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Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: VerismoBari on December 25, 2005, 09:07:01 PM

Title: Best equipment for recording opera voices
Post by: VerismoBari on December 25, 2005, 09:07:01 PM
I am completely new to all of this and I am sure this has been asked before:

I have a very big voice and I have no idea what equipment I may need or what may be the best for recording it?  I would like something that does not take any of the formants out of the voice and that is as acurate as possible without being hugely expensive.  Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Best equipment for recording opera voices
Post by: RebelRebel on December 25, 2005, 09:08:42 PM
Hello, bud...

What is your budget, first of all??

We have a couple singers here...

Title: Re: Best equipment for recording opera voices
Post by: RebelRebel on December 25, 2005, 09:09:38 PM
http://taperssection.com/index.php?board=46.0

check out this thread as well.
Title: Re: Best equipment for recording opera voices
Post by: RebelRebel on December 25, 2005, 09:13:39 PM
So you have done Rigoletto or Eugene Onegin ??




I am completely new to all of this and I am sure this has been asked before:

I have a very big voice and I have no idea what equipment I may need or what may be the best for recording it?  I would like something that does not take any of the formants out of the voice and that is as acurate as possible without being hugely expensive.  Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Best equipment for recording opera voices
Post by: VerismoBari on December 25, 2005, 10:00:14 PM
I have a budget of $300.00.
I have not done Rigoletto as of yet.  It is the most difficult role for the baritone.
Title: Re: Best equipment for recording opera voices
Post by: RebelRebel on December 25, 2005, 10:04:49 PM
I have a budget of $300.00.
I have not done Rigoletto as of yet.  It is the most difficult role for the baritone.


hmm...thats a pretty slim budget bud...

Id say save up at least 750-800 before I can suggest anything...1000 is better..

a decent pair of High SPL mics (needed for big voices) .the ones I was going to suggest are about 350 bucks...and a recorder (maudio microtracker) is another 3-400..

you could get the mics now and add the recorder later...a jb3 is another great choice as a recorder..they go for about 150-200 nowadays..(discontinued, but around)

Title: Re: Best equipment for recording opera voices
Post by: VerismoBari on December 25, 2005, 10:13:13 PM
OK, then can you suggest something at each of those price ranges?
If it is that much better I can save up the money.  How much difference does it make?  I know that maybe a stupid question, but as I said I am completely ignorant, but learning.
Title: Re: Best equipment for recording opera voices
Post by: RebelRebel on December 25, 2005, 10:14:29 PM
OK, then can you suggest something at each of those price ranges?
If it is that much better I can save up the money.  How much difference does it make?  I know that maybe a stupid question, but as I said I am completely ignorant, but learning.

send me an email to raytheapostle@yahoo.com 

and i will send you some documents. Did you find this site on NFCS or Classical Singer?
Title: Re: Best equipment for recording opera voices
Post by: divamum on December 25, 2005, 10:23:31 PM
Hi there 

If you know of the nfcs.net site, there's a lot of singer-friendly information I put in the FAQ over there (much of it gleaned from discussions here and/or pointing to links which are "TS approved" :))  Far from exhaustive, but hopefully helpful:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/174559/message/1127138105/What+is+the+best+recording+device+to+buy-+%28updated+Dec+2005%29

http://www.network54.com/Forum/174559/message/1100702120/Recording+equipment+-+what+do+I+need-

Bottom line is that for recording a big voice IMO and experience the mics are going to be the most important part of your set up.  Fortunately,  there are quite a few relatively reasonably-priced mics which cope well with operatic sounds (and it's easier for men than women, simply because you're in a lower frequency - regardless of volume, this is usually easier for mics to handle). 

THAT SAID, I don't think you necessarily are going to need an $800 budget to start with. That would be ideal, but if you need to slim it down, it's do-able, particularly with Sound Professionals dropping the prices on a few of their AT-based mics.  You can probably do what you're hoping for about $300-400 if you're willing to go  2ndhand or refurbished on the recorder itself (such as Minidisc or JB3).

Shoot me a private message via this site and I'm happy to help any further if I can - I am but a lowly n00b and bow at the feet of the Recording Gurus of this site, but I'm a professional opera singer and have really fallen in love with taping so have been learning a lot along the way.

 

Title: Re: Best equipment for recording opera voices
Post by: RebelRebel on December 25, 2005, 10:24:43 PM
Dont let Divamum fool you, shes a pro! ;D

Hi there 

If you know of the nfcs.net site, there's a lot of singer-friendly information I put in the FAQ over there (much of it gleaned from discussions here and/or pointing to links which are "TS approved" :))  Far from exhaustive, but hopefully helpful:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/174559/message/1127138105/What+is+the+best+recording+device+to+buy-+%28updated+Dec+2005%29

http://www.network54.com/Forum/174559/message/1100702120/Recording+equipment+-+what+do+I+need-

Shoot me a private message via this site and I'm happy to help any further if I can - I am but a lowly n00b and bow at the feet of the Recording Gurus of this site, but I'm a professional opera singer and have really fallen in love with taping so have been learning a lot along the way.

Bottom line is that for recording a big voice IMO and experience the mics are going to be the most important part of your set up.  Fortunately,  there are quite a few relatively reasonably-priced mics which cope well with operatic sounds (and it's easier for men than women, simply because you're in a lower frequency - regardless of volume, this is usually easier for mics to handle). 

Anyway, hope that helps for starters. 
Title: Re: Best equipment for recording opera voices
Post by: RebelRebel on December 25, 2005, 10:38:51 PM
Man! Those SP mics have really gone down..the CMC-8s were like twice that the last time I looked...!! :o

so 350 is a good budget...scratch the 800 comment.  :-[ I shouldve done my homework. :P