What type and size you need, and where you should point it. Does a large diaphragm do a better job in preventing pregnancy than a small? WTF is phantom power and why do you need it? All these important questions and more, discussed within. Entendre at your own risk.
Greg_L wrote: ↑Thu Sep 24, 2020 4:03 pm
2) You can't change it. You can't. What I mean by this is you sound how you sound. You can definitely get better at how you perform your sound, but you'll still sound how you sound. Vocal chords are what they are.
Ah, but you can. I suppose maybe it's a matter of semantics as to whether you're actually "changing" your voice or just using it differently, but if you're using your voice incorrectly it can be a huge change when you learn how. Making your voice stronger through practice changes the tone. Proper breath support changes the tone. One of the first vocal books I ever got was called The New Voice. It is about how to restructure your voice, whether for singing or speaking. Vocal cords are what they are to a point, but they can get stronger and that changes how they sound.
The reason I preach this is because, as I said, I was not a natural singer. I started getting decent when I was in the Army band, but then when I went in the Navy there were assholes who talked shit about my singing and basically affected everyone's opinion of me until the leadership actually wanted to get rid of me even though singing wasn't my job, guitar was. I've never stopped working on my voice, and now years later those same assholes are saying (behind my back, not to my face) how good I've gotten as they've seen things I've posted on Facebook or seen me play live. I hate for anyone who really wants to sing to think that their voice can't get drastically better if they put in the work using the right knowledge. Not just the use of the voice, but the voice itself. If I did it, anyone can.
Being a vocal major and a teacher I think the best think someone can do is vocal exercises.
Singing scales and breathing exercises is just like learning how to make chords and play notes on the guitar or any other instrument.
You learn where the pitches are and you calibrate your voice. Just like teaching your fingers to quickly switch from a G chord to a D chord on guitar, you teach the muscles in your vocal mechanism and placement of the folds how to switch notes smoothly. The muscle memory breeds confidence.
I liken it to playing golf. When you can stop thinking about your swing and start thinking about the shot, you are going to be much better. When someone can stop thinking about the technique of playing an instrument or singing and just do it, a musician is far better off. I think the only way to get there for most people is doing a lot of it.
you can absolutely improve your ability to hit pitches and your range.
It's muscles after all.
I've been doing all solo gigs for the last 14 years because it's the most money and if you're a solo act you're first and foremost a singer.
My singing is light years better than it was 14 years ago from singing 4 hours a night 5-7 nights a week and I probably get more compliments on my voice than on the sax or guitar and that's amazing because I never was a primary singer before ..... mostly harmonies.
And that was a result of lots of practicing (gigs)
But the timbre of your voice, the tonality of it, is somewhat fixed.
It's like a guitar maker can get the intonation just so and get the absolute most of out the guitar that can be gotten but you can take your acoustic to the best luthier there is and he may make it perfect but it's still gonna mostly have the same timbre.
Also people that hate their own voice aren't gonna start liking it even if they do change the tonality somewhat.
I hate my own voice and I know I must have a decent voice from the constant comments I get on it ...... but I just can't hear it myself.
JD01 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 5:59 pm
Having watched way, way too many mic comparisons now I think ill get a Rode NT1, NT1A or NT2A. Not sure which one yet.
The only one of those that I wouldn't recommend would be the 1A. It's got a pretty crispy top end on it. That might be what you're after, but it's pretty pronounced on that mic. I hear great things about the 1 and 2A though. Over the years I've listened to quite a few things recorded with the NT1A and I simply don't like it. No first-hand experience though, so this is only my impression of a mic I've never used.
Yeah, I think I'm settling on the NT1 over the NT1a. All the listening tests I've done the Origin comes across as a touch brighter which I don't think I want.
As far as I can tell the only advantage of an NT2 is the options (hi pass, variable patters etc) and I don't need them.
Oddly, the NT1 seems significantly more expensive than the NT1a.
This sounds like a decent bundle deal to me. Not that I need another XLR cable.
What you think - can't find one cheaper. I don't currently own any shock mounts or anything like that.
I have a Rode NT2 and have had for a long time. Made in Australia rather than China where they probably are now. Came in a metal case with shock mount. After many years the shock mount rubber band thing broke. Tried everywhere to find a replacement but the item was no longer manufactured so no one could help.
So I emailed Rode and asked what I should do. Service guy got back to me quickly and told me the sad news about the item no longer being manufactured, and thus no stock - but then (he said) he had a look through the desks in the warehouse and found some old ones that weren't "official" stock.
A few days later a package arrived containing 5 of the damn things - pretty much a lifetime supply. Free.
Seems pretty cheap. Certainly cheaper than anywhere else and Andertons tend to do pretty good service. Thomann is about 35 quid more. I want to get a new guitar strap too, I bought a really expensive once when I bought my custom but I've lost the fucking thing, I also need another mic stand. I doubt the increased choice and lower price of these peripheral bits will justify using Thomann (available immediately) so I'll have to wait to get it from Andertons.
