I don't really produce heavy music, but I am a fan of it. Production wise, this video was really useful. You said it yourself in the video; in screaming, the harmonics of the voice are right at the forefront. In demonstrating screaming through these mics and all the harmonic content they pick up, you've allowed me to see the response of all of the mics in a light that I haven't heard before, which I find extremely useful in my own recording, with sources from vocals, guitar amps, cymbals, to even upright bass. Thank you for doing this demo, it was really cool. 🤘
Shout out to the Sweetwater decision maker that green lit this video. Need to ask my Sweetwater sales engineer if he can demonstrate metal vocals over the phone too
I cannot stress this enough: I really really appreciate you guys digging in other genres, I hate when some genres are treated like no one likes them when it’s basically a huge scene. Cheers!
The 251 definitely sounds polished and balanced. Can’t go wrong with the Manley either. Must have both! Austrian sounds natural but lacks a bit of mojo which a tube preamp/compressor could help.
Incredible shootout! My only complaint is that the Neumann u67 reissue was left out! I don't know why this mic is so slept on (especially for intense vocals), would love to see it in future shootouts!
What I really love here is all the condensers. The sm7b is a go to for harsh vocals, and I like how it sounds for a lot of these types of vocals (I use the audio-technica bp40, which is also awesome). But I love the condensers here! I think there's a kind of hangover on the idea that condensers are too fragile to use with louder harsh vocals, which is obviously not at all true-- first, scream vocals don't have to be all that loud and second, if you can scream at 130-140+ dB, you probably belong in a world record book! I've been using my audio technica at4047 for screaming and it's a really different sound-- a smoother mic with a bit of top end hype makes for a sound I really like, especially with a tiny bit of saturation. I tried my at 4050 as well and it sounded weirdly brittle on my voice, no matter how I set up the fx chain. But I love the experimentation! Thanks for this vid! I'd love a video on live condensers for heavy vocals. How does a beta 87a (or ksm9!!) stack up against an ae5400 compared to the e965 and the vx5 or vx10?
Oh and something else that was fun was having both the 4047 and bp40 set up (I was holding thr bp40 in my hand) and recording with both simultaneously. Blending the sounds of those two was very interesting! I found it particularly cool for distorted singing, in the style of say Maynard singing judith or Cornell singing show me how to live. Really cool stuff!
oh I would love to record my classical guitar with the ELAM251, the respond is so beefy but not too dark, so clear but not brddle, so awesome guys. Love the video.
I could definetely hear the difference between the lower end to higher end mics. It wasn't that they sounded better, it just picked up more of what was going on. I got the impression on the higher end that it was picking up more of the sound in your throat, which added more detail. While the lower end mics was just what was coming out of your mouth if that makes sense. This was the first video that confirmed a suspicion I had after watching some of your stuff. Screaming is not necessarily loud. I have been playing around with what I can do and found that what I thought sounded like Frye or other sounds were actually much quieter than I would have thought without amplification. I just thought screaming was well, screaming. But there are a lot of really cool sounds to be made, and more sustainably so, without having to belt it out there to be heard 100 yards away.
I've seen several female metal vocalists use the SM7. It seems because if they need that extra low end for some things it's there. Not just for their extreme vocals but for their cleans. Tatiana from Jinjer uses the SM7 a lot in the studio.
Great video guys, awesome vocals, I really like the Vanguard V13 on scream vocals, the mid range detail on it is insane and doesn’t get harsh. Out of interest what make and model of headphones are you both using here?
I've been using a TLM103 at home for decades now but by the unholy horned god you guys have shown off some very cool stuff here. the earthworms wow that's a statement!
Hey there! You can certainly use any of those microphones for both live and studio, but these mics are most commonly used in the studio. Generally, for live, handheld dynamic microphones are more common. For one, they are less sensitive than the condenser mics shown (SM7B is a dynamic mic) in that video, which will prevent feedback in a live setting. But they’re also generally easier to hold in your hand if need be. So, there’s never a 100% correct answer when it comes to microphones, but these mics will be suit you in a studio setting. Thanks! Nick Pasquino, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 3230, nick_pasquino@sweetwater.com
I tried recording extreme vocals on my condenser mic for the first time and it was ass. I notice a lot of people use dynamic for extreme vocals. Is that a thing? Do condensers sound bad for extreme vox?
