How about some tips for Recording?

[JumpMarine]

How about all of you recording guru's adding your tips for recording? Mics, gear placement, software, etc....

I'm clueless on how to get a good recording to post. And after we get some really good info place this in the Vault or sticky it here.

What do you guys think?

 

[y2stevo]

ok well i'll lay down some basics then..

Firstly what i use anyway is ,mixer,mics,pc,soundcard and recording software...

mixer....... if you don't have one areent that hard to find and even cheap behringer ones are very good quality...4-6 channel would be perfect for beggning,or even professional cos if your recording one guitar seperatly the most mics you proboly will be using would be 2...

mics......im not too knowledgable about so i'll leave it to the "gurus" foe that..

Sound card..... right now im just using the on-board motherboard soundcard to record because my Creativelabs Soundblaster Audigy got burnt out when i put a line out of an amp into the speaker out(not recommended)... but anyway the Audigy was an excellent souncard for the job.....excellent sound processing and unbelivable lack of noise while recording..but the on-board works nicley if thats what you have...

Recording Software....Theres A LOT, of recording software out there but my favorite is Ejay Music Director Gold, you can record with it and mix your song with ease, some may recommend sound forge or cool edit pro but Ejay IMO is the best for all Round Recording and mixing in one...very well layed out also so i'd definetly recommend that....

Basically i use them so i Mic up my amp with the mic, put it throught the mixer and record with pc and recording software.. i'll leave it to the gurus to explain the method better in detail...

Hope this helped and feel free to comment ,and if theres any mistakes too..... thanks

y2stevo

 

[JOLLY]

To me one of the best things to know is where to place things in the mic....ala panning in different places to fill up the spectrum of sound and make it full.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Yeah the placement of the mic is really something worth spending time on.
Sometimes I use two, one for ambient....but sofar I have not found the optimum place to put it.
And what mic I should use....hehe
And I never use the eq on the console, I just shifts the mic or change the amp settings.

 

[JumpMarine]

Thanks guys, keep'm coming!

 

[JOLLY]

I didn't really delve too much into the instrument placement..I kinda have a buzz. Holler at me on a PM or Yahoo...I'm better at the explaining thing like that.

 

[Marcel]

Just basic i think:
I record always twice or two different guitar tracks. Then I pan one track 100% left and the other 100% right.

I just record with V-Amp 2 into soundcard...
I once record a bit with a miked cab. Yeah it's very hard for me to find the right mic position. There are just to much options for me. I think off-axis is the way to go.

 

[mrid]

Get a preamp. I spend $60 on an ART tube mic preamp, and it made a HUGE difference in tone.

 

[Wattage]

I use an Audigy card as well a great card for not a lot of money, way better inputs than a standard card and it can do 24-bit 96k recording if you want to go a little higher end than CD quality.

I use Cakewalk Guitar Tracks Pro on the PC for my recording software. It is pretty simple to use and it seems to be a real stable program on XP. It gives you quite a few useable effects and decent mixing capabilities for such an inexpensive program. I usually output to a wave file and convert to an MP3 using MusicMatch.

I use a Shure SM57 mic for everything and I just screw around until I get the sound I want, I am not overly picky for my demo stuff. I do have some small ART pre's which are fantastic for the money but I don't always use them. I have a Boss Amp Factory for direct recording guitar and bass into the PC, I know a lot of guys like the POD but I was too cheap to buy one, actually this got the sound I wanted first shot so I grabbed it, it is a pretty good unit once you get used to it plus it has direct digital out which I don't think the POD has.

 

[y2stevo]

WHat! A Stable Program On XP!!!??

