is "supposed" to look. Heat disipation doesn't mean shit on a solid state mic. ANDY

Very good point. People continue to do things "just because," long after the original rationale applies.

Reminds of an anectdote about some funny-shaped meatloaf.

Here: I found it:

In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.- Eric Hoffer

I was riding with my wife the other day and she told me this funny and insightful story. A well-known commentator was telling how to make meat loaf. The recipe had been in her family for at least three generations. It called for the usual ingredients and included some very specific instructions for making and shaping the meat loaf.

At the end of the instructions was noted, "cut off the ends of the meat loaf before you place it in the pan to bake." One day the author's daughter was watching her mom make the meat loaf. As the final instruction was being followed, the daughter asked, "Why are you cutting the ends off the meat loaf?".

Her mom wasn't quite sure and said that she would ask her mother. When asked her mom said, "I am not sure why, it's just the way that my mother always did it." Not to be stopped in her quest for this knowledge and blessed by a family of women who lived long lives, this author called her grandmother and asked her, "Grandma, why is it that you cut the ends off your meat loaf before you bake it?"

The grandmother laughed when she heard the question. It seems that when she first made meat loaf, she discovered that it would not fit into the pan that she had for baking. So she cut off the ends to fit it into the pan. Since then, she had only used the same pan for the recipe and she had always cut off the ends.

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 8:50 am

Hanging any mic causes a different sound, as compared to having it on a stand.
Have you ever noticed that on a stand, it points up to the roof of the mouth, and the nose, hang it, and it points down.

There is a noticeable change (to my ears) when hanging. Less nasal and mouth resonations.

It all depends on the talent.
Try it both ways.

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 8:54 am

Hanging any mic causes a different sound, as compared to having it on a stand.
Have you ever noticed that on a stand, it points up to the roof of the mouth, and the nose, hang it, and it points down.

There is a noticeable change (to my ears) when hanging. Less nasal and mouth resonations.

It all depends on the talent.
Try it both ways.

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 10:17 am

TVPostSound wrote:

Hanging any mic causes a different sound, as compared to having it on a stand.
Have you ever noticed that on a stand, it points up to the roof of the mouth, and the nose, hang it, and it points down.

There is a noticeable change (to my ears) when hanging. Less nasal and mouth resonations.

It all depends on the talent.
Try it both ways.

When people look up to sing, it encourages proper form (open throat, etc.)

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 10:19 am

TVPostSound wrote:

Hanging any mic causes a different sound, as compared to having it on a stand.
Have you ever noticed that on a stand, it points up to the roof of the mouth, and the nose, hang it, and it points down.

There is a noticeable change (to my ears) when hanging. Less nasal and mouth resonations.

It all depends on the talent.
Try it both ways.

When people look up to sing, it encourages proper form (open throat, etc.)

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 10:20 am

TVPostSound wrote:

Hanging any mic causes a different sound, as compared to having it on a stand.
Have you ever noticed that on a stand, it points up to the roof of the mouth, and the nose, hang it, and it points down.

There is a noticeable change (to my ears) when hanging. Less nasal and mouth resonations.

It all depends on the talent.
Try it both ways.

When people look up to sing, it encourages proper form (open throat, etc.)

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 11:06 am

Quote:

Hanging any mic causes a different sound, as compared to having it on a stand.
Have you ever noticed that on a stand, it points up to the roof of the mouth, and the nose, hang it, and it points down.

I've been trying recording rock and folk vocals and spoken stuff with various techniques. I used to always position the mic slightly above the mouth, to encourage the performer to have to "look up" at the mic, because this was what I read in several sources. Then I noticed when I tried singing this way, I felt I had a lot of tension in my neck and throat area. I put the mic slightly below mouth level, and it seems to allow more natural neck posture to me.
As for the sound difference metioned above by TVpostsound, do you think that is a function of the mic placement causing the mic to sound different or a function of the physiology of the vocal performer being altered slightly?

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 5:26 pm

Both is true. For some singers it's beneficial to stand upright, others need to cradle the mic with their body. It mainly depends on the way you breathe.

But, coming back to the original topic: A recording session shown in a music video is usually a staged one, and the mic will be positioned the way the director wants it. So, I translate "most rappers" with "most rappers as seen on MTV", and we don't want their really cool body language be hidden by a mic stand.

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