I am just getting around to using my new hard disc recorder and Mackie board and I've noticed my Sm57s sound different with digital, no umph, very thin sounding, especially when recording an amplified guitar. I used to have half inch analog machine and even tho a 57 did change the sound a bit with analog, it was a recognizable change. ie a sax sounded like a rock n roll sax when recorded with a 57. I'm almost tempted to use a condensor mic to record an amp now. Anyone?
Hard Disc and dynamic mics
- Thread starter Apple
- Start date
malcolm123
New member
Apple said:
What Bit rate are you recording at?
Also how much different is the sound from just monitoring your mix to playingback the actual recording?
Malcolm
It's an Alesis HD 24. 24 bit. Sounds fine thru the monitors before recording.
eeldip
New member
hurm. maybe you are used to hitting tape really hard? maybe it sounds fine over the monitors cause you are hearing a little bit of low end from the tracking room?
if anything, i think digital recording brings out the benefits of a dynamic mic (smooth top end... for example).
in general you are going to really have to work harder than before to get electric guitar sounds (as well as snare). there is something 1/2" tape that loves electric guitar and snare...
if anything, i think digital recording brings out the benefits of a dynamic mic (smooth top end... for example).
in general you are going to really have to work harder than before to get electric guitar sounds (as well as snare). there is something 1/2" tape that loves electric guitar and snare...
I had a TSR-8, half inch tape. I did hit the levels pretty hard but I know not to with digital. I'm just barely hitting the warning zone. Tried different angles, made a tent with a moving blanket. tried different guitars. I've recorded this amp over and over routinely with an SM 57. Hard to mess that up. I record without eq. I'm not totally well versed with my board yet. Maybe that's what I'm doing wrong. It almost sounds like I eq'd while recording, severely. I've had no problems recording acoustic instruments and vocals.with the condensors. Other than I do think analog sounds better. Especially with my voice.
TexRoadkill
Audio Bum
What board were you using with the 8track? The different preamps may be the real issue.
eeldip
New member
i switch between the two worlds- i have a teac 1/2" 8 track, and a DAW setup.
you have to work in totally different ways with the different mediums. personally, if i am recording a "rock" band, i always go for the 8 track. it just sounds more "rock" right away. plus limiting a band to 8 tracks and minimal overdubs makes the recording better as well.
anyway, i have tried to replicate the sound in cubase, and it really is an uphill battle (and ultimately you lose). a lot of the work is in compression. i have an old copy of waves and i use the ren compressor on an awful lot of stuff. i find that helps. and i always jam everything through magneto at the end....
also it helps to do just a hair of processing in the analog world before going digital. some mild compression, some mild eqing... i mean, real mild stuff. just some shelving on the eq, mabye a little dip around 500hz, and like 1:2 compression. i feel like this makes all the tracks glue together better. (trick here is to get a really good compressor).
maybe sometime in the future, when i am better at recording i will be able to get a rock band to sound right on the computer... but it is too hard for me...
oh, also pres are much more important in the digital world. you might want to look for some pres with an agressive input transformer.
you have to work in totally different ways with the different mediums. personally, if i am recording a "rock" band, i always go for the 8 track. it just sounds more "rock" right away. plus limiting a band to 8 tracks and minimal overdubs makes the recording better as well.
anyway, i have tried to replicate the sound in cubase, and it really is an uphill battle (and ultimately you lose). a lot of the work is in compression. i have an old copy of waves and i use the ren compressor on an awful lot of stuff. i find that helps. and i always jam everything through magneto at the end....
also it helps to do just a hair of processing in the analog world before going digital. some mild compression, some mild eqing... i mean, real mild stuff. just some shelving on the eq, mabye a little dip around 500hz, and like 1:2 compression. i feel like this makes all the tracks glue together better. (trick here is to get a really good compressor).
maybe sometime in the future, when i am better at recording i will be able to get a rock band to sound right on the computer... but it is too hard for me...
oh, also pres are much more important in the digital world. you might want to look for some pres with an agressive input transformer.
I didn't know any better. I do use the buss outputs. My former board was a Tascam 2516. the post from the user of the HD24 leads me to believe I am doing something wrong, it's not the difference between digital and analog. Maybe I just need to relook at what I'm doing. Any more suggestions. I've tried two diferent compressors and with out compression.
I'm just a musician trying to be a better engineer
I started the thread about recording amps, with dynamic mics and the HD-24. About how I was having a problem recording a good sound and wondering if it was the equipments fault. Actully, since then, I've been traveling-I travel a lot in my work- and I haven't done any recording. But the answer came to me while I was on a plane. Normally, I sit my amp on top on top of a padded bar stool. Well off the concrete floor. I forgot to do that when I was recording before. I go for weeks without using my equipment, so I forget things. Like what button to push, or that there even is a button. I'm just a musician trying to be a better engineer.
I started the thread about recording amps, with dynamic mics and the HD-24. About how I was having a problem recording a good sound and wondering if it was the equipments fault. Actully, since then, I've been traveling-I travel a lot in my work- and I haven't done any recording. But the answer came to me while I was on a plane. Normally, I sit my amp on top on top of a padded bar stool. Well off the concrete floor. I forgot to do that when I was recording before. I go for weeks without using my equipment, so I forget things. Like what button to push, or that there even is a button. I'm just a musician trying to be a better engineer.
