Great video. The comment by Ethan about mic position was very helpful around posture and opening up the vocal promoting tendency to open up by aiming high. Hadn't considered this and it's so obvious.Will definitely try that one.
This is such an amazing video! Honestly you are the most helpful source I have found on RUclips because you break everything down so simply and demonstrate it in such an applicable way. Keep this up, your content speaks for itself!
The very reason I came here was that I was thinking vocal takes were sounding a lot worse and about the distance you just described seemed best but then I was also doubting myself as a singer so.. one of those moments. Really great educational content.
This was really helpful! I always wondered why I get those peaky/sibilant highs on vocals, I'll try your mic angles. And I should stop singing in the corner... Thanks for the great info!
Your videos are always excellent! really appreciate all the great content you put out. Learned a lot from this one. Also I like that you keep things pretty technical.
In the end, my conclusion is: Ethan sounds great either way. But what a great tip to "force" the singer into having a good posture. He doesn't need it, but I'll definitely gonna try this out!
His neck looks over extended upward to me in this position. You want your head to be basically level while singing. I also tend to get more nasality in the sound when literally miking at the level of the nasal passages. YMMV based on the singer, but that's my take.
I like your style! But a correction: XLR is not "external line return". Like so many other audio things, the name is a series and model name. It was a Cannon-X-series connector, named after its inventor James H. Cannon, with the addition of a Latch (L) and a (R) rubber polymer compound around the connectors. Thanks for helpful videos--loved seeing those mic positions--going to try #2!
Excellent.. Thank you for this wonderful effort and this very important information that made me reconsider all my calculations.. I look forward to study audio engineering with you if that is possible.
I love how you put so much effort into all of your content. Do you think you would create an audio course? Or any private lessons? I’m just curious. I plan on recording vocals for myself I will definitively use your amazing content to guide me. I guess my question is do you have any sort of plans for clients to reach out to you?
Hey! I would definitely consider a course, but I think that would have to be well into the future when there’s a bit more traction for the channel. I do lessons though! If you’re interested you could email me at realaudiohaze@gmail.com
I'm embarrassed to say the position I've come up with (totally amateur here), I've done away with the pop filter and use 2 mics. I hear myself thru the "fake" mic and record myself thru a mic next to it at a little higher level. I can even aim the mic straight to my lips or to my forehead. Doesn't do anything, but I feel cool doing it :) My background is in photography, and the softer light is at the "edge" of the light rather than smack center of the light lighting up a person. I adapted this to my totally amateur recording style thinking I'm doing something good here. Does that make you cringe lol ? I know, I apologize In advance, like I said I'm not a pro. In fact I made a friend Maurice, from the Berklee school of music that has stunning knowledge so I give you lots of respect. Thumbs up on your video 👍👍👍
Can't you record in a corner, if you have bass traps, and acoustic foams covering your left side and right side? As like your back facing the corner, your sides covered by acoustic foams?
Man... windows.... I do VO from my office which has/had a very nice window... that thing is now behind about 100lbs of sound blocking and absorbing material. Blocking because I am near some busy streets and next to a business parking lot, and the absorbing for exactly the reasons you mention. It was lame to lose the view, but it was an excellent object lesson in making a space that I enjoy being in work in a new way. I mention this mostly because of your comment about 'sticking a vocalist in the closet might not always be best' because I could have tried a closet setup, it would have been cheaper and faster, but I probably would have quit after month. The rest of the space is less ideal, still treated, but it's my office, it's 'small,' it's square, it has hard surfaces galore! Just like your recording from a much less treated space, what's most important is that you figure out how do do whatever it is you love as well as you can and with whatever compromises you find acceptable in the space you have. Really love the vocal comparison for mic positions and info on spacing. Overall I feel like mic technique (at least in terms of my preferred channels) is under represented as a video topic. I see a lot of people discuss it in forums, and it's a huge coaching topic, but this is one of the few videos I have personally seen - with the exception of Judd Curtis and mic technique/placement that is focused on a video production environment.
Well said! People sacrifice too much for audio fidelity and forget about the experiential element of recording. I could record in a studio made of glass up at the top of a mountain, I would take that 100% over a professional booth. It'll lend to a more heartfelt performance, and we forget about that sometimes in the pursuit of quality. We have to let the feelings that wrote the song bleed into the recording as well. And yes! Mic replacement is under represented for sure compared to mic comparisons :)
Hey man! Just got my first XLR microphone thank to you and Mr Podcastage, and this video really help my recording process. 🙏 quick question my AT2035 is so quiet at around 70% gain, is it normal? do i need to upgrade my audio interface?
Thanks dude! Happy to help. And no, your microphone should not be quiet at all at 70% power. Could there be something going on in the software? Maybe the interface software or the daw?
I've been Using this Mic connected to a golden age pre 73 routed to a Clarett pre 8+ and still don't get a sound like this.. I'm actually getting weird artifacts in my recordings, I do not know the issue.. I'm think its one of my hardware connections or patchbay, not sure.. If you have a solutions please do tell..
