What's limiting YOUR recordings??

What's the weakest link in your recordings?

  • My recording chain (mics, pres, etc)

    Votes: 156 18.4%

  • My monitoring chain (monitors, phones)

    Votes: 66 7.8%

  • My room(s)

    Votes: 258 30.4%

  • My own ability

    Votes: 368 43.4%
  • Total voters
    848
Material. Unfortunately, I need tragedy in my life to write about, or I write nothing. Nobody wants to hear happy boy songs.

However, also unfortunately, I have recently had tragedy visit me (he is an old friend). I sense a double CD coming.
 
At the moment it´s me......
I got some great gear available to me (SSL 4000 G+, Neumann Mics, Protools HD)
so I know that gear isn´t the problem,
but I´m learning every day, and if I listen back to recording of a year ago I laugh,
 
It's mostly ability (as in how you play and what you do with the gear that you have) with room being second. Gear is last, far behind, IMO.
 
A Reel Person said:
Yeah, so true! The drummer I used to play with a lot would "jam" to songs that I know have very specific changes or accents, F/I, Ramones songs. Ramones songs have minimalist drumming and very specific cymbal hits. Anything outside of that sounds wrong in my ears, and technically is wrong. I don't nitpick, but there's a huge difference between Ramones drum tracks and "Deep Purple"-style drumming.
Click to expand...

OK, time for me to brag...I work with a drummer that when he can't remember the parts...tabs them out and tapes them to the wall so he can remember the parts. I work with a drummer that offers tonal ideas to guitar players. I work with a drummer that thinks about how the song sounds 100 feet from the stage, not just in the back 10 feet of the stage.

I love my drummer. Can you tell? LOL.
 
Yeah this is my first time recording actual pop music compostions with electric instruments. My last record was strictly acoustic besides the last track which was mostly played on the organ. My new record's catalyst was the album "Skeletal Lamping" by of Montreal, which changed my perception of music. I started writing songs which were in a way, too hard for me to record. I have very limited equipment and because my only experience was from basic acoustic songs, recording was (and is) still proving cumbersome.

I voted for "My own ability", but I think my equipment has something to do with it as well (of course)
 
I wanted to check more then 1 option. My rooms are one factor and my mixer would be the next. Right now I have an 8 channel Fostex 450. I have heard the Mackie 1604 with expander is a good mixer for the money so when I have an extra 350+ I might buy one.
 
I'll chime in again...I don't remember what I posted before but it probably had something to do with time...so, I vote that time is the thing holding me back. I can't find the time...I'm tired too much of the time...when I have free time, I'm too tired to make use of the time and end up sitting around...when I really feel in the mood, I look at the time and it's 1:30am and I don't have much time before I have to go to work, at which if I'm not on time, I'll be doing myself a disservice.

Next one would be my environment...I live in a hotel room....that reaaaaally sucks
 
Monkey Allen said:
I'll chime in again...I don't remember what I posted before but it probably had something to do with time...so, I vote that time is the thing holding me back. I can't find the time...I'm tired too much of the time...when I have free time, I'm too tired to make use of the time and end up sitting around...when I really feel in the mood, I look at the time and it's 1:30am and I don't have much time before I have to go to work, at which if I'm not on time, I'll be doing myself a disservice.
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Break out the cowbell, boys, here come the Chambers Brothers! ;) :D

G.
 
I personally would love to have a couple great rooms to record in but unfortunately at this time I only have ehh ok rooms. Although I don't think my stuff is turning out bad I know it could be a whole lot better.

on this page there is a song that was done in one room at different times and all.
http://www.myspace.com/rrmusicroom
 
BentRabbit said:
My biggest thorn working on a 12 song CD has been poor quality monitors... Too much time spent tweaking on a song to sound great in the control room only to find it was grossly represented when ported to the 'test systems' (car, boom box, living room stereo, etc.)

Saving my paper route money to make sure this doesn't happen next time... :(
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I am a complete beginner, but i have read from some pretty talented guys that sometimes using crappy speakers as mixing monitors gives a great final result, i'm thinking that budget monitors may give a hugely bad representation of what the music is actually sounding like, and using regular speakers might be a better choice until one can actually afford really great monitors who's mixes will sound equally good no matter what the mix is played through.
 
xdannyx_ said:
I am a complete beginner, but i have read from some pretty talented guys that sometimes using crappy speakers as mixing monitors gives a great final result, i'm thinking that budget monitors may give a hugely bad representation of what the music is actually sounding like, and using regular speakers might be a better choice until one can actually afford really great monitors who's mixes will sound equally good no matter what the mix is played through.
Click to expand...

If you're going to use crappy speakers to mix on (I personally wouldn't
recommend it), you'd want to know exactly how they sound. Also, using a
reference track that you know and love (not just with crappy speakers, but
with any new monitors you work on) can work wonders. Try and match it as
close as you can and you'll have a better chance of making a better final
product.

My 2 cents :D
 
Whats Limiting my recordings?...2 dbx 160s ...lol.

Id have to say space...I wish I had a much bigger room...I record a few people in the Philarmonic and Id love to be able to have the contract to do the entire orchestra.
 
I would say the rooms my self.

But if I am alone the living room is great !

Just seems right.

Do want to set up rooms as studios.

The rest is good and has no issues.
 
I'd definitely say my room, but my monitoring chain is a close second. Someday I'll have an adequate setup... Someday...
 
I have been improving this studio while my quality has been sinking, some of the best recording I did was in a free version of cubase or was it cubasic with a old caseguitar and a mic, I guess I have to point at "me" as well.. in lack of better pointers.. God/love has always been a inspirationsource for me.

Sry about my poor english.
 
I just finished getting software and gear connected and configured for my little studio room. It's not as impressive as a lot of stuff I've seen posted here, but I have everything I need to record for myself. The limiting factor is definitely me at this point. I'm only just learning the ins and outs of my DAW software, let alone my gear's interaction. On top of that, I have only really played bass in bands, not been the primary writer / composer. My vocal and guitar playing skills will need a lot of work, but that's simply time and patience going into the practice. I'm thinking some vocal lessons are going to be in order soon. But it's all going to be fun, which is the whole point of recording for me!
 
The ONLY thing I ever find limiting is trying to record talentless noisewankers who think they know everything because they read it on the 'net.

The opposite of this is enthusiastic willing to learn noise shapers looking to continue their educations in noise capture in person.
 
No question what's limiting my recordings is the lack of good paying clients because the economy is broken.
Corruption is, unfortunately, winning.
 
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