I've been recording and finishing up some stuff lately, but I'm having a problem with vocals, as when I go to scream, in order for it to be somewhat understandable i have to hold the microphone at arm's length away.

Any of you know any good techniques to getting a good scream recorded without having to hold it like 2 feet away? I've already turned the recording volume down to its almost lowest but that doesn't help at all.

Anything is apperciated

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You dont exactly say what the problem is.Is it fuzzy?poppy?or what exactly.You can try a pop filter,those are pretty cheap.Maybe a mic preamp if you arent already using one.If you have a cheap mic,thats what they are cheap for.Get a better mic.Anyways try to elaborate more on what it sounds like and what gear you are using.goodluck.

You might need a compressor or some kind of limiter to plug your mic into while recording. I'm no expert by any means but i'm pretty sure this is what's used to keep vocals (among other things) at a nice consistent volume.

It is probably because the mic you are using is shit. Look into investing in a compressor mic. I know I have the same problem, when I record anything, it sounds terrible due to the terrible reverb in my living room (wood floor, high ceiling, large room) and the fact that I have a $10 radioshack mic that gets overloaded way to easy.

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or...a cheaper way...

dont scream into the mic...thats just wrong...I dont know of a mic in this world that can stand up to someone screaming into it...just common sense...

position the mic as you normally would...then raise it up until it is looking at your forehead instead of your mouth...

Reason: when you scream/sing/cry/yell/whatever your whole head resonates...pretty much...most of this takes place in the forehead...(nasal cavity)...aiming the mic at your forehead will catch all of the sound...but without all of the noise from breath, spit, etc...

and dont just point it up...it has to be close to level with your forehead...

and when you sing/scream/whatever...DONT SING UP!!!

you dont want the mic to catch your direct voice...

try it...and let me know how it goes...

hmm very fucked up, yet interesting. Forehead singing

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haha forehead singing huh? I'll give it a shot and let you know how it goes.

Sorry for being a little vague in my first post, I'm recording directly into the computer and don't go through any kind of amp or anything.

its just that when I scream, when I leave it far away it sounds a little hollow and too quiet, but even one inch closer to me and then its way too loud, sounds horribly distorted and causes dropout.

Its a kinda shitty mic, it was only about 30$, What about compression, how much does a compression mic go for?

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A good mic will be adequate, i've never heard of recording like that, personally, it sounds made up to me

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Dude, have you ever seen a video of someone recording vocals? Sure they have that screen infront of them, but a few inches behind it is the mic, and they can scream, yell, cry, whatever into it because it has compresson. Thats the whole reason for it, it takes volumes that would normaly overload it and drops them lower. You can scream into good mics. What about concerts? You think all bands do vocals at talking level? Shit go see Origin live, Paul screams like he will get a prize if he does it loud enough.

I don't know much about prices of mic, but I'm guessing you will have to spend like $70-$80 on it.

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70-80$ ain't bad for such a commitment, you know?

I dont happen to own one of those Compressor screens and I'd like to, for the most part except the final recording of the song, not rely on it too much, hence why I was looking for a better mic, but this will help a lot.

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I dont even know the prupose of thoes screens, i always assumed it was to get you at a proper distance from teh mic, but i have no idea.

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I just thought it was to stop the 'hissing' of like S's and other such letters, kinda mutes them a bit.

Yes..I have seen people record vocals...apparently more often than you...but...anyways...

The "screen" is simply a windscreen...just like the big colorful balls on the end of the bingo announcers mic...does absolutely NOTHING for volume...

Bands can scream into mics at concerts like that because they have a little guy in the back that they pay to make sure everything goes smoothly...I dont think our fellow vocalist here has the money or time to pay someone to do this...do you?
Plus they usually have a backing track going (yes like Ashley Simpson on SNL) so they can turn down the mic volume/cut the mic off/lip-synch/whatever...

No, definitely dont have the money to pay a little guy to watch out for the tone and volume lol.

When i make a mellow song or a part where I do clean vocals I can get right up to the mic without any problems, its just the screaming. I have loads of projection so it carries far which kinda sucks when im sitting at my PC trying not to get the cops called on me by my neighbors.

I'm gonna try to master the art of screaming with a talking type volume and see how that works out, but so far the only solutions I come up with is just holding it a distance away.

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What? I never said the screen has anything to do with volume. My whole point was vocalist can scream as loud as they want with ONLY that little screen between them and the mic because the mic or the preamp teh mic in run into has compression. And I think you are misunderstanding this whole thread. Sure a sound guy controls the overall volume comming out fo the PA, but that has NOTHING to do with microphone overload. Please, please, please find me a picture, video, testimonial stating/showing someone recording vocals with the mic above thier head liek you explained. And no meal bands I know of use backing tracks, regardless, that still has NOTHING to do with microphone overload. Fuck, most metal bands dont even use click tracks live.

I'm teling you and Brandon, his problem is his mic. It doesnt have a compressor. There for it gets overloaded and distorts. If it had a compressor, or he had an external compressor preamp, this wouldnt happen. This is because, like I said before, a compressor takes the signal and levels out the volume so it doesnt get overload and distorts. This is not a debate. You are wrong.

Notice, the mic is infront of him. http://cyklode.se/haunted/doc/thega...ecording_19.jpg

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no mic has a compressor built in. He'll have to buy an outboard one or use some VST plugin or something.

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I'm sorry in all of my posts, instead of compression, replace it with condenser.

You know what, fuck even dynamic mics work. My whole point is, buy an expensive mic and eveyrthign will be fine. They don't overload.

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steve vai, satch, yngwie malmsteen, etc...maybe none of the metal bands of today use backing tracks...I dont know...I dont really listen to them that often...but EVERYONE used to...its a fallback...in case you drop/break a pick/whatever...and its not called overloading...its called spiking...and the mic doesnt do it...the mic overloads the mixer...the mics volume is too high...thats where distortion comes from...if that what the whole problem is...its a simple fix...turn the volume down on the mixer...but the whole "forehead singing" is right...i dont know where in the hell I could find a pic of it...they do it...trust me...i didnt take four years of sound rec. to not know how to do it...