A few questions about a home studio setup

[wjbell]

Well, more than a few actually...

I have a home recording setup that I record mostly vocals and acoustic guitar. I also have a Motif ES8 that I use sometimes. What I have is an AKG Perception 120 condenser mic going into a Behringer xenyx 1002FX mixer and I have an Alesis Quadraverb looped though the mixer for reverb. All that is connected to the computer with a Behringer u-control uca202 USB interface. Then I record either to sony vegas for videos or Adobe Audition for sound only.

My problem is that my setup doesn't sound professional at all. I know I'm working with entry-level equipment, but I think it should sound better, cleaner and more full than it does.

So here's a video I did so you can hear the sound I'm talking about. I am an amateur, so I already know I shouldn't quit my day job

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddkLqZ1U2Gk

And here's an example of a video of the sound I'm after, particularly the vocals. He's using a Quadraverb for reverb also, but mine sounds nothing like that. His has a nice echo without overdoing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlprYzR83XU&feature=channel_page

So anyway, I need any advice I can get for making a cleaner, more professional sounding recording. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Dogbreath]

First thing I thought of was..

Are you using the stock sound card in yer pooter?

 

[PoorBoyRecordings]

I think you did a fantastic job. Even though I am a newbie at recording, but sounded ok to me with just a bit of work.

 

[wjbell]

First thing I thought of was..

Are you using the stock sound card in yer pooter?

No I have a berhringer uca202 USB audio interface that is the recording device. I only use my SBlive for playback.

 

[Dogbreath]

ahh...sorry dude.

I don't know diddly about computer recording....lets hope someone smart can chime in for ya.

And since I'm at work, I can't listen either.

So basically, I'm no help whatsoever.





oh look! over there!

 

[mjbphotos]

Maybe too much reverb on the vocal - the guitar sounds good, but it also sounds like someone has dubbed in the vocals from 'another county'. Never judge sound from am MP4 or other video format, unless it is dubbed/converted professionally (certainly not from Youtube quality!)

 

[RawDepth]

Well, for one thing, you are using a $99 mic and a $9 mic preamp (built into the mixer,) and expecting high end results from them. Nevertheless, you can make improvements with what you have.

First, your room may need to be treated for acoustics. Or at least try several different rooms. One just may sound way better than the others.

Next, your mic may need to be moved up more toward your mouth to get a stronger vocal sound. You do need to find a proper balance between vox and guitar. Adjust it to your taste.

Next, you can tweak the tone controls on the mixer to brighten up your sound. The high frequency "breathe noise" sounds good on vocals. But be careful with the background "hiss" generated by the mixer channel.

Next, the track in the other video has been heavily compressed to fatten it up. (I can tell by the guitar sound pumping up louder between lyric lines) This is a trick that takes some learning to get good results. But it can really fill out the sound to make it sound bigger than life. Besides a better mic and preamp being used, that is probably the most major difference.

Like the others said, for an amateur, it ain't half bad. I've recorded with both Vegas and Audition. There is nothing wrong with either of them. Both good programs. They record exactly what they hear.

 

[jmcelroy]

I liked that quite a bit, actually. You write well. I think you could tighten up the performance a bit and follow the recording techniques suggested by those with more experience than myself and you'll be doing quite well.

Also, I really didn't like that delay in the second link you posted (the target). It was extremely distracting for me. It seemed like the guitar was all the way to the right and the voice was cranked to the right with a delayed copy coming in the left. Personally, I wouldn't duplicate that if I were you.

 

[wjbell]

Well, for one thing, you are using a $99 mic and a $9 mic preamp (built into the mixer,) and expecting high end results from them. Nevertheless, you can make improvements with what you have.

First, your room may need to be treated for acoustics. Or at least try several different rooms. One just may sound way better than the others.

Next, your mic may need to be moved up more toward your mouth to get a stronger vocal sound. You do need to find a proper balance between vox and guitar. Adjust it to your taste.

Next, you can tweak the tone controls on the mixer to brighten up your sound. The high frequency "breathe noise" sounds good on vocals. But be careful with the background "hiss" generated by the mixer channel.

Next, the track in the other video has been heavily compressed to fatten it up. (I can tell by the guitar sound pumping up louder between lyric lines) This is a trick that takes some learning to get good results. But it can really fill out the sound to make it sound bigger than life. Besides a better mic and preamp being used, that is probably the most major difference.

Like the others said, for an amateur, it ain't half bad. I've recorded with both Vegas and Audition. There is nothing wrong with either of them. Both good programs. They record exactly what they hear.

Thank you! and thank to others for any input! Really appreciated.

Good ear on the compression. Do you think this is software compression, like VST plugins, or a hardware thing? So does compression fatten the sound? Is this a good thing? Now that you mentioned it, I can hear the volume raising and lowering on the guitar as he sings. Probably overdone compression?

And other points taken. So lean toward highs on EQ when recording vocals? And what's needed to set up a room for a good acoustic environment?

Thanks!

 

[wjbell]

I liked that quite a bit, actually. You write well. I think you could tighten up the performance a bit and follow the recording techniques suggested by those with more experience than myself and you'll be doing quite well.

