I want to prevent my PC from getting signals above 0db during rec. Alesis 3630 is ok?

[underp]

I having a nightmare with dynamic mics. I don't know what to do.

sometimes the signal is to loud, sometimes is to quite, i just want to leave the TRIM at one point and forget about peak levels during recording.

I know the alesis is not a good choice for compression, but i'm not planning to do compression, i'm want to prevent loud signals to come IN, to my pc.

Is the 3630, ok ?


thanks in advance

 

[bigwillz24]

I'd say yes for what you want to do....

but what if you found out that by doing so you are compressing the signal anyway....

and the fact you might be tracking to loud in the first place?

 

[Rado]

record 24bit with good levels.
Don't worry about headroom you got plenty.

 

[underp]

i'm recording in 24bit, and i can adjust the levels to prevent loud signals to come in.

The only problem, is that when some singers start to whisper using dynamic mic, i just see a dead line, in the graphic, and i don't know if i have to worry about that.

 

[bigwillz24]

Maybe the whispering needs to be a differant track where you can crank the pre then mix both tracks together

 

[scottboyher]

Get a decent compressor. Make the singer learn proper mic techniques.. Get a good condenser... dunnno.. It is all poo.

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

You'd be better off just lowering your levels and using a compressor plug-in after the fact than trying to get a worthwhile sound out of the 3630, IMO!

 

[underp]

Ok let's think about this for a live situation, i already have a condenser mic, but it's being used for acoustic guitar, so the vocalist got to use my dynamic.

I use audition for recording (because of the realtime graphic).

Now... If i set the mic gain for the loudest parts, the whispering sections will suffer.

it's ok to compress that signal later, even if i don't see the whisperings in the graphic?.
I mean, it is legal to compress that signal to reach the loudest parts dbs?

 

[Farview]

It doesn't matter if you can see the whispering parts. Can you hear them? If you can, keep doing what you are doing and stop worrying. Proper mic technique would go a long way toward solving this problem also. Don't bother with the 3630, in order to bring the levels of the whisper up, you would have to compress the snot out of the loud stuff.

 

[underp]

compress the snot out of the loud stuff.

sorry, what was the last part?

 

[MrBoogie]

I thought "proper mic technique" was a no-no in the studio? I've read articles that explained how the singer should not use mic technique, and the explanations make sense to me. The mic distance/position is up the recording guy, and if the singer messes with this, it makes the recording guy's job that much harder. I even read that the pop filters help out by keeping the singer from getting too close to the mic, which would be ok in live situations where the singer is practicing "mic technique".

Please correct me if I'm wrong. I am, after all, still learning.... Are you talking about "studio mic technique" where the singer should stay put?

MrBoogie

ps: I forgot to say: I had the 3630, and just having it in the audio chain had a negative affect on my recordings. For a long time, I left it in my rack just cause it looks so cool with all those lights and knobs; but it is a bad piece of gear in my opinion.

 

[Farview]

The singer should only stay put if he is singing with the same intensity throughout the whole song. You have to work the mic. Use proximity effect to your advantage on the quiet parts and back off on the loud parts. It is not the same thing as live, but there is a technique.

 

[underp]

i knew my english was bad, but i never tought it was that bad

come on guys, this is just a simple live situation (1 condenser, 1 dynamic), guitarrist and vocalist. I can't use my condenser with vocals, cause i'm using it for the guitar.

The vocalist is doing the best he can do, in terms of "mic techniques" using a common sm58.

Now that i'm going to discard the alesis, thanks to your suggestions (Y), i guess that i have no choice but set the gain lower than usual, wich it's going to give me some troubles in quiet sections of the song. And To be honest, i don't have to much experience in terms of resolution tests and compression.

Can you understand my concern about "GAIN compensation" ?

I don't even know how LOUD should be compensation according to the resolution archived. I need more orientation about that.

Thanks a lot in advance

 

[Farview]

As long as you get signal to hard drive, you can turn up the vocals where you need to during the mix. There is nothing wrong with using a compressor when you are recording vocals, a 3630 is just a poor choice of compressor. If you are not good at using a compressor, don't set it for more than 2/1 ratio. That way, you will get some compression without completly destroying the track.

 

[underp]

3630 is just a poor choice of compressor

, don't even mention it. After reading tons of topics in this forum. i woudn't buy one, even for 25cents.

zzounds, musiciansfriend, and music123, doesn't have RNC compressors, it's easy to get desesperate.

 

[fasterthanu]

I had a 3630 for 3 days then I took it back. I would honestly say it's one of the worst bits of studio gear i've seen.

 

[fasterthanu]

Sorry - that should be one of the bits of studio gear i've heard. as it does look cool...........although it is a lemming in sheeps clothing