Can't get professional sound with tin can & string. Please help!

Armistice

Son of Yoda
Am I using the right brand of string?

Does my can need cleaning, it's still got a few crusty baked beans in it. Would a different can work better? Fruit, perhaps?

...............................................
<rant>
Am I imaging it or is it just this week? ... we're getting lots of posts in the newbie forum from people who have almost no equipment at all?

Singstar microphones, Icicles, laptop mics etc..

Seems the average budget for a complete newbie studio is $69.99 at the moment...

Where are all the rich kids? :D

</rant>

Oh well... next... Happy Friday all... :drunk:
 
So let's make a pointless post to make fun of them all! Hooray!

At least they're posting in the Newbie forum dude.

It won't happen...but I hope the mods lock and/or delete this thread before it starts.
 
Yeah, I was going to have some fun with it but Gizzmo's right.
That's what the newbie threads are for.
 
Or at least have a sticky here in the noob section that addresses most of the basics - like "don't use a usb mic and expect quality recordings", "Are you sure you have the phantom power is on" etc. ~ BUT right at the top it should read..... please consult the SEARCH button it's the 3rd one from the right in the header, right under Welcome.
Alas in the world we live in now one can't be bothered to put in a few hours and read (I know it took me several hours to read Harveys' post under microphones) People need the answers NOW so people ask and people answer.
And you know once and a while you just have to say ....I'm I using the right string with this can?


;) ;) But probably my favorite response comes from TimOBrien ;) ;)



My obligatory standard reply-for-newbies that I keep in Wordpad so this is just a paste (I don't want to re-type this all the time):

First off, immediately get a good beginner recording book (spend $20 before spending hundred$/thousand$) that shows you what you need to get started and how to hook everything up in your studio:
Home Recording for Musicians by Jeff Strong - $15
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/047...SIN=0470385421
(Wish I'd had that when I started; would have saved me lots of money and time and grief)
You can also pick up this book in most any Borders or Barnes&Noble in the Music Books section!

Another good one is: Recording Guitar and Bass by Huw Price
http://www.amazon.com/Recording-Guit...5734124&sr=1-1
(I got my copy at a place called Half-Price Books for $6!!)

And you can get a FREE subscription to TapeOp magazine at www.tapeop.com

Barnes&Noble or Borders are great places to start --- they have recording books and you can go get a snack or coffee and read them for FREE! Don't pass by a good recording book --- this is a VERY technical hobby and you REALLY want to start a reference library!!!

Good Newbie guides that also explains all the basics and have good tips:
http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm
http://www.computermusic.co.uk/page/..._beginner_pdfs
http://www.harmony-central.com/articles/
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/tips-...echniques.html

21 Ways To Assemble a Recording Rig: http://www.tweakheadz.com/rigs.htm

Also Good Info: http://www.theprojectstudiohandbook.com/directory.htm

Other recording books: http://musicbooksplus.com/home-recording-c-31.html

Still using a built-in soundcard?? Unfortunately, those are made with less than $1 worth of chips for beeps, boops and light gaming (not to mention cheapness for the manufacturer) and NOT quality music production.
#1 Rule of Recording: You MUST replace the built-in soundcard.
Here's a good guide and tested suggestions that WORK: http://www.tweakheadz.com/soundcards...ome_studio.htm
(you'll want to bookmark and read through all of Tweak's Guide while you're there...)
Another good article: Choosing an audio interface - http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep0...interfaces.htm


Plenty of software around to record for FREE to start out on:

Sony ACID Express (free 10-track sequencer): http://www.acidplanet.com/downloads/xpress/
Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net (multi-track with VST support)
Wavosaur: http://www.wavosaur.com/ (a stereo audio file editor with VST support)\
Kristal: http://www.kreatives.org/kristal/
Other freebies and shareware: www.hitsquad.com/smm

Another great option is REAPER at http://www.cockos.com/reaper/ (It's $50 but runs for free until you get guilty enough to pay for it...)
I use Reaper and highly reccomend it...

