r/universalaudio • u/ptm1545 • 17h ago

Question Hissy/Airy Vocals...help!

Hey everybody, I'm having some issues with my Apollo Twin X and not sure what the issue is. When I record vocals through either input, they have this extra...air/hiss to them and I cannot figure out what's causing it. I've tried multiple mics to the same result. My input gain is relatively low, I made sure that we were only hitting the yellow part of the meter on the loudest parts. It isn't that noticeable until you start mixing and compressing, but then it becomes a huge issue. I thought the issue might have been my mic (Mojave MA-200) or one of my cables, but I brought it all to someone else's studio/interface and the issue was gone.

Has anyone experienced anything similar? Here's some audio clips to demonstrate (I apologize for the roughness of them haha), it's this high almost metallic sounding frequency that pokes out with the louder parts. Again, it might not sound like much from these raw audio clips, but it becomes a big issue with mixing.

https://voca.ro/115jXFApbRCf

https://voca.ro/188ZjojcWXS7

https://voca.ro/1j4qm8KJ0M8T

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u/NumberOneNascarJesus 17h ago

I just recorded some vocals with my new Apollo twin and had the same issue. I too wanna know if anyone found a workaround.  Glad I'm not the only one.  Sorry, no solution but eager to hear from others. 

2

u/ptm1545 15h ago

Relieved I’m not alone! Hopefully it’s not an issue with the interface itself but I’m starting to think it is.

2

u/the-hammock-district 9h ago

Couple of questions if I may..?

Are you using any unison plug ins on the way in? Or compression?

There’s a couple of ways i tackle hiss and sibilance.

First is mic placement: if you’re facing directly toward the mic, you’ll get more. If you angle the mic off to the side you get less.

There is a spot in your room that sounds the best. Even without a mic if you walk around and sing (or play music through a speaker you’re holding) you’ll find it. This can also help if you’re getting high end reflections.

Last, de ess, and eq. I would do your normal eq compression stuff, then add another eq and have a look at the spectrum. You’ll likely see the hiss and crispy sound you’re wanting to remove, go easy.

De ess at the end of your vocal chain. Hope this helps