Hey, I'm using the ecm87 and having some major clarity issues... any help from anyone would be a big help. I THINK my audio interface or cables are faulty but have no way of currently telling. Taking the mic out of the box and setting it up with my scarlet audio interface, no treatment to the mic or sound. It sounds very fuzzy and does not accurately maintain sound when changing the volume speaking at / when adjusting input level as well, for example when I go quieter or louder the vocal starts to fuzz out and just doesn't sound smooth at all which is my main concern. I was previously using the scarlet studio mic and the preset I was developing for it sounding very clean and smooth and full, however I broke that mic so eventually it stopped working and was completely distorted no vocal signal coming through so I had to get a new mic which was the ecm87... plugging it in has gotten rid of the complete distortion, I can hear my self now but the monitoring input in the scarlet audio interface (when I press the monitoring option on the interface) sounds way cleaner and smoother than the minoring input from logic pro which is what my vocals come out sounding like which is super confusing and frustrating. It's no where near as clear as everyone is saying it should be and when I used my pre set that I was using and working on for the last two weeks with the studio scarlet mic and interface it sounded horrible and distorted and broken and fuzzy and NOT full just really bad and completely different to my last mic when it was working even though they are both condenser mics in similar price bracket ranges. Ive built new presets and played with this mic and the mix but something feels seriously wrong with the vocals it should be way clearer than it is I know something is up but cant identify the issue. maybe it is the cables? or the interface its self having burst from an overdrive of signal previously? Please someone any advice would be great. I also haven't tried to take of the exterior of the mic to look into the adjustable things since I done wanna ruin anything even more. maybe I can do this and flick the high pass filter off / on maybe its on the wrong setting somehow? maybe something isn't how it should be for some reason?
2:40 I don't quite understand this. I'd imagine the signal to noise ratio would be the same at -25 to -20 as -18 to -12, and you'd have to boost the vocal more in the mix if its recorded quieter, so wouldn't you get the same amount of noise? The noise would be a lower level, but so would the signal. Does boosting the gain result in a lower signal to noise? I assumed that recording at a lower volume would result in a lower signal to noise due to the increased noise from the ad converters (after you boost it in the box). Is there a sweet spot where the decreased noise from a non uniform s to r from the preamp results in an overall lower signal to noise ratio even after the increased noise from the ad converters? I've always been under the impression that more gain on the preamp results in a better signal to noise ratio
Man I’m lost these days I have a shitty room and I can’t treat it. I have an Sm7b but this sh*t is noisy af. Should I get a condenser and an Isolation bubble ?
Do you suggest putting blanket on top of the mic when recording on very untreated room with alot of reflections or does it eat up all the highs and do i put my mic to line or inst
I think it depends on what you're going for. Honestly for voice over a simple blanket like that could work well, it does eat up some highs but not too badly considering voice over usually has a ton of midrange anyways. I think if it causes a worse performance though, then its not worth it. I used to record a ton in my closet lol
I assume one would need proper software that contains a meter with which to set your mic gain at -12 and -18db correcto ? What if one records into Garage band. How do I ensure less noise floor. Is there any way around this. Also would premier pro do a better job for EQ (ing) vocals than garage band? I’ve noticed premier pro has deezers and EQ tools and all sorts of dynamic effects that garage doesn’t offer. Anyway, I know that was a ton of beginner questions in one comment lol thanks for these videos btw 🙏
OH dang I didn't even realize garageband doesn't show dB levels, thats ridiculous! It really depends on what your editing, I do a fair bit of audio work in premiere pro when editing these, and its great. Only issue is, if you're trying to record a song rather than just a video or podcast, the timeline isn't really set up for that. If you have the creative cloud though, you could try Adobe Audition! Thats a full DAW that will have everything you need. Alternatively, you could just go with the free Ableton version, or spend like $50 and get Reaper. Lots of options :)
You say that overly treated rooms don't just kill refractions, but eat your high frequencies too. That seems impossible to me. A sound from your mouth will hit the microphone before hitting the wall. Including high frequencies. It's just refractions that you're killing, not the high frequencies that are in your own voice.
For me I have 2 pairs of early 47 FETs, and none of the 4 tolerate pop filters well. They sound dull, low passed, less lively ..(no matter the number of layers, material, tension, angle. My theory is this is a function of just how sensitive the capsule/electronics are.???
