My collection of newbie questions

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dextortion
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Dextortion

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Okay, so first I apologize because I have already posted some newbie questions in other sections of this forum.

So a couple more questions for you guys, so bare with me!

1.) Can someone explain mixing tracks to me? I understand how to record tracks. But I do not understand how you can record multiple times onto one track, I also don't understand how a mono track can be either left or right, when out of the speakers it sounds like just straight mono?

2.) My sound board has 4 channels. My music is all one-take singer songwriter stuff. I simply can't separate my vocals and guitar, I have to play them at the same time. So I need to record my vocals and my guitar at the same time, with my respective large diaphram and small diaphram condenser mics. Can I get each channel to be recognized as a different track? Or is that not possible. By recording at the same time will I be doomed to have that one recording always be just one "track"?

3.) My electric guitar setup is in stereo. I have two separate amps that are fed through a series of pedals, but most importantly out of my true stereo electro-harmonix polychorus. It's a great sound, I love it. With my two MXL 603's I would like to record in stereo if that is possible. My soundboard has two channels that appear to have stereo input. That input is only in the form of 1/4th inch cable. The cables I currently have are typical three prong mic cable. Will I absolutely have to get some 1/4 " cable to make an accurate stereo recording go down? Are there adapters I could get? Can a 603 be put in 1/4" jack?

I have all sorts of questions and I am sure there will be more in the future.

I am a musician not a recording technician so this is all very new to me.

Thanks a bunch guys! This forum has proven to be invaluable so far.
 
There's some information missing that would help me and others answer your questions.

1 What 'sound board' are you using? Is this just a mixer or a computer interface?

2 What are you recording onto? A Computer? A stand-alone machine?
 
Read the threads that are stickied to the top of this section of the forum on computer multitracking and 'noobs'.
 
gecko zzed said:
There's some information missing that would help me and others answer your questions.

1 What 'sound board' are you using? Is this just a mixer or a computer interface?

2 What are you recording onto? A Computer? A stand-alone machine?
Click to expand...

1.) It's just a mixer, a Peavey USB 6.

2.) I am recording into my laptop.
 
So you are connecting the Peavey to the laptop via USB,right?

What DAW are you using on the laptop?
 
The Peavey will allow you to record 2 separate tracks at one time, as it has stereo USB out - to record two separate tracks you need to pan one input left and one input right.
Use your mics with the XLR connectors in channels 1 & 2. Pan channel 1 left, channel 2 right (or vice versa).
Then set our DAW to record each as a separate track (or as left and right of a stereo track, if you prefer.
 
A multitrack mix is a collection of individually recorded tracks that are then mixed together, usually across the stereo spectrum. You are not recording multiple times on one track.

The left / right thing is sometimes related to the way the signal is routed into your system - in mine, I have to pan individual tracks hard L or R as INPUTS to make it all work as intended. I then pan them where I want them for MONITORING and MIXING.

Forget the terms MONO and STEREO when recording your tracks. You're either using one source or two sources. Think about it... you have a stereo pedal - what if you fed one output of that stereo pedal into another pedal which was also stereo and then had three amplifiers? What are you going to call that? Trireo? No. You're just recording multiple sources, which you can then pan wherever you like in the stereo field when mixing. Including on top of each other. Mono again? No, just multiple sources panned on top of each other. Worry about the term "stereo" when you're mixing your tracks.

You CAN record your guitar and vocal separately, you just aren't. The overwhelming majority of pop/rock music is recorded multitracked via separate channels. There's nothing wrong with a purist viewpoint and doing what you're doing, but it imposes limitations. Try panning your two guitar mics L and R and your vocal mic down the centre. That's as good as it's going to get for you.

I don't buy the "I can't sign without playing / play without singing" argument, or the "I'm just a musician, not a recording technician" bit either.

If you're a musician, it would behove you to master your craft a bit more and learn the skills that will enable you to express yourself more completely. At the moment, you're limited by your skill and technique - you're not making a conscious decision to record au naturel with guitar and voice at the same time, you just don't have any other options. Learn how. You won't regret it.

Everyone here, with a few exceptions being people who are primarily studio owning/working people, is 'just a musician not a recording technician' - we all started somewhere and learnt. You can too. It ain't rocket surgery. Everyone here is very helpful. We'll all pitch in, just help yourself a bit first by doing some reading....

MXL603s are condenser microphones requiring phantom power so you'll need to use an XLR cable to feed them that power or they won't work at all. You say you have other condensers so you must be across this concept. 1/4 inch won't work. If your mixer doesn't have the requisite inputs, then I suggest you read all the threads recommended already and buy yourself an AUDIO INTERFACE with, if you continue on the path you're on at least for a little while, at least 3 XLR phantom powered input channels with preamps. Mixers are useful things. I have one. Never used it for recording though.

Good luck.
 
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