Eight Common Recording Problems & Solutions
The most frequent non-technical issues when recording vocals are plosives, sibilance, and saliva sounds. The headache is that no matter how carefully you pronounce, these problems are hard to eliminate immediately or completely. Even with perfect musical expression, pitch, and timing, plosives/sibilance often appear at crucial moments, ruining the take. Today, the editor shares methods to mitigate these issues.
1 Pop Filter
Pop filters (aka spit guards) are mainly made of mesh (silk/nylon) or metal (fluid dynamics/turbulence). Adding a pop filter protects the mic from saliva, extending diaphragm life, and effectively reduces plosives caused by specific articulation. Also, excessive sibilance causing harsh highs can be improved by testing different filter materials.
2 Microphone Angle
Think of running: to reduce wind resistance, you lean slightly or wear tight clothing, minimizing frontal area. Similarly, slightly tilting the mic angle prevents the diaphragm from directly receiving the plosive blast wave, avoiding low-frequency "thumps".
3 Vocal Projection Relative to Diaphragm
Similar principle to above, but adjusted by the singer: project the voice slightly off-axis from the diaphragm. This significantly improves plosives and sibilance, especially combined with a pop filter.
4 Recording Distance
Refers to distance between singer and mic. Different mics have distinct characteristics. Optimal distance depends on experience and knowing the mic's personality. An experienced engineer, using professional judgment, determines how much distance adjustment improves plosives/sibilance while maintaining best capture.
Proximity Effect: Occurs when singer-mic distance reaches a certain point (varies by mic type/diaphragm design). Accompanying this effect, mid-lows become prominent, amplifying vocal breath details (mostly in mid-lows). Closer distance also magnifies plosives and sibilance.
Recommended recording distance: 1 fist width from mic grill to mic, singer 1~2.5 fist widths from grill. This is a general guideline; consult the mic manual and test various distances for best sound.
5 Manual Editing
Post-recording, carefully inspect the waveform to locate plosives/sibilance. Reduce volume slightly at these points or cut and fade in/out. Ensure breath flow and phrasing continuity aren't disrupted, avoiding emotional breaks or disjointed sentences.
6 EQ/Plugins
This is many people's favorite method: using EQ to attenuate problematic sibilant/plosive frequencies or specialized plugins (e.g., De-Essers) for automatic detection. However, from an engineer's perspective, manual editing during track selection yields more natural vocal dynamics.
1 Pop Filter
Pop filters (aka spit guards) are mainly made of mesh (silk/nylon) or metal (fluid dynamics/turbulence). Adding a pop filter protects the mic from saliva, extending diaphragm life, and effectively reduces plosives caused by specific articulation. Also, excessive sibilance causing harsh highs can be improved by testing different filter materials.
2 Microphone Angle
Think of running: to reduce wind resistance, you lean slightly or wear tight clothing, minimizing frontal area. Similarly, slightly tilting the mic angle prevents the diaphragm from directly receiving the plosive blast wave, avoiding low-frequency "thumps".
3 Vocal Projection Relative to Diaphragm
Similar principle to above, but adjusted by the singer: project the voice slightly off-axis from the diaphragm. This significantly improves plosives and sibilance, especially combined with a pop filter.
4 Recording Distance
Refers to distance between singer and mic. Different mics have distinct characteristics. Optimal distance depends on experience and knowing the mic's personality. An experienced engineer, using professional judgment, determines how much distance adjustment improves plosives/sibilance while maintaining best capture.
Proximity Effect: Occurs when singer-mic distance reaches a certain point (varies by mic type/diaphragm design). Accompanying this effect, mid-lows become prominent, amplifying vocal breath details (mostly in mid-lows). Closer distance also magnifies plosives and sibilance.
Recommended recording distance: 1 fist width from mic grill to mic, singer 1~2.5 fist widths from grill. This is a general guideline; consult the mic manual and test various distances for best sound.
5 Manual Editing
Post-recording, carefully inspect the waveform to locate plosives/sibilance. Reduce volume slightly at these points or cut and fade in/out. Ensure breath flow and phrasing continuity aren't disrupted, avoiding emotional breaks or disjointed sentences.
6 EQ/Plugins
This is many people's favorite method: using EQ to attenuate problematic sibilant/plosive frequencies or specialized plugins (e.g., De-Essers) for automatic detection. However, from an engineer's perspective, manual editing during track selection yields more natural vocal dynamics.