Obtaining Good Quality Sound; Correcting Problems - Focusrite VoiceMaster Pro Manual

OBTAINING GOOD QUALITY SOUND

MICROPHONE POSITIONING
Recording vocals requires a different technique to that used when mixing live vocals,
where the vocalist usually sings with the microphone touching his or her lips. In a
studio recording situation it is usually desirable for the vocalist to be at least 50 cm
away from the microphone. If this affects the vocal performance, (or if the vocal
sounds weak), allow the vocalist to move closer to the microphone, but use a pop
shield. It may also be necessary to use the VoiceMaster Pro's HIGH PASS FILTER
( ) to remove excessive bass tip-up, caused by the vocalist singing too close to the
microphone (the so-called 'proximity effect').
USING COMPRESSION
If the vocalist is having difficulty staying a constant distance from the microphone, the
recorded performance will get softer and louder as the distance from the microphone
varies. To even out variations in level, use the OPTICAL COMPRESSOR to
compress the signal.
USE OF EFFECTS PEDALS
When using the INSTRUMENT INPUT, connect any effects pedals in-line, before
the VoiceMaster Pro's INSTRUMENT INPUT. The output (whether analogue or
digital) from the VoiceMaster Pro should be connected directly to your recorder.
SPOKEN WORD
When recording the spoken word, use the WARMTH control in the VOICE
OPTIMISED EQ to maximise depth, resonance and power. This is the sort of vocal
sound favoured by many radio broadcasters.
BACKING VOCALS
Backing vocals are normally heavily compressed, since you want them to have a
uniform presence without volume variations. Engage the HARD RATIO switch in
the OPTICAL COMPRESSOR and adjust the THRESHOLD so that GAIN
REDUCTION meter shows between 9 and 15 dBs of compression. To avoid the
backing vocals becoming too fat and overpowering, use the WARMTH control in the
VOICE OPTIMISED EQ to reduce the amount of bass in the vocals.

CORRECTING PROBLEMS

MUDDY
Use the WARMTH control in the VOICE OPTIMISED EQ to remove some of the
low frequencies. Solo the track, set the WARMTH control on full cut, and adjust the
TUNING control until the vocal sounds more balanced. Then listen to the vocal in
the context of the mix, and adjust the amount of cut on the WARMTH control to
give the correct sound in context. If necessary at this time, you may also need to
increase the amount of BREATH.
FLAT
Increase the MID control in the VOICE OPTIMISED EQ. You may also need to add
some BREATH, and/or maybe some WARMTH (if the result has too much top
end). However, beware of overdoing the effect by adding too much.
HARSH
Use the ABSENCE control in the VOICE OPTIMISED EQ. This creates a natural
dip in the harsh frequencies. You may also want to add some WARMTH, and if
necessary, remove some MID or BREATH.
LOST IN THE MIX
Increase the MID control in the VOICE OPTIMISED EQ. Avoid using too much
WARMTH on the vocal, as you will be boosting frequencies in the same frequency
range as many of the instruments on the track.
SIBILANT
If sibilant components (unpleasant "s" sounds) are standing out, use the DE-ESSER to
make them sound more natural, as described in FACILITIES AND CONTROLS.
MIX LACKS CHARACTER
When mixing down, don't be afraid to be outrageous. In pop, for example, the vocal
is invariably heavily compressed, and often equalised. In the TUBE SOUND section,
try using the DRIVE control (with the TONE control in its BRIGHT position) to
give one channel an analogue sound. Or reduce the TONE control to create a low
fidelity effect. Also try using the VINTAGE HARMONICS section to give the vocal
a classic 1970s enhancement effect (see page 6 for more details).
REVERB OR DELAY PROBLEMS
Sometimes, reverb or delay can sound too lively and tends to "zing" – this is caused by
sibilance in the voice. If you find this with the vocals you have recorded, you can try
using the DE-ESSER to fix the problem, by heavily de-essing the signal that will be
sent to the external effects unit. Then, at the recorder, mix the dry signal (from the
PRE DE-ESSER output XLR socket on the back of the VoiceMaster Pro) with the
wet signal from the effects unit.
FIXING BLEED ('SPILL')
If there is noticeable bleed from other instruments off the vocalist's headphones,
remove it when mixing down using the OPTICAL EXPANDER. Note that the more
you compress a track, the more noticeable any bleed will become.
ENGLISH
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