How to achieve clean vocals

Discussion in 'Mixing and Mastering' started by funiras, Nov 13, 2021.

  1. justwannadownload

    justwannadownload Audiosexual

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    In my experience, the absolute most of anal-mod plugins are garbage. They basically dictate what you can do with them and usually are good in one thing only. I've worked with UAD plugins and they really are nothing special. What elevates them from "nothing special" to "crap" is their price and the cult around them. Same goes for PA, Slate, Acustica, half the Softube catalogue (the other half is neat) and twice for MAAT. Arturia is somewhat better because they actually "modernize" the plugins.
    Barely worked with outboard gear tho, have no nostalgia towards it. Aye it saturates nicely, doesn't alias and you can shortcircuit it in funny ways but it's just not as flexible, clean or precise as I want my signal processors to be.
     
  2. Baxter

    Baxter Audiosexual

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    This just sounds like a good mic, pop filter, dry room/booth, good pre, volume automation, EQ/filtering, de-essing, compression, parallel compression and some Dolby style saturation/compression on the highs. Nothing spectacular.
     
  3. FLRIZDARKK

    FLRIZDARKK Producer

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    Well I like Plugin Alliance, I do use Fabfilter plugins too, but sometimes you need more than those. Acustica makes great plugins but on the CPU heavy side so in a way you use them like hardware I guess lol. Then again FabFilter plugins aren't exactly affordable either so not sure what you mean by price comparing other plugins. Sure you can have sales, same can be said for other plugin manufacturers. Is not about nostalgia, is about the sound they produce (added color, saturation, EQ non linear curves), maybe you think the UI looks like the originals compared to FabFilter or other plugins? Like for instance ProQ3 is great but cannot be matched with analog type EQ emulation. Also with something like a ProQ3 sometimes you are fooled by what you visualize, but then again its all UI talk.
     
  4. Lois Lane

    Lois Lane Audiosexual

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    For a clean albeit euphonic capture with your TLM 103 there is the Daking Mic Pre One. It's got a fine variable high pass filter that will help lose any low frequency rumble as your mic doesn't have one. I bought one about six years ago when it was about half the price as it is now. You never see one for sale in the used market for a good reason, they are killer.

    Daking Mic Pre One
    The Mic-Pre One is a 70 watt single channel mic preamp that we originally designed with the home recordist who only needs one input in mind. Because of it’s high performance and robust mechanical design, it has also become first choice of many professionals when doing small remotes. They just throw two or three in a suitcase and off they go!

    The Mic-Pre One’s great performance comes from our existing popular Daking designs, the Mic Pre EQ, Mic Pre IV, and console modules. All of these preamps use the same unique preamp circuit which features a Jensen input transformer and a Class “A” discrete transistor preamp with a single sided power supply.

    Sharing the gain structure and Class A, fully discrete transistor circuitry design of the popular Daking Mic Pre IV, theMic Pre One additionally features a unique variable high-pass filter and ships in a freestanding 'DI-style' steel enclosure, ensuring both strength and noise immunity.

    Essentially a single channel of the Mic Pre IV, the Mic Pre One features switchable phase, 20dB mic input pad and +48V phantom power, plus a selectable 1/4-inch front panel hi-z instrument input, all utilizing relays with gold bi-furcated contacts. Two large knurled aluminum knobs control the variable high-pass filter (0-200Hz) and continuously variable input gain, which is complemented by a full-width, twenty-segment bi-color LED meter.

    [​IMG]
     
  5. No Avenger

    No Avenger Moderator Staff Member

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    Just basic recording and processing, even if done well. At this level (dB SPL) a good room acoustic probably isn't that important and mic/sound shield should be sufficient - unless you're recording in a small bathroom, which can in deed sound good.
    As @Baxter already said, reducing low end (shelf/cut), saturation (instead of rising the mids skyhigh), de-essing, reducing the high end and compression is the way to go. Maybe even some (auto) levelling.

    An affordable preamp isn't what you should be looking for. Rather an appropriate preamp. Running a ~ $1k mic through an $50 preamp doesn't make sense. If you can afford it, I'd be looking for something like SPL Channel One. Here you can apply a bit treatment (EQing, compressing, de-essing) already when recording.
    Keep in mind, the peamp has to be better than the mic to capture its sound completely.
     
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