Editor’s Note: Here’s an interesting thread from the PSW Live Audio Board (LAB) forums. It’s lightly edited for grammar and formatting. Enjoy.
Posted by Brad
I’ve been with a country artist for several years now and I have experienced this distortion on his vocal mic only on several occasions. (way to often)
I have experienced this both on our touring consoles / systems (SC48) and on walk up consoles / systems. Everything from giant Milo rigs to small night club Peavey rigs.
I’m not clipping (overdriving) the input or any thing else for that matter. We have tried several different mics also. OM7, SM58, E835 and more. He does have an extremely powerful voice but he also has good mic technique and can sing in key.
I just can’t find the problem and now I’m just scratching my head and wondering what it could possibly be.
Any ideas would be a great help.
Reply by Doug
Some voices have a high degree of harmonic distortion. Opera singers in particular. What happens if he backs off a bit?
Reply by Karl
I think there is a definite possibility it is coming from the singer’s voice. I say this first because you have logically removed all variables, and then secondly because I’ve experienced this problem in the past.
Some years ago I was involved with some extensive microphone testing, and we were hearing some kind of distortion. Like you, we eliminated the variables one by one, and found that no matter what combination of mic, cable, input, etc. that the distortion was still there.
Reply by Brad
Does not seem to help. He has great mic technique. I don’t experience this on quiet shows. He does lots of acoustic dates and I don’t seem to have this problem when we are not full tilt.
Reply by Tim
Do you have virtual soundcheck recordings from a quiet show and the more aggressive shows? Same mic(s)? It might be worth looking at this in a spectragram view.
I’ve worked with a guy who developed significant harmonic content when he sang. When he spoke it was “FM radio baritone.” Singing? More like Ralph Stanley (rest his soul).
Another possibility if the artist is willing: Record the vocals with a measurement mic at a distance – about a meter – with him singing both ways as he’s best able to do under the circumstances. Do the spectragram again. This removes variables for input EQ and other changes done for a performances. How do they compare? Is it consistent with what you saw in the live show spectragrams?
In a reply to your previous post I mentioned saliva on the diaphragm. Long shot, but it might explain the lack of problem on the laid back acoustic performances.
Reply by John
It might be the singers voice… singing louder always involve more overtones (similar to distortion).
Reply by Jason
Wedges or IEMs? Hat or no hat? Dentures or own teeth?
Any distance diagnosis is pretty flawed, but I have definitely experienced singers that at times became a “Human Fuzzbox.” Problem likely at source or in the devil’s triangle of head/mic/monitor.
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