SparkyG
Joined: 22/01/07
Posts: 176
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Hi all
just using my Focusrite liquid 56 to record vocals for the first time.
Not knowing which Liquid pre to use I did an audition of each, and recorded them singing
the same passage, also varying the harmonics level.
They all sound the same?
should there be vast differences between them, or is it so subtle maybe I cant tell - I'm
using headphones at the moment Sennheiser DT150's
Also to get a decent level
into the cans I have to have the Monitor mix up almost full and the heaphone out up on 9
as well? is that right? I would have thought at this level I'd be blowing my head off??
In the Mix control SW the Monitor mix is at +2 dB and the Line in 1 at 0dB, My Daw in
is a -25 and it all balances well and doesn't quite hit the red on the monitor out of the
mix control. so there is plenty of level there
Is that all usual behaviour?
thanks
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SparkyG
Joined: 22/01/07
Posts: 176
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Does anyone else have one of these who can comment? do I suspect a faulty unit or faulty
ears on my part?
thanks
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narcoman
active member
Joined: 14/08/01
Posts: 4776
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preamps aren't wildly different. Especially on vocals. So unless you're in a well treated
studio the nuances may not be apparent. However - |i can assure you that the difference DO
work in context of a mix.
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SparkyG
Joined: 22/01/07
Posts: 176
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OK thanks
I'm only trying them on vocals - although I am in a treated room - in a
vocal booth lined with acoustic foam. Using an ST55 Condenser mic.
I'll
try some more
thanks
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The Elf
active member
Joined: 14/08/01
Posts: 3109
Loc: Sheffield, UK
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I get this reaction when I use my Liquid Channels. I know what I'm listening for now, but
to an artist it seems as if I'm comparing identical sounds.
The differences are
VERY subtle, but when a vocal is riding in a mix it makes quite a difference - suddenly
you can hear the qualities of the emulation you chose - then you begin to hear it as you
track.
It will take time, so be patient and experiment.
--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.
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SparkyG
Joined: 22/01/07
Posts: 176
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Thanks Elf - I appreciate it. I guess the key is trying to work out what works best with
a particular singers voice. I don't know where to start though-
I have two
voices to record, one my band Mate, really powerful rich creamy, full bodied voice, and
the other me (mostly backing vocals) not as full bodied in terms of sound and a little
thin.
So any suggestions in which liquid pre-s and harmonic levels to start on
would be really appreciated.
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Mixedup
active member
Joined: 03/09/03
Posts: 2096
Loc: London, UK
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Quote SparkyG:
I guess the key
is trying to work out what works best with a particular singers voice. I don't know where
to start though-
The place
to start is the microphone really. You're going to get a lot more benefit from matching
mics to the singers' voices. Then move on to a decent EQ to sculpt what you capture. Then
start to think about the preamps — some folk won't agree with the last point, but in your
situation with limited mics available I think it's fair to place the EQ/Compression higher
in importance when you have decentish clean sounding preamps like the default model in the
Liquid Saffire. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the mic you list, but in general, if you
want to thicken things out a little, try the Neve model, and use a good analogue EQ model
to apply gentle boosts in the desired frequencies. If the voice is already full-sounding,
just use the clean preamp and try a linear phase EQ to cut/notch out any offending
frequencies.
Vocal compression is a very subjective thing and a vast topic, but
refer to the two recent compression articles by Mike Senior in SOS if you're in need of
advice: Compression
Made Easy and Classic Compressors
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The Elf
active member
Joined: 14/08/01
Posts: 3109
Loc: Sheffield, UK
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Not sure whether the emulations are identical to the LC, but…
For something
that ‘glues’ itself into the mix I’d try the Neve 1073 emulation. This might help a
thin-sounding vocal too. If I want something with a bit more bite then I head for the SSL
4000 or the ISA 110 emulations.
For something a bit less subtle I like the
Studer D19 emulation - that can really help to open up a vocal and it seems to like my
typical EQ settings.
HTH.
--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.
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SparkyG
Joined: 22/01/07
Posts: 176
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Thanks very much fellas
I'll give them a try when we next do some vocals
cheers
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Ruste
Joined: 17/07/07
Posts: 261
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I recieved a shiney new liquid 56 a few days ago and i can say the universal audio
emulation stood out as very different than the others to me. Lovely warm old fasioned
sound with what sounds like tube distortion (not used the real thing) the others are
harder to tell but could hear the difference. Im very pleased with the unit though and
upgraded from a pro 26. This time the unit seems really stable with no losing sync. Can't
hear music from windows at the moment though inc winamp. When i tried changing the option
disable windows sound its been greyed out.
Russ
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