Bit of a newb.

[ChuckV]

Hey there! For my school internship, foir the next two months I have to Home Record and Mix a whole cd. I'm gonna be here and ask alot of stupid and annoying questions, so If anyone could bare with me, I'd appreciate it.

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=8E445F01650C992C

This is a sample clip of my first experiments, I'm using adobe audition, and a Line6 Podxt. I need help!

Also, I'm wondering what the best kind of passive studio Monitors I should buy on my budget is. I have over a grand, but I might need some other stuff. can I get some help.

 

[danny.guitar]

Doesn't sound too bad to me, much better than my first recordings. I would invest some of that money in some bass traps/room treatment, and some of it on monitors. Room treatment is just as, if not, more important than your monitors. (I would personally say it's more important).

Are monitors the only thing you need? Do you already have mics and whatnot? Or are you just recording stuff direct with the POD?

 

[Mindset]

Doesn't sound too bad to me, much better than my first recordings. I would invest some of that money in some bass traps/room treatment, and some of it on monitors. Room treatment is just as, if not, more important than your monitors. (I would personally say it's more important).

Are monitors the only thing you need? Do you already have mics and whatnot? Or are you just recording stuff direct with the POD?

I would say room treatment & monitors are equally as important. Can't mix better without hearing it accurate. And you can't reproduce it accurate without the room being treated.

 

[ChuckV]

Doesn't sound too bad to me, much better than my first recordings. I would invest some of that money in some bass traps/room treatment, and some of it on monitors. Room treatment is just as, if not, more important than your monitors. (I would personally say it's more important).

Are monitors the only thing you need? Do you already have mics and whatnot? Or are you just recording stuff direct with the POD?

Direct with the POD. I'm gonna be in my friends room during the project, I need to talk with him about the room. What should the room have? carpeting? could you explain more about what you would do? Thanks.

 

[danny.guitar]

Direct with the POD. I'm gonna be in my friends room during the project, I need to talk with him about the room. What should the room have? carpeting? could you explain more about what you would do? Thanks.

Well, if you're recording everything direct then room treatment isn't as much of an issue as far as recording goes. But you will still want some for mixing.

The main problem most rooms have is bass. Either too much or too little. Untreated walls also have a lot of mid/high frequency reflections. When sound comes out of the monitors, and reflects off the walls, they can cancel eachother out and cause "standing waves" or "nulls". If you listen to a mix with the volume up pretty loud, and move around the room you can see how the mix can sound drastically different in some places. For example, play your mix loud then go stand in a corner. The bass will probably be exaggerated. The bass builds up in corners. This is why a lot of people build "Bass traps", which are usually 2'x4' and 4" thick panels filled with rigid fiberglass (OC 703/705, Rockwool/Mineral wool). They are usually set in the corners to absorb bass.

Most people also make thinner pannels, say, 2"x4" and 2" thick to absorb mid/high frequency reflections. These are usually hung or mounted on the walls with a spacer.

It would take me forever to explain all the things about room treatment. There is a whole forum dedicated to just that, so you can always ask questions here:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/forumdisplay.php?f=20

Also, the best thing you could do is read this (lengthy) article written by the expert:

http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html

So if you're recording everything direct, I would treat whatever room you'll be mixing in.

Even a few bass traps in the corners with a couple absorber panels on the walls can make a world of difference.