anonymous
27 January 2009
Hey, I'm using radio mics and a SM58 on a band and I was wondering the work flow people have for EQing vocals. I have a very limited time for soundcheck. How can I EQ different vocals to get the best sound? Atm I have a high pass on different vocalists filter to stop pops etc and clean up the sound. I sometimes eq the highest band as a de-esser. The desk i'm using has a built in de-esser, but I can never find the frequency. How do you EQ a singer who varies their voice alot?
Thanks,
Ben
Comments
Chipmunk, your question is slightly convoluted but I think you a
Chipmunk, your question is slightly convoluted but I think you are on the right track?
Yes, a 58, be it wired or wireless, should be high pass filtered. And you may want to add a couple of DB of boost at 10 or 12kHz? (You don't always get a choice of frequencies in all situations). But equalizers cannot really be used for sibelant problems or, "De-Essing" since that is a dynamic process akin to limiting/compression. The frequency of a De-Esser is generally preset with a bandwidth of between 4 & 8kHz and it only affects those frequencies dynamically so as not to be noticeable. Fixed equalization is unfortunately all too noticeable. Now if you don't have a dedicated "De-Ess" unit or preset in software? It can also be accomplished with a hardware limiter/compressor that offers a "side chain" patch & outboard equalizer. You simply boost the higher mid frequencies, on the equalizer, which makes the limiter more sensitive to those sounds. Or, it can be accomplished with a software limiter/compressor that offers bandwidth frequency selection. Simply select 3kHz to 8kHz. It will only be sensitive to those frequencies and dynamically lower them, at the proper moments.
Singers who vary their voice a lot? I think they're supposed to do that? If my mother couldn't have done that? She wouldn't have been a Metropolitan Opera Star. But if you're not talking Opera? You are certainly talking R-E-S-P-E-C-T (translated that means COMPRESSION) and that gal that didn't think she sang well at the inauguration. But compression is a problem when providing sound reinforcement/PA. You can only get away with so much before you get feedback problems. The sky's the limit when recording. When dealing with sound reinforcement & P. A., you're really kind of restricted to limiting as opposed to compression. Like boys and girls, they're the same but different. One is more controlled. The other is a little more variant in nature.
You indicated your console has built-in "De-Essing"? So I assume it's a digital desk? If not? I think you're slightly confused? You shouldn't need to select any frequencies. Selecting "De-Ess" generally implies the frequencies have already been designed into the function. It's just how much of it you want to reduce the sibelance. Too little and you still have your problem. Too much and they sound like they have a speech impediment. It can actually get quite, comical sounding. But actually a great way to make a gay guy sound straight. Although I've never really worked with any gay sounding announcers. I'm not sure how that stereotypical speech pattern comes about? It actually doesn't appear to be learned? I guess it's manifested naturally? Unlike audio engineering.
Are you learned better now? (Yes that's purposely lousy English. Lousy English purposely? hmmmm?)
Ms. Remy Ann David