blues recording secrets ???

T

thegoonmat

New member
hi,
i'm starting in recording ...
i got a band : guitar-harp-drums
i did my 1st 8 track recording with my gear which is :
pro tools
m audio fast track ultra 8R
the t bone mics
i also have a fostex R8 but i did not use it for th erecording ...

i'm not so happy with the sound ....
i'd like to have somthing really more 'warm' , natural ... not cold like digital could be ...

here's a band i really like the sound :
www.myspace.com:theblackkeys

i'd like to know what gear i need and how to record this kind of sound ..
i'm looking for preamps and mixer, any good advices ??
i don't have a big budget now but i'm planning to buy some stuff ...
my goal is just to record my band
you can listen to my band at :
www.myspace.com/cheapkillers

thanx for the help if you can ...
buy
 
First step might be better mics. Not sure of 't bones' - these appear to be a house brand for a German retailer?
 
I got a VST vintage tube warmer plug in. That effect can take the coldest, harshest tones and sweeten them up like melted butter!
 
Since you're new to recording, i would say you got a decent setup there. Allthough Mjbphotos is right, the t.Bone mics from Thomann.de are cheapos. They are in the same range as Behringer i would believe, though i haven't compared the two brands. If i you have the cash, and want to upgrade, i'd go with a change of mics. :)
 
i think the t bones are not so bad ...
i was thinking spending my money 1st in preamp or console ...
i think i'll buy a preamp, but don't really now which one ... any idea ??
 
thegoonmat said:
i think the t bones are not so bad ...
i was thinking spending my money 1st in preamp or console ...
i think i'll buy a preamp, but don't really now which one ... any idea ??
Click to expand...

'New to recording' + "i'm not so happy with the sound" = Learn mic technique, working on the tone and quality of what you are recording, perhaps better mics (don't know what you have..) and some room sound acoustic control if you have not gone there yet.

A different pre is way far down in the order of things and a console' is if you need the inputs and routing and that method of work flow- hardly a first or second step from just now learning the ropes'.
 
I listened to the link to the myspace page. Unfortunately the myspace ability to completely crush the sound doesnt give a very good representation of what you're looking for.

What I did hear is kinda cool lo-fi songs with that delta house blues feel. Its really okay.

You need to spend a LOT of time with mic positioning and learning what knobs to touch what to leave alone. Since I have no idea what your recording enviroment is all about I can only say that with what I heard, you can do better with what you have.

Throwing money at it isnt the magic bullet. Learning your craft is.

The songs are good. Spend the time.

Oh and this.....Try the R8 for the drums and then dump those tracks into your digital recorder.
 
thegoonmat said:
i think the t bones are not so bad ...
i was thinking spending my money 1st in preamp or console ...
i think i'll buy a preamp, but don't really now which one ... any idea ??
Click to expand...

If you think those mics are good enough, then use them. You will be greatly limited with those mics though. Any mic has a use, different mics will allow you to capture some entirely different sonic properties. Better mics should be your first step toward improving your recordings. I don't mean to stop using the mics you have, I mean you should add other mics to what you already have. If you are happy with your "live sound" then a better array of mics will allow you to record that sound. A good preamp will improve the sound of any mic, but you have to have a good mic to start with. A whole rack full of preamps wont make a $20 mic sound like a $3000 "studio" mic, but a $3000 studio mic will sound good with even a small inexpensive preamp. The first step for making better recordings should be better mics.
 
The Black Keys record everything to tapeand use some nice vintage gear. They had a big time producer on the last album and some good engineers.

Like I said in one of your other threads, you have to break down the recording process and learn what you can about every step. There is no simple answer we can give you for any of your questions. You just need to study and learn all you can.

When you come here to ask questions it helps to be more specific. Questions like "how do I get an old school drum sound" are a lot easier to answer then "how do I record better".
 
The old blues bands did use the cheapest stuff they could get...you will see alot of SM57s in use...which are priced low enough and will give you the sound you are looking for...analog pres and going through tubes can get you there...but that will cost some scratch to get that right.
 
i remember reading somewhere that the black keys record their stuff themselves and use all analog gear (their older material at least)

I imagine they would record it all live rather than track. and maybe a couple of room mics to get that live feel. oh yeah and lots of fuzz, fender amps lol
 
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