 

[GoMano]

All the advice thus far is excellent. If I understand correctly you are wanting to post clips and maintain audio fidelty, right? I hope I read it right - but anyway...since at the end of the chain you'll be "posting" material that is going to be data-compressed (bit's which are essentially 'doubled' in a given space or "event" get "chopped off" to make space) you'll want to start by recording at the highest bit-rate possible. Sample rate resolution isn't important here - just make sure it's 44.1k (it will be by default if you record digitally, which is probably likely)

What you want is to start with the most virgin, high-quality sound you can. That means a good recorder / software. Second, really is the most important: What goes in determines the quality of what comes out. In other words, a good mic, a good initial sound from your guitar or voice and a good mic pre will REALLY make a HUGE difference. And third - if possible, record at 24-bit. Even if you don't "dither" while mixing to the Red Book standard of 16-bit (all CD's are 16-bit) and the 'missing' bits are truncated, it'll still sound better than recording initially at 16-bits. Most of todays semi-pro audio recording software and/or DAW's (Digital Audio Workstations) record at 24-bit.

If you want specifics I'll be happy to post them here - just let me know.

 

[Blue Calx]

if possible, record at 24-bit. Even if you don't "dither" while mixing to the Red Book standard of 16-bit (all CD's are 16-bit) and the 'missing' bits are truncated, it'll still sound better than recording initially at 16-bits.

You serious!?!??! I always thought the conversion from 24 to 16 lead to aliasing (I guess that's why you mentinoed dither...), and without expensive converters, one would just be better off starting at 16bit. if you don't mind, please go into detail on this point, cuz if I'm gonna start doing it the right way now, I'd at least like to know why

 

[GoMano]

You serious!?!??! I always thought the conversion from 24 to 16 lead to aliasing (I guess that's why you mentinoed dither...), and without expensive converters, one would just be better off starting at 16bit. if you don't mind, please go into detail on this point, cuz if I'm gonna start doing it the right way now, I'd at least like to know why

The forum is a dog today, so I have had to wait to respond to you - sorry..

I don't know what level of experience you have, so I'll just try be basic and share in layman's terms what I mean.. if you have specific questions in greater detail, just ask..

But anyway - You should ALWAYS record at the highest bit-rate possible, especially if your tune is eventually going to become a data-compressed file for opening on a website. "Bit's, as I'm sure you know, are like little snapshots of audio turned into a film; think FPS - the more bits, the more "frames per second" thus the picture looks clearer and is more accurate in terms of representing the original source. Same with audio. Now, if you record at 16 bits (and just because you CAN record at 16-bits doesn't mean that YOU DO; depending on the integrity of the source AND your levels - you may record a drum track at 16-bits, but your vocal achieves only 8, or 12 because your levels are bad) and then you make an MP3 for the internet (which emplyes data compression), the program is going to seek out events that occur at the exact same time & space, and "erase" one of them - the theory being the brain when confronted with two identical audio sources with the same frequencies can only process one of them, so the algorithm REMOVES one of the two occurances. This is BAAAD in my book. If you record your master at 16-bit, and the "losless" compression algorithm "says" it's 16-bit, then when it does it's magic you are actually ending up with a NEGATIVE, a "deficit" if you will, in your recorded audio - same with NO data compression and just burning 16-bit CD-R's. 24-bit is BETTER, and for obvious reasons. When going DOWN to 16-bit media, the "extra" 8 bits are either truncated (they just get chopped off) or the program is "dithered; (noise added in the space where the 8 bits were to make up the balance) - but either way - you will end up with a TRUE 16-bit result.

Don't get me wrong - there are THOUSANDS of FANTASTIC 16-bit albums and recordings - they ALL were 16 bit sometime. 24-bit recording is just way better - the increase in fidelity is EXPONENTIAL - so the quality of your master is MUCH better than if you record at 16 and posted THAT master. Try an A/B test for yourself - your ears are unbiased - you'll be able to make a good judgement yourself.

Record at 24 man - trust me....

Good Luck!

 

[Blue Calx]

Aaah, okay. It was those extra 8 bits being truncated that I thought caused the problem (like kinda made "rough edges" where they were knocked off... if that even fits with the metaphor we're using). But I'mm'a trust master robb and record in 24 bit from now on. Thanks!

 

[Fusion1]

Has anyone tried one of those ART MP's with a POD or V-Amp? Does it warm up a digital sound?