Whenever I'm recording vocals and I start my line with an F or H or if I end words with an S or softer sounding letters for both, it doesn't really capture the whole sound and kind of sounds like it randomly cuts in or out. Do you know any reason why it would do that? I have the Rode NT1 connected to a Rode AI-1
Dude, you rock 🤜🤛 Truly, you're doing a great job with your channel. I appreciate your tips. I subbed!!! ❤ Edit: your buddy is a great singer too by the way. Please tell him Sadie said very well done! 👏 If he's like "who dafuq is Sadie?", set him straight. Lol
This video is so informative, I've learned so much that i even have answers to questions i have not even to began ask myself..... I'm totally subscribed to your content and damn Ethan has a very beautiful voice. ❤
I want to thank you for this. I'm a teacher, and have been futzing around (and having fun) with mics for the past year and a half, as we endure COVID online teaching. I had never seen the -12 to -18db rule before, and would have never guessed the need to set my mic levels that "low" before post. If I am following it right, this also makes a lot more sense as to why low noise is important in a microphone. I am currently running a Shure Super 55 "Elvis Mic" into a Behringer UMC202HD sound interface. I have an SE Dynamite in between (not sure I need it, but I have in in line).
This, and all your videos are great! I am trying to get my sound right in a bad room for recording next to the Henry Hudson Parkway. I want my voice and clarinet to be as right as it can without having to do a great deal of noise reduction - that no matter how much I try - creates problems in my voice (talking) and clarinet playing. Anyway, I know how much work that it takes to make thoughtful and actionable content. From conception to production you are nailing it!
Stupid question: Should it not be best for the noise floor to record at the highest gain avoiding clipping (with condenser mics which do not have distortion and a sweet spot) and just bring the signal down with a fader when needed for compression etc?
@@AudioHaze with my interface, mic and vocals, I need to keep the gain at 25% or less of its maximum level to avoid clipping. I quess the preamp can handle this. Or is it the absolute level the decisive thing for the preamp's sound?
bro hoping your channel will grow exponentially asap. There is such a load of bs on youtube about recording techniques, gear and mixing overall. Yep I also discovered your channel by searching for an alternative to c414 (the cheap AKG with switchable polar patterns). Would love to contribute somehow ! I highly recommend a "book" called Sh*tty is Pretty which is quite aligned with what I sense from your videos. It's not about the gear, zilions of plugins etc, it's all about a mic positioning and mainly THE ARTIST. You could put a 100$ ribbon mic in front of a great band and it would sound better than a bad band with 12 mics. You know what I mean? :)
I personally find these to do a minimal amount to reduce reflections. I mean, those are padding the side of the mic that ALREADY rejects most sound. It may mitigate some room reflections, but it seems as though not much. Honestly a messy room probably absorbs more noise lol
XLR was originally a Cannon X connector with Latch (L) and molded Rubber (R)... That's what XLR stood for... I like that you correct yourself... Keep it up.
U have no idea how much you've been helping me recently. Including saving money and having better production (wip) I was hoping you could give me your opinion on one thing. I mentioned that I got the mxl 770 recently for vocal voice overs on RUclips so no singing or instruments. I use audacity to capture the audio through a steinberg ur12. I take the raw wav to isotope and use the built in eq to adjust and tweak. I think it sounds OK but even so, do you think I should still use a compressor or even a different app that you can suggest? Thanks mate ✌️
Thanks man! Glad I could help, compression really depends a lot on your use case. If you're just recording voiceover, a compressor isn't really necessarily unless you want to use it for stylistic purposes. Whenever I use my voiceover chain, there's a couple of compressors doing some minor work to stylize the vocal, but its not necessary for sure. The majority of my voiceovers are recorded raw (since you wouldn't want to hear a processed signal for a mic review anyways). Is this a vocal for a mix or just a voiceover?
@@AudioHaze thanks for responding. It's just my voice and the camera. Like discussing topics, doing reviews etc. I'm still messing with the eq to get the tonality I want (even though I don't yet know what I want either 😅). I suppose when I find it I'll k ow but every channel and article I go to is practically shoving compression down my throat so, naturally, I feel like I'm missing out on something. I tried it out a few times but there were some "robotic" artifacts I kept getting but tbh I hardly know what I'm doing with a powerful tool like that. When I saw your videos, things immediately made me feel at ease about how I record and edit. Your approach of "less is more" helped me learn to work my mic discipline more consistently and rely less on software as I was doing and its been so much better since then. Even my brother asked if I got a new mic lol. So, yeah. Ita just me and the mic and the camera. All of the things I said just now, I did because a channel like yours and an approach to giving information and helping people understand what they truly possess and how to unlock that potential, MUST be acknowledged my friend. Its simply brilliant ✌️
Hey, you should level the loudness of different sources. When listening the video with earphones, it sometimes really hurts my ears. The mic tests are much more silent, as the "cut in" later recorded comments f.e. Or the wishes, pop-up texts sounds are really harsh in a basically silent video.
Noted! I'll try better next time. I do have audio standards, usually I try to export at -6dB, although when you factor in mic tests and audio demos, I always leave the mix untreated because I don't want to bias the sound (beyond volume matching, etc). Will def take your feedback into account though :)
Thank you for this video! Perfect timing for me - I've been playing with my new NT1-A recently and trying to figure out the best setup. This hits all the key points without slogging through hours of minutiae embedded within decades of forum posts. Question about the off axis setup: does this only work in the /\ configuration? Or would it also work with \/ shape between the pop filter and mic? The NT1-A kit's mounted pop filter is approx 3.5"-4" from the mic so tilting it inwards has it fairly close to the mic (not sure if that matters). Love your videos!!
