Recording quality

[chuy67]

Hello I am new to this forum and site, so please excuse if this is posted in the wrong place. My question for you all today is the sound of my recording. To let this be more precise, I will list my equipment being used during my last recording below. First I would like to state the guitar recording. Yesterday I recorded a 12 string guitar and used a CO1 Studio Condense microphone made by Samson. I placed the microphone directly in front of my wall(a normal thick sheet rock wall) and recorded my guitar at the 12 fret pointed directly to it. I then took the line from the microphone and plugged it into my Tascam DP02CF 8-Track Compact Flash Digital Recorder. The sound I got from the guitar was fine, but how could I get a better sound. Also I did the same with the lead guitar(same mic placement and guitar and mic.) But this time, the lead guitar did not match the rhythm guitar at all and the lead guitar sounded very twangy and not full. How could I get a better sound with the equipment I have? I also have an SM58 dynamic microphone.

My next question is vocals. The vocals where recorded in a closet with the CO1 condenser microphone once again being plugged into the Tascam DP02CF 8-Track Compact Flash Digital Recorder. The outcome of the vocal sound was once again not full. As asked before, what could I do to achieve a fuller sound?

Thank you so much for you time. Any help would delight me.


Equipment
.Samson C01 Large Diaphragm Studio Condenser Microphone
.Shure SM58 Dynamic Handheld Microphone
.Tascam DP02CF 8-Track Compact Flash Digital Recorder

 

[mjbphotos]

Experiment with using both mics at once. Move the mics around. That recorder has limited sound modification ability - a 2 band EQ, no reverb that I can see - you probably need to send the signal to a computer with software such as Reaper to be able to adjust the EQ better, add reverb, etc. (Or use an outboard f/x rack, as the recorder has f/x in/out capabilities)

 

[chuy67]

Experiment with using both mics at once. Move the mics around. That recorder has limited sound modification ability - a 2 band EQ, no reverb that I can see - you probably need to send the signal to a computer with software such as Reaper to be able to adjust the EQ better, add reverb, etc. (Or use an outboard f/x rack, as the recorder has f/x in/out capabilities)

Would me not using a preamp have anything to do with it?

Any further tips would be appreciated.

 

[RAMI]

Recording in a closet is possibly the worst thing you can do to your vocals. Is there a reason you feel you need to do this?

 

[ido1957]

I considered that Tascam when looking for a mixer recently. It seems like a good unit for the bucks.

The SM58 mics will get the job done and if you work on it the mix can sound pretty decent. The Samson will probably need some help as it is a fairly inexpensive (i,e, quality) mic.

At some point you're going to need to compress/eq/reverb the instruments/vocals in a mix. Lots of free options for DAW/plugins like Reaper/Audacity.

What are you using now for software? I use Sonar 6PE and it has all the plugins I need. I also use an SM57 on my amp (same as your 58) and a Rode NTK for vocals (which I really like). A better condensor will IMHO make a world of difference.
Then a good pre... but it gets pretty expensive....

 

[Todzilla]

There are so many variables to getting a good recording, my best advice would be to experiment, experiment, experiment. Then, when you're done... experiment some more.

 

[cavedog101]

I too am wondering what the recent rush to recording in a closet is all about.....Is there some book out there that says this would be an excellent replacement for a vocal booth? Or is this some sort of worldwide craze much like pet rocks or mood rings.....

So I'll break my statements about there being NO 'rules' and give one......Sound needs 'space' in order to travel around and develop its content. Low sounds require more room than high sounds. To control these sounds, we attempt to lessen the effects of first reflection and the first order harmonics associated with them. These arent, of themselves, particularly 'bad', but in a recording with a sensitive mic, they come back to the capsule at a different time and with slightly skewed structure than the original signal, and since the mic cant differentiate these reflections (like our brains can) they just ampify them like we ask them too.

Mush is what you get. Blurring and crap you simply cannot 'fix-in-the-mix'. Well, you can, but the results arent very inspiring......

But recording in a little cramped space wth the smell of mothballs or old laundry, complete with parallel and 90 degree adjacent walls, ESPECIALLY walls that, even treated, are too close together to really let the sound live, cant be good. If you want to use a closet, then take the doors off and make a cubbyhole with an open front to it. Treat it above and one side at least, but let it have an open end for the sound to have room to 'breathe'.

"But, Cave," you say "I need to keep the volume down in the rest of the house!" (or maybe keep the REST of the house noise out of the mic area....

Okay. We learn the parameters of our mics polar response and place it in such a way as to put the source of noise in the null and we build portable gobos to keep the sound in our area. Gobo's work well because theres space around the singing area plus you can move them to affect the area you're singing in and create space that will enhance and not kill your sound. Suddenly, your cheap condenser sounds like a better mic because its not being asked to do something it cannot.