Can a better mic set-up affect pitch with vibrato?

Bono (singer with U2) has been known to use a SM58 or 57, hand held, and walk around the control room to do 'final' takes of songs....

honestly, i've heard crappy live recordings of 'pros' and even then, their signature vibrato came thru loud and clear.


there's  nothing wrong with getting cleaner sounding tracks with sound treatment...
it'll knock down room reflections, and stuff like that..
but your voice is going straight into the mic, and it will pick that up.

the sound treatment is to keep all the OTHER sounds out.

think sound masking (freq's that build up and 'mask' what YOU're doing, with what THEY're reflecting)

that might be something dialed in, pro, and tested and proven, to try.......

  I'll give my perspective and that comes from my
experiences. I'm not the high tech sound/physics
guy of any sorts. I'd be much more like I just
learned it sort of thing.

  Things affect a persons singing pitch. In basic terms
(and I mean only basic) if you hear "bright" you'll tend
to sing "flat" and if you hear "low end mush" you'll sing
"sharp". This is not a rule. All it is is an observation into
the "ear" trying to adjust to the environment. (singing)

  Things resonate. The room and yes your head too.
Different parts of a (especially an untreated room) 
will have frequency's that are "stronger".  But one
area isn't always the best or worse area.

  If only (one note) was the subject then a given area
might be the best but when you sing there are many
"different" notes. Say you sing an "A" ie 440, 880,
220hz but the room has a strong resonance in say
460, 860, 249hz there is a clash.

  How (strong) the clash is is another subject. Have
you noticed that maybe you sound better in a certain
key? Maybe your room doesn't clash as bad in (that)
key.

  You'll also sound better (not hearing) "or less of"
the room. I've tried all sorts of methods to "decouple"
the mic from the room such as "things around the mic"
Maybe they work fine for others but not for me
(my voice).

  I've heard "notes" on voc tracks that sound flat.
Check the pitch and its "right on key" How can that
be? (assuming the instruments are all A 440).
Is it the room? The mic? Eq?

  Well it gets even more complicated. If the
backing tracks/ band/ the mix your singing to
has resonances (like a room would) then as a
singer your hit twice with those (in this case)
problems.

  If your method (blankets) work then that is a step
forward. Given a new (different) mix to sing to you
might find yourself wondering why things on this
new tune don't work as well as the last.

  You ask the question of isolation for vocs? does
it affect pitch? yes but many things affect pitch.
 

I suspect it is the radically different timbre that is being interpreted as a change in pitch.

Julie, I would think singing into a corner would be horrible... that's an opinion... but it is also a fact that a corner will collect both wild peaks but also wild nulls.

Considering you already use a vibrato technique... it seems as if the comb filtering happening in a corner could play havoc with a sound that is already fluctuating.

Having said that... it is easy for me to believe that your use of gobos has caused people to notice an easier to appreciate sound.

CONGRATS!!!!


Keep it up.

best,
mike

I don't think sound treatment will affect the vibrato thing that you have in your voice. As mentioned above... sound treatment and damping is to reduce and eliminate the other sounds you don't want in the track like outside noises and echo's of your own voice from the flat room surfaces.


To change the viibrato, you would need to work on that intentionally. What you are calling  your "natural" vibrato is not exactly a "natural" thing.

It is a learned thing... it becomes habit and we call it our natural vibrato. It is totally possible to relearn the process with diligent effort.....it takes practice but you are totally in control of that vibrato at all times.   I sing also, and I know that I can bring a vibrato in to a held note with control and even have the vibrato in time with the tempo of the song.

mike_mccue


I suspect it is the radically different timbre that is being interpreted as a change in pitch.

Julie, I would think singing into a corner would be horrible... that's an opinion... but it is also a fact that a corner will collect both wild peaks but also wild nulls.

Considering you already use a vibrato technique... it seems as if the comb filtering happening in a corner could play havoc with a sound that is already fluctuating.

Having said that... it is easy for me to believe that your use of gobos has caused people to notice an easier to appreciate sound.

CONGRATS!!!!


Keep it up.

best,
mike

Well, the corner thing... I'm wasn' t crowding into it or anything, just looking for a place in my family room where the sound wouldn't just disappear into the other rooms.  So, really I was singing *toward* the corner - about 3 feet away.  Still....
 
Thanks Mike.  I think you understand what I was trying to say.  And in fact, to everyone, It really COULD be that I can better hear myself with this set up - and that my new computer, and lower latency settings I can achieve with it, may be another factor.  For what it's worth, I've tracked with (both) headphones, and with just one headphone with and without the folding screen.  The screen does seem to make a difference - even if it only allows for the sound to be better captured.
 
erb, yes I know it isn't techinically a "Natural" vibrato - but after 20 years of training... it practically is. I know that sounds stubborn.  I *have* tried a pop style, but I don't have much of a range in my chest voice, and as soon as I go into myu upper register, BAM!  Vibrato.  And really, I'm flat as the dickens with a pop style.  Always.  So I've accepted what I CAN do.
 
Jimmy, your thoughts on clashing frequecies were great!  Something more to think about!
 
Robby, I don't even have vvocal.... or melodyne or autotune.  Yes, I hear what you're saying, and I agree that used wisely, it's okay.  I don't want to use anything as too much of a crutch though from a personal perspective.  Honestly, I spent years and years working on ONE song.  That's where I'm coming from.  Oooh... and it's STILL good.  :)