@@AudioHaze Absolutely - I have an RE20 Black and I’m convinced it looks better on camera than even an SM7B. It looks so smart, subdued and blends in to the frame due to the overall shape and black colour… but it simultaneously looks high end/ futuristic and flashy if one decides to really pay attention to mic. Finally, the length of the RE20 means you often don’t see much XLR, shock mount or boom arm on camera, while the SM7B’s short length means you see all that unaesthetic mess in full view. I recommend getting it in black, it’s absolutely gorgeous.
Everything you say are really agreable.. I experience those in my recording as a newbie and as a streamer, so i improve it by watching and learning contents like this. Helped me alot in my singing content
Personally, I don't find cable fidelity to be the most important aspect of the chain, but I know thats sort of a hot topic. I think higher quality cables will certainly last longer, perhaps provide less noise, but the fidelity beyond that isn't the highest concern for me.
@@AudioHaze Just 2 cents... Super cheap cables can be less robust and break more easily, also can do a poor job of RF shielding. I tend to choose "good middle." Kopul, is a favorite of mine.
![KAYTRANADA - Witchy (feat. Childish Gambino) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/jGK3YVmGZ3Y/mqdefault.jpg)
I knew I would look short in this video lmao RICKY IS TALL OKAY
Hahahaha
Yea but the voice is super powerful, big and cozy. So great job Ethan!
Ur hella short bro
Off axis has done it for me except w/omni directional vocal takes and certain brass and woodwind instruments for 45 years.
😢
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{Oooh @@AudioHaze
Im gonna start doing the second position. That sounded so good
Great video. The comment by Ethan about mic position was very helpful around posture and opening up the vocal promoting tendency to open up by aiming high. Hadn't considered this and it's so obvious.Will definitely try that one.
I'll let him know you said this!
This is such an amazing video! Honestly you are the most helpful source I have found on RUclips because you break everything down so simply and demonstrate it in such an applicable way. Keep this up, your content speaks for itself!
Ah thank you so much!! You have no idea how much this means to me, comments like this make every small creator feel so good :)
The very reason I came here was that I was thinking vocal takes were sounding a lot worse and about the distance you just described seemed best but then I was also doubting myself as a singer so.. one of those moments. Really great educational content.
the upside down position was also used for the first time with tube mics with the purpose of not dissipate the heat on the capsule
Must have been a lot of work to make this video. Much appreciated.
Yeah this one was a rough one, thanks for taking the time to say that!
This was fantastic! Important considerations for every mic - great to see/hear the subtle changes that are possible.
This was really helpful! I always wondered why I get those peaky/sibilant highs on vocals, I'll try your mic angles. And I should stop singing in the corner...
Thanks for the great info!
Thanks Adam! Glad I could help ya out :)
Your videos are always excellent! really appreciate all the great content you put out. Learned a lot from this one. Also I like that you keep things pretty technical.
Thanks dude! I try my best, really appreciate the kind words :)
this is so clear i can hear the spit salivating in his mouth this guy knows
So much work is put together in this video.too much of a knowledge.love the background.
Thanks! Yeah I’m still trying to figure out the right angle for the new apartment, this one was pretty good tho
Helpful video, and I really like the song from the singer in this video. He has a very nice voice too!
In the end, my conclusion is: Ethan sounds great either way. But what a great tip to "force" the singer into having a good posture. He doesn't need it, but I'll definitely gonna try this out!
I totally agree, the position was definitely my fav!
His neck looks over extended upward to me in this position. You want your head to be basically level while singing. I also tend to get more nasality in the sound when literally miking at the level of the nasal passages. YMMV based on the singer, but that's my take.
I like your style! But a correction: XLR is not "external line return". Like so many other audio things, the name is a series and model name. It was a Cannon-X-series connector, named after its inventor James H. Cannon, with the addition of a Latch (L) and a (R) rubber polymer compound around the connectors. Thanks for helpful videos--loved seeing those mic positions--going to try #2!
I've heard both so I'm not sure! But to be fair I think your explanation sounds more legit lol and great happy recording my friend!
Looking up puts strain on your vocal chords and should be avoided. Plz don’t use position 2!!
Lotta great recordings use this technique
Subscribed before the video was over too! 🤩
Excellent.. Thank you for this wonderful effort and this very important information that made me reconsider all my calculations.. I look forward to study audio engineering with you if that is possible.
Welcome to the community! Glad I could help :)
Quick technical question: 60fps, awkward or cool looking?
I think it looks more engaging.
@@---pp7tq good to know! I couldn’t decide if it looked more professional or just more awkward. Let’s see what some others think as well :)
24fps is just fine. But shutter angle is too slow - looks like camera works in low light.
I’m awkward at any frame rate.
