Frustrated with the lack of equipment and understanding

  • Thread starter Thread starter dgroove
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dgroove

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I know the way I'm doing things are pretty crude but I know
(hope) I can get better results with most of the equipment
I have. I don't have proper monitoring set up.

I'm recording a 6 pc kit onto 7 tracks.
I'm close micing all drums (except for the floor tom)
and using 2 overheads in a garage.

Bass is a an old Elctra Voice. Snare is a 57. The toms are 58s
The overheads are a 603 and 2001 (I got suckered into
the promo pack). I am planing to get another 603.

I'm recording onto a Tascam DA-38 through a Mackie.
I do not have a compressor or pre amp but I do have
some effects like reverb, delay and so on.


1. Levels look good most of time but there is those moments
when they clip.
What should I get a compressor or limiter? Or are they same?

2. How important is a pre amp and what is it's main job?

3. Should I begin with getting new mics? Or just get a compressor and deal with the mickey mouse mic set up
My budget is pretty tight so it's one thing or the other.

The recordings don't sound too bad but they seem to be lacking
punch. I'm looking to record a clean demo for getting gigs and giving to freinds, not to market.

Any info at all would really help, I'm frustrated and kind of holding
up everybody else from doing their thing.
 
A compressor compresses the levels over a range. A limiter limits the level to under a maximum. They use the same technology, and are sometimes combined into one.

Having limiters when you record transient sounds can be good. But you would need one limiter per track, in your case seven...

Preamps are essential. You need them for all microphone recordings. Your Mackie has preamps. If it is a VLZ Pro it has XDR preamps, which are supposed to be very good for budget use, so you would have to shell out a lot of money to get better preamps.

I'm not an expert on mic selection for drums (I only have three mics so I use what I have too) but your mic selection seems pretty OK to me.

Compression can be used to make drums more punchy. Which compressor to use for that purpose will have to be answered by a Compressor Selection Guru. :-)
 
I don't know of anyone who would admit to having enough equipment.

A lot more has been done with less equipment than you currently have.

Read up on those links and get yourself a comp/limiter. I'd say with the addition of that you've got yourself a nice basic recording set-up.
 
Your mics and pre's are fine.
Now just...
1. Make sure the DRUMS sound good...
2. Toy around with mic positioning
3. Don't use EQ 'til it sounds good, or at least as good as it gets without EQ.

A couple of compressors/limiters can bring out some extra "punch" from your kit, but buying more gear is seldom the solution..
 
Sennheiser said:
I don't know of anyone who would admit to having enough equipment.
Click to expand...

ME! I have everything I need. Of course, I would like a Lexicon PCM80 instead of my Microverbs, and a real mixing desk, instead of the Boss BX-16. And a RNC to compress the mix. A Wavetable synthesizer to complement my Nord Modular. Another condenser to stereo the guitar. And maybe some digital HD recording device instead of the Fostex A8.

But that would really only be slight improvements in sound quality. I really have everything I need to do what I want. Really.
 
Cool, Thanks everyone. So now my question is.

Can anyone suggest a decent compressor in the
$200-$300 range?
 
I really have everything I need to do what I want. Really.
Click to expand...

Yeah right. C'mon, stop lyin'. We know you're lusting after a new piece of gear.

Read your post. You admitted it right on the board!:D :D
 
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