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Tips for quality recording sound!

sween	Date: October 26, 2003 @ 8:09 AM Anyone got any tips for achieving a high quality sound at a low cost? www.thesween.com
GeneHilbert	Date: October 26, 2003 @ 12:17 PM First and foremost: Crap in, crap out. Meaning, make sure you record each trac the best possible quality take you can get i.e. (performance, clarity, & signal strength). The fix it the mix cliché does not work.
sween	Date: October 26, 2003 @ 1:04 PM Thanks, good advise. Im currently working on new material and that is what im concentrating on.
pog	Date: October 26, 2003 @ 2:50 PM The main thing is to buy a half decent microphone, and if you can manage it, a mixing desk, and a couple of half decent microphones. Mic placement can be a big issue that can take a long time to perfect. If you want a microphone to sound warmer, you can put it on the floor, (on a t-shirt or something). as every adjacent surface that the mic is against adds about 3db in bottom end (this is a handy trick for underpowered p.a. speakers). So if you put a mic or speaker in a corner, on the floor, it can get up to an extra 9db in bottom end.
Veracohr	Date: October 26, 2003 @ 6:53 PM Very true. Also: practice. Only practice will make you good. If you're recording with microphones, pay attention to your room. Don't rely on tricks like EQ and reverb to get a good sound--get a good sound from the start. If your room sounds like crap, you will be limited. You may not have any way around that, but keep it in mind if you do have some flexibility. To get a good "lively" sound, room sound is important. And mic placement before EQ! Speaking of that, even before mic placement, make your instrument sound the way you want it to sound. Listen to guitar amps with your head on the same plane as the speaker to hear what the mic will hear." id="66749">"First and foremost: Crap in, crap out." Very true. Also: practice. Only practice will make you good. If you're recording with microphones, pay attention to your room. Don't rely on tricks like EQ and reverb to get a good sound--get a good sound from the start. If your room sounds like crap, you will be limited. You may not have any way around that, but keep it in mind if you do have some flexibility. To get a good "lively" sound, room sound is important. And mic placement before EQ! Speaking of that, even before mic placement, make your instrument sound the way you want it to sound. Listen to guitar amps with your head on the same plane as the speaker to hear what the mic will hear.
sween	Date: October 29, 2003 @ 12:35 PM Thanks for the advise guys, exellent! Thought that there was something technical about it, but its simple really. Cheers. www.thesween.com
Thaspian	Date: October 29, 2003 @ 8:45 PM Get good recording stuff. http://www.m-audio.net/products/m-audio/audiophile.php M-Audio makes some of THE best soundcards, and that's their premire model. Also, the mic matters. A lot.
ronnie71	Date: October 29, 2003 @ 10:36 PM also record flat... EQ on mixdown..
kredd	Date: October 30, 2003 @ 2:50 PM flat response monitors....don't use regular speakers cause they will color your sound. flat response allows you to truly hear what you have recorded. you can also get a good pair of headphones, they can be pricey also, but not as high as monitors.
sween	Date: November 2, 2003 @ 1:04 PM Can some clarify how to use flat response please. Tahks for all your input www.thesween.com
woodhead	Date: November 2, 2003 @ 4:43 PM Flat means when you place all your eq settings to zero, for your recording. This is for when you begin your mix down if you need to add eq to an instrument, it can be done so easily. Another good tip far guitar amps. is run a processor straight in to your board for clean stuff, and for dist guitar run your amp, and find the sweet spot on the cabinet.
woodhead	Date: November 2, 2003 @ 4:45 PM oh and I agree about mics, get some decent condensors for all you vocal parts. But get a lot of diffrent type's of mics, buythem one at a time if need be.
woodhead	Date: November 2, 2003 @ 4:46 PM oh and vist sites like these for more info http://www.tweakheadz.com/
Apertome	Date: November 2, 2003 @ 6:47 PM Don't listen to Thaspian. M-Audio does not make the best sound cards, nor is the Audiophile their best model. I recently got an M-Audio Delta 1010LT. It's a good card, so far I am impressed. But it's far from the best card out there. Really it's a low end pro-grade card, as are all of M-Audio's cards, I believe. I'm not sure what "the best" are, as they're out of my price range, but something like MOTU is going to be way better than M-Audio.
