making do, or do not?

[spy said one]

my band is weighing our options as far as recording an EP (probably 6 songs) this summer/soon-ish, and i thought i'd get some outside (read: better-educated) opinions on this idea: we're considering tracking ourselves with what we've got and giving it to a more capable person to mix.

i have a decent amount of mics, and i'm running through a presonus firepod into cubase 3. can we feasibly get something down that won't sound like a homemade demo? maybe something that will even sound good after being professionally mixed and mastered? perhaps just certains tracks (have drums done professionally), or would that difference be noticible (as far as pro drums behind amateur music)? i understand that with as limited as our experience is, it will not sound great, but how much of a compromise are we looking at?

i am just sort of typing out my thought process at the moment... is it more a waste of time trying to recording ourselves, or just good practice for learning to do it in the future?

 

[DAS19]

I like when you can get the band in everyday for a week or two and you can bond while learning how to get a good sound. Ive done it once before and it was a very enlightening experience where I got to know the rest of the band and had fun while recording. We never got a professional sound but im sure if we sent it away to get mixed some tracks would sound pretty damn good.

I suggest using your ears. When you record something make sure it sounds good before moving on to the next thing. Make sure you are getting good tones and good acoustic guitar sounds. DI when available because these always sound good without taking the room into effect. When recording drums try different techniques the recorderman technique (search for it) usually works good in a bad room. Always listen to everything after recording it to make sure it sounds good.

Thats all I can really tell you. Youll have fun even if you dont get the picture perfect professional sound.

 

[spy said one]

thanks, man!

i'm into the idea of getting acquainted with our recording gear. even if we don't use it for this project, i think it'd be a handy skill to develop. as long as everyone can have some patience, i guess!

 

[tunetown]

It's never a waste of time recording yourselves. Your future is in recording yourselves and the sooner you start the better. The question is whether you want a release quality or something you can sell at gigs for very low cost.

The music industry is changing fast. Live shows are absolutely critical in building your following. A high quality demo may be able to get you an agent who can book you more shows. You can sell this demo at the shows. It is possible to get produce a good quality demo at home but don't expect it to sound like it was done in a million dollar studio. It just wont. There are many factors including spaces, equipment, mic placement and experience that determine the outcome.

Play music because you love it, learn your craft, record yourselves, record others. Be passionate. If a career develops, fantastic. It is however, a bonus. Of the tens of thousands of record releases each year only a small handful make real money.

Good luck
Peter

 

[Dani Pace]

By all means record yourself and your band as often as you can. Find another band to record also. I find recording another band much easier than recording my own, and a great way to develope the skills of recording. Get a notebook and write down the things that work and the ones that don't. When you record a track that you like, make notes of exactly what you did, mic placement, which mic, settings, etc... When a track doesn't sound right, learn from your mistakes. Learn to relax, something about recording yourself will often make you a little tense. Don't be overly critical of yourself, but do be honest. Keep your expectations realistic, a thousand dollar set up rarely yeilds million dollar results. Above all, have fun while learning and don't forget to laugh at yourself once in a while.

 

[Rokket]

I suggest using your ears. When you record something make sure it sounds good before moving on to the next thing. Make sure you are getting good tones and good acoustic guitar sounds. DI when available because these always sound good without taking the room into effect. When recording drums try different techniques the recorderman technique (search for it) usually works good in a bad room. Always listen to everything after recording it to make sure it sounds good.

Thats all I can really tell you. Youll have fun even if you dont get the picture perfect professional sound.

I agree with everything you said exept that. DI is good for bass, not so good for guitars, especially acoustic guitars. If you have no experience with mixing, you will be slamming your head against a wall trying to get them to sound right.

You can close mic your guitar amps and your acoustics and take the room out of the picture. Keep reading on here, especially in this forum, and you will find different techniques for mic'ing your amps and guitars.

Above all, like everyone else was saying, have fun with it. If it's not fun, you should be looking for a real day job, right?

 

[Rokket]

By all means record yourself and your band as often as you can. Find another band to record also. I find recording another band much easier than recording my own, and a great way to develope the skills of recording. Get a notebook and write down the things that work and the ones that don't. When you record a track that you like, make notes of exactly what you did, mic placement, which mic, settings, etc... When a track doesn't sound right, learn from your mistakes. Learn to relax, something about recording yourself will often make you a little tense. Don't be overly critical of yourself, but do be honest. Keep your expectations realistic, a thousand dollar set up rarely yeilds million dollar results. Above all, have fun while learning and don't forget to laugh at yourself once in a while.

GIGO... garbage in. garbage out. It doesn't matter if you are recording in a million dollar studio or you laptop at home on a $100 interface. If you are making good music, and you have a clue or two how to mix it, it's going to sound nice. If you are recording crap, it's going to sound like crap, even in a big studio.
The key is in the songs and how tight you are as a band. If you have it together, it will come out in the recordings as you progress with that. Then a thousand dollar set up will yield million dollar results!

 

[Rokket]

GIGO... garbage in. garbage out. It doesn't matter if you are recording in a million dollar studio or you laptop at home on a $100 interface. If you are making good music, and you have a clue or two how to mix it, it's going to sound nice. If you are recording crap, it's going to sound like crap, even in a big studio.
The key is in the songs and how tight you are as a band. If you have it together, it will come out in the recordings as you progress with that. Then a thousand dollar set up will yield million dollar results!

Of course, I am not saying that you can match the volume and clarity of a big studio, but pure volume doesn't define a good mix.