I need sound/level feedback - my monitors SUUUUUCK

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dionna Blue
  • Start date Start date
When I have a good master track, I'd love for you to work on the mix. This was just an mp3...bad way to start. lol

GuitarLegend said:
I have had this song repeating for a while now. I dont think I would ever get sick of your voice but I know what you mean. Engineering means listening to it A LOT!!! I would love the opportunity to mix this one myself :)
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I didnt think the vocal needed compression. Just some EQ

Your gift is singing, you do it well. It would be a lot to ask for you to become an expert in recording as well. Its something you really have to want to do. I play and sing but I love recording.

The controls for compression are:
Threshold - the level above which compression happens. If the signal is below this level, it doesnt change at all.
Ratio - This how much compression is applied. If this is set to 1:1 then nothing happens. If it is 2:1 then the signal above the threshold is reduced by half. If it is 4:1 (normal for vocals in general) the signal above the threshold is reduced to a quarter of the original and so on.
Attack - this is how quickly you want the compressor to kick in when the signal exceeds the threshold. If you set this to 0 or the lowest setting that you can, it will act immediately the signal goes over threshold. Higher values allow SOME of the signal to get past the compressor before it kicks in.
Release - this is how long the compressor keeps compressing after it has returned below the threshold. 100-200 ms is a reasonable start. Different values can result in some interesting effects
Output gain (or makeup gain) - This is basically the volume level for the finished signal. If you leave it at 0 thats fine, but usually, it is set to bring up the overall volume so the end result is not so much bringing the louder parts down as bringing the quieter sections up. Some experience helps to understand that part.

I think the compressor is one of my most vital pieces of equipment on the rack or plugins for the DAW. Just wouldnt be without it
 
Dionna Blue said:
That sounds like a lot of work. lol I'll dive into that on a project I'm more excited about. Would a mixer make this process easier? I feel like trying to get the sound I want after it's recorded is working backwards and yes that sparkle that I like in my voice isn't very bright and when I boost the levels the sound just isn't the same. I've only listened to it on 1 other system and it sounded much better than through these M-audios as do my commerical CDs so I'm not really sure how to handle that. I guess I could plug the speakers directly into my laptop and see if they sound different? Thanks for all the feedback, I'm definitely taking notes.
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You only need a mixer if you have several sound sources to mix together. In this case, it sounds like you have a backing track and a vocal track (or two or three). The only mixing you will do is in CuBase. An external mixer, although useful for getting several pieces of equipment into the computer, will only add another stage to the input line. Dont get what you dont need.

I dont think ANYTHING sounds good when plugged directly into a laptop. Its cheap sound at best. A USB Audio Interface like your Alesis IO Express has much better sound quality but it typically requires powered speakers like your StudioPro 3s Dont expect anything better by going direct from your laptop. They are great for games and movies but misleading when it comes to audio engineering.

From reading your posts it sounds like you do in fact get better sound from other speakers. You MAY have bad speakers after all (like you said) but I dont think the blame is with the brand or model. Do you know the history of these speakers?
 
The speakers are new. I plugged them directly into my laptop and the sound is tremendously better than when plugged into the Alesis with the RCA cable which leads me to believe I need a better interface and not a mixer. I'll pick up the Presonus Audiobox and see what that does. Maybe my mic sound will improve too.

GuitarLegend said:
You only need a mixer if you have several sound sources to mix together. In this case, it sounds like you have a backing track and a vocal track (or two or three). The only mixing you will do is in CuBase. An external mixer, although useful for getting several pieces of equipment into the computer, will only add another stage to the input line. Dont get what you dont need.

I dont think ANYTHING sounds good when plugged directly into a laptop. Its cheap sound at best. A USB Audio Interface like your Alesis IO Express has much better sound quality but it typically requires powered speakers like your StudioPro 3s Dont expect anything better by going direct from your laptop. They are great for games and movies but misleading when it comes to audio engineering.

From reading your posts it sounds like you do in fact get better sound from other speakers. You MAY have bad speakers after all (like you said) but I dont think the blame is with the brand or model. Do you know the history of these speakers?
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Dionna Blue said:
The speakers are new. I plugged them directly into my laptop and the sound is tremendously better than when plugged into the Alesis with the RCA cable which leads me to believe I need a better interface and not a mixer. I'll pick up the Presonus Audiobox and see what that does. Maybe my mic sound will improve too.
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Its great that you found the problem. The Presonus Audiobox should make an awesome difference then. Keep us posted

I dont believe the Alesis is a bad interface. This may have just gone bad. That can happen. I doubt that you could go wrong with a Presonus tho... good luck with it :)
 
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