Microphone processing order...

grimepoch · Post by **grimepoch** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 1:09 pm

I'll freely admit that recording vocals is one of the hardest things for me at the moment. I'm trying to get things set up a little better and trying to find the best practices for getting good recordings.

Currently I run in this order:

Sennheiser e835
Art DPS Tube Preamp
Either TC Electronics Triple-C compressor or another cheap compressor
Lexicon MPX500 for Delays/Verbs
DP4.61 for EQing

Suggestions? Should I look at a unit that does preamp & compression in the same box. Should I reorder anything. I pull in a clean signal off the preamp into DP as well as it's ALWAYS good to have a clean!

I do understand there is a LOT of better equipment out there, I've looked at a few things, but at this point, I don't have $2k to $5k for a good piece yet. I have other stuff I have to budget first.

My triple-C has to be serviced, and I really liked the triple band compression it gave. Are there any other good triple band compressors that are actually still in production. Should I compress at the end?

So many variables!!!!!

mortvillefugitive · Post by **mortvillefugitive** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:58 pm

What settings are you using on the compressor? Going to tape, it shouldn't be too high of a ratio, and I wouldn't have the threshold set so low that it's kicking in on everything. I just generally try to trim the transients. I haven't used the specific pieces of gear you're using, but my advice would be to not do much compressing to tape if your compressor isn't good. It's so much easier to get your good "compressing for effect" when you're doing it after recording.

grimepoch · Post by **grimepoch** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 7:21 pm

I ended up getting a different piece of gear, I bought the focusrite VoiceMaster Pro. Has a class-a amp, optical expander, vintage harmonics, optical compressor, tube sound, EQ, and de-esser. The vintage harmonics sound like crap, but everything else sounds beautiful.

What I am going to do is take my signal out after the class A amp and bring that in to Digital Performer. then I will continue through and take the final signal (with all the built in stuff I am using) into DP, last, I will take the output of my Lexicon into DP, so essentially 4 channels of vocal in. This will at least give me quite a bit of stuff to work with if I find a problem at any of the stages.

I don't use tape in my studio, almost all digital now (though the focusrite is all analog)

thanks for the info though!