Hey there! While there really isn’t any right or wrong with vocal recording, I would generally recommend using a dynamic microphone for any extreme vocals, opposed to a condenser microphone. Condenser microphones will generally have a very high output, while dynamic mics generally have a low output (SM7B is one of the most popular dynamic mics for extreme vocals). Because of this, it’s much easier to clip or distort a condenser microphone. If you’re recording loud/heavy vocals, the condenser mic could have a tough time keeping up. If you’re wanting to record some high volume or extreme vocals, I would consider looking into dynamic mic options. I think you’ll find that you can get a much better sound, and a lot more headroom if you go that route. I hope this helps! Nick Pasquino, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 3230, nick_pasquino@sweetwater.com
When you’re an extreme vocalist, you need a mic that can handle your intensity! What were your favorites from our list of tough-as-nails vocal mics? Let us know in the comments, and shop them all at Sweetwater: Shure SM7B Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Microphone 👉 imp.i114863.net/ORQJkP Rode NT1-A Large-Diaphragm Condenser Microphone 👉 imp.i114863.net/3Px3Bn Earthworks SR314 Cardioid Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone 👉 imp.i114863.net/vn3r5L Telefunken TF51 Large-diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone 👉 imp.i114863.net/yR35aG Manley Reference Cardioid Large-diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone 👉 imp.i114863.net/MXx1Gn Austrian Audio OC818 Multi-pattern Large-diaphragm Condenser Microphone 👉 imp.i114863.net/7mr7R5 Telefunken ELA M 251E Large-diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone 👉 imp.i114863.net/DVgr9b
ALL of your screams here are Fry. False cord screaming (I coined both phrases in 2004) involves bursts of turbulent air and a collision of aryeppiglottic tissue against the eppiglottis. This is not possible in fry screaming. Fry screaming utilizes an entirely different configuration between the source (true vocal folds in pulse register in mode2) and resonance (filter). The "lower" fry screaming (that you call false cord) involve different vowel shapes in an enlarged space in the posterior vocal track combined with your varying articulatory approach in the anterior (front) vocal tract. You also used a lot of subglottal pressure behind the fry (not wrong, sounds great) Whatever you wanna call it, it sounds great to me!
Hi there! Talking about the key differences between screams that are false cord based and screams that are fry based is definitely important, especially since so many out there get the two confused! How these sounds have evolved over time as the music we love here adapts and grows is also important to note. Oddly enough, I’m right in the middle of a public experiment on this topic on my other social platforms, testing if people hear one or the other with certain examples. Just like how I’m demonstrating here, the purpose of the experiment is to show how by altering your “shape” (how I categorize gentle and controlled manipulation of the travel path the sound is taking using every day parallels) you can change the way a false cord or fry scream sounds drastically, melodically move both in either direction, and even intentionally make them resemble each other. Despite the key sonic differences between the two you can hear me using here, breaking down and understanding the simplicity of the 2 distortion sources can really fill in the gaps to put them on an equal playing field, which is incredibly helpful for vocalists out there who have been struggling with previous methods. Although I don’t discuss these topics in this specific piece since the purpose was to create a reference point for how screaming sounds in a recorded context without music and help people at home and artists in studio make mic selections, I’ll be publishing the results of my experiment in a new video very soon along with several more updated ways of discovering and understanding false chord and fry screams. Super glad you’re enjoying these sounds, and thanks for bringing up a great discussion point!
i look forward to the results of your experiment. Resonance strategies are infinite with fry screaming, because the lack of constriction that enables the greater ability to alter the vocal tract. Keeping the language clear and accurate regarding the functions involved in making these sounds was my purpose in making the distinction, since the confusion seems rampant.
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This was so much fun! Thanks for having me! 💪🏽
Best extreme vocal lessons on TH-cam!
