Need Homestudio quality tips / help

E

EternusMorbus

New member
Hey ! I'm very new to this site, but it looks like a great site for me.

I need some help to get better quality on my homestudio.

I have a "zoom HD16 harddisk recorder", which I use to record everything on. But I don't think the quality is that good. It sounds good when I play it on the harddisk recorder, but when i master the tracks and finalize it, the quality reduces alot. I do not record anything on the computer, simply because the HD16 only is able to connect with a MAC, and I dont have that much money.

This is how i plug in my stuff, when recording:
Guitar - Amphead - HD16
Bass - HD16
Drums - AKG C2000B /SA61 studiomicrophone - HD16
Vocals - AKG C2000B /SA61 studiomicrophone - HD16
Synth - HD16

Anyways. Should I sell it, and buy a soundcard, and a program for the computer ? How does a soundcard work? I'm quiet stuck and confused. I by the way have a good and fast computer (vista).

What more than a soundcard + program + instruments + microphone do I need? I need some basic easy instructions.

Thanks for the attention !

Mads. :)
 
It is my understanding that the HD16 has a usb interface. It should connect to any computer, not just a mac.

Amanda
 
hmm......

EternusMorbus said:
...

I have a "zoom HD16 harddisk recorder", which I use to record everything on. But I don't think the quality is that good. It sounds good when I play it on the harddisk recorder, but when i master the tracks and finalize it, the quality reduces alot....
...

Anyways. Should I sell it, and buy a soundcard, and a program for the computer ? How does a soundcard work? I'm quiet stuck and confused. I by the way have a good and fast computer (vista).

What more than a soundcard + program + instruments + microphone do I need? I need some basic easy instructions.

Thanks for the attention !

Mads. :)
Click to expand...

if it sounds good on hd16 and bad after you master it on the pc then either the hd playback is poor and hides problems or you are messing it up with your mastering efforts

if you are mastering on the hd then that thing is the problem
plus doing it on a pc would be so much easier

can you afford to sell it ??
you really need an external audio interface not an internal sound card if you want quality

doesnt the hd16 attach to a pc via usb and act like an audio interface ? i would not do that though. better to record to a flash memory card (or the cd for this device) and then drag and drop the file into the pc

sound card takes analog mike input amplifies it converts to digital and ships to pc software over the usb bus

you need a mike, cable, audio interface, software that comes with the interface, perhaps additional software could be freeware like audacity for editing, storage, cd burner.
 
Yes, I do master it directly on the HD16, nothing is attached with the computer.
My bad - the hd16 is able to be attached with any computer, not only mac. But I don't have a cable at the moment, but I'm sure its possible to get it somewhere.

I do have a program called "Cubase LE" which came with the HD16 when I bought it. Great program I think.

I don't know if the HD16 act like an audio interface. (?)

Okey, so let's say I get the cable, and connect the HD16 to the computer, and then use the Cubase LE program, that will make it easier, but the quality probably wont get much better? I'm I right? So is it in this case I will need a external audio interface, and In that case, how does it work?

Thanks for your help !

Mads.
 
continuing

EternusMorbus said:
Yes, I do master it directly on the HD16, nothing is attached with the computer.
My bad - the hd16 is able to be attached with any computer, not only mac. But I don't have a cable at the moment, but I'm sure its possible to get it somewhere.

I do have a program called "Cubase LE" which came with the HD16 when I bought it. Great program I think.

I don't know if the HD16 act like an audio interface. (?)

Okey, so let's say I get the cable, and connect the HD16 to the computer, and then use the Cubase LE program, that will make it easier, but the quality probably wont get much better? I'm I right? So is it in this case I will need a external audio interface, and In that case, how does it work?

Thanks for your help !

Mads.
Click to expand...

cubase le will be a good starter program
you can buy more software later when you know what you need and WHY you need it.

easier for sure, and i think you may find the quality better too.
at least easier to undo and start over than when you do it all on the hd16.

i do not think you need an external audio interface
but it would be better easier faster and not more expensive

if i had a pc i would get the interface and not a stand alone
unless you need to record in the field.

are you in a band that plays in somebody elses garage then portability makes the hd16 a good choice. fixed at home and not moving then it is not the approach that i would consider.
 
Alright, thank you very much for the help. I'm not that stuck anymore :) Appreciate it !

Mads.


newcomputeruser said:
cubase le will be a good starter program
you can buy more software later when you know what you need and WHY you need it.

easier for sure, and i think you may find the quality better too.
at least easier to undo and start over than when you do it all on the hd16.

i do not think you need an external audio interface
but it would be better easier faster and not more expensive

if i had a pc i would get the interface and not a stand alone
unless you need to record in the field.

are you in a band that plays in somebody elses garage then portability makes the hd16 a good choice. fixed at home and not moving then it is not the approach that i would consider.
Click to expand...
 
the problem with ZOOM

I have used Zoom stuff for years. Particularly the PS04 just for its mic and effects. They have great effects, but a lot of their preset effects settings are a little too extreme. Especially the 'mastering' effects settings. I tried using many of their presets just seeing what would brighten or clear it up, but most of the time they seemed to kind of "over-master" my mix and what you get in the end is kind of messed by the "mastering" effect processing. If your problem is similar to that, try tweaking the parameters down a bit on the algorithm so it doesn't overdo it quite so much when you master.

I think your HD16 is a gem for its price. I have looked into them before and messed around with one a couple of times and if anything, you might want to hang onto it just for the 8 inputs, drum machine, sampler, and USB... then use your cubase LE if that works out better for you. Personally I would hang onto it if I had one, and just realize that ZOOM is a lower-end company that sometimes you have to tweak around with in order to get what you want out of it. It is perfectly capable of recording a nice pure digital signal and transferring a .WAV over to a computer, or converting it to MP3. It's the "mastering" effect setting that is getting you down probably.
 
Thanks man, I will try that. You are probably right, the thing thats getting me down is the mastering setting. Sadly I don't know much about mastering either. I have tried a lot of the mastering effects, and they all make different sounds (ofcourse), but I think the quality always are quiet low. And another thing, the volume is quiet low compared to other songs too. Probably because of the same reason.
I've heard some samples done by the zoom HD16, so I know it can produce more than I can, no doubt about that.

Thanks for your time, appreciated.

Mads.

AbuseTheMuses said:
I have used Zoom stuff for years. Particularly the PS04 just for its mic and effects. They have great effects, but a lot of their preset effects settings are a little too extreme. Especially the 'mastering' effects settings. I tried using many of their presets just seeing what would brighten or clear it up, but most of the time they seemed to kind of "over-master" my mix and what you get in the end is kind of messed by the "mastering" effect processing. If your problem is similar to that, try tweaking the parameters down a bit on the algorithm so it doesn't overdo it quite so much when you master.

I think your HD16 is a gem for its price. I have looked into them before and messed around with one a couple of times and if anything, you might want to hang onto it just for the 8 inputs, drum machine, sampler, and USB... then use your cubase LE if that works out better for you. Personally I would hang onto it if I had one, and just realize that ZOOM is a lower-end company that sometimes you have to tweak around with in order to get what you want out of it. It is perfectly capable of recording a nice pure digital signal and transferring a .WAV over to a computer, or converting it to MP3. It's the "mastering" effect setting that is getting you down probably.
Click to expand...
 
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