Ableton LIve 5 / Line 6 Tone Port UX2 NEWBIE!!

[yorksrvc]

This is my first post. I've always been the kind of guy that likes to try to figure things out. I've been having a great time, but the fun just took a step towards...seriously having fun. I played in bands from 66-78, then sold everything I owned and tried not to look back. At 55 now.....I've got some time and through technology and inspiration from a few internet friends, I went out and bought some stuff to record my own music. I'm only in it for the hobby and fun, but I want to do better. I've been doing some reading and trying to get an understanding of sound, frequencies, EQ, Compression and on...... I have one MAJOR problem, that from playing all that rock music in the early days, I am partially deaf on the high end and bass, at times, seems a little muddy. So, anyway, I have a few basic questions and if I could get help..........it would be MUCH APPRECIATED. I'm trying to pick back up on guitar and bass, I fake keyboards by knowing a few chords and I've tried finger drumming and some midi-programming. The music I've done shows I'm stuck in the 70's, but I'm ok with that. I have 4 songs at www.myspace.com/agedwip I'm only mentioning that to someone who may want to help me and they'll be able to see where I am with recording and mixing. I have some basic questions:
1.) I record everything in stereo from Line 6. It does have the option of recording output in mono and the ability to be panned from line 6 or afterwards in the Live 5. Is ther a rule of thumb for recording particular instruments in either stereo or mono.
2.) I think I changed my recording rate from 16 to 24bit. I have an elementary understanding of the advatage of 24. When I render to disk, I go back to 16. Is using the 24 in this way a good thing?
3.) I use after effects on tracks, some compression, some EQ, or whatever I feel something needs to get a sound I want. I then EQ the master, which really just causes me to go back and fight track against track.
4.)I'm not exactly sure how to set frequency ranges without covering over other sounds. I have problems mixing the bass and drums to give the punch it needs. Actually, my drumming sucks and I need help there too.
5.) Everything I mix has a tone to it that I just can't figure out. It's like an obnoxious md-range tone or something. When I listen to a CD after one of my own recordings, the clarity of the REAL artist CD is so much more open and wide ranged. If you can help me by listening to something I did, you'll probably hear what I mean.
Help would be appreciated. Please don't say...Go Back to retirement 'cause I still got a day job and I plan on keeping it. Hobby help, constructive criticism is what I need. Thanks, Rob G

 

[ssscientist]

Answers to your questions:

1) Guitars and basses are typically recorded in mono, keyboards and drums or anything else with effects in stereo.

2) You are doing the right thing as regards 16 bit vs. 24 bit.

3) I'm not sure this one needs an answer --- it's more of an observation and this kind of thing takes time and trial and error to perfect.

4) Here again --- it takes time to get stuff like this right. If that's you drumming on the MySpace songs you don't suck by any means. There's a built-in drum machine in Live 5 called Impulse which you might consider using in addition to your live drumming --- just to augment, not to mask or hide.

5) This is a good example of expecting too much too soon. That tone will eventually isolate itself and go away, but not without some mixing practice on your part.

I think your stuff sounds very good. And that seventies sound never really went away, so there's no urgent need for you to update anything. I think you're on the right track --- take it as fast or as slowly as you're comfortable with...

 

[yorksrvc]

ssscientist........................well, your response is MUCH appreciated. I guess I am expecting too much too soon, in some ways There are some very basic concepts about recording that I don't know. I do go around and try to read stuff. I also purchased the M-Audio Ableton Live 5 Power manual. It's just that some of the stuff I read, I don't fully understand. I need to get around people who do know and kinda pick their brains
Let me Thank You and say that, based on the reading I've done here, you've been allot help to allot of people. Thanks for your time and comments. I will take your advice on stereo vs mono recording, as well as slow down and experiment. One question just came to mind. When I pan mono recordings, do you feel it better to pan full left or right, or just slightly to one side or the other. You probably already answered this above.............experiment

Thanks Again,

Rob

 

[yorksrvc]

ssscientist, I forgot to add...

the drumming on New Moon and Joe B is programmed and the other 2, i did on my keyboard. I'm trying, but doing that way takes 3 tracks....bass and snare, cymbals, and then other drum fills. Do you think these should all be recorded in mono?

Thanks, Rob

 

[ssscientist]

Do you think these should all be recorded in mono?

I'm not quite sure what you mean by that.

If you're talking about multitracking a live drum kit then the usual way of recording is one microphone to one mono track.

If that's not what you meant post again.


.

 

[yorksrvc]

Ok............I wasn't very clear...

AND!! I did a tutorial from an M-Audio Ableton Power CD I had. I forgot it came with the book. Anyway.....I had been playing drums on my Yamaha Keyboard. I did one track of Bass and Snare, one track of HH and cymbals, and one track of tom-toms...etc. Ok, I had been keeping them as separate tracks and recorded thru the Line 6 in stereo. SOO!! Here's what I learned from the tutorial and.....you (the mono thing). I record the bass and snare on a track and the same as before withe the cymbals and extra drums.......so now I have 3 tracks, right?!?! Well, I now take the two cymbals / ex-drums track and record them into the bass and drum track. NOW.....I have all of the drums on one track and I can delete the others. Before I do the merge, I mix volumes and frequencies of the individual tracks to make it one even sounding drum kit. Make sense?...or is my lack of proper terminology losing you Hey! Man....I'm trying...real hard here.

Wanna know another problem......................I feel as stale as a year old loaf of bread, trying to work on new songs.....BACK to the basic learning