I know I've seen this somewhere, but my search is coming up empty

[Dad_of_four]

Question from a newbie. I have a tascam DP-01 and I've laid down 4 tracks (drums, bass, guitar, vox).

My master track is saved as a .wav file (still in the tascam) which I usb to my laptop to burn on a CD (16 bit 44.1mHz?). I've listened on three types of players, car, stereo in house and another cd player on my computer... the song sounds worse than before I mastered it. My bass guitar is "muddy?" is this the right term. Volume wise, its about 3/4's to 1/2 my original track levels.

The tech sheet with the tascam says my input levels (analog equivalent is
-10dBV to +6dBV).

Did I record the bass too hot causing distortion (the drums, guitar and voice sound "ok, not great, but ok" just overall softer than on the tascam.

I did check the "light" to watch for clipping, and backed off a bit during my rehearsals to ensure I didn't clip during the actual recording. Is there a prefered level to record guitars (electric and acoustic, as well as bass)?

Thanks for helping a newbie!

 

[RAK]

Question from a newbie. I have a tascam DP-01 and I've laid down 4 tracks (drums, bass, guitar, vox).

My master track is saved as a .wav file (still in the tascam) which I usb to my laptop to burn on a CD (16 bit 44.1mHz?). I've listened on three types of players, car, stereo in house and another cd player on my computer... the song sounds worse than before I mastered it. My bass guitar is "muddy?" is this the right term. Volume wise, its about 3/4's to 1/2 my original track levels.

The tech sheet with the tascam says my input levels (analog equivalent is
-10dBV to +6dBV).

Did I record the bass too hot causing distortion (the drums, guitar and voice sound "ok, not great, but ok" just overall softer than on the tascam.

I did check the "light" to watch for clipping, and backed off a bit during my rehearsals to ensure I didn't clip during the actual recording. Is there a prefered level to record guitars (electric and acoustic, as well as bass)?

Thanks for helping a newbie!

Here's a few things that may help out. First off, the sample rate is measured in kHz not MHz, just so you have that for the future.

When you were mixing/mastering your tracks, what were you monitoring on. It's a common practice to listen on "studio quality reference speakers) and two or three other pairs of lower quality (even radio shack) monitors to get a sense of what your mix is going to sound like in someone's car. The trick is to strike a balance, because what sounds good on your fancy monitors or headphones might not sound great on someone's boombox.

How's the volume of your master track on the comptuer before you burn it to CD. In other words, are you losing gain going from the Tascam to the Laptop, or from the Laptop to the CD?

 

[DrJones]

Here's a few things that may help out. First off, the sample rate is measured in kHz not MHz, just so you have that for the future.

When you were mixing/mastering your tracks, what were you monitoring on. It's a common practice to listen on "studio quality reference speakers) and two or three other pairs of lower quality (even radio shack) monitors to get a sense of what your mix is going to sound like in someone's car. The trick is to strike a balance, because what sounds good on your fancy monitors or headphones might not sound great on someone's boombox.

I agree totally. For whatever reason (monitor or room accustics) your hearing a lot of bass in your speakers which is making you turn the bass volume down. Now "Muddy" is different. You may not hear it during mixing because of the freq. range in your speakers. Sounds to me that the bass is clashing with kick on the low end (around 80 hz) or maybe clashing with the guitars on the lo-mid section(200 hz-400hz). Try a "little rolloff" EQ (not cut) in these sections.

How's the volume of your master track on the comptuer before you burn it to CD. In other words, are you losing gain going from the Tascam to the Laptop, or from the Laptop to the CD?

Are you using mastering software? Or are you just burning a .wav file? This may answer your own question. Mastering is way different than Mixing.

 

[Nicole_Rose]

Question from a newbie. I have a tascam DP-01 and I've laid down 4 tracks (drums, bass, guitar, vox).

My master track is saved as a .wav file (still in the tascam) which I usb to my laptop to burn on a CD (16 bit 44.1mHz?). I've listened on three types of players, car, stereo in house and another cd player on my computer... the song sounds worse than before I mastered it. My bass guitar is "muddy?" is this the right term. Volume wise, its about 3/4's to 1/2 my original track levels.

The tech sheet with the tascam says my input levels (analog equivalent is
-10dBV to +6dBV).

Did I record the bass too hot causing distortion (the drums, guitar and voice sound "ok, not great, but ok" just overall softer than on the tascam.

I did check the "light" to watch for clipping, and backed off a bit during my rehearsals to ensure I didn't clip during the actual recording. Is there a prefered level to record guitars (electric and acoustic, as well as bass)?

Thanks for helping a newbie!

if you want to know if you recorded an instrument too hot, play it back on the tascam, (not the master, but the individual tracks,) and watch the levels. if they're often above the invisible marker line of 0db then you probably did record too hot. did you boost any frequencies on the bass when you did your mixdown?