Apertome	Date: November 2, 2003 @ 7:02 PM BTW, the 1010LT has 10 ins and 10 outs ... the Audiophile is really more of a consumer card -- according to M-Audio, it's 4-in, 4-out, but that's misleading. There are two RCA jacks in and out, and SPDIF in and out ... you can only use all 4 channels if you are using analog and digital connectors. Not too useful for multitrack recording. It's still a good card, it just doesn't have enough ins and outs to truly be useful for recording. At the same time, it's way better than anything put out by, say, Creative.
eagankid	Date: November 3, 2003 @ 12:10 AM Good mic, goldwave... That's all you need.
kredd	Date: November 3, 2003 @ 10:55 AM dude, i've got a delta 1010LT also...it's not too shabby, but i have to agree, it is faaaar from the best out there. i hate the interface. it was a stupid buy on my part cause i need more XLR and less RCA. as far as flat-response...come out of your computer or mixer mains to your monitors. actaully, you will probably need and amp to push the monitors...so come out of you computer/mixer to your amp. this allows you to hear exactly what you've recorded and get a true mix. flat reponse won't try to color or enhance your sound which would mess up your mix b/c you would be hearing a mix that is being colored by the monitors that doesn't really exist in the recording you are mixing.
Apertome	Date: November 3, 2003 @ 11:56 AM Kredd: good point about the studio monitors. Although you can do what I did and get active (powered) monitors -- they have amps built in. This also means you don't have to worry about your amp/monitor pairing. I have a pair of Alesis M1 Active MKIIs: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=031102154418066068108218779097/g=rec/search/detail/base_pid/603203/ These aren't the greatest, but not bad, especially in their price range. For me, these are my most important piece of gear. My philosophy: How can you make your music sound how you want if you can't hear it accurately?
kredd	Date: November 3, 2003 @ 2:52 PM very good point mux...i actually have a pair of Alesis M1 Passive MKII's...and they do pretty good also. good philosophy
Nikki319	Date: November 3, 2003 @ 3:18 PM Anyone have any brand suggestion for good mics?
YaBoyDrew	Date: November 3, 2003 @ 3:48 PM good idea 4 a forum sween!!!!!!!
YaBoyDrew	Date: November 3, 2003 @ 3:48 PM i take the hiss outta my trakks
Elu	Date: November 3, 2003 @ 4:23 PM The new Sure "Performance Gear" mics are really cheap but they sound great. They made knock-offs of their own products and they sound just about as good. About $50.00 will get you something decent. And as far as flat goes, this is correct, but you have to look at each instrument indivdually and then as a whole. Notice which instruments carry parts in the different ranges...ie guitars and keyboards usually peak in the low mids to the mids. If you have too many instruments in that range it will sound crappy...try to get a nice even mix of sound throughout the spectrum. And my last piece of advice is to make sure that if you have lots of instruments in the mid range of the frequency spectrum, that you carve out a spot for the vocals to fit in...because they will undoubtedly also be right in there and then all your mid instruments and vocals will be fighting for space...not a good place to get into.
Jazzmary2U	Date: November 3, 2003 @ 5:01 PM Yeah, egankid.. Goldwave has served me very well, especially the new upgrade. I also am a FL Studio fan.. good for mixing live with loops.. But for live recording.. i would have to agree with everyone on the good mikes/mixer/soundcard advice.. anyone have thoughts on the Mia Midi Card? I like it pretty well..
woodhead	Date: November 3, 2003 @ 7:20 PM marshall electronics makes a decent vocal condesor mic for around 80.00, good starter mic, I had one and no problems with it at all.
sween	Date: November 3, 2003 @ 8:39 PM Thanks for all your input guys, you've really helped me out. I have a Behringer B2 Condensor mic but need a good pre amp, saving up for one at the mo. My price range is £300-£400, not sure what that is in dollars, anyone got any suggestions on pre amps? Also, Im not sure about monitors???
woodhead	Date: November 4, 2003 @ 8:34 PM Berhinger has some awsome vocal preamps just make sure that when you buy one that it has a tube in it. You can pick up a Behringer for around 150 dollars(US) and I belive you can get one even cheaper, but not sure.
Arthen	Date: November 5, 2003 @ 8:36 AM for soundcards look at RME soundcards http://www.rme-audio.com. They're truly top of the line for sole audio purposes.
sween	Date: November 5, 2003 @ 8:49 AM Cheers, I'll have a look around Berhinger for the pre amp. I might get a better sound card too as I have a CREATIVE and Ive heard theyre not as good. Mines doing the job but probly could do with an upgrade, I'll have a look at that link. Thanks guys.

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