Thanks for the feedback! Yeah I’m by no means great with a camera, still need to figure out the right settings for this room
I like the first position and Top position of the mic, awesome video man! ^_^
Me too, especially the top position, I’m going to need to start doing that for sur e
wreck is that you?! so proud *tear*
I love how you put so much effort into all of your content. Do you think you would create an audio course? Or any private lessons? I’m just curious. I plan on recording vocals for myself I will definitively use your amazing content to guide me. I guess my question is do you have any sort of plans for clients to reach out to you?
Hey! I would definitely consider a course, but I think that would have to be well into the future when there’s a bit more traction for the channel. I do lessons though! If you’re interested you could email me at realaudiohaze@gmail.com
I'm embarrassed to say the position I've come up with (totally amateur here), I've done away with the pop filter and use 2 mics. I hear myself thru the "fake" mic and record myself thru a mic next to it at a little higher level. I can even aim the mic straight to my lips or to my forehead. Doesn't do anything, but I feel cool doing it :) My background is in photography, and the softer light is at the "edge" of the light rather than smack center of the light lighting up a person. I adapted this to my totally amateur recording style thinking I'm doing something good here. Does that make you cringe lol ? I know, I apologize In advance, like I said I'm not a pro. In fact I made a friend Maurice, from the Berklee school of music that has stunning knowledge so I give you lots of respect. Thumbs up on your video 👍👍👍
Thanks Peter! I actually went to Berklee myself :) so did Ethan in this video, send Maurice my regards!
Aimed @the chest… best sounding imho, the sibilant sound reduction was noticeable and the tone seemed more robust silky and less buzzy…
Can't you record in a corner, if you have bass traps, and acoustic foams covering your left side and right side? As like your back facing the corner, your sides covered by acoustic foams?
When you said what you said about the RUclips rooms I literally thought of markipliers room
Man... windows....
I do VO from my office which has/had a very nice window... that thing is now behind about 100lbs of sound blocking and absorbing material. Blocking because I am near some busy streets and next to a business parking lot, and the absorbing for exactly the reasons you mention. It was lame to lose the view, but it was an excellent object lesson in making a space that I enjoy being in work in a new way. I mention this mostly because of your comment about 'sticking a vocalist in the closet might not always be best' because I could have tried a closet setup, it would have been cheaper and faster, but I probably would have quit after month. The rest of the space is less ideal, still treated, but it's my office, it's 'small,' it's square, it has hard surfaces galore!
Just like your recording from a much less treated space, what's most important is that you figure out how do do whatever it is you love as well as you can and with whatever compromises you find acceptable in the space you have.
Really love the vocal comparison for mic positions and info on spacing. Overall I feel like mic technique (at least in terms of my preferred channels) is under represented as a video topic. I see a lot of people discuss it in forums, and it's a huge coaching topic, but this is one of the few videos I have personally seen - with the exception of Judd Curtis and mic technique/placement that is focused on a video production environment.
Well said! People sacrifice too much for audio fidelity and forget about the experiential element of recording. I could record in a studio made of glass up at the top of a mountain, I would take that 100% over a professional booth. It'll lend to a more heartfelt performance, and we forget about that sometimes in the pursuit of quality. We have to let the feelings that wrote the song bleed into the recording as well. And yes! Mic replacement is under represented for sure compared to mic comparisons :)
I liked this video before I even watched it half way through...😁
Hey man! Just got my first XLR microphone thank to you and Mr Podcastage, and this video really help my recording process. 🙏
quick question my AT2035 is so quiet at around 70% gain, is it normal? do i need to upgrade my audio interface?
Thanks dude! Happy to help. And no, your microphone should not be quiet at all at 70% power. Could there be something going on in the software? Maybe the interface software or the daw?
I've been Using this Mic connected to a golden age pre 73 routed to a Clarett pre 8+ and still don't get a sound like this.. I'm actually getting weird artifacts in my recordings, I do not know the issue.. I'm think its one of my hardware connections or patchbay, not sure.. If you have a solutions please do tell..
Hey, I'm using the ecm87 and having some major clarity issues... any help from anyone would be a big help. I THINK my audio interface or cables are faulty but have no way of currently telling. Taking the mic out of the box and setting it up with my scarlet audio interface, no treatment to the mic or sound. It sounds very fuzzy and does not accurately maintain sound when changing the volume speaking at / when adjusting input level as well, for example when I go quieter or louder the vocal starts to fuzz out and just doesn't sound smooth at all which is my main concern. I was previously using the scarlet studio mic and the preset I was developing for it sounding very clean and smooth and full, however I broke that mic so eventually it stopped working and was completely distorted no vocal signal coming through so I had to get a new mic which was the ecm87... plugging it in has gotten rid of the complete distortion, I can hear my self now but the monitoring input in the scarlet audio interface (when I press the monitoring option on the interface) sounds way cleaner and smoother than the minoring input from logic pro which is what my vocals come out sounding like which is super confusing and frustrating. It's no where near as clear as everyone is saying it should be and when I used my pre set that I was using and working on for the last two weeks with the studio scarlet mic and interface it sounded horrible and distorted and broken and fuzzy and NOT full just really bad and completely different to my last mic when it was working even though they are both condenser mics in similar price bracket ranges. Ive built new presets and played with this mic and the mix but something feels seriously wrong with the vocals it should be way clearer than it is I know something is up but cant identify the issue. maybe it is the cables? or the interface its self having burst from an overdrive of signal previously? Please someone any advice would be great. I also haven't tried to take of the exterior of the mic to look into the adjustable things since I done wanna ruin anything even more. maybe I can do this and flick the high pass filter off / on maybe its on the wrong setting somehow? maybe something isn't how it should be for some reason?