I don't really produce heavy music, but I am a fan of it. Production wise, this video was really useful. You said it yourself in the video; in screaming, the harmonics of the voice are right at the forefront. In demonstrating screaming through these mics and all the harmonic content they pick up, you've allowed me to see the response of all of the mics in a light that I haven't heard before, which I find extremely useful in my own recording, with sources from vocals, guitar amps, cymbals, to even upright bass. Thank you for doing this demo, it was really cool. 🤘
Shout out to the Sweetwater decision maker that green lit this video. Need to ask my Sweetwater sales engineer if he can demonstrate metal vocals over the phone too
I mean, we do teach that sort of thing if he can't (yet) 👀
Hell yeah, metal heads absolutely deserve this kind of mainstream representation
Gotta love Sweetwater for catering to all genres.
Hilarious watching this guy transition from brutal metal growls to his computer engineer regular voice. :D Really cool to hear the mics back-to-back!
13:10 sounded crazy . much respect. i never noticed the subtle complexities of this type of vocals until now
That was absolutely insane!!!!
I cannot stress this enough: I really really appreciate you guys digging in other genres, I hate when some genres are treated like no one likes them when it’s basically a huge scene. Cheers!
David is an absolute BEAST.. one of the best in the business.
Appreciate it! Thank you so much!
The 251 definitely sounds polished and balanced. Can’t go wrong with the Manley either. Must have both!
Austrian sounds natural but lacks a bit of mojo which a tube preamp/compressor could help.
david is a beast. amazing comparison, can't get away from how 'finished' the telefunken 251 sounds. didn't need more than one kidney anyway
Love this! Huge need for this in the metal world. Gonna need a part 2!
My wife and I were slow dancing to this video last night. So beautiful.
Sweetwater you guys are awesome! Hitting the nail on the head with marketing and reaching your audience.
This guy is awesome. Love seeing him on yalls channel
🙏🏽 appreciate you!
Both of these gentlemen are great. What a voice on Dave, and explains stuff so well. More please!
Shure sm7b seems to come alive with a screamer especially on the guttural tones. Sounds very clean and without the high end which can sound too harsh.
Incredible shootout! My only complaint is that the Neumann u67 reissue was left out! I don't know why this mic is so slept on (especially for intense vocals), would love to see it in future shootouts!
Such a needed video in the metal side of things
What I really love here is all the condensers. The sm7b is a go to for harsh vocals, and I like how it sounds for a lot of these types of vocals (I use the audio-technica bp40, which is also awesome). But I love the condensers here! I think there's a kind of hangover on the idea that condensers are too fragile to use with louder harsh vocals, which is obviously not at all true-- first, scream vocals don't have to be all that loud and second, if you can scream at 130-140+ dB, you probably belong in a world record book!
I've been using my audio technica at4047 for screaming and it's a really different sound-- a smoother mic with a bit of top end hype makes for a sound I really like, especially with a tiny bit of saturation.
I tried my at 4050 as well and it sounded weirdly brittle on my voice, no matter how I set up the fx chain.
But I love the experimentation! Thanks for this vid!
I'd love a video on live condensers for heavy vocals. How does a beta 87a (or ksm9!!) stack up against an ae5400 compared to the e965 and the vx5 or vx10?
Oh and something else that was fun was having both the 4047 and bp40 set up (I was holding thr bp40 in my hand) and recording with both simultaneously. Blending the sounds of those two was very interesting! I found it particularly cool for distorted singing, in the style of say Maynard singing judith or Cornell singing show me how to live. Really cool stuff!
oh I would love to record my classical guitar with the ELAM251, the respond is so beefy but not too dark, so clear but not brddle, so awesome guys. Love the video.
David’s the best! His vocal training program is solid.
This is the review I've been looking for for years. Exactly what I needed to know. Thank you guys!
Finally a real test on many mics not a monolog about only 1!
Imma buy a SM7B but later I hope to succeed and buy the ELA M 251E
Dude... great audition for sci-fi sound FX talent.
I could definetely hear the difference between the lower end to higher end mics. It wasn't that they sounded better, it just picked up more of what was going on. I got the impression on the higher end that it was picking up more of the sound in your throat, which added more detail. While the lower end mics was just what was coming out of your mouth if that makes sense.
This was the first video that confirmed a suspicion I had after watching some of your stuff. Screaming is not necessarily loud. I have been playing around with what I can do and found that what I thought sounded like Frye or other sounds were actually much quieter than I would have thought without amplification. I just thought screaming was well, screaming. But there are a lot of really cool sounds to be made, and more sustainably so, without having to belt it out there to be heard 100 yards away.
