San Diego, California, USA
| StoreTags: mic, rode, reality check
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People who enjoyed reading this: astroid, bb01, Fredo, Moriarty, Analog, Unknownforce, chimplogic, populus, room, deltasleep, energygiant, DrexonField, mixedtape
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So a couple weeks ago I picked up a nice new mic - a Rode NT2-A (that's it sitting in front of my krk) - for $400. Ouch! But when I got it home and started tracking with it I instantly understood what I had paid for... clarity. This thing is clear, crisp and accurate! Almost too much so. I'm not the greatest vocalist in the world - far from it - but every once in a while I can carry a tune. But with this mic that proved harder than I thought. Everything's so transparent that even the most minute voice inflections and subtle pitch changes are revealed - making it a completely different experience than other mics that I've used. Needless to say, my first vocal sessions with the new mic were more than frustrating. And while I don't think I've begun to sing much better yet, over the long run I'll have to.
If you're interested, you can hear my latest vocal mixes here: link
Just check out the flash player about halfway down. The vocals are far from perfect, but the difference in quality between this mic and previous recordings is quite large. | |
Comments
11/28/07
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astroboy
nice.
but as i told you before:
please ditch that autotune!!!
11/28/07
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paperpilot
is it that transparent? i'm trying to find a balance between using it as an effect and a purely clean voice. unless i'm hearing it wrong, i don't see it as more prominent than a lot of the other stuff out there.
11/28/07
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astroid
it's immediately audible.
i don't know if you like doubling effects, but you can run the totally uneffected vocal right next to it and get some cool phasing stuff.
11/28/07
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paperpilot
audible in a bad way or just that it doesn't sound like a dry vocal?
maybe it's the combined nature of the processing. i'm running a few send effects (2 reverbs, a doubler and a delay) in different amounts for each vocal track. i like that it thickens up the vocal but maybe i should back off there.
11/28/07
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paperpilot
i see two kinds of vocal processing - one to sweeten the sound and another to completely replace it.
for example, i like fischerspooner, and many think their vocals are overprocessed, but i see it as within a reasonable range of creative freedom for vocals.
i'd draw the line at daft punk; they might as well have a computer singing. though it still works in a unique way.
11/28/07
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astroid
this is the only time i've been "happy" with autotune:
link
but here's a more professional use of it:
link
honestly, i just think you're running it a little hot. If you turn it up too much, the sustain of your vowels sounds like a synthesizer. it's like the more you use, the less character the voice has.
11/28/07
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astroid
btw, your songs are lovely
11/28/07
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paperpilot
nice, astroid! i can FEEL the emotion in both renditions - cleaner takes the cake, tho. you've got some chops there! the verse in the second version is spot on.
and thanks for the kind words!
11/28/07
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Fredo
I agree about the compositions being very nice. And you have a nice voice too!
yes-ter-day... the "ter" part is where you went off key. and I can tell even though you have autotuned it to robot perfection because autotune can't fix impresise inflection. And what the hell is wrong with vocal vulnerability?!!! For Christ's sake ditch AUTOTUNE!!! Can we hear a version of the vocals with absolutely no autotune?
The Keaton sounds robotic too. Man, I find autotune appalling.
11/28/07
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cbit
I heard the autotune straight away also, robotic sounding i'm afraid. I'd also prefer to hear un-'corrected' vocals. Good mixes though.
11/28/07
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chimplogic
this is the same mic i use to track my girl Michelle's vox with. i also bought one of those old skewl 'elvis' style mics too, for a bit more raw/dirty tone from time to time. but overall, the rode is amazing. super clear - sometimes devastatingly as it can pick up sounds from the neighborhood it's that sensitive. have fun!
peace
11/28/07
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autistici
but given the style of the music - with an electronic style - isn't the autotune OK? Just gives it a slight electro reference I feel.
Good tunes - very catchy
11/28/07
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Fredo
autotune and subbass have to be sent back to hell from whence they came! ;)
11/28/07
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Fredo
I agree that the autotune effect works on this recording, btw. Puts me in mind of Royksop.
11/28/07
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Fredo
sorry about the multiple posts...
It's like... you know how face lifts somehow make all the men and women who use them look somehow simlar... like they all are part of some strange cat/human hybrid family? That's what autotune is doing for vocals. It takes away the special something that a person's voice has. Not quite as dramatically as that, of course. I don't mean to say it doesn't sound like you, but there is a kind of blurring to the particular eccentricity a natural voice might have.
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