2:40 I don't quite understand this. I'd imagine the signal to noise ratio would be the same at -25 to -20 as -18 to -12, and you'd have to boost the vocal more in the mix if its recorded quieter, so wouldn't you get the same amount of noise? The noise would be a lower level, but so would the signal. Does boosting the gain result in a lower signal to noise? I assumed that recording at a lower volume would result in a lower signal to noise due to the increased noise from the ad converters (after you boost it in the box). Is there a sweet spot where the decreased noise from a non uniform s to r from the preamp results in an overall lower signal to noise ratio even after the increased noise from the ad converters? I've always been under the impression that more gain on the preamp results in a better signal to noise ratio
when you talk i can hear the backgroud noise but when you recording the nois go out , how you can do this?
Your Speaking voice
Issssss beautiful ....
You are a bass singer ...
Low bariton at the least ....
I added Ethan song to my playlist
Man I’m lost these days I have a shitty room and I can’t treat it. I have an Sm7b but this sh*t is noisy af. Should I get a condenser and an Isolation bubble ?
How you don't have vocal explosives on this specific video if you speak directly to the mic with no shock mount?
this might be the best one i've seen on vocals
Do you suggest putting blanket on top of the mic when recording on very untreated room with alot of reflections or does it eat up all the highs and do i put my mic to line or inst
I think it depends on what you're going for. Honestly for voice over a simple blanket like that could work well, it does eat up some highs but not too badly considering voice over usually has a ton of midrange anyways. I think if it causes a worse performance though, then its not worth it. I used to record a ton in my closet lol
I have tried the position with the mic above and at an angle and it makes me sound like a sibalant gremlin
I assume one would need proper software that contains a meter with which to set your mic gain at -12 and -18db correcto ?
What if one records into Garage band. How do I ensure less noise floor. Is there any way around this.
Also would premier pro do a better job for EQ (ing) vocals than garage band?
I’ve noticed premier pro has deezers and EQ tools and all sorts of dynamic effects that garage doesn’t offer.
Anyway, I know that was a ton of beginner questions in one comment lol thanks for these videos btw 🙏
OH dang I didn't even realize garageband doesn't show dB levels, thats ridiculous! It really depends on what your editing, I do a fair bit of audio work in premiere pro when editing these, and its great. Only issue is, if you're trying to record a song rather than just a video or podcast, the timeline isn't really set up for that. If you have the creative cloud though, you could try Adobe Audition! Thats a full DAW that will have everything you need. Alternatively, you could just go with the free Ableton version, or spend like $50 and get Reaper. Lots of options :)
@@AudioHaze Amazing ! Appreciate your detailed response hermano. Love the videos… keep em coming.
Started binging your videos great content man thank you
At 11:28 with your pfp blown up, I just notice that the microphone is facing the wrong side :o
Hahaha I thought you meant the actual mic in the vid and I was like WHATTTTT but yeah I guess the graphics designed just did it to look cool :)
I just got my Rode NT1 the other day - do you have any videos on the best settings for the 2 knobs on it? Mostly the left one
The two knobs on it? A Rode NT1 shouldn't have any adjustments on the mic
I rate the singer 💯💯💯
You say that overly treated rooms don't just kill refractions, but eat your high frequencies too.
That seems impossible to me. A sound from your mouth will hit the microphone before hitting the wall. Including high frequencies. It's just refractions that you're killing, not the high frequencies that are in your own voice.
Keep distance unless your Billy Ilish 😀
You wear plaid like a Canadian.
My special lumber jack flannel 👌🏻
@@AudioHaze And you’re alright.
13:30 hey I was wondering what the mic stand you're using is?
The position that makes the singer sing in the correct manner was the best position. the vocals were louder and clearer. great video bro
Don't know why, but when pop-filtr was under the angle, the singing was closer to natural.
For me I have 2 pairs of early 47 FETs, and none of the 4 tolerate pop filters well. They sound dull, low passed, less lively ..(no matter the number of layers, material, tension, angle. My theory is this is a function of just how sensitive the capsule/electronics are.???
I usually use the second position
I was wondering which position was YOUR personal preference and Ethan’s personal preference as well.
Man that Ethan guy is pretty good huh hahaha miss you guys loads
Hi, between the new NT1 and NT2A, which one would you recommend? Thanks!
