First recording... tips please?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Fattitude632
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Fattitude632

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Hey hey

My band F.A.T and I recently bought a Tascam 414mkii 4 track and we recorded our first song... we're only 15 so we dont know much bout mixing, but some constructive criticism is great.

We play pop punk similar to that of Blink 182... please tell me what you think

go to http://mp3.com/F_A_T

-F.A.T
 
The best tip I can give you is to search around these forums... you'll find loads of excellent tips.
 
Bad thing is - you're 15 and you have A LOT to learn about record engineering.

Good thing is - you're 15 and have started getting into recording early on - so you have plenty of time to learn!

You should poke around this site, get yourself a couple of recording books (Dave Moulton's - TOTAL RECORDING) would be an excellent choice, and start learning the HOW-TOs of recording, mic'ing, mixing, etc....

And the other thing from that song - performance, performance, performance... timing is everything - even in "pop punk"!

Welcome aboard! Stick around - you'll learn a lot from everyone here...

Bruce
 
Yo Phattitude-A-Rooney:

Don't over push reverb, if you have one. Drums need very little of anything in tweaking.

Keep your band small -- fewer phone calls and fewer no-shows at a gig.

Study music and play and play and play and record and mix and mix and mix and hit your folks for some $$$ to upgrade your equipment.

Start building your studio in the garage, attic, basement, somewhere where you can jam and jam and not really bother anyone until you make your first Gold record.


Music is so much fun and you must keep laughing at your mistakes and, when you get it right, keep laughing.

Green Hornet
 
You really ought to ask some direct questions like:

How do I...
What do I use to...
If it sounds like ??? and I want it to sound like ??? how do I...

Ask and you will receive.:cool:
 
Well, the drums are a bit week for my taste. What kind of equipment do you have my friend?;)
 
Oh to be 15 again....I remember them day's...well Fattitude, I can only echo what's already been said here. Check out the topics, and with a little sweat and perseverence, you're sure to find the answer to most of your questions.
Not knowing your budget...it's hard to say "get this, get that". I will say this about bands, (I've had a few)..when it stops being fun.. :( move on.
I've been actively involved in home recording since 1970. Reel to Reel (what's that??) Move with the times..go digital..doesn't matter which model or brand you go with, as long as it's right for you. When you do decide on a recording unit, READ THE MANUALS, and when you're done...READ 'EM AGAIN. I wasted so much time when I started, figuring "Hey...it can't be that hard!!"
Try and set a budget...try and stay within it...and don't buy gear 'cos someone else says it's the best. It's gotta be right and comfortable for you..or else you're liable to become frustrated. Welcome to the fold...and good luck.. :rolleyes:
http://sh-boom.freehomepage.com/index.html
 
Tips for Newbies?

Tip 1) Keep it simple.

Tip 2) Use EQ and effects in moderation.

Tip 3) At first, your recordings may not sound as good as you think they should, or thought you sounded live.

Tip 4) If at first, you don't succeed, try, try again.

Tip 5) There's not any 'magic formula', and experimentation is ok.
 
Well check this out. Buy a book "Total Recording" or hang around here for a long time.

Save your stinking money!!!! Recording is expensive if you want to have a quality sound. Get a job a Taco Bell or Bed Bath and Beyond (were I work).

Go digital. Digital recording is so much easier than analog. Sure analog sounds better, but digital does NOT sound bad ( if you have a decent set-up) and digital has great editing capabilities that will come in handy. Digital is also cheaper than analog gear if you add up all those eq's, compressors, and other effects. Digital is also simple, fast, and efficent to use. Go digital!

Just a few pointers...
 
frank_1 said:
Sure analog sounds better (...than digital...)
Click to expand...
I wholeheartedly disagree with that.... hi-res digital (24/96 or 192 DVD) is very much on par with analog now.

But yes, you have to have good converters, otherwise digital becomes so much piles of dog-droppings.

Bruce
 
well man

I'm a starter too. And I must say, a few things that have bothered the hell outta me is, 1. Trying to combine tracks 2. Fuzz and 3. Miking drums

my solutions are....
1. Just make sure the damned tracks are ok, you apply everything before doing that
2. Use eq (even if its unprofessional, if you find the right range, it goes away!!)
3. Even if there crappy, use more than one mic, and place em one on each drum, or somethin. Make sure they're all equal on the vu meter etc.

This is horrible advice, but I think its a ok for starters (i know it woulda helped me a hell of a lot)
 
oh

one more thing....

get EVERYTHING set up, and tweaked, before you start recording, nothing helps more then just recording it nicely, miking is a big part, and your tone is a big part, get the maximum you can get outta your amps etc.
 
I'm a starter too. And I must say, a few things that have bothered the hell outta me is, 1. Trying to combine tracks 2. Fuzz and 3. Miking drums
Click to expand...

I've found the 'fuzz' to be reduced when away from lights or other electrical equipment... just something I've found.

I now record all my work in the darkness at the moment(all the rooms in my house have chandeliers, so I sit in one room with the lights off and room next to me provides the lights).. that seems to do the trick.. plus for me being a solo artist, I find it more relaxing recording in these conditions.....

Porter
 
Gotta Buzz? Me too! 24 hours a day! Cool!

Hey, the ubiquitous, ever present COMPUTER MONITOR will cause much distortion in electric guitars, and other line signals.

This is often overlooked, in the average studio, and is quite a technical challenge in DAW based systems. In DAW, all your controls and stuff are on the screen. How can you record on DAW with the screen off? Well, it's very, very hard, to say the least. The technical solution to that may be to isolate the computer from the sound/recording room, but not everybody has the space, or the luxury of doing that, and unless you have a tape-op helping you, moving the DAW computer away from the recording room can be a technical challenge, in itself.

Anwyay, other electrical units can cause interference. Air conditioners, 'wall wart' power supply modules, AC cords, TVs, flourescent lights,... more,... you name it. Lots of common things can cause interference on your recording or source signal.

Just use common sense, and keep looking for potential sources of interference, and keep turning them off, whenever possible.
 
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