My first recordings

[PokerDude422]

Hey everyone I just started up my home recording studio and I have recently recorded a 9 song album for a band. Here are a few of their songs. Tell me what you guys think as far as the recording quality goes and what I need to work on and how it could be improved.

 

[Shout It Out]

I'd start with the guitars...if they are your first ones, the vocals and drums are good for a first timer you got a driving snare and vocals aren't done so bad...

If I had to guess, I'd say you did line in guitars, I'd go with miking them. Def. mic em!

Way better than when i started!

 

[PokerDude422]

yeah i did line in on the guitars, i thought that was how it was done, well ill have to start micing them, ill need a different mic for that though, anyone got any good recommendations on mics for guitar amps and bass amps?

I have a AKG C2000B mic for the vocals and i messed around with reverb and they turned out pretty nice i guess thanks for the help man ill mic the guitars next time

 

[Shout It Out]

Go with a SM-57! Cheap and Effective. As for bass, I liek to line in, but you will want to get a Direct box for that, or ask another person for a good idea for a Mic on Bass.

 

[PokerDude422]

what exactly is a direct box and what does it do?

 

[NYMorningstar]

Hey Poker dude. Welcome to the BBS. I only gave a brief listen to the first tune. The song is movin and has lots of potential but a few audio problems. Try posting your songs in the clinic...
https://homerecording.com/bbs/forumdisplay.php?f=15
You'll get many more responses there

 

[PokerDude422]

ok will do thanks

 

[innerg]

D/I Box

As you probably know the best way to record is clean and dry, a D/I box will allow you to go from bass guitar to D/I to console(nice and clean)
note: also use on acoustic guitars.

 

[PokerDude422]

ive been reading up on direct boxes and on another forum someone told me to combine a direct box with micing the amp but i dont know exactly how i am supposed to do that

 

[jonnyc]

ive been reading up on direct boxes and on another forum someone told me to combine a direct box with micing the amp but i dont know exactly how i am supposed to do that

They just mean layering probably. Record your amp then record the same thing line in. Will give you different tones and layering, if done correctly, generally always sounds good. You probably don't need a direct box so I wouldn't bother with that at this time, just mic up your amp for now.

 

[DrJones]

They just mean layering probably. Record your amp then record the same thing line in. Will give you different tones and layering, if done correctly, generally always sounds good. You probably don't need a direct box so I wouldn't bother with that at this time, just mic up your amp for now.

You can do both at the same time by a direct out from the amp head(either xlr out or D/I from pre out) and a D/I from your bass guitar. This will give you 2 excellent workable bass tracks. Sometimes you need 2 D/I boxes. If you decide to mic a bass amp (which I do not recomend) use an AKG D112 or somthing similiar.

Good Luck!

 

[PokerDude422]

You can do both at the same time by a direct out from the amp head(either xlr out or D/I from pre out) and a D/I from your bass guitar.

hmm ill have to check that out, i think thats what the guy on the other forum was trying to tell me to do ill look into some direct boxes, a lot of people have recommended a palmer box called 'the junction'

 

[gcapel]

If there is a bass guitar I don't hear it except for the the chorus cookie monster bit.

I would light'n up on the verb in the vocal tracks.

A 57 would be fine on your guitar cab(s). The guitar level is a bit low as well as the kick.

Your snare sound is good .

I notice some level problems on the overhead mics. I would patch in some compression on your over heads to even out some of the cymbol hits.

On this type of music you really don't want it to sound crystal clear hi fi .

I really dislike the cookie monster vocals. He sounds like he is really trying hard. I would bring down that bit a little. I love the other vocals.

These comments aren't the gospel. Just my personal suggestions.

Have fun

 

[PokerDude422]

i just did some more recordings today of a different band and i was using an SM57 and i tried to mic the amp but it sounded horrible and i couldnt get it right at all so i ended up recording line in again

 

[drossfile]

i just did some more recordings today of a different band and i was using an SM57 and i tried to mic the amp but it sounded horrible and i couldnt get it right at all so i ended up recording line in again

I've never found any "sweet spot" on any amp from any microphone ever--it's always so frigging muddy. so i've completely abandoned miking amps. The solution to direct recording is Line6 modeling technology. Phenomenal stuff. I run stereo channels out of my podxt/podxtlive units to the 12-track, panned at various degrees of right and left (for better "mix sitting") for all guitar and bass tracks, and my tone and presence has never been better. of course, that's because i have a home studio and not a pro one. but your guitars definitely sound the way mine used to--thin and electrical rather than full and live. the vocals are pretty good, and the snare is nice and fat. may want to trim hi freqs on the drum OHs, and the kick could use some work. what is your mic setup on the drums?

