My ears are being tricked

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Signal 9 Studio

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I am using Vegas running out of my comps sound card(regular soundblaster) into my mixer 2 channels left and right. These channels have the phantom power (preamp)on.out of the mixer into my amp for my monitors and then to my Alesis monitor two's. I just am not hearing what I think that I am. It sounds great in my studio...take it to the jam box or car. It sounds like shit. Hollow...distant. I'm not monitoring wit eq either. Any help for me? Ask questions at will if I left any vitals out...
 
1 - why are you using phantom power?? That's only for condenser mics that require it.

2 - why are you sending the soundcard output back into preamps anyways? They should be connected to a line-level source.

3 - you're using a soundblaster card - which is for games, not recording -- I'm not surprised you're unhappy with the sound!
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
1 - why are you using phantom power?? That's only for condenser mics that require it.

2 - why are you sending the soundcard output back into preamps anyways? They should be connected to a line-level source.

3 - you're using a soundblaster card - which is for games, not recording -- I'm not surprised you're unhappy with the sound!

Well, High Almighty above does have a point with the phantom power; why would you need that on? On the other hand, if He'd stopped and thought for a nano second before launching off, He'd have realized that of course you're talking about the LINE LEVEL PRES on the mixer to control monitor levels. Sounds pretty clear to me. And you've also said that everything sounds fine on the monitors in the studio, which takes the soundcard's quality out of the equation in this case.

Have you played a finished CD back though the studio monitors, just to make sure that the audio you're burning to CD is the same as what you're hearing at the time of recording? I guess you have. If this isn't the problem, it can only be your monitors or your listening room, although I've never heard of a mix sounding 'great' in the studio and 'shit' elsewhere.
 
Phase?

'Hollow and distant' sounds like the symptoms of a phase problem, which might also explain the reason why it becomes obvious on another system. Just a thought.
 
some thoughts

i guess i am a dedicated pain in the ass about this, and this is why i do the SIB thing insted of the puter.

but anyway, i had a couple of thoughts in reading your post.

1st off, Bruce is right, you don't need the phantom power turned on. It probably wont hurt anything, but you don't need it in this case.

the thing you don't really say, is what you are listening to in the studio. are you listening to the wave files from Vegas, or are you actually listening to the CD you have recorded?

i guess knowing what you are listening to will start off where in the chain things go south!
 
robin watson said:
Well, High Almighty above does have a point with the phantom power; why would you need that on? On the other hand, if He'd stopped and thought for a nano second before launching off, He'd have realized that of course you're talking about the LINE LEVEL PRES on the mixer to control monitor levels. Sounds pretty clear to me. And you've also said that everything sounds fine on the monitors in the studio, which takes the soundcard's quality out of the equation in this case.

Have you played a finished CD back though the studio monitors, just to make sure that the audio you're burning to CD is the same as what you're hearing at the time of recording? I guess you have. If this isn't the problem, it can only be your monitors or your listening room

So what you are saying is that the studio is fine, but the other systems he played it on just happen to coincidentaly be 'wrong' sounding? I find that a bit difficult to believe. Granted if he played it only on his car stereo there could be something funny going on there, but if other CD's sound fine the culprit is definately something in the recording room (be it equipment issues OR the room itself...).


robin watson said:
although I've never heard of a mix sounding 'great' in the studio and 'shit' elsewhere.

Maybe if you had 1/100th of Blue Bear's recording experience you'd realize how common this "phenomenon" is.

:eek:
 
Cloneboy Studio said:
So what you are saying is that the studio is fine, but the other systems he played it on just happen to coincidentaly be 'wrong' sounding? I find that a bit difficult to believe. Granted if he played it only on his car stereo there could be something funny going on there, but if other CD's sound fine the culprit is definately something in the recording room (be it equipment issues OR the room itself...).




Maybe if you had 1/100th of Blue Bear's recording experience you'd realize how common this "phenomenon" is.

:eek:


Looks like you are all high and mighty, bear. You don't even need to defend yourself because others will automatically do it for you.

I wish i had a herd of sheep.
 
eraos said:
Looks like you are all high and mighty, bear. You don't even need to defend yourself because others will automatically do it for you.

I wish i had a herd of sheep.




Blue Bear is respected on this forum because he has earned it. Like was mentioned earlier he has a tonne of studio experience, and when he posts, it focuses on the thread, never gets personnal. And his advice is usually dead on, and comes from the loads of experience that he has.


There are a few select members who visit this forum like Blue Bear who have earned respect. And they give of there time to share there knowledge, despite the fact that they seem have to answer the same questions repeatedly. And they occasionally have people making snide comments about them, because home recordists quite often like to feel more important than they are.
 
Mr Bear, if you keep rolling your eyes like that they'll get stuck that way! (Paraphrase from my mother, circa 1952.)
 
eraos said:
Looks like you are all high and mighty, bear. You don't even need to defend yourself because others will automatically do it for you.

I wish i had a herd of sheep.

Maybe if you had any expertise people would respect you, but seeing as you've "never heard of getting a mix that sounded good in the studio but didn't translate anywhere else" I'm suspecting you have close to zero real world experience.

Instead you shoot your mouth off, so don't be surprised that you get the smack down.
 
wow, i was expecting more response from my post. (it was mostly just an experiment to see how many people would jump on and tell me how envious i was of Bear and how i am a mere, unimportant i am in the world of recording).

but then there was this:

Cloneboy Studio said:
Maybe if you had any expertise people would respect you, but seeing as you've "never heard of getting a mix that sounded good in the studio but didn't translate anywhere else" I'm suspecting you have close to zero real world experience.

Instead you shoot your mouth off, so don't be surprised that you get the smack down.

and it looks like you got a little excited in your posting. i never said that quote. :eek:
 
eraos said:
wow, i was expecting more response from my post. (it was mostly just an experiment to see how many people would jump on and tell me how envious i was of Bear and how i am a mere, unimportant i am in the world of recording).

but then there was this:



and it looks like you got a little excited in your posting. i never said that quote. :eek:

I got you confused with that other doof.

Stop causing trouble you mook. :)
 
I'm almost afraid to step in here... Almost...

Anyway, have you tried taking the mix (that sounds great in the studio) and A/B'ing it against a mix that already sounds great everywhere on the same studio system?

Experience would dictate that your mix either (A) sounds very small and "distant" by comparison or (B) sounds absolutely huge by comparison. It likely won't sound like it's in the same ballpark.

This is a very common problem in home recording (and a lot of studio recording also) normally caused by a mixture of a lack of practical experience combined with somewhat inaccurate monitoring (of course, this could include the room also). I had the same problem with Monitor Two's years ago. They quickly turned into the stereo speakers in the lounge.
 
Massive just proved my earlier point. The pros stick to the thread, and give advice, while still looking out for our feelings. (Massive your so sensitive I could cry, but I won't)
 
In Tune Audio said:
(Massive your so sensitive I could cry, but I won't)
Act like you've got a pair, you pansy! :D
 

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