help with my studio

  • Thread starter Thread starter JeffMAC
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JeffMAC

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see i have a CAD gxl2200 mic, i also have a MXL 990 mic, a m-audio audio buddy pre amp, a RNC1773 compressor. I do vocals for rap music and ive been trying to figure out what else i would need to make my vocals sound that much better. If any one could give me some advice that would be sweet i know my gear aint top of the line so dont say it i just need to know what else would be useful to me i cant seem to come across any answers
 
JeffMAC

The question "how do I make X sound better" is very common here in the Newbie forum.

To give advice that's meaningful, people will need to know what X sounds like now, or what you perceive the problems with X to be.

So if you can post a link to some of your stuff, great. If not, perhaps try describing what it is about your sound that's bugging you.

A lot of the time the answer isn't in buying something else that will magically improve your sound, it's in learning how to more effectively use what you have. There's a whole lot more to this gig than just having good gear.

I think your gear is fine, but what is the problem you're trying to fix?

It's the witch, not the wand, as they say...
 
i see...... well i want that pro plastic sound you know what i mean? and i just sound less then pro we'll say. you can hear me at www.reverbnation.com/jeffmac my lyrics may be a lil offensive so CAUTION!!! i just feel like my vocals could be so much more i just dont know how. I used cool edit pro 2 to make the music that you hear on the link. i also got pro tools but it dont work right on my pc prolly because i need a better sound card or something but i cant fit 1 in my pc cause its the dell demesion 4700c, http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/dell-dimension-4700c-pentium/4505-3118_7-31200980.html, it has 1 gig ram 300 gig hard drive and a pentium 4 ht processer if theres a way to hook a sound card up or make my m-audio fast track that came with pro tools work right id love to hear it
 
I agree with Armistice, but you could audition some higher end mics. I have a Neumann TLM 103 that makes the vocals so much more expansive and detailed compared to my AT4033's or AKG 414's. Pretty amazing difference.
 
if i had 2 grand id get a mic like that. is that why my vocals sound less then perfect or is it because of my self taught mixing?
 
JeffMAC said:
if i had 2 grand id get a mic like that. is that why my vocals sound less then perfect or is it because of my self taught mixing?
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I think that they are new about 900, and Ive seen them used at about 700. That aside, vocal and mixing technique can be major issues. My voice is so weak and terrible that I track it 4 times and blend it all together to get a result I can stand to listen to!
 
do you record in mono or stereo? Is mono the right way to record? Ive only recorded stereo. i dont know how to make a mono recording sound the best
 
both ways, depending on how busy the track is. The more elements there are, the less stereo tracking I do, just to accomodate input and track availability.
 
next step

JeffMAC said:
see i have a CAD gxl2200 mic, i also have a MXL 990 mic, a m-audio audio buddy pre amp, a RNC1773 compressor. I do vocals for rap music and ive been trying to figure out what else i would need to make my vocals sound that much better. If any one could give me some advice that would be sweet i know my gear aint top of the line so dont say it i just need to know what else would be useful to me i cant seem to come across any answers
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your gear is good enough for you for now
next step is to improve your performance
and also to improve your miking mixing mastering techniques
i would say read some of the many books on home recording ,
recording vocals , mixing, mastering, mike technique, how to improve your room/studio, etc.
 
thanks everyone i do music pretty much all by myself im the most music incline person in my area so when i get stuck i have no one to ask thanks i appreciate it
 
If a Neumann microphone is to expensive for ya try a Shure SM7b or a MXL V67g both great vocal microphones that won't break the bank.



:cool:
 
you can buy external sound cards that work through USB ports.

Im currently using the "Tascam US-114" on my laptop, works fine with cubase so it should be fine with pro tools. There is an newer model though.
 
Record your vocals in MONO, not stereo. It's a mono source. If you want "stereo" vocals, then record a second track and pan to taste. But recording a vocal track in stereo is just wasting a track.
 
total bull

Atom Bomb said:
yea right.........., thumbs down.

Jeff....
Don't take advice from someone who can't take their own...


Lame.
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i ahve read plenty of books
most are superficial
the rest of them go off on tangents with topics that i dont care about
none of them focuses on building the pc and software to get it working together
 
RAMI said:
Record your vocals in MONO, not stereo. It's a mono source. If you want "stereo" vocals, then record a second track and pan to taste. But recording a vocal track in stereo is just wasting a track.
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I disagree. In certain situations stereo tracking of voices and/or instruments gives a sense of space that sounds better to my ears than tracking in mono. Particularly on uncluttered tracks where the voices and instruments are more 'exposed'. Personal preference.
 
clivus said:
I disagree. In certain situations stereo tracking of voices and/or instruments gives a sense of space that sounds better to my ears than tracking in mono. Particularly on uncluttered tracks where the voices and instruments are more 'exposed'. Personal preference.
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Sorry, it's not personal preference, it's pure fact. Recording a single mono voice with one mic onto a stereo track does nothing but waste an extra track. You don't turn a mono source into a stereo result simply by recording it onto a stereo track. Fact.
 
Jeff, you should try a variety of mic's, including dynamics like the SM57 and, as someone already mentioned (or was that another thread?), the slightly more $ SM7. Some vocalists sound great with one mic, not great with another. And study mic technique. Google it. Big deal for any vocalist.

Re stereo/mono mic'ing, only reason I see for stereo mic'ing is if it's a type of music where the singer-room combination is important to the basic sound, as in classical and some folk music. Most home recordists don't have rooms with good enough acoustics for it though.
 
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