VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

BBeen · Guest

I am on the air part time for our local country station. Everything i do is voice-tracked. I always listen to myself and try to give myself an honest critique after each show. My voice has a lot of bass in it and comes through on the microphone, doesn't sound quite right to me. Is there a specific way I should be addressing the mic? We are using an Electro Voice dynamic cardioid mic. the numbers on the mic are RE 27 N/D. Any help or advice is appreciated

Deirdre · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 7:26 pm Post subject:

Rock and Roll DJ mic technique for an RE20:

Set the mic so that it's parallel to your face: along the same plane of a pencil in your mouth. Point the mic at the side of your mouth and speak past it.

Some of us used to keep a hold on the shock mount with one hand.

Same for the 27 althought it's a finer mic.
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Guest · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 7:38 pm Post subject:

Thanks DB there is a little more than subtle difference, I just gave it a shot not too bad although I can't help but think there are better mics out there

Frank F · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 8:28 pm Post subject:

Additionally from the studio side of things...

To thin out your sound, move a little further away from the mic - six to seven inches will make a large change in sound and thin-ness, especially with an omni or cardiod. Doing this will help keep the 'plosives out as well.

Bassiness is sometimes related to the room - no bass traps or lots of boomy spaces can make a difference.

How do the other "voice-trackers" sound? Are they "boomy" as well. If not, ask how - or watch how - they are using the mic and do similar. If so, try angleing yourself in a different position and follow the above guidelines... check your mic's settings... buy a bass trap for the room - or make one and take it home with you when your finished...

Good luck,.

Frank F

BBeen · Guest

Mic sttings in studio are off limits to me...What is a bass trap? I always thought it was a worm on a hook

Frank F · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 9:16 pm Post subject:

:oops: ha, ha, ha... O.K., I can tell a fisherman when I hear one... and that's a fish story...

Bass traps are boxes similar in form to a sub woofer or they can be rounded fabric covered monoliths, or foam "wedges", etc. The concept is to break up the boomy areas of a room and take those areas low frequencies attenuation and make them sound "sweeter".

Look to Musicians Friend, Sam Ash, or other high end audio retailer for an example.

LENRD stands for Low-End Node Reduction Device. As you may know, a resonance bump in a room's frequency response is called a room node. With LENRD Bass Traps, you can achieve the low frequency sound control. Bass traps smooth out low frequency room nodes.

I hope that does not confuse you too much....

Good luck,

Frank F

BBeen · Guest

Thanks Frank,

I'll look into it, in the meantime i will try the techniques from you and DB, play with it a bit and get it worked out.

Bud

Charlie Channel · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 11:54 pm Post subject:

The RE-27 (and the 20, too) also has little switches on it that adjust bass rolloff frequency (one studio I recorded in had an RE-27 and the engineer said he lowered the bass response for male voices using the switches).

Check out this URL. Scroll down. You can see the little switches. It looks like the one on the left is in the "down" position. The one in the middle would also attenuate lower frequencies, too (but probably less attenuation and probably having a high pass frequency point that's higher than the switch on the left). Those are the two to fiddle with.

http://electrovoice.com/Electrovoice3/products.nsf/LargeImages/RE27ND

The spec's on the mic includes: Three switchable filters: one high frequency, two low frequencies ...

So, you might try to switch the fulters to suppress low frequencies on the mic itself, in addition to trying the other techniques.

cc

Andy · Guest

Radio stations are also set up with voice processors, limiters, and compression equipment that may be pre-set for the "sound" they're after. I used to work at a station where they gated the compression on everything. Gave us all "boss jock" booming sound...which would account for all the extra foam on the walls in those studios. Gated compression will pick up every little echo bouncing off every corner. I'm simply saying it may not be mic technique at all. They may have things set so everyone sounds like they gots basketballs fer gonads.

BBeen · Guest

I did notice those switches and will play with all of the above techniques mentioned. The female "jockette" that does early afternoons has a very "clean" sound, is it because she is female?? I'm only the weekend guy but always looking to be the best.

Bill · Guest

jrkaiser · Guest

How are you addressing the mic? Back away, approx 30-35 degree angle. You really need to get a feel for it and what works best for you...

BBeen · Guest

As in typical radio fashion I have addressed the mic straight on in the past. I now have a couple of different things to try. If it wasn't for this board I wouldn't know what to do. Nobody at the station has really been much help in the way of training, and I have pretty much had to learn everything myself. Thanks for the help everybody!!!!

audio'connell · Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 6:39 pm Post subject: Mic check

Have you tried turning the microphone ON?

I found I always sound better when its OFF but everyone is different. :wink:

The key for you IS in the processing....and don't worry, rarely does anyone teach you about mic placement...except in broadcast school where I think they do a semester on it and not much else.

Part time is a GREAT learning experience...keep working to improve...you will and then people will start asking YOU for advice (probably sooner than u think!)
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audioconnell Voice Over Talent
Your friendly, neighborhood voice over talent

Frank F · Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 8:14 pm Post subject:

Hey, I have had a lot of requests lately for me to start "singing", and they always ask for the same same song. People are asking me to sing "Way out on a mountain"... way, way, way out...

Seriously, the concept of placing the mic 4 to 7 inches away from the mouth and at approximately 30-35 degrees is very valid... Think of placing it so it is aimed toward your nose at approximately "eye level" and several inches away from your face... this should work.

Mic placement is one of those things which I guess we learn by osmosis more than instruction.

Again, moving away from the mic and not hitting it head-on is a great way to thin out the sound.

oooh, got my tang tungled in my eye teeth and couldn't see a thing I was saying... Good luck... and have fun - this really is a fun business.

Frank F