Whenever I'm recording vocals and I start my line with an F or H or if I end words with an S or softer sounding letters for both, it doesn't really capture the whole sound and kind of sounds like it randomly cuts in or out. Do you know any reason why it would do that? I have the Rode NT1 connected to a Rode AI-1
Always great to learn new audio-related tech stuff from your channel man. Sometimes I have no idea about any of this so your vids help me a lot :)
Glad to help Aaron! And good to hear from ya :)
Dude, you rock 🤜🤛 Truly, you're doing a great job with your channel. I appreciate your tips. I subbed!!! ❤
Edit: your buddy is a great singer too by the way. Please tell him Sadie said very well done! 👏 If he's like "who dafuq is Sadie?", set him straight. Lol
lolol okay will do. Thanks for the kind words! I'll let him know you said hi (he's visiting soon actually)
Love his voice
dude that microphone compared to my at2020 is lightyears ahead...
You my good person have earned yourself a new Subsciber. :3
i use the distance of a hangloose from the popFilter , and the popfilter from the mic is like 1 fist.
This video is so informative, I've learned so much that i even have answers to questions i have not even to began ask myself..... I'm totally subscribed to your content and damn Ethan has a very beautiful voice. ❤
Good video
So XLR is like the humbucker of cables.
When you say face longways does that mean face one of the longest walls, or face the wall that is furthest from you?
I want to thank you for this. I'm a teacher, and have been futzing around (and having fun) with mics for the past year and a half, as we endure COVID online teaching. I had never seen the -12 to -18db rule before, and would have never guessed the need to set my mic levels that "low" before post. If I am following it right, this also makes a lot more sense as to why low noise is important in a microphone. I am currently running a Shure Super 55 "Elvis Mic" into a Behringer UMC202HD sound interface. I have an SE Dynamite in between (not sure I need it, but I have in in line).
Nice! And thanks for saying all of this :) the behringer interfaces are actually surprisingly good for their price point
This was awesome, thank u for the knowledge :)
EV mics are great also.
Definitely :)
This, and all your videos are great! I am trying to get my sound right in a bad room for recording next to the Henry Hudson Parkway. I want my voice and clarinet to be as right as it can without having to do a great deal of noise reduction - that no matter how much I try - creates problems in my voice (talking) and clarinet playing. Anyway, I know how much work that it takes to make thoughtful and actionable content. From conception to production you are nailing it!
Wow thank you so much that is so kind of you! I'm honored I could help :)
beautifull song and lyrics. where can i hear it?
great singer!
Stupid question: Should it not be best for the noise floor to record at the highest gain avoiding clipping (with condenser mics which do not have distortion and a sweet spot) and just bring the signal down with a fader when needed for compression etc?
As long as your preamps can handle that level of input without introducing excess noise then yes :)
@@AudioHaze with my interface, mic and vocals, I need to keep the gain at 25% or less of its maximum level to avoid clipping. I quess the preamp can handle this. Or is it the absolute level the decisive thing for the preamp's sound?
You audio sold me on watching. Crisp pipes
thanks for all the detail, seriously a breath of fresh air and I feel empowered with my new knowledge, cheers
bro hoping your channel will grow exponentially asap. There is such a load of bs on youtube about recording techniques, gear and mixing overall. Yep I also discovered your channel by searching for an alternative to c414 (the cheap AKG with switchable polar patterns).
Would love to contribute somehow ! I highly recommend a "book" called Sh*tty is Pretty which is quite aligned with what I sense from your videos. It's not about the gear, zilions of plugins etc, it's all about a mic positioning and mainly THE ARTIST. You could put a 100$ ribbon mic in front of a great band and it would sound better than a bad band with 12 mics.
You know what I mean? :)
I LOVE shitty is pretty!! I've almost quoted it a few times but have always edited it out lol Thank you so much for the support dude :)
What app are you using at the end
Good information. Very helpful. Thank you.
8:00 how do you feel about reflection filters.. such as the sE Electronics Reflexion Filter Pro for a home studio?
I personally find these to do a minimal amount to reduce reflections. I mean, those are padding the side of the mic that ALREADY rejects most sound. It may mitigate some room reflections, but it seems as though not much. Honestly a messy room probably absorbs more noise lol
XLR was originally a Cannon X connector with Latch (L) and molded Rubber (R)... That's what XLR stood for... I like that you correct yourself... Keep it up.
Thanks man!
The acoustic song, vocals sound really good.
His song sounds a lot better to me in this video.
So if the ground cable on the audio/xlr cord goes bad while in use, I could possibly hurt myself?
Every electronic system should be grounded, so its unlikely!