 

[Dad_of_four]

I agree totally. For whatever reason (monitor or room accustics) your hearing a lot of bass in your speakers which is making you turn the bass volume down. Now "Muddy" is different. You may not hear it during mixing because of the freq. range in your speakers. Sounds to me that the bass is clashing with kick on the low end (around 80 hz) or maybe clashing with the guitars on the lo-mid section(200 hz-400hz). Try a "little rolloff" EQ (not cut) in these sections.



Are you using mastering software? Or are you just burning a .wav file? This may answer your own question. Mastering is way different than Mixing.

I guess that's why I'm still a newbie! Um, i hope I can answer your question...I am not using additional software to master the final "wav" file. The tascam has a feature that allows me to "master" the recorded tracks (1. set my "out" position, arm the "master" button) and begin recording to a master track. Since I can increase/decrease levels of each track while recording, i consider this "mixing". The final product is what tascam calls a "stereo master" and is now a wav file of all tracks with levels set accordingly. From there, I export the master *.wav file to my laptop and burn to a CD (does that help)?

 

[Dad_of_four]

if you want to know if you recorded an instrument too hot, play it back on the tascam, (not the master, but the individual tracks,) and watch the levels. if they're often above the invisible marker line of 0db then you probably did record too hot. did you boost any frequencies on the bass when you did your mixdown?

Nicole,

Where is the "invisible" 0db line (is it where the meter "splits" to a "top" and "bottom" line in the display)? I'm not sure how to identify that. As for boosting frequencies, I may have set the EQ low hard left which would have "boosted" my low end... would that have given me the muddy sound?

If that is the cause of the muddy sound, then at least I'm halfway home, but for the other part, how do I raise the level, without distorting the sound? Is it possible to do this with the Tascam DP-01, or am I stuck?

 

[RAK]

I guess that's why I'm still a newbie! Um, i hope I can answer your question...I am not using additional software to master the final "wav" file. The tascam has a feature that allows me to "master" the recorded tracks (1. set my "out" position, arm the "master" button) and begin recording to a master track. Since I can increase/decrease levels of each track while recording, i consider this "mixing". The final product is what tascam calls a "stereo master" and is now a wav file of all tracks with levels set accordingly. From there, I export the master *.wav file to my laptop and burn to a CD (does that help)?

Are you taking the time to mix the individual tracks on the Tascam before boucning to the "master" track. I would recommend doing that so when it comes time to record the "master" track you've pretty much got your mix down, and you don't need to make a lot changes "on the fly." Also, definetly listen to the mix on different types of monitors to get a feel of what it will sound like.

Another thing is, if you had a stand alone CD Recorder, you could make a CD directly from the Tascam without going through the computer.

I just stopped in the middle of writing this to check out the DP-01. It seems there is a DP-01FX/CD that has a built in CD-RW. In the mood for an upgrade?

 

[Dad_of_four]

Are you taking the time to mix the individual tracks on the Tascam before boucning to the "master" track. I would recommend doing that so when it comes time to record the "master" track you've pretty much got your mix down, and you don't need to make a lot changes "on the fly." Also, definetly listen to the mix on different types of monitors to get a feel of what it will sound like.

Another thing is, if you had a stand alone CD Recorder, you could make a CD directly from the Tascam without going through the computer.

I just stopped in the middle of writing this to check out the DP-01. It seems there is a DP-01FX/CD that has a built in CD-RW. In the mood for an upgrade?

Upgrade...um, if I did, I would probably need an upgrade to my marriage. I don't know how many more gadgets my wife can take/put up with.

Does recording directly to a CD Recorder make that much of a difference vs recording on the computer (I don't know what I never considered it)?

 

[altitude909]

How did you record the bass? Did you mic it or did u plug it directly into the recorder?

 

[DrJones]

I guess that's why I'm still a newbie! Um, i hope I can answer your question...I am not using additional software to master the final "wav" file. The tascam has a feature that allows me to "master" the recorded tracks (1. set my "out" position, arm the "master" button) and begin recording to a master track. Since I can increase/decrease levels of each track while recording, i consider this "mixing". The final product is what tascam calls a "stereo master" and is now a wav file of all tracks with levels set accordingly. From there, I export the master *.wav file to my laptop and burn to a CD (does that help)?

You should bounce the mix before mastering. All the mastering function on your tascam is pretty much a preset dither and limiter and normalizer. So bouncing your mix to stereo beforemastering is a good idea. Try using a mixing and mastering software on your laptop, inport your induvidual tracks on to the laptop mix and master there. You will open up a world of new options.

 

[RAK]

Upgrade...um, if I did, I would probably need an upgrade to my marriage. I don't know how many more gadgets my wife can take/put up with.

Does recording directly to a CD Recorder make that much of a difference vs recording on the computer (I don't know what I never considered it)?

It depends on what you want to do. If you have your mix exactly the way you want it, it's pretty easy to just bounce it directly to CD (you can even do your fades ins/outs in real time). But you have to be dilligent about starting/stopping the CD-R on correctly, or else you might have two much dead air when the track is done (unless you get an optical connection, I think).

If you want to do more "mastering" to the stereo track, then you might want more editing capabilities offered by computer software (Bias Peak is a great stereo audio editor).

Going straight from the Tascam to CD just removes a step you may not need.