Need Some Advice On Better Recording Sound...

[timandjes]

My recordings on my Tascam 414-MKII don't sound quite clean & clear enough. There's a lot of low tone. I keep my bass & treble maxed out in my car and all my cd's & the radio sound good that way. However, when I play one of my recordings, I have to back off a good bit on the bass to get a decent sound.

Here's what I'm doing. I'm recording the piano directly with an instrument cable from it's output into a direct box, then from the direct box into track one. I'm recording the guitar @ the same time on track two by micing the amp. After that, I'm recording the drums on track 3 with my 3 pc Nady drum mics & my one overhead Bearinger ECM8000. I record tracks 1 - 3 dry, (no eq) & hot, (occasional peaks on each track's LED). Next, I bounce all three of these tracks onto track 4. (I listen to tracks 1 - 3 on my Alesis monitor one studio monitors and adjust channel faders and eq to a desirable sound before I bounce). Since I only have one Shure SM58, I next record one singer on the now vacant track 1, then the other singer on the now vacant track 2. Then I again listen to the whole thing, adjust channel faders & eq, then mix down.

Still, not a pro sounding recording. Too much low tone. I went back and mixed down again completely dry, (no eq at all except what was set on tracks 1 - 3 & bounced onto track 4), and still... not much better. Then, I re-recorded another song with only two parts; piano direct wired to track 1 & drums miced in to track two. No guitar; no singing. I mixed this down and the result was a little better.... Less of the low frequency but still, there's a big difference in my recordings from what I hear on my CD collection... Can anybody tell me how I can improve this? Is this pretty much what my 4-track is limited to or is this user error on my part?

[detuned6]

i used to have this same problem with the mix down coming out a little bassy. If your useing a mixer for the drums use the low cut switch (if it has one) or try cutting some bass when recording(you can allways add more if needed later) If your mixing in a small room, your not going to hear the lows. You are useing a sm 58 for guitars, trying taking the ball off or moving the mic a inch or two away from the amp to cut down on proximity effect. You could have the singer to close to the mic, are you useing a popper stopper?? stay at least a ft away from the mic.
a 4 track is pretty limited, but there are some techniques to get the best out of them. make sure you clean your machine.

[chessparov]

Do you have access to a good sounding digital 2 track recorder,
or at least a hi-fi VCR? Then you could used the 414 as a mixer,
put your background instrumental/vocal(s) back on two of the 414's
tracks and have two fresh tracks to work with better sound.
Also a foot away from a SM58 is awfully far, 3-6 inches away is usually
the norm (use about 6" myself) for vocals.

[timandjes]

I just have an RCA brand dual cassette recorder that I bought @ Radio Shack for $99. Is that a 2 track recorder? I do have a hi-fi VCR. Could I mix down my 3 tracks, (piano on 1, guitar on 2, & drums on 3) to the VCR, then record it back in on track 1 freeing up the rest of the tracks or what's the best way to do that?

[chessparov]

You "could" put it on one track-if you think that kind of mono sound is o.k.
It's more popular to mix the backing tracks to two track though, and it
should sound better (also giving you the option of stereo).
It is easier for to initially record to 3 tracks (or 4!) on the 414,
then mix down to the hi-fi VCR, then take that and put it on fresh tape
again on 2 tracks of the 414. (should have said that in my first post)
A hi-fi VCR wil blow away a cassette deck in terms of sound quality.
There's info on the home page regarding using a hi-fi VCR as a mix down
deck too. Then you could use the dual cassette deck to pass out demo
tapes, unless you already have a cd burner.

[timandjes]

Thanks chessparov. Forgive my slowness to absorb this... (my brain's sponge may be a little wet) So, after I mix down to the vcr, then I'd line in to the Tascam recorder and record that sound onto two tracks? That would mean the identical sound on two tracks, right?

Also, should I adjust eq to my liking before mixing down to the vcr or send it dry?

Thanks for the good advice..

[chessparov]

Sure thing!
Exactly-after you mix it to the VCR send it to the 414.
If you need to boost any high EQ, do it (ideally) when you first record,
since if you boost later the tape hiss will be accentuated that's on cassette.
The VCR recording, like any other 2 track, won't be TECHNICALLY
the exact same as the source, however, it will be at least "near CD".
In fact many prefer the sound of analog 2 track over digital, myself
included!

P.S. You can get away with waiting till mixing to the VCR on the bass and
mid-range EQ cuts/boosts as they're in a less critical range.
l

[Axe4Yahweh]

Originally posted by timandjes
I just have an RCA brand dual cassette recorder that I bought @ Radio Shack for $99. Is that a 2 track recorder? I do have a hi-fi VCR. Could I mix down my 3 tracks, (piano on 1, guitar on 2, & drums on 3) to the VCR, then record it back in on track 1 freeing up the rest of the tracks or what's the best way to do that?

I have one of those RCA recorders too and it's probably one of the biggest probs. Mine makes my recordings bassy and muddy too. If you have a stereo Graphic EQ, you can back off the bass and low mids a bit when you mix down. If you don't, just back off the lows a couple of notches on the 414 MKII when mixing down. Add a touch of reverb to the overall mix for a little sparkle.

BHS;

CR
Bethel

Bethel MP3's: http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/.../singles.shtml

[Axe4Yahweh]

Hey Ches;

Never thought of using a VCR for recording music! I take it that you would use the Standard (Fastest speed) Mode?

Thanks for the info! Going to give it a try!

BHS;

CR
Bethel

Bethel MP3's: http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/.../singles.shtml

[chessparov]

Anytime guys!