how to record crazy metal vocals without clipping?

[airtime]

That doesn't work either. And this is getting way off topic. I'm sorry.

[resolectric]

Thanks resolectric, I'm trying it out with Photobucket.com, let's see if it works.
[/img]

It'll work but you have doubled the IMG tags.
If you remove a pair it'll be:

[airtime]

Ah, thanks again resolectric, now we're back on topic!

[resolectric]

Ah, thanks again resolectric, now we're back on topic!

That mic on the drawing seems to be a Blue Ball.
Now, that would distort!!!

[airtime]

Hey, that's an Ajax mic, the hypothetically perfect audio manufacturing company of the 1970s. No distortion. Their mysterious disappearance from the audio industry is perplexing.

[cpw12208]

to the OP...
try not singing straight into the mic. Instead hold the mic sideways and sing past the mic capsule.
I have to do that a lot. It will help tone down the extremely loud parts and makes it less boomy while retaining your tone.

[monkey man]

Surely the extent to which one's tone would be retained would depend upon the off-axis response of the mic in question?

[Phil O]

Surely the extent to which one's tone would be retained would depend upon the off-axis response of the mic in question?

Exactly. I think adjusting distance might be a better solution...or maybe not. Experiment!

[cpw12208]

yep whatever sounds best.
However with the mic sideways you can then sing into the sweet spot of the mic while reducing plosives ect....
That way tone is retained.
When you back off the mic then your not in the sweet spot of the mic "well depending on the mic of course"

A condenser is a different story lol

[Larry Mal]

I don't know if this will amuse anyone, but if you can turn one of these up used and switch out the tube (the one it comes with is noisy as two cats in a bag), then you can use it as a limiter after the mic and into the Ultralite.

http://www.artproaudio.com/products.asp ... at=18&id=7

It isn't the best compressor in the world, and do not forget about switching out the tube for the love of God, but it may be a method to add a limiter to your singer inexpensively.

Just a thought- I do own one of these, and never learned to love it, but if I was in your situation I'd give it a shot. You should try all the mic techniques suggested above- which is the correct way to go about this, by the way, you should never use hardware to compensate for deficiencies in microphone technique* unless you have absolutely no choice. But if you and the singer just can't get it, then maybe try this little guy out.

*Or singing technique, or any other kind of technique I can offhand think of. This is the same theory as: record it right, and you shouldn't have to "fix it in the mix".

[wurliuchi]

This is what I do: Recording at 24-bit, I set the level for the very loudest scream (peak) to -3 dB and then adjust it down by three d8b from there, so the peak is about -6 dB on the way in. (That's the safety zone.) Why not just adjust it to -6 dB in the first place? I've just found I'm a lot more careful and diligent adjusting to -3dB first and then lowering it from there. Have the singer do a couple of passes like that, without killing him or the vibe. If he nails it on the first pass, great! This may be all you need.

On additional takes, I'll adjust the input for the soft parts. Bringing them up so they're strong and not wimpy sounding, but not obviously over-boosted (I dislike soft parts that sound over boosted). Let the singer sing the entire song with those settings. Let him know it's going to sound clipped and distorted during the screaming parts. That will teach him a lot actually, and he may ask you to turn his cans down, and because of that he'll probably sing the softer parts a little stronger and less affected (thank goodness).

When you go to mix, you have a lot of different takes and textures to make a comp from and combine in dubs if you want. For instance, you may want to dub a soft passage recorded during the screaming takes with one that was recorded during the soft takes, and some of the clipped distorted screams might sound good mixed under the clean screams.

It's pretty much what James was suggesting, just a different and much more boring explanation.

Good luck and have fun.

[cpw12208]

another thing that should help.....
Shure Sm7B mic
The Holy Grail for screamers