is there a place in Dublin that hires good mic and preamp equipment?

JimiTime

Hi Guys,
My audio chain for vocal is currently an SE5600 Mk1, through a Digi002 Rack. I'm not crazy about the results. For me, it lacks warmth. Now alot of this could be to do with my amateur engineering and mixing, but I wanted to rent firstly, some mics. I have been recommended a Shure SM7B for my voice (Quite powerful, some vibrato and a little raspy on the higher notes). However, before I invest, I want to rule out engineering ineptitude. Is there a place that hires Mics? This would also be handy going forward if I need to take alot of vocals in a week and I could hire a high end pre-amp and maybe try a high end mic I could never afford to buy.

So any ideas?

Companero

are you recording in a recording studio or just your house?

If you're not in a proper recording studio, moving from your perfectly adequate equipment to something more expensive would be a waste of money.

Assuming you're not in a recording studio and are in a normal room with all it's usual flaws I would be looking at these things, way, way before something as infinitesmal as preamps (though the mic might make a difference)

(1) Is the room acoustically treated? Is there any cheap solutions that would make it a little better - hanging duvets around the place and so on? Or installing a few bass traps?

(2) Hows your mic tecnique? It can be difficult to EQ/compress out the things like singing too close or far away from the mic, or having the mic pointing at the corner of the room or picking up too much (bad) room sound.

(3) Hows your singing ? This for some home recordists is actually the last thing they often consider - but it's often more important than all the rest of the stuff combined. Are you really 'letting go' when you sing, or are you holding back so as not to annoy neighbours/flatmates - or - because you've got your engineers hat on when you're recording, you are thinking of 'laying down' a vocal, as opposed to expressing yourself in a performance. I would wage money that that is at least 70% of your problem, that the other 29% is the sound of the room. and the other 1% the quality of your Mic and preamp. (With mic being 90% of that)

All to often in our modern gear-obssessed world, people forget that if you belt out a great impassioned vocal into a cheap dynamic mic, it'll sound better than a lazy whispery singer-songwritery vocal into the most expensive mic you have.

JimiTime

Companero wrote: »

are you recording in a recording studio or just your house?

House.

If you're not in a proper recording studio, moving from your perfectly adequate equipment to something more expensive would be a waste of money.

That is a concern alright.

(1) Is the room acoustically treated? Is there any cheap solutions that would make it a little better - hanging duvets around the place and so on? Or installing a few bass traps?

Have an SE reflection filter and some duvets. Also have wooden blinds acting as a diffuser or sorts. No Bass traps though.

(2) Hows your mic tecnique? It can be difficult to EQ/compress out the things like singing too close or far away from the mic, or having the mic pointing at the corner of the room or picking up too much (bad) room sound.

Just off centre of the room, two thick duvets hanging behind me, reflection filter in front. Have the mic at about chin level, with a pop shield about 2 inches from capsule, and me about another two inches from pop shield.

(3) Hows your singing ? This for some home recordists is actually the last thing they often consider - but it's often more important than all the rest of the stuff combined. Are you really 'letting go' when you sing, or are you holding back so as not to annoy neighbours/flatmates - or - because you've got your engineers hat on when you're recording, you are thinking of 'laying down' a vocal, as opposed to expressing yourself in a performance. I would wage money that that is at least 70% of your problem, that the other 29% is the sound of the room. and the other 1% the quality of your Mic and preamp. (With mic being 90% of that)

That definately is an issue. Not so much the neighbours thing, but concentrating so much on all the production stuff, the vocal is neglected somewhat. I am concious of it though.

Part of why I'm asking about this rental thing though, is to rule out signal chain.

PaulBrewer

Analogue to Digital Conversion is a critical, and oft neglected, part of that chain too.

JimiTime

PaulBrewer wrote: »

Analogue to Digital Conversion is a critical, and oft neglected, part of that chain too.

Could you elaborate? Is a Digi 002 seen as inadequate? What kind of effects does a good/bad AD have? In laymans terms, what audible difference would be heard between a a good and bad AD converter?

PaulBrewer

Well you spoke of your 'chain' -

In general terms, like any other chain, it's only as strong as it's weakest link.
Cliched but true.

So ideally, all the elements of the chain should be of 'equal' strength.

If you have a top end mic and pre-amp that's not the end of the story re quality.

It, as a rule, is converted into digital by a A to D converter.

This too impacts on the sound - possibly even more so than a mic or pre.

Just keep that in mind too.

Companero

and you will probably be told differently by many others on here and elsewhere.

Worrying about A/D convertors and preamps should be the absolute bottom thing on your list if you are recording in a house.

In laymans terms, what audible difference would be heard between a a good and bad AD converter?

There are no laymans terms for it, thats the point. A layman would not be able to hear a discernible difference with these things: This stuff is strictly for people working in already top-flight environments, with top ears and top everything else: It is the stuff that (arguably) gets them that extra 1% . If you are recording in a house, and are not an amazing singer at the absolute top of his game, this stuff simply shouldnt be a concern you.

Just trying to save you a few quid, and possibly your sanity - spend the money on singing lessons, and if you absolutely must spend it on gear, get a better mic!

PaulBrewer

Companero - the initial thrust of the OP was to compare the differences for the OP's self.

Your post makes no sense to me at all.

Companero

is that I emphatically beleive that people recording at home should not be worrying about the difference between one perfectly reasonable modern pre/convertor and another, and that a huge amount of time and money is wasted on doing so, which would be far better spent on improving musical skills/recording skills.

This things are for professional people with big rooms to worry about, IMO. So just chiming in with my two cents. But of course he's welcome to go off and check em out.

PaulBrewer

Companero wrote: »

But of course he's welcome to go off and check em out.

Indeed he is ....