help with first recording

M

mcl116

New member
just did my first recording. I put my dynamic mic in front of the soundhole of my acoustic pointing towards the 12th fret- checked the volumes to make sure I wasn't clipping. Hit record and played a few chords for about a minute.

For playback, I plugged a pair of headphones into the back of my interface.

2 things: the volume of the playback was really low, so why is that and how do I fix that?

and 2- when I was playing back what I had recorded, I was still hearing any noises my mic was picking up as I was moving around during playback, how do I "shut off" the mic so I don't hear that?

thanks!
 
First thing you notice when you make your first song is how quiet it seems compared to songs on your CD/MP3 player.
That's (mainly) because of the mastering process

That said if you're recording a comparatively quiet instrument such as accoustic guitar or vocal (as compared to an electric guitar through a Marshall) then a Condensor mic is more sensitive but you can still get a nice recording with a dynamic, you just have to giver it a lot of gain

As far as moving around sounds, best advice is don't move around while your playing which is even more true with a condenser mic that'll pic up every tiny sound you make
You could move the mic closer to the guitar so that is the overriding sound but you'll get a proximity effect of more boomy bass (which can be desirable if it suits the song) and less ambience

concentrate on recording a good sound not a loud sound. you can bring the overall volume of the song up later when it is all mixed in the mastering process
 
I'm using a computer (macbook) with an audiobox usb interface, recording with cubase. i used a mxl 991 dynamic mic

When I played back what I recorded, the volume was really really low. I expected it to be at whatever level I wanted it to be and I could not get it very loud at all. Does that have to do with the mic i used?

I wasn't getting sounds from the recording in playback, during playback, the mic was picking up current sounds (like me breathing) and i could hear it in my headphones through the mic.
 
mcl116 said:
I'm using a computer (macbook) with an audiobox usb interface, recording with cubase. i used a mxl 991 dynamic mic

When I played back what I recorded, the volume was really really low. I expected it to be at whatever level I wanted it to be and I could not get it very loud at all. Does that have to do with the mic i used?

I wasn't getting sounds from the recording in playback, during playback, the mic was picking up current sounds (like me breathing) and i could hear it in my headphones through the mic.
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Turn of input monitoring when you are done recording. or turn the mic gain all the way down that way you went get live sounds when listening to play back
 
Bristol Posse said:
Turn of input monitoring when you are done recording. or turn the mic gain all the way down that way you went get live sounds when listening to play back
Click to expand...


I'll try shutting off monitoring and arming the track for recording next time.

What about my recording level? thanks!
 
It could be anything. I'm not an expert or anything, but . . . . check your input volume to make sure you were getting a strong enough signal. Also, if that's done . . . check your master volume meter. It'll tell you how loud the signal it is playing (as opposed to how loud your listening to it.) Check your output level to make sure that it is set to your systems peak performance. Basically, it sounds to me like a gain staging issue. Again, I haven't actually laid a track in over year, so I could be a bit off, but that's what it sounds like to me.
 
turn your input monitoring off like mentioned for the sounds.

What are your meters peaking at while recording? This can help give a better answer.
 
What kind of preamp are you using. I'd wanna tell you that you should peak at around -18 to -12 on your levels and record at that but if your right below clipping and it's low volume then there's another problem. Is the volume low during playback through the headphones or during playback through your monitors/PC speakers? If it's the headphones see if there's a headphone level knob that can be turned up. If it's through the monitors/speakers check and see if your output device is set right.
 
buckkillr8 said:
What kind of preamp are you using. I'd wanna tell you that you should peak at around -18 to -12 on your levels and record at that but if your right below clipping and it's low volume then there's another problem. Is the volume low during playback through the headphones or during playback through your monitors/PC speakers? If it's the headphones see if there's a headphone level knob that can be turned up. If it's through the monitors/speakers check and see if your output device is set right.
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the preamp is built into the audiobox. i turned up the volume for the headphones and it did go up but it was still a very low volume...
 
so you're playing back through the phones. Try setting your sound card at the output device and playing back through your speakers.
 
The low volume thing is common. I've seen it happen with Sonar, Cubase, and Reaper. I record and the meters average around -12 to -10. Then playback the same track and the playback level is -20 to -16. To me, its just a normal thing. Not a problem, though. Just apply a VST effect that has a "gain" function to increase the level to where you want it. Or, apply a limiter, or compressor. You can always remove the effect from the track, if you want. It doesn't change the track permanently. It just temporarily bumps the playback level to where you need it.
 
Nick98338 said:
The low volume thing is common. I've seen it happen with Sonar, Cubase, and Reaper. I record and the meters average around -12 to -10. Then playback the same track and the playback level is -20 to -16. To me, its just a normal thing. Not a problem, though. Just apply a VST effect that has a "gain" function to increase the level to where you want it. Or, apply a limiter, or compressor. You can always remove the effect from the track, if you want. It doesn't change the track permanently. It just temporarily bumps the playback level to where you need it.
Click to expand...

how do you get these db readings? cause all I see is a meter with no readings so if i knew where to look that would be helpful for me.

The best way to describe the level of my playback is it seems like I was playing guitar really far away from the mic even though I was only a few inches. I don't know if that changes anything but figured I'd put that out there.

thanks for all the help so far!
 
maybe I'm looking at a different meter than you are talking about. Could you tell me where the 1 that you are referring to is located? thanks
 
This is in Reaper but I've seen cubase before and I'm sure it has markings.

meters1.jpg
 
mcl116 said:
The best way to describe the level of my playback is it seems like I was playing guitar really far away from the mic even though I was only a few inches.
Click to expand...

The relative loudness of the recording is one thing. That is fixed by just increasing volume. However, the sense that it sounds "really far away" might not simply be volume. Sometimes its getting too much of the room in your recording. Sometimes its the characteristics of the microphone. To reduce room, get the mic closer to the instrument. Experiment... find the best sound for you. Many microphones have "proximity" effect. There is a big difference between having the instrument inside the range where the proximity effect starts, and having the instrument outside of that point. The exact distance where that proximity effect starts is difficult to estimate, but when you find it, its very easy to tell the difference. Again, experiment. Find that sweet spot.
 
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