Perfect out of context video for someone to walk in on you watching
Oh sick! You were in my hometown recently! We’re so fortunate to have an amazing place like Sweetwater in Ft Wayne
Can you make a video on mic technique for shows I keep half cupping the mic and don't want that extra distortion for playing live
Thank you David for all your amazing knowledge as always!!! Great episode 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼🔥🔥🔥 moreeeeeee
I was not expecting this, I love it. :)
Yesssss!!! This is awesome. 🔥
I'm hearing some Frank Welker qualities in the lower vocalizations. Cool stuff!
I love that red one. It just has so much punch to it.
I enjoy a ton of black and death metal but tracking the vocals is always funny to watch.
I've seen several female metal vocalists use the SM7. It seems because if they need that extra low end for some things it's there. Not just for their extreme vocals but for their cleans. Tatiana from Jinjer uses the SM7 a lot in the studio.
"Crispy!" 🤣 Love it.
I’m glad they made this I’ve been curious about loud vocals
Amazing video! I gotta hear something like this with the lewitt pure tube!
I needed a video like this. Thanks!
Brutal!!
Thank you for doing this
This was so fun. Sweetwater kicks so much blegh
I personally love the Sennheiser mk4 excellent microphone especially for the price..
It’s virtually a TLM102 in a Sennheiser housing. Great mic.
This is my favorite video
Great video guys, awesome vocals, I really like the Vanguard V13 on scream vocals, the mid range detail on it is insane and doesn’t get harsh. Out of interest what make and model of headphones are you both using here?
Those are the Neumann closed backs! One of my personal favorites for tracking they are very comfy and isolate super well
Super talented screamer
I've been using a TLM103 at home for decades now but by the unholy horned god you guys have shown off some very cool stuff here. the earthworms wow that's a statement!
Yes! Love Sweetwater. 💯 🥁
Would you make the same comparison for mics under 300 bucks?
I never thought I would watch a mic shootout with "cookie monster" vocals... and yet, here I am.
This was the best app for metal microphones
Stereo Daves!
Dave reminds me of wayne static 🔥
This was so fun. சூப்பர்
The noises got me dying laughing 😂😂😂
which one would be the best if i want to do some parkway drive or whitechapel lows but also some suicide silence/chelsea grin highs?
That dude is a human white noise generator.
Audio quality is top notch by the way. Even with TH-cam compression.
youtube doesn't really compress audio much since it's not going to save nearly as much bandwidth as video compression.
Nailed it.
Hi Daves!!
Please review MXL 990 amd MXL 2006 great sound extreme vocals
Best vocalist in the industry, people will eventually realize
5:40 the face he makes with that scream !!1
If Dr Jeckyl and hyde was a musical.
Would have been good to hear the sm7b without the foam
are the mics also for life performance? Or is this just vor recording?
Hey there! You can certainly use any of those microphones for both live and studio, but these mics are most commonly used in the studio. Generally, for live, handheld dynamic microphones are more common. For one, they are less sensitive than the condenser mics shown (SM7B is a dynamic mic) in that video, which will prevent feedback in a live setting. But they’re also generally easier to hold in your hand if need be. So, there’s never a 100% correct answer when it comes to microphones, but these mics will be suit you in a studio setting.
Thanks!
Nick Pasquino, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 3230, nick_pasquino@sweetwater.com
this was dope and super informative but GAWD I hate fry screams lol
I love this
this is great!
I'm getting a 10 thousand dollar 251 so I can scream right into it. Sick...
"when the devil comes, he won't look like the devil...'
I tried recording extreme vocals on my condenser mic for the first time and it was ass. I notice a lot of people use dynamic for extreme vocals. Is that a thing? Do condensers sound bad for extreme vox?
Hey there! While there really isn’t any right or wrong with vocal recording, I would generally recommend using a dynamic microphone for any extreme vocals, opposed to a condenser microphone. Condenser microphones will generally have a very high output, while dynamic mics generally have a low output (SM7B is one of the most popular dynamic mics for extreme vocals). Because of this, it’s much easier to clip or distort a condenser microphone. If you’re recording loud/heavy vocals, the condenser mic could have a tough time keeping up.
