Members Chris Hayden Posted March 3, 2005 Members Share Posted March 3, 2005 I was wondering if you could share with me typical board EQ settings using a MixWiz 16d:2 with a Shure SM58 for vocals. I just got this mic and I am having trouble getting the sound "just right" and wondered if you could recomend a good starting point for channel EQ setting. Also, do any of you use a compressor in "insert" input on this mic with this board for vocals, if so, what compression ratio do you recommend etc. This is being used in a four piece rock band situation. Thank you for your help.Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted March 3, 2005 Members Share Posted March 3, 2005 Originally posted by Chris Hayden I was wondering if you could share with me typical board EQ settings using a MixWiz 16d:2 with a Shure SM58 for vocals. I just got this mic and I am having trouble getting the sound "just right" and wondered if you could recomend a good starting point for channel EQ setting. Also, do any of you use a compressor in "insert" input on this mic with this board for vocals, if so, what compression ratio do you recommend etc. This is being used in a four piece rock band situation. Thank you for your help.Chris Obviously,straight up is the only logical starting point. Byond that,you can't really say w/o hearing it. The mixer and mic are just the first two parts of the highway out to the speakers and also includes room acoustics. As for the comp,don't even worry about that until you have your other stuff dialed in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted March 3, 2005 Members Share Posted March 3, 2005 Originally posted by Craigv In what way is it not right? Is there another mic that's working better for that person with that rig? For me personally, I start flat and if anything I cut a little of the LF on the channel strip, but that's it. For me,I always engage the low cuts,as most folks probably do,and probably a little cut on the lows and usually a bit of cut in the 250-300 hz range. But certainly not before listening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Steve_B Posted March 3, 2005 Members Share Posted March 3, 2005 As everyone else has said the actual settings depend a lot on the overall system. If you take the system as being flat so any adjustments are for taste and giving a preferred sound the first thing you need to do is decide what your preferred sound is. A good starting point is listening to unamplified sounds. Fortunately this is a common occurrence with vocals. The next thing you need to do is to think about what you are listening to. Imagine someone is close up to you whispering in your ear. Now they move away and talk louder. As they continue to move away they continually raise their voice so that the sound level stays the same. Even if they are have the skill to keep the level absolutely constant you can tell the difference between close up and far away because the tonal balance of the voice will change. If you are in a big shed with a long reverb time the ratio of direct sound to reverb also gives a clue to the distance someone is from you. You can tell that someone is shouting even if the level is lower than someone talking who is closer. Just as you might analyse another guitar players technique (assuming you are a guitarist) spend time to analyse why things sound like they do Accentuating or attenuating the same frequencies in the mix using the channel eq and by adjusting the reverb amount as would happen in real life lets you bring the vocals forward out of the mix or back into the mix. You obviously need a fairly neutral starting point which will depend on the style of music. You also need a decent enough system that will allow you to vary the channel eq and lift the vocal level when you need to. If your system is flat out and any attempt to lift the level will result in feedback there is not much you can do; in that instance just go for intelligibility or maximum gain before feedback. Assuming your system is up to the task and you don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TimmyP Posted March 4, 2005 Members Share Posted March 4, 2005 Most mics have a big bass boost on the order of about 10dB @ around 200Hz, so set your low mid to 200 and cut it to about 3:00. (See http://www.padrick.net/LiveSound/Proximity.jpg - although not an SM58, it is similar). Most mics have a "presence peak" usually somewhere between 2K and 6K. Set the upper sweep to 1K, cut it a couple of notches, then slowly sweep up through the frequencies until it sweetens up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chris Hayden Posted March 4, 2005 Author Members Share Posted March 4, 2005 TimmyP, thank you for answering the question. Your answer was the sort of guidance I was looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted March 4, 2005 Members Share Posted March 4, 2005 Originally posted by Chris Hayden TimmyP, thank you for answering the question. Your answer was the sort of guidance I was looking for. The low end boost is a proximity effect ordinarily. Anyway,what if those settings don't work at all? You've gained nothing and you still need to use your ears. Speakers all have their own personality to account for,as do different venues. There really is no certain setting. Plus you still haven't addressed what the actual problem is. Is it EQ'ing for sure? If so,do you mess with your sweepable mids adjusting as necessary? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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