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Distance from the mic

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Distance from the mic
#1
I've been producing for a while and am about to embark on a project with some friends to create an album. I wanted to know about distance from the mic when recording vocals. I've often seen (on TV) people in studio's recording a good foot back from the mic (usually with a big screen in between)... but in concert people practically make out with their mic's. What are the pros/cons/reasons behind either method?
My primary mic is an Audix OM2.
Any related tips would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Po
#2
I use distance as a natural "EQ"..... farther back tames sibilance and low-end (proximity), but you also can loose "body". Finding the optimal distance is something you need to experiment with and will vary between source and mic choice.

For a more "intimate" sounding track, you'd want to get a little closer to the mic most of the time.

I usually start off 6" between singer's lips and the pop-screen. It can vary.

I'd also like to add that singing into the mic at various angles can get you desired results. On a recent session, there was little time to switch mics... we had to track-and-Go!... so I just angled the mic up so that a straight line would hit the singer's nose... this tamed the sibilance a little and gave the track a more comfortable place to sit.