If you’re wanting to record some high volume or extreme vocals, I would consider looking into dynamic mic options. I think you’ll find that you can get a much better sound, and a lot more headroom if you go that route.
I hope this helps!
Nick Pasquino, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 3230, nick_pasquino@sweetwater.com
@Infernal Hacking it wasn't clipping or anything
When you’re an extreme vocalist, you need a mic that can handle your intensity! What were your favorites from our list of tough-as-nails vocal mics? Let us know in the comments, and shop them all at Sweetwater:
Shure SM7B Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Microphone 👉 imp.i114863.net/ORQJkP
Rode NT1-A Large-Diaphragm Condenser Microphone 👉 imp.i114863.net/3Px3Bn
Earthworks SR314 Cardioid Condenser Handheld Vocal Microphone 👉 imp.i114863.net/vn3r5L
Telefunken TF51 Large-diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone 👉 imp.i114863.net/yR35aG
Manley Reference Cardioid Large-diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone 👉 imp.i114863.net/MXx1Gn
Austrian Audio OC818 Multi-pattern Large-diaphragm Condenser Microphone 👉 imp.i114863.net/7mr7R5
Telefunken ELA M 251E Large-diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone 👉 imp.i114863.net/DVgr9b
Pin this 📌 ☝️
Genial amigos
my stomach hurts from the metal takes
Should of done higher fry’s
This is hilarious 😂
Soooo funny 😅
I'm afraid metal will never be the same again for me...
Please tell us what the signal chain is
Mic goes into Apollo 8xp into a unison pre. Neve 1073 preamp for all and the same blue stripe setting for each one for just a little glue
The way this dude looks at the mics....dead
BLEGHHHH
He has Cod Zombies ptsd.
6:43
BLEGH!
Whoa. That dude sounds like a bear.
ARF ARF
One of these u guyz gonna STOP this foolishness trust me the mics that has about the same specs 90% they sounds the ssme
I don't like sm7, it's so choky..
ALL of your screams here are Fry. False cord screaming (I coined both phrases in 2004) involves bursts of turbulent air and a collision of aryeppiglottic tissue against the eppiglottis. This is not possible in fry screaming. Fry screaming utilizes an entirely different configuration between the source (true vocal folds in pulse register in mode2) and resonance (filter). The "lower" fry screaming (that you call false cord) involve different vowel shapes in an enlarged space in the posterior vocal track combined with your varying articulatory approach in the anterior (front) vocal tract. You also used a lot of subglottal pressure behind the fry (not wrong, sounds great) Whatever you wanna call it, it sounds great to me!
Hi there! Talking about the key differences between screams that are false cord based and screams that are fry based is definitely important, especially since so many out there get the two confused! How these sounds have evolved over time as the music we love here adapts and grows is also important to note.
Oddly enough, I’m right in the middle of a public experiment on this topic on my other social platforms, testing if people hear one or the other with certain examples. Just like how I’m demonstrating here, the purpose of the experiment is to show how by altering your “shape” (how I categorize gentle and controlled manipulation of the travel path the sound is taking using every day parallels) you can change the way a false cord or fry scream sounds drastically, melodically move both in either direction, and even intentionally make them resemble each other. Despite the key sonic differences between the two you can hear me using here, breaking down and understanding the simplicity of the 2 distortion sources can really fill in the gaps to put them on an equal playing field, which is incredibly helpful for vocalists out there who have been struggling with previous methods.
Although I don’t discuss these topics in this specific piece since the purpose was to create a reference point for how screaming sounds in a recorded context without music and help people at home and artists in studio make mic selections, I’ll be publishing the results of my experiment in a new video very soon along with several more updated ways of discovering and understanding false chord and fry screams. Super glad you’re enjoying these sounds, and thanks for bringing up a great discussion point!
i look forward to the results of your experiment. Resonance strategies are infinite with fry screaming, because the lack of constriction that enables the greater ability to alter the vocal tract. Keeping the language clear and accurate regarding the functions involved in making these sounds was my purpose in making the distinction, since the confusion seems rampant.
😂😂😂😂
Hilarious.
😂😂😂
Don’t give up on your day job lol