Also there are 3 versions of the ART MP Studio now. $99,$69,$59.

Which would be best for using with direct recording?

 

[Cory_Dylan]

hmm... well after reading these post im convinced that i need a mic preamp and a new sound card. i am currently running through a mic, into mixer, into my computers mic in. the first day i recorded it sounded pretty good, but now its really fuzzy and i can't fix it. no appliances on, computer is in the other room, COMPLETELY quiet, i even tried throwing a sleeping bag over my amp and mic. Still fuzziness! i hate the fuzziness!!! i almost had a temper tantrum... I tried using the noise reduction feature in adobe audition, putting it at 1 percent, and it eliminates most of the noise, but it makes the recording sound really wierd. (sounds like a sick violin) i don't get why it sounded good the first time, but now i have all these problems. I didnt change anything. does anybody know what i am doing wrong? do you think a mic preamp and a new sound card will fix it? if so, any recommendations? THANKS!!!

- angry/frustrated Cory

 

[GoMano]

hmm... well after reading these post im convinced that i need a mic preamp and a new sound card. i am currently running through a mic, into mixer, into my computers mic in. the first day i recorded it sounded pretty good, but now its really fuzzy and i can't fix it. no appliances on, computer is in the other room, COMPLETELY quiet, i even tried throwing a sleeping bag over my amp and mic. Still fuzziness! i hate the fuzziness!!! i almost had a temper tantrum... I tried using the noise reduction feature in adobe audition, putting it at 1 percent, and it eliminates most of the noise, but it makes the recording sound really wierd. (sounds like a sick violin) i don't get why it sounded good the first time, but now i have all these problems. I didnt change anything. does anybody know what i am doing wrong? do you think a mic preamp and a new sound card will fix it? if so, any recommendations? THANKS!!!

- angry/frustrated Cory

My guess (I don't know really what "fuzzy" means) is that you are suffering one of the following two problems that commonly afflict home studios:
Either you have a ground (earth if your in England loop occuring because your gear is plugged into different wall sockets and on different circuits, or, what is more likely, you have line interference - someone (a neighbor probably) is using an appliance on the same line, or someone is using a high-band transmitter, or there's honkin' EMF too along with it, like a high-amp vacuum or a cell phone or a cordless phone or home theater TV - the possibilities are endless. If you can afford to spend about $150 U.S / Euros - go out and buy a Furman Power Conditioner, and plug IT into ONE wall socket, and plug ALL your recording gear into the Furman. It wil fix the problem. Also - are you using a guitar with single coil pick ups? Also again, even though your computer is in another room, is that true for the VGA monitor too? And even if it is, are there ANY AC cords near it? Or is any of your guitar gear sharing the same AC source as your VGA? Check all those little things - trace your lines thoroughly - you'll find it eventually - and then, just to make certain your future recordings are clean, invest a little dough into things like Auralex foam to put your monitors on, put your amp/cabinet on something that raises it a couple inches off the floor - or, if you use a POD, get the mic stand adaptor and mount that f.uc.ker man! It will help alot - inventory your cables -ALL OF THEM - and make sure they are all good and shielded properly. Good cable is EVERYTHING in a studio!
Don't get discouraged and eventually robbed of your passion to create just because of some measly technology; one of the great things about being human: you're bigger than that stuff, and can overcome ANY studio problem by just thinking in a linear way and tracing your paths - you'll ge to it, and you'll probably find it's something really stupid, like the serioulsy senile & eccentric old lady next door heating fluffy the cat's sardine dinner in the microwave, in which case, just go outside later and shoot fluffy...

Just kidding of course - Good luck!

 

[Maggie]

Here's a tip:

Split your signal and run one channel straight to the board, the other to your amp rig in front of a mic. Now record both tracks. You'll have one with your amp sound (which will inspire a good performance while you're tracking and give you a rough idea of your final tone for rough mixing) and one direct that you can Reamp later to modify your tone however you want/need to, once you know how your guitar will sit in the mix.

 

[Cory_Dylan]

fuzz = police... but in my case... noise