My mics all sound the same - boxy, nasal... what????

This is a dupe post I out up in Sonar Producer and was advised to put it up here, so...

I'm using Sonar 8.3 on a dual quad PC with an M-Audio Delta 44 card  88.2 at 24 bits, with either an M-Audio DMP3 preamp or Blue Tube preamp, with any of the following mics: Rode N1000, M-Audio Solaris, AKG C1000, PVM-280 or Shure Sm57. Alesis passive monitors. 
Vocals, regardless of the mic or preamp, sound terrible, like I'm in a box, kind of nasal, no "air". They literally all sound the same. 
I tried using a different interface - a Lexicon Lambda - same results. Tried 44.1 vs 88.2, same results. What's the issue here? Could it be the cables I'm using? I don't think these mics could be that bad. I actually have two of each except for the Shure, and I hear no difference between mics. 
Unfortunately I don't have a lot of older recordings I've made to compare to, I've been away from recording for some time and equipment has changed. At wit's end!

how dead is the room? meaning, is it acoustically treated? are you adding air afterwards to compensate for the loss? can you patch a eq inline while you are recording? If the room is too dead, it will sound flat.

The sound card might need an upgrade. I use the M-audio 101LT, it is not bad but i feel it needs upgrading someday.

Also, i noticed you said you record at 88.2...no need my friend. unless you can hear dog whistles.. You are using up too much hard drive space for nothing. I record at 48k - 24 bit only. then afterwards you have to dither down to 44k - 16bit redbook standard anyway...

read this article.....

http://www.soundonsound.c...01/articles/warmth.asp

hmm..... too dead?  Might be, though then why would anyone use a vocal booth?  Yeah, I know, I'm just going (trying) to finish my projects in progress and switch back to 44 or 48. Thanks

vocal booths that i've seen or used, end up being a 8 x 8 room with half of it padded. wood floor, drywall, and tile ceilings. then again, it had processing on the way in.

After spending booku amounts of money in other peoples studios, i decided to try this out on my own and am so glad i did. Its an art. You have to make adjustments before and after a recording. add some air like that article i suggested said.  12-14 k, 0.7 or so Q,  4 decibels

You have some decent mics there, so I'm thinking its your position in the room, and possibly your mic technique.

Try recording a vocal in the middle of the room. Check your position from the mic by putting your thumb against your nose and spreading out your fingers til your pinky touches the mic. That's the distance you want to sing at. Go back and check your level and make sure your getting a decent signal and record a track. Let us know if it's any better.

Randy

SM57

go to around 29:00 .
nuff said.



BTW, Try eating the mic (1") and then hi pass around 240hz and maybe a dip at 500hz to get rid of proximity.

Since the equipment is good, that leaves technique or your voice.  How does it sound elsewhere.  I know you can't hear it, but ask somebody with knowledge to listen to you - both in your studio and somewhere else.  And compare that sound to what you are getting after recording.  If it sounds the same to your listener, it is the voice.  If not, then it is the room or mic technique.  Those can be fixed.  If not, call yourself the next Bob Dylan and go for it.

@

skullsession


If all of your mics sound "literally the same"...perhaps you simply sound that way.

Exactly! Unless you get the same results with other singers - this is likely true.
 
I also have to agree with TIMIDI a few posts up regarding the 57. Never sell that one short. 
It's not a great vocal studio mic but it should still sound good. What it will do better than the other mics is eliminate the room from the equation (not 100%, but much, much more than the others) if you suspect the room might be a problem.

Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson had great careers singing through their noses..... don't sell it short...

Simply put, check vocal source proximity and room acoustics. If the chain is good and clean, then it'll mean that the source is the problem.  Whether that is you yourself, the room or proximity to the mic is what you need to find out, although proximity would usualy attribute to "boomy" and not boxy. Why not post a clip and we can take a listen and give a more accurate answer, because when everyone is simply guessing is just that.. guessing.
I disagree with that it is due to preamps, unless they are broken. Sure certain preamps are going suck badly, but in my studio i have some clients tracked with $3000 preamps and some on $25 Behringer mic100's. It all depends on the vocal, but i know that not even the $25 preamp gives a boxy and nasally effect. This is what i meant before about guessing..
 
 
PS: If someone has already given a similar answer then i apologize. I didn't read all the posts but just the first few.