Also, I really didn't like that delay in the second link you posted (the target). It was extremely distracting for me. It seemed like the guitar was all the way to the right and the voice was cranked to the right with a delayed copy coming in the left. Personally, I wouldn't duplicate that if I were you.

Wow, I never noticed that. You're right. It's like the main sound is to the right with echos on the left channel.

 

[wjbell]

Maybe too much reverb on the vocal - the guitar sounds good, but it also sounds like someone has dubbed in the vocals from 'another county'. Never judge sound from am MP4 or other video format, unless it is dubbed/converted professionally (certainly not from Youtube quality!)

Thanks for replying. Did you mean on the first video (mine) or the second link? 'Another county' meaning too far away sounding?

 

[Pony!]

I'm also quite new at this whole recording thing, but your link sounded lightyears better than the second one you placed that you would like to sound like. The second link was way over-compressed. It was actually hard for my ears to adjust to it...

What you're probably looking for a is a decent compressor. People on here might tell you different but I've got a phonic tube compressor and it's pretty damn nice for the price I payed for it.

Hooray for ebay.

 

[mjbphotos]

I meant on your video - because of the heavy reverb the vocals sounded far away.

Thanks for replying. Did you mean on the first video (mine) or the second link? 'Another county' meaning too far away sounding?

 

[RawDepth]

...Do you think this is software compression, like VST plugins, or a hardware thing?...

I have no way of telling that. They both do a good job of compressing if used correctly.

...So lean toward highs on EQ when recording vocals?...

You shouldn't need to do any EQing on tracking. With good technique it should sound good from the start. If it doesn't, then research, experiment, and learn. I only mentioned it because your recording sounded somewhat dull or lacking that brightness or "air" as we call it.

...So does compression fatten the sound? Is this a good thing?...

Yes, it can but it is also easy to overdo it.

I made an audio file for you to compare compressed to uncompressed. Click Here To Download
It is a short excerpt of a vocal track I recorded recently. It has about 20 seconds of raw unedited audio. Then the next 20 seconds is a duplicate copy of the first 20 seconds but with compression applied. No other changes were made. No EQ or effects, only compression at about 4 to 1.

I've also included a screen shot of the waveform for this audio clip. As you can see, both before and after are roughly the same volume. The compression lowers the volume of the highest peaks then pushes the overall volume up to make up for the loss. The result is that the quieter parts sound bigger. It fattens up or exaggerates the nuances of each syllable. It seems to make the voice more legible and more in your face without really being any louder. (Sometimes deessing is needed too depending on the voice.)

The compressed version sounds far better when blended into the mix at a comfortable level.

As you can see, this also ruins or levels out the dynamics of the track. Everything is the same volume. To make up for that I manually correct the volume of the vocal track to accommodate the song. I lower it slightly during verses and raise it more for choruses or places where the music builds. This gives the vocal track both life and dynamics.

You may want to consider recording your voice separate from your guitar for this tweak.

Hope this helps.

 

[wjbell]

Thank you. Are you using a software or hardware compressor for this clip? I guess you put 4 to 1 in the ratio but there are so many other settings.

These are the software compressors I have access to. Can anyone tell me which one is the best to use and give me some general guidance on where to start with a good balance to fatten up or warm up the sound?

I made an audio file for you to compare compressed to uncompressed. Click Here To Download
It is a short excerpt of a vocal track I recorded recently. It has about 20 seconds of raw unedited audio. Then the next 20 seconds is a duplicate copy of the first 20 seconds but with compression applied. No other changes were made. No EQ or effects, only compression at about 4 to 1.

I've also included a screen shot of the waveform for this audio clip. As you can see, both before and after are roughly the same volume. The compression lowers the volume of the highest peaks then pushes the overall volume up to make up for the loss. The result is that the quieter parts sound bigger. It fattens up or exaggerates the nuances of each syllable. It seems to make the voice more legible and more in your face without really being any louder. (Sometimes deessing is needed too depending on the voice.)

The compressed version sounds far better when blended into the mix at a comfortable level.

As you can see, this also ruins or levels out the dynamics of the track. Everything is the same volume. To make up for that I manually correct the volume of the vocal track to accommodate the song. I lower it slightly during verses and raise it more for choruses or places where the music builds. This gives the vocal track both life and dynamics.

You may want to consider recording your voice separate from your guitar for this tweak.

Hope this helps.

 

[RawDepth]

I used a software VST plug that came built in with Adobe Audition ver 2.

I found it under Effects/Amplitude/Dynamics Processing. Then I loaded the factory preset called Classic Soft Knee. The only setting I adjusted was the Output Gain. I bumped it up to about 3.5 db. Sometimes I adjust other things to taste but I always give the preset a listen first.

For those who don't have Audition the basic settings are...

Threshold: -10 db
Ratio: 5 to 1
(to soften the contour or "knee" also use...2.5 below -20, 1.5 below -24, 1.2 below -40)
Attack: 10 ms
Release: 250ms
Output or Makeup Gain: +3.5 db

All of these can vary greatly depending on the track. This one just worked for me that day.

 

[Mike_J]

Loved it. The solo could have been a bit "brighter" with a little less reverb. You did a great vocal on it.
My fave GC song. Saw him live in London double billed with Johnny Cash. Excellent performer and great guitar player.