Help me out! Newbie Recording

[Johnbmx26]

Hey,
I've gotten all my recording gear, and I'm a complete newbie. I got Audix Fusion Mics, and I'm using a Yamaha MG12 mixer. I'm recording onto my ibook laptop through the mic input. I'm using garageband, and I've tried many different filters to see if I can make it sound better, but I have no luck.. I've also played around with the mixer alot but still no luck.. First, I'm getting all this noise even when nothings recording. I havn't even setup my tom mics or over heads, I'm just trying to get my bass and snare to sound good first. Everything sounds real muffled. I keep my bass drum mic about 2 inches away from the head, I've also tried taking the resonant head off and recording without it, but I'm having no luck. It's a low, muffled, no attack sound. Sometimes it even sounds like a low tom. My snare sound's better than my bassdrum, but no where near as nice as I want it to be.. Everything almost sounds like its recording off a camcorder or something. Anyone have any ideas or tips? Should I purchase some quality software?

If it wasn't late, I'd make a recording real quick to show you how it sounds.. but I'll probably be able to put one up tommorow.

I also have a recording of a friends drumset that has the sound I'm looking for, if anyone is free to talk to me on AIM and help me a bit, that'd be great.. my screen name is Johnbmx26, I could send you the mp3 too.

Thanks
John

[MichaelM]

The noise might be coming from the stock standard sound card in the ibook, so an upgrade there might be handy. What does the sound coming out of the mixer sound like before it gets to the computer? Plug in some headphones and hear what the computer is getting. If it sounds bad there then you need to mess around with mic placement, eq and make sure your levels are ok. Also, you're not using the ibook's speakers to monitor with are you?

[MichaelM]

I just realised you said you're plugging in the mixer to the MIC input on the ibook. BAD IDEA! You should be plugging into the LINE IN on the ibook. I'm not sure if it has one, I don't have a lot of experience with apple gear.

[Johnbmx26]

heh, Like I said.. I'm a newb.
I'm using this imic.
http://www.macmall.com/macmall/shop/..._id=mwbfroogle

I'm using headphones actually.. not he speakers.
I was wondering, is it supposed to sound different when I listen through the mixer, and when I listen through the ibook?

Also, I've tried a bunch of different mic placements.. But what do you think is the most important? Mic placement? Garageband Filters? the actual drum tuning?

Here's a link to the sound I'm looking to get - DRuM's solo mp3..
http://www.cymbalholic.com/ubbthread...0&page=0#17953

John

[MichaelM]

Mic placement and drum tuning is far more important than ANY garageband filters. You need to upload an mp3 of your sound so we can hear exactly what the problem is.

[TimOBrien]

Before you purchase more "stuff", have you considered getting a book on recording and learning some basic info???

You'll get more done and waste a lot less time and money....

[Supercreep]

keep at it, and keep reading up here at HR. You're on the right track, so don't get discouraged!!

[Bdrum]

Originally Posted by MichaelM

Mic placement and drum tuning is far more important than ANY garageband filters. You need to upload an mp3 of your sound so we can hear exactly what the problem is.

THAT IS A GREAT IDEA

[Johnbmx26]

Here's an mp3 of just my bass, this has no effects or anything, I'm not sure why it sounds like this..
It's not as noisy after I converted it to Itunes, but it still sounds a bit wierd.

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/...20Song%201.aif

[Bdrum]

That Mic doesn't sound right...

[Johnbmx26]

Originally Posted by Bdrum

That Mic doesn't sound right...

It is a CAD bass drum mic. I also have a Audix bass drum/floor tom mic I used, that I get similar results with..

John

[Johnbmx26]

Here's another one that's a bit better, but it just doesnt sound right..

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/...20Song%203.aif

John

[Rickson Gracie]

IMO you need to get a decent USB or firewire interface such as an MBox or even the MAudio stuff. To get a good drum sound u need to get something where u can interface all the mics to each track of your software...that would be the most ideal for a "good" drum sound in my experience. this is why i upgraded to a didgi003 from an mbox.

you would probably get a much better recording with 2 overhead (with decent mics such as the mxl603s) tracks into a 2 channal interface such as the MBox compared to using your current mixer setup with all those cheap mics and cheap pres youre running through.

my 2cents

[Johnbmx26]

Hey,
Just recorded a little thing with my bass drum, snare, and hats.
It was pretty early so I wasn't playing so loud and I was using Vic Firth Rutes..

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/jhnguyen/sbh.mp3

Any suggestions?

John