[linux-audio-user] Pop filter?

[R Parker]

Hi,

There's after the problem fix stratagies but the real
solution is to print what you want. In this case the
vocal is popping. How would I prevent that?

1. I almost always sell the band on vocal and lead
instrument overdubs.
2. I run seperate studio room (headphone) and monitor
(control room) mixes.

These are both equally important but the second one
might be more interesting to us because it's a
technical solution that's achievable with a software
feature. If the following capability doesn't exist in
a DAW, then it should.

I achieve distinct mixes with an external digital
mixer by sending all signals to both the monitor buss
and Aux busses 1,2. The studio rooms, musicians,
listen to Aux_1,2 while I listen to the monitor mix.

If I've done a solid sound check; the drums sound
great and their levels are safe, guitar levels are
safe, bass ...,  keyboards, and the vocals are extra
loud in the monitor mix because they're, during the
print stage, the biggest and most uncontrolable
variable.

On external mixing consols the monitor source is
selectable so the engineer can listen to either one or
the other of these mixes. And you can change the
levels of one mix without affecting the other mix.

If you've got to print keeper vocals during the
initial tracking stage, then learn to pay very close
attention to the vocals. Also, don't be afraid to use
compression during the print stage. It's an
oversimplified idea to claim that you shouldn't print
effects--compression is an effect. If you're afraid to
print compression then do it in sessions where you're
going to overdub the vocal anyway. It's an opportunity
for learning how to do it. If you need to use extreme
compression ratios to control the singer, then teach
them to "work" a microphone. For example; with one
foot 12 inches in front of the other, loud parts are
song off the back foot, quite parts off the forward
foot.

During the print stage, it's all about the musicians.
I've learned to take pride in the quality of my studio
mixes. If a musician doesn't hear everything the way
they want, will they deliver their greatest potential
performance? Probably not. If you're using
multichannel headphone amps, send a click out to a
channel that's distinct from the stereo mix. This way
the drummer can have a much louder click track...

I'm a big fan of printing what I want and not fixing
problems. Of course, I'm a dumbass and invariably
there's something to fix but those things should be
trivial. Vocal pops aren't trivial. If I've taken the
time to setup a session, I can focus on making sure
the band is having its best studio experience to date
rather than thinking about technical bullshit.

BTW, a week ago, with all the above accounted for, I
printed a keeper vocal that has pops in it. LoL

ron

--- Daniel James <daniel at mondodesigno.com> wrote:
> > I've got a vocal track that I recorded using
> ardour, and I have some
> > serious pops in it from the singer being way too
> close to the mike and
> > taking off my lovely
> pantyhose-over-a-wire-hangar-loop filter.
> >
> > I'm at a loss as to what filter/tool I might be
> able to use to reduce the
> > severity of this...  any clues? 
> 
> First, you could compress the vocal to even out the
> levels - I use the LADSPA 
> Dyson Compress or SC4 plugins for this.
> 
> You'll still have the distortion from the pops
> though. I suggest you make it a 
> feature, by adding some artifical effects -
> distorted vocals are all the 
> rage!
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Daniel


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