Codmate
New member
Hi all, I've been doing some home recording over the past year and have got some reasonable results with one caveat - none of the mixes I make have any 'sparkle' to them.
Basically everything I do ends up sounding as though it has come through a cushion
Now - I know I'm posting this in the mixing/mastering forum, but the problem could be almost anywhere in my signal chain - and could even be something to do with the material and arrangements!
Anyway - I'll give you an idea of my process and maybe you lot can help me identify where the 'mush' is creeping in, or give me some ideas of experiments to try to help find where it's coming from.
I'm recording everything in a small bedroom. There is a very slight reverb (a very fast slap-back if I clap my hands) and my PC is in the room. It's quite quiet though, besides you'll never hear it over my extraordinarily-noisy valve amp
I'm using an M-Audio Delta66 with the OmniStudio break-out box.
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'Thursday'
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http://tinyurl.com/4z3cq
The line-up for this track is:
* Gibson Les Paul Studio through Fender Vibrolux - mic was an SM58 on the cab. Sounded fairly bright at the time, the amp is quite 'twangy'.
* LoungeLizard VSTi (Fender Rhodes type sound)
* CheeseMachine VSTi (high-pitched synth noise)
* 2 different sets of Backing vocals, one 3-part harmony from the lead singer, one double-tracked counter melody from a different singer - mic was a Rode NT3 (hypercardiod condensor)
* One set of lead vocals - mic was the NT3 again
* One plucked stand up bass part - line in via a SansAmp bass unit
* One bowed stand-up bass part - line in via a SansAmp bass unit
* Cellofan VSTi (Cello sound)
I'm not using vast numbers of plug-ins at all. I have a fairly conservative amount of digital reverb on everything except the bass group (plucked bass, cellofan and bowed bass), which has no reverb at all.
The second set of BVs and the 'CheeseMachine' have vast amounts of reverb as well as some delay.
I'm using Waves R-Comp as a compressor on all the vocals (separated into the two groups of vox and the lead on its own, I have the compressor on the groups as opposed to the individual tracks).
I have a low-shelf on everything apart from the plucked upright bass in an attempt to make everything brighter.
I don't really master stuff myself - but I do make things louder by using WavesL2 (or similar) when I want to pass stuff around to friends etc so you'll hear that (unless it would help if I posted the raw export).
Cry
---
http://tinyurl.com/6p53o
The instrumentation and methods are a bit simpler on this one:
* Gibson Les Paul Studio through Fender Vibrolux - mic was an SM58 on the cab. One distorted lead part using Tube screamer and another clean but with loads of reverb on the amp.
* Halion triggering drum samples
* One set of BV's in the chorus and one set towards the end mic was the SM58.
* One set of lead vocals - mic was the SM58 in this case.
* One active fretless bass part - recorded direct.
I have low shelves on everything but the bass part (and even a small one on that), as with the track I'm going to post later.
This track makes more extensive use of reverb and delays (especially on the BVs towards the end). The BVs at the end were recorded in a tiny stone-walled toilet for a laugh. The sound was very boxy but I quite liked it
------------------------------
My objective for future recording is to get much brighter sounding tracks - especially the vocal sound.
Many thanks for any help.
Basically everything I do ends up sounding as though it has come through a cushion
Now - I know I'm posting this in the mixing/mastering forum, but the problem could be almost anywhere in my signal chain - and could even be something to do with the material and arrangements!
Anyway - I'll give you an idea of my process and maybe you lot can help me identify where the 'mush' is creeping in, or give me some ideas of experiments to try to help find where it's coming from.
I'm recording everything in a small bedroom. There is a very slight reverb (a very fast slap-back if I clap my hands) and my PC is in the room. It's quite quiet though, besides you'll never hear it over my extraordinarily-noisy valve amp
I'm using an M-Audio Delta66 with the OmniStudio break-out box.
------------------------------
'Thursday'
----------
http://tinyurl.com/4z3cq
The line-up for this track is:
* Gibson Les Paul Studio through Fender Vibrolux - mic was an SM58 on the cab. Sounded fairly bright at the time, the amp is quite 'twangy'.
* LoungeLizard VSTi (Fender Rhodes type sound)
* CheeseMachine VSTi (high-pitched synth noise)
* 2 different sets of Backing vocals, one 3-part harmony from the lead singer, one double-tracked counter melody from a different singer - mic was a Rode NT3 (hypercardiod condensor)
* One set of lead vocals - mic was the NT3 again
* One plucked stand up bass part - line in via a SansAmp bass unit
* One bowed stand-up bass part - line in via a SansAmp bass unit
* Cellofan VSTi (Cello sound)
I'm not using vast numbers of plug-ins at all. I have a fairly conservative amount of digital reverb on everything except the bass group (plucked bass, cellofan and bowed bass), which has no reverb at all.
The second set of BVs and the 'CheeseMachine' have vast amounts of reverb as well as some delay.
I'm using Waves R-Comp as a compressor on all the vocals (separated into the two groups of vox and the lead on its own, I have the compressor on the groups as opposed to the individual tracks).
I have a low-shelf on everything apart from the plucked upright bass in an attempt to make everything brighter.
I don't really master stuff myself - but I do make things louder by using WavesL2 (or similar) when I want to pass stuff around to friends etc so you'll hear that (unless it would help if I posted the raw export).
Cry
---
http://tinyurl.com/6p53o
The instrumentation and methods are a bit simpler on this one:
* Gibson Les Paul Studio through Fender Vibrolux - mic was an SM58 on the cab. One distorted lead part using Tube screamer and another clean but with loads of reverb on the amp.
* Halion triggering drum samples
* One set of BV's in the chorus and one set towards the end mic was the SM58.
* One set of lead vocals - mic was the SM58 in this case.
* One active fretless bass part - recorded direct.
I have low shelves on everything but the bass part (and even a small one on that), as with the track I'm going to post later.
This track makes more extensive use of reverb and delays (especially on the BVs towards the end). The BVs at the end were recorded in a tiny stone-walled toilet for a laugh. The sound was very boxy but I quite liked it
------------------------------
My objective for future recording is to get much brighter sounding tracks - especially the vocal sound.
Many thanks for any help.
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