 

[PokerDude422]

for those recordings i was using a set of nady drum mics i had borrowoed for my friend, i wasnt too pleased with the sound on the bass drum but i just got myself a set of CAD drum mics for 200 that are great

 

[drossfile]

for those recordings i was using a set of nady drum mics i had borrowoed for my friend, i wasnt too pleased with the sound on the bass drum but i just got myself a set of CAD drum mics for 200 that are great

you may have gotten the same set i'm using: is it (3) TSM-411s, (2) ICM-417, and (1) KBM-something or another, can't remember--it was the low freq mic...but i got this set in a silver case for around 200 used, and i'm fairly happy with them. they're not neumanns or rodes or anything, but on my current budget, it's the best sound i've achieved. if this is the set you have, you're off to a flying start. keep doing what you're doing on the snare (i'm assuming you have an sm57 on it), and the next mic you'll want to invest in is an akg d112 for kick (it's next on my list in fact, i'm currently using a d550, which is ok, but it's no 112).

 

[PokerDude422]

i am just using the snare mic that came in that drum package, its proboly the same one you are using, might just be how i equalized it,

also i have two more recordings i just finished the other day tell me what you guys think of these

the first one seems pretty good to me but the second one needs definite work

 

[NYMorningstar]

I've never found any "sweet spot" on any amp from any microphone ever--it's always so frigging muddy. so i've completely abandoned miking amps. The solution to direct recording is Line6 modeling technology. Phenomenal stuff. I run stereo channels out of my podxt/podxtlive units to the 12-track, panned at various degrees of right and left (for better "mix sitting") for all guitar and bass tracks, and my tone and presence has never been better. of course, that's because i have a home studio and not a pro one. but your guitars definitely sound the way mine used to--thin and electrical rather than full and live. the vocals are pretty good, and the snare is nice and fat. may want to trim hi freqs on the drum OHs, and the kick could use some work. what is your mic setup on the drums?

Nobody likes a quitter. Line6 isn't the endall answer to the problem and certainly isn't the best direct in available.

If you can't get a good sound micing an amp then you either have bad mics, bad mic pre's, a bad amp, a good amp set up bad, a bad room, poor mic position or a combination of all of it. It could be just a lack of understanding on how to process the sound properly using compression and EQ. Because you're having difficulty in getting a good sound doesn't mean you should switch hit.

The best guitar sound 'can' be achieved by micing the amp and when you cop out to a line6, your just quitting on learning how to get that sound. You should keep working at it until you get a good sound from micing the amp and then switch if you prefer the Line6 but my guess is you won't.

 

[drossfile]

easy, greasy...

Nobody likes a quitter. Line6 isn't the endall answer to the problem and certainly isn't the best direct in available.

If you can't get a good sound micing an amp then you either have bad mics, bad mic pre's, a bad amp, a good amp set up bad, a bad room, poor mic position or a combination of all of it. It could be just a lack of understanding on how to process the sound properly using compression and EQ. Because you're having difficulty in getting a good sound doesn't mean you should switch hit.

The best guitar sound 'can' be achieved by micing the amp and when you cop out to a line6, your just quitting on learning how to get that sound. You should keep working at it until you get a good sound from micing the amp and then switch if you prefer the Line6 but my guess is you won't.

well, i'm building my studio and my skill one step at a time here, and i had a choice of spending 400 on a good guitar fx unit (which i needed anyway) that could also be a recording solution for now, or, i could still be waiting to save up the 40 million dollars to get a good amp, cabinet, mic, pre, compressor, and a good fx unit. so, since i'd like to get the most out of my recordings for right now, on my current budget, this is what i'm doing. i don't have a d112 on my kick, i have a d550 that i'm making do with. i don't have a mac g4 dual running pro tools le, i have a 6-yr-old akai 12-track and a harman kardon cd burner.
you seem to have missed this sentence of my post: "of course, that's because i have a home studio and not a pro one."
so it's not a cop-out, it's the best answer for me right now. geez dude, chill.