Trouble recording in stereo

M

McParadigm

New member
I am slowly going crazy, and I would love any help possible.

I recently picked up a Gina3G so I could start recording decent-sounding songs at home, solo accoustic. I'm a big Mountain Goats fan, so "decent-sounding" is sort of relative. Anyway, it has a left and right input for my mic, but of course the left input records in the left speaker and the right records in the right. Short of using two mics and recording everything dually, how can I get a stereo recording of an instrument or vocal?

I use Cakewalk and Tracktion, by the way.

On a side note, I happen to have a little money laying around...about $500. If I were going to add anything to my setup (which is literally just the Gina3G and the Sure mic) to improve sound quality, what should I add?

Any and all help is intensely appreciated.
 
A MIXER!!! MG10/2 $100 pretty small but effective

vocals are usually mono and centered which means you'll hear them out of both speakers...but first things first...get a mixer
 
distortedrumble said:
A MIXER!!! MG10/2 $100 pretty small but effective

vocals are usually mono and centered which means you'll hear them out of both speakers...but first things first...get a mixer
Click to expand...

Maybe I wasn't clear with my terminology...I suspect I wasn't....but my problem is that I *can't* center anything. If I record through the left input, no audio is available in the right speaker.

A mixer would solve this problem? Is the MG10/2 the best device for my needs, or is it just a cheaper mixer? Like I said, I have $500 to spend.

In all honesty, I've been a studio frequenter for some time but I just can't afford that anymore. It was fun while it lasted...now I'm trying to build a setup I'm happy with.

It bears restating, I really appreciate the help!
 
McParadigm said:
I am slowly going crazy, and I would love any help possible.

I recently picked up a Gina3G so I could start recording decent-sounding songs at home, solo accoustic. I'm a big Mountain Goats fan, so "decent-sounding" is sort of relative. Anyway, it has a left and right input for my mic, but of course the left input records in the left speaker and the right records in the right. Short of using two mics and recording everything dually, how can I get a stereo recording of an instrument or vocal?

I use Cakewalk and Tracktion, by the way.

On a side note, I happen to have a little money laying around...about $500. If I were going to add anything to my setup (which is literally just the Gina3G and the Sure mic) to improve sound quality, what should I add?

Any and all help is intensely appreciated.
Click to expand...

Without 2 mics or a stereo mic (which is one mic with 2 capsules) you cannot record in stereo. Never fear, however, as most tracking is done in mono. That's right. I'll say it again. Most tracking is done in mono. Vocals and most instruments are tracked in mono, while stereo effects and panning are added at mixdown to create a stereo image on the final product. Often, the same part (guitar, for example) will be tracked multiple times and panned to create the effect of a stereo instrument, but it's usually separate takes (or a single take, cloned and offset by a short delay).

The few exceptions are acoustic instruments, such as acoustic guitars, pianos, etc., which are sometimes (though not always) recorded in stereo However, two mics are required to make this happen. Keyboards are often tracked in stereo as well.
 
McParadigm said:
Maybe I wasn't clear with my terminology...I suspect I wasn't....but my problem is that I *can't* center anything. If I record through the left input, no audio is available in the right speaker.
Click to expand...

In whatever software you are using to record, make sure you are recording to a MONO track/channel and that the Left input is selected.
 
Jebus Chris, the most obvious step available and I skipped over it. I suppose that happens, but I can't believe I missed that.

Thanks so much! This just leaves the issue of the mixer. A good choice?
 
does scrubs explanation do it for you? cause he pretty much said everything i was going to type. aside from that....check your cakewalk tracks. the input is probably saying stereo 1/2...click on that and make it mono 1 or mono 2....that will record one signal in mono and put it straight down the middle of the recording..you can pan it to your liking later on
 
yes the mixer is a good choice......do you have monitors? cause i wouldnt want you spending a load on a mixer and not having decent monitors.
 
I've never understood moniters. What function do they play, besides giving a crisper, clearer version of the recording as it develops? I would think I'd rather hear it as it will sound to others than via a high-quality soundsystem.
 
a high quality soundsystem has speakers that accentuate highs and lows...good for you but not everybody has your exact system exactly the way you have it setup in the exact same enviorment. studio monitors give an accurate flat response which transfers over to various forms of audio playback. there are a bunch of threads on this and even my own arguements to it....it fought kicking and screaming alot the way but once i got a pair of monitors and mixed my songs, i noticed that it sounded good anywhere i played it vs using the multi media speakers or the home theater speakers.
 
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