Music Notation and MIDI recording: Melody Assistant ($25) and Harmony Assistant ($80) have the power of $600 notation packages - http://myriad-online.com
Demo you can try on the website.

And you can go out to any Barnes&Noble or Borders and pick up "Computer Music" magazine - they have a full FREE studio suite in every issue's DVD, including sequencers, plugins and tons of audio samples. (November 2006 they gave away a full copy of SamplitudeV8SE worth $150, November 2007-on the racks Dec in the US- they gave away SamplitudeV9SE and July 2009 issue they put out Samplitude10SE. FREE. It pays to watch 'em for giveaways...)





This pretty much covers it all folks..... unless after you read all that has been offered to you from Tim here and you have some questions. Please lets start a conversation.



:cool:
 
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Seems the average budget for a complete newbie studio is $69.99 at the moment...

The picture below is very similar to what I started out with oh many many years ago (I was the first in my high school with a portable cassette recorder), the price was about 4 weeks adult wages (thanks mom and dad). We all have to start somewhere, just don't expect the $69 somewhere to sound like the $100,000 somewhere or the $1,000,000 somewhere, just enjoy the recording process and work your way up.

Cheers
Alan.
 

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Very close to what I had as well witzendoz but maybe a model 6 or 7 years older.



:cool:

Actually mine was probably older than that too, it was mono and had an AM radio in it, ha ha. I could not find a picture of the one I had, I am not sure of the brand (toshiba maybe), I lost it on a tour in 1979, I think it was left in a motel room, I was always sad that I did not have it in my old gear collection. I do however still have the microphone.

There was a lot of press around in the late 60's when the Beatles got hold of a Phillips cassette recorder so that they could listen to the mix downs of their recordings at home, the first time that a band could do this without test pressings or a large reel to reel. A friend of mine owned that actual same model in the 70's.

Cheers
Alan
 

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Very cool.
I have a collection of old gear from microphones to radios and everything in between. Most of them still work!



:cool:
 
images.jpg

My father recorded me playing something or other on one of these, or similar way back when...

Then I graduated to the cassette thingy of my own like witzendoz...

And sorry if I've offended any newbies... not intended, just a Friday joke thing... :D

Just amazed at how little you have to spend to do stuff these days.

I think my first question on this board more than 10 years back after stumping up $800 or thereabouts for a Rode NT2 then getting home and having no idea what phantom power was or how I obtained it...

Those were the days...

Another time I'll argue that a high barrier to entry, and there are many - cost, skill, time etc. - is a good thing for the overall level of artistic endeavour. But not today. Cheers... :cool:
 
Yeah those were the days huh Armistice.
I don't think you offended anyone, just whizzed off that Gizzmo guy who thinks he has a cool avatar.:laughings:



:cool:
 
well everybody has to start somewhere......id just recommend that you make sure you have a decent room before you start to try and record string and tin cans :)
 
Armistice, I'll be gentle with you. The string and cans aren't for recording. They're for *data transfer*! Once you get the mix right with the Neve console, the DPA mics, John Hardy, Avalon, and Pendulum pres, you play it through your Genelecs into can #1. Can #2 is mic'd up with the Shoeps mics straight into the Studer at 30"/sec. Use the highest quality string you can buy. It *does* matter! You have now achieved analog mastering! Don't worry son. You're on the right track. It will all make sense in $30,000 or so.-Richie

P.S.- Lose the beans. Not only can they lead to "bean rumble", but in damper environments, your highs can be muffled by "slime mold effect". Of course, if you actually eat them, some of the resulting sound effects can be interesting.
 
p.s.- lose the beans. Not only can they lead to "bean rumble", but in damper environments, your highs can be muffled by "slime mold effect". Of course, if you actually eat them, some of the resulting sound effects can be interesting.

Mmiiiiiizzzzzppprrrooooonnnsssshhhhaaaaahhhh !!! :eek:























He's right, you know......
 
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