New mic Qs (AT3035)

cochise · Post by **cochise** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 11:48 pm

Alright ladies and gents, some Qs about this new mic of mine. I was using an MXL 990, a small diameter condenser that was great for the price and now I've got an AT3035. Should be set, right? But alas, I think I'm missing something. So far when I record I get a nice clean uncolored sound, but something's missing. My new recordings just don't have that nice warmth the old ones did. I use AIPL warmtone and I've replicated all the same mixing techniques, but it really doesn't sound so good. Any AT tips?

deshead · Post by **deshead** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 8:33 am

Do you have the mic's low-cut filter turned on? You really only need it when you're right up against the mic.

Or, in the same vein, are you signing far away from the mic? For warmth, you probably want some proximity effect.

The 990 also gives a little bump around 250Hz, where the AT3035 is pretty-well flat. Try a gentle EQ boost there to see if that warms things up.

boltoph · Post by **boltoph** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 1:41 pm

deshead wrote:The 990 also gives a little bump around 250Hz, where the AT3035 is pretty-well flat. Try a gentle EQ boost there to see if that warms things up.

I use the AT 3035 all the time, for acoustic guitars and vocals. I would say, the low cut switch on the AT doesn't do a whole lot, seems like it only cuts 40hz and down, which is really just the ultra-lows. I always end up cutting the vocals from 200-250hz and down, in my mix, and also end up usually boosting the highs in a broad slope up starting at say, 3khz. I'm thinking maybe the mxl mic is stronger on the highs, as the smaller diaphragms tend to illuminate the high end a bit more, but have less "body".

I guess it kinda depends on what you mean by "warmth". We usually think of warmth like Des is saying, around 250hz, but you may mean a warm treble sparkle. I find that I need to boost the highs on that mic to get more sparkle. Vocal takes always seem too "bassy" to me on my original take, but I usually sing about 6" away from the mic and below it a touch (singing to the base of the mic and not the element tends to eliminate some harsh S's, i've found.
Sober Irishman also uses a pair of AT 3035's. I'd like to hear his POV. He got some great vocal tones on St. Peter, esp.

cochise · Post by **cochise** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 6:35 pm

Well, I did some expermenting and I think things are sounding much better now. It's a little hard to get used to the flat response when you're so used to affected color. That pure sound is easier to work with, that's for sure. I did notice that need for a little bump in the highs sometimes though, thanks.

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 11:35 pm

I've got a pair of those bad boys, and I know what you're saying about the sterile sound of the mics. I usually run everything through antares tube or the mic modeler. Works wonders.

boltoph · Post by **boltoph** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 3:06 pm

Yes, I also forgot to mention I run mine through the ART dual tube preamp all the time, too. I like it, it provides simple control and even overdrive if you want. Just have to set the input low for songs that have loud singing parts.
Also, these guys tell no lies.

cochise · Post by **cochise** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:46 am

Some good advice to be sure. I've been noticing that while I've got the tone a little warmer, I still get a strong sibilant problem and with the de-essers I've tried, it just kills the sound Q. Any plugins you could recommend that won't hurt the sound, but lessen the "sssss"?

boltoph · Post by **boltoph** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 2:26 pm

Sssss's...

If you try backing away to about 6 inches away from the mic, and raise it so that the element (the circle capsule, inside the mic) is at about eye level, the Sss's tend to not be picked up as much.

I would move the mic around with the headphones on, singing "SSSSSSS" and hear where the S's drop off a little. For me, placing the mic w/ the capsule just about at eye level, seems to do it.

I also use the TCWorks Compressor/Desser sometimes, with the Male Vocal setting, and then you can monitor the De-essing and tune it so that it's grabbing the S's. It's in that "Native Bundle". If you're on a PC, I hear that "Waves" is the way to go, but I'll have to let someone else talk about that, I don't have that package, and I'm on a Mac.

Watch your vocal track in a frequency monitor to determine which freq's are the strongest S's, then use the deesser to attack that freq.

But definitely try placing the mic a little higher, and step back a hair, see if that helps.

blue · Post by **blue** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 5:08 pm

learn to enunciate your esses and pees properly when you sing. don't drag them out, don't attack them. make the p's with a round mouth and try not to exhale hard. relax your mouth on the esses and keep them quick and soft.

pay attention to your words and practice, practice, practice.

blue · Post by **blue** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 5:42 pm

stumbled across a rip rowan product review where he recommended using lots of tube action on AT mics as they are notiriously sterile.

cochise · Post by **cochise** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 8:50 pm

Let me tell you, some tube action makes a lot of difference. I've really gotten used to the sound over the last month. The proper mouth shape and enunciation is key, as well as mic distance. More so than other mics I've used. Overall I think it's fantastic for the money

blue · Post by **blue** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 5:29 pm

cochise wrote:Let me tell you, some tube action makes a lot of difference. I've really gotten used to the sound over the last month. The proper mouth shape and enunciation is key, as well as mic distance. More so than other mics I've used. Overall I think it's fantastic for the money

recorded any dongfights with it? (and your proper mouth action, ofcoz..

)

Kamakura · Post by **Kamakura** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 8:06 pm

blue wrote:learn to enunciate your esses and pees properly when you sing. don't drag them out, don't attack them. make the p's with a round mouth and try not to exhale hard. relax your mouth on the esses and keep them quick and soft.

I've got to disagree. Although good vocal training is just peachy, singers are in the business of performing whilst microphones are in the business of capturing the performance... Forcing a singer to change his/her style to suit the mic or mic placement/lack of pop filter etc is twaddle, and bad production. - 'Too many notes Mozart'.

blue wrote:pay attention to your words and practice, practice, practice.

Learning your lyrics is always a good thing.

...Is this the five minute argument, or the full half hour?

blue · Post by **blue** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 8:16 pm

if you have the gear and setup such that you're getting a good sound without pops and sibilance, go for it.

but many people do not. crappy mics and small spaces (the songfight demographic) exacerbate the problem - so learning how to fix it with what you have is not a bad thing.

Kamakura · Post by **Kamakura** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 8:39 pm

blue wrote:if you have the gear and setup such that you're getting a good sound without pops and sibilance, go for it. But many people do not. crappy mics and small spaces (the songfight demographic) exacerbate the problem - so learning how to fix it with what you have is not a bad thing.

True.

Getting rid of plosives with a pop filter is both easy and virtually free. Use a wire coathanger and a stocking. If you still get plosives double the thickness of stocking.