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[John L Nobile]

I've seen cut offs from 80 to 240 hz for lo cut filters on vocal mics.  I tend to use 100 to 120 hz for male and 120 -150 hz for female.  I was wondering what others like to use.

[Tim McCulloch]

I've seen cut offs from 80 to 240 hz for lo cut filters on vocal mics.  I tend to use 100 to 120 hz for male and 120 -150 hz for female.  I was wondering what others like to use.

Avid's HPF is steep, I find that 150Hz is not uncommon for males, females it depends on how they work the mic and what their singing register is.  I'll go around 1/3 octave high for stock Yamaha HPF slopes.

[Joris Jans2]

i just use what i have/need to use.
if you have the possibility use a low-shelf too, helps me clearing up the low end without making thin

[Jim McKeveny]

It depends. (Thanks Ivan!) How many open vocal mics? How solid is stage? Are there subs? Subs on aux? Is this the a capella bass vocalist? Does a little "girth'/overhang/threshold rumble sound better (on this song/verse/break) than without it? What is the rig+room doing and what is it allowing me to do?

Different consoles/software have different default HF frequencies. What matters most is that they are pre-engaged on the appropriate channels, and easily adjusted during check & performance. No scroll left, scroll down, click-click-click, jogwheel,click-click BS. Touch & Turn please.

[Caleb Dueck]

i just use what i have/need to use.
if you have the possibility use a low-shelf too, helps me clearing up the low end without making thin

I was always told to slide the HPF frequency up until it sounds a bit thin, back it off a touch, and you're good; the exact number doesn't matter as it varies.  Depending on mic, as others have said, sometimes a little low-mid EQ or low shelf EQ. 

[John L Nobile]

I was always told to slide the HPF frequency up until it sounds a bit thin, back it off a touch, and you're good; the exact number doesn't matter as it varies.  Depending on mic, as others have said, sometimes a little low-mid EQ or low shelf EQ.

I like that method. Basically "use your ears". In this world of on screen graphics I need to remind myself of that so as not to keep falling into the trap of using visuals only. On analog boards you had fixed HPF's. 80, 100 etc. Only the higher end boards had variable HPF's and you used your ears to set the frequency.

Had a BE over the weekend that had HPF too high for my tastes which I thought made vocals sound thin. Made me curious to see what others were using.

[brian maddox]

I was always told to slide the HPF frequency up until it sounds a bit thin, back it off a touch, and you're good; the exact number doesn't matter as it varies.  Depending on mic, as others have said, sometimes a little low-mid EQ or low shelf EQ.

Yep, i wind it up until i hear it affecting the vocal then back it back a tad.  Kinda my approach to compressors as well.  Dial it up until i can hear it working, then back it off a tad.

a tad is a little more than a smidge.  for those wondering...

[Dave Garoutte]

Yep, i wind it up until i hear it affecting the vocal then back it back a tad.  Kinda my approach to compressors as well.  Dial it up until i can hear it working, then back it off a tad.

a tad is a little more than a smidge.  for those wondering...

But less than a scosh?

[Luke Geis]

I use the same approach as Caleb. Wind it up until the vocal sounds thin and then back down until it just starts sounding full again and play in that zone until its right. Sometimes depending on the steepness of the HP filter, I will employ a shelving filter as well. If it seems the HP filter makes the vocal thin, or allows too much boom to go by, I will find where it is just short of too full sounding and then use a shelving filter to further control the low end. I find that once you start getting to around 200hz, you should easily notice it and I think usually somewhere between 160hz and 120hz is where I tend to end up. That being said, it starts with listening first. I shoot for a natural-sounding vocal and err to the thin side. In speech, it is not as pleasant, but when in a band context it is more desirable.

[Miguel Dahl]

As everything it all depends. If it's for music, dial it up until it sounds how you want that particular filter to sound.

If it's for speakers covering a big arena or something, I do the same as above: I can crank that HPF to 400 and smash that strip with a compressor, if it sounds like what I want it for that application, including mic work, system-tuning etc.

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