U have no idea how much you've been helping me recently. Including saving money and having better production (wip) I was hoping you could give me your opinion on one thing. I mentioned that I got the mxl 770 recently for vocal voice overs on RUclips so no singing or instruments. I use audacity to capture the audio through a steinberg ur12. I take the raw wav to isotope and use the built in eq to adjust and tweak. I think it sounds OK but even so, do you think I should still use a compressor or even a different app that you can suggest? Thanks mate ✌️
Thanks man! Glad I could help, compression really depends a lot on your use case. If you're just recording voiceover, a compressor isn't really necessarily unless you want to use it for stylistic purposes. Whenever I use my voiceover chain, there's a couple of compressors doing some minor work to stylize the vocal, but its not necessary for sure. The majority of my voiceovers are recorded raw (since you wouldn't want to hear a processed signal for a mic review anyways). Is this a vocal for a mix or just a voiceover?
@@AudioHaze thanks for responding. It's just my voice and the camera. Like discussing topics, doing reviews etc. I'm still messing with the eq to get the tonality I want (even though I don't yet know what I want either 😅). I suppose when I find it I'll k ow but every channel and article I go to is practically shoving compression down my throat so, naturally, I feel like I'm missing out on something. I tried it out a few times but there were some "robotic" artifacts I kept getting but tbh I hardly know what I'm doing with a powerful tool like that. When I saw your videos, things immediately made me feel at ease about how I record and edit. Your approach of "less is more" helped me learn to work my mic discipline more consistently and rely less on software as I was doing and its been so much better since then. Even my brother asked if I got a new mic lol. So, yeah. Ita just me and the mic and the camera. All of the things I said just now, I did because a channel like yours and an approach to giving information and helping people understand what they truly possess and how to unlock that potential, MUST be acknowledged my friend. Its simply brilliant ✌️
Hey, you should level the loudness of different sources. When listening the video with earphones, it sometimes really hurts my ears. The mic tests are much more silent, as the "cut in" later recorded comments f.e. Or the wishes, pop-up texts sounds are really harsh in a basically silent video.
Noted! I'll try better next time. I do have audio standards, usually I try to export at -6dB, although when you factor in mic tests and audio demos, I always leave the mix untreated because I don't want to bias the sound (beyond volume matching, etc). Will def take your feedback into account though :)
Thank you for this video! Perfect timing for me - I've been playing with my new NT1-A recently and trying to figure out the best setup. This hits all the key points without slogging through hours of minutiae embedded within decades of forum posts. Question about the off axis setup: does this only work in the /\ configuration? Or would it also work with \/ shape between the pop filter and mic? The NT1-A kit's mounted pop filter is approx 3.5"-4" from the mic so tilting it inwards has it fairly close to the mic (not sure if that matters). Love your videos!!
Hey! Not sure what you mean by \/ configuration, could you elaborate? And thanks!
Thanks for this video!
I like the platypus painting on the wall
Your channel is saving me so much time learning audio THANK YOU!!
Thank you so much I'm honored to hear that!!
@AudioHaze Can you please do a Part 2 of the video with your friend singing in the different mic positions using the Shure SM7B 😁?
That’s a great idea! Although I’m not sure there as many positions for a dynamic as there are condenser?
@@AudioHaze Just give it a try you'll never know, it may just surprise you 😁
This was super helpful! Lovely vocals from Ethan as well
Thanks! I'll let him know :)
personal or mobile sound booth
🫡
Which recording software (DAW) do you use?
I use either Ableton or Pro Tools, mostly Ableton :)
hey man I have to admit... Idk why but the RE20 really suits you not even just sonically but aesthetically too lol makes you look cooler and different
Hahahah YES you don’t realize how much I love that comment
@@AudioHaze Absolutely - I have an RE20 Black and I’m convinced it looks better on camera than even an SM7B. It looks so smart, subdued and blends in to the frame due to the overall shape and black colour… but it simultaneously looks high end/ futuristic and flashy if one decides to really pay attention to mic. Finally, the length of the RE20 means you often don’t see much XLR, shock mount or boom arm on camera, while the SM7B’s short length means you see all that unaesthetic mess in full view. I recommend getting it in black, it’s absolutely gorgeous.
Everything you say are really agreable.. I experience those in my recording as a newbie and as a streamer, so i improve it by watching and learning contents like this. Helped me alot in my singing content
So happy to hear!! Thank you so much for saying all of this :)
@@AudioHaze welcome 🙏🏻
the song is beautiful
Where can I find this song??????
Ah I don't think he's published them yet? Check out his insta and ask him though! He'll def respond
From your experience is there much difference in the quality of cables or are they fairly standard across the board (Amazon vs Mogami)?
Personally, I don't find cable fidelity to be the most important aspect of the chain, but I know thats sort of a hot topic. I think higher quality cables will certainly last longer, perhaps provide less noise, but the fidelity beyond that isn't the highest concern for me.
@@AudioHaze Just 2 cents... Super cheap cables can be less robust and break more easily, also can do a poor job of RF shielding. I tend to choose "good middle." Kopul, is a favorite of mine.
What's that song?!, I actually liked it hehe
idk ask ethan! Here's his insta: instagram.com/ethan.toga/?hl=en