air

[orksnork]

there's just no air in my recordings...you know the crisp high end that really gives recordings life...and it brings me down...

maybe when the new live room is done (and im not using the fucking basement) and i get some cleaner preamps

 

[Jamz0r]

Can you post a sample?

 

[Massive Master]

At risk of sounding like a broken record (God, this comes up so much I'm actually making assumptions about it)...

"Air" is often the first thing to disappear when tracking too hot. Not saying that's the issue here, but if you're overdriving your preamps, it wouldn't surprise me a bit.

 

[orksnork]

i can post a sample tomorrow...
like i said, i dont even have my room built yet...so im quite early in the process of getting things going over at my new home studio...and i haven't "mixed" anything yet...it's just the sense i'm getting from the reference mix while we're still tracking (we've yet to lay any vocals down yet)

as far as going too hot...i was doing that a few years ago when i had my first studio, but I really can't see that as being the problem right now...

and i'd love to see some other threads where you talk about this..."Air" is a loose term like "dark" sounding mic and such...

i did a title search for air...but it was mostly air conditioners and hvac questions...

 

[peopleperson]

Yeah, post something because that word can mean a lot of different things. My first inclination is to say don't close mic everything, but until I hear it, that could be the wrong way to go.

 

[NYMorningstar]

as far as going too hot...i was doing that a few years ago when i had my first studio, but I really can't see that as being the problem right now...

Exactly how hot do you track?

 

[RAMI]

as far as going too hot...i was doing that a few years ago when i had my first studio, but I really can't see that as being the problem right now.

Meaning????

Do you record as close to 0db as possible without clipping?

 

[TelePaul]

ya could try a little room ambience...condenser mics are your FRIEND! Have you tried EQing some air in? I know it might seem like cheating but it could work for you.

 

[ecktronic]

My thinking of "Air" as the high end sound, is in vocals when boosting the hi end. Could it be a bad vocal mic?
For guitars and bass guitar, I think of air as the sound you get from bringing the mic back from the amp so you get a more deep sound but with less attack, since the wave diperses with distance. lol, me trying to get tech!

Could be a number of things.
Sorry I cant help more.
Eck

 

[orksnork]

Meaning????

Do you record as close to 0db as possible without clipping?

meaning no i don't do that...i used to thinking it was right, and have been told that i was wrong and dont do that anymore...

maybe i'm recording too low and bringing up the noise floor...

 

[Massive Master]

That would be really unlikely.

 

[orksnork]

working on getting a clip up

 

[orksnork]

in all honesty, it might just be the limitations of my room, my gear, and my skill at this point combined to creating a bit of a dull sounding mix...

 

[ecktronic]

What gear do you have?
From experience I have never got dull mixes from using even really bad gear. Im talking like a Boss BR1180 CD (pre amps crackle and are shite) and a $25 mic to record vocals, guitar, percussion..everything!
Could it be youve changed your monitors? Have you done an A/B on your new stuff compared to your old stuff that you didnt have the problem with?

Eck

 

[orksnork]

well a lot of my old mixes sounded a bit dull

i'm using an allen and heath gl3 for preamps into a digi002r and then just plugins...monitoring through the board into even tr8's

ive got the bombfactory 1176 compressor, which i'm digging...as well as i've been using the SSL stuff that just came out (i haven't bought it yet, but i knew enough about computers to reset the trial a few times...dont shoot me please, i fully intend on purchasing...today is my birthday and i'll have the money by weeks end) as well as some decent free plugs (limiters and what have you)

as i said, things i used to do through a no name board into an echo layla with alesis mkm2s sounded a bit dull too...in my mom's basement when i was 16...

even some of the mixes ive heard from people around me locally, as thin and lifeless as a lot of them sound, have a bit more air and seperation between the tracks

 

[Ironklad Audio]

room, room, room!

my tracks also have little "air" to them, but that's because my 7'x7' drum booth doesn't have any air, either

 

[mixsit]

...even some of the mixes ive heard from people around me locally, as thin and lifeless as a lot of them sound, have a bit more air and seperation between the tracks

Air can perhaps be 'lack of clutter'.
Another suspect can be too many sources miced too close, both from the proximity effects and the aspect of too-close/too-much focus piling up.
Wayne