just a few general questions!

S

swcook0430

New member
Hey everyone,

Recently I've started putting together a home studio. I have the Focusrite 2i2, two Shure sm48 microphones, and Ableton 9. The genre I'm working in is mainly folk/pop and I'm planning to implement acoustic and electric guitar, bass, drums, vocals, and syth.

First off, the Shure sm48 microphones are soft as hell and I have to crank the gain on my interface to almost 10. I understand this is probably due to the low quality of the microphones, but hey it's what i'm working with and I don't have the money for anything too much better. Is there any way I can boost their volume? Secondly, I've recorded a couple tracks and tried my hand at mixing/mastering, but I'm not really getting the sound I want. I've only been messing with the EQ options thru ableton, but they seem limited (is this where plug-ins come in?). And what about a mixer? Would that give me greater flexibility in mixing and getting the sound I want? Any general tips on mixing (even recommendations on youtube videos or books) would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks everyone.
 
Glad you asked before buying - no, a mixer is NOT what you need. You probalby don't need to crank the gain - typical recording levels should be in the -18 to -12dB range. Ultimate end volume is where mastering comes in.
You haven't mentioned monitors or acoustic treatment, those are the next things to look at. If you're looking ot record live aocustic drums, you'll need an interface with more mic inputs, of course, along with more mics. 'Plug ins' are just processing things you add to tracks in your DAW to scupt the sound, they include EQ, reverb, compression, etc - if you're doing EQ, you're already using a plug-in!
 
The 48 is missing a transformer that's found in the 58 which according to a review I just found makes it sound brighter than the 58 but require more gain...
Sounds like you need something like a CloudLifter or a Triton-FetHead for a nice little boost in gain!
 
Volume is what you use a volume knob for. Talk level, not volume. What levels are you hitting at a track level in your DAW?... to mjb's point above.
 
The SM48 is in fact a dB or so MORE sensitive than the old warhorses, the SM 57/58s and folks manage with those!

Yes, the levels will be low for things like acoustic guitar and less brutal "folk ballads" but as has been said, don't worry about it at the tracking stage. If your levels are at -20, even -25dBFS that is fine and you can boost them in software at a later stage. Even a 16bit digital system will add very little noise to the background/pre amp noise (which you can do little about) but you should be running 24bits (at 44.1kHz).

I would also suggest you give Reaper a try? It is probably better for "linear" acoustic recording.

Dave.
 
Yeah, I've been considering switching to reaper, as I've heard it's more user friendly and reliable for what I'm trying to do in comparison to Ableton 9 Lite (which from my limited experience is a confusing mess, and crashes frequently). Ableton seems to have more of a focus on MIDI recording. But anway, I appreciate the knowledge! Now I can sleep easier knowing I won't have to go out on another mic hunt (for now). I'll turn my attention to mastering.
 
How are you mic'ing your acoustic? I always mic 3-6" directly at the 12th fret. Picks up sound hole and 'plucky' string nuances best. No need for two mics on the acoustic, plenty of methods for making it sound stereo (or maybe just double track).
 
" I'll turn my attention to mastering. "

WoOOAH!! WTGR! You know nothing about microphones since you cannot read a specc' sheet to compare sensitivities. Do not have a stable DAW/computer setup and yet you are considering Mastering???!!

There are guys here with decades of recording experience under their belts and $10,000 of gear yet even THEY send their mixes to a mastering house.

Get some decent kit, record a few 1,000 hours and send in a good few mixes here and there and maybe in a decade or so you can "do" a bit of mastering.

Now, if you will excuse me I am off to build me a Saturn V in the backyard.

Dave.
 
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