My Recording are really low

J

Jude2010

New member
what i mean by this is i'm not a very loud singer so when i do record they are low and yeah you're probably going to say "turn up the mic gain" but i have and its just not what i want it invites other sounds creeping in like my computer etc. and it just sound amplified and not defined if you know what i mean
i think i need compression but how would i go about using it properly without making a drastic change to the vocals
im using Sonar 8.5 P.E. btw

thanks
 
Jude2010 said:
but i have and its just not what i want it invites other sounds creeping in like my computer etc.
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With the mic gain turned down, the levels of all those "other sounds" relative to you vocal remain exactly the same as they do with the gain up... you just can't hear them so easily because everything is turned down! Applying gain in Sonar to your quiet recordings will reveal that all those noises are still there, just as strong.

Compression could help with perceived loudness / taming peaks allowing you to push levels higher, but this would also make the background sounds louder.

You really need to...
  1. Sing louder or move closer to the mic
  2. Rearrange your recording setup - exploit the polar pattern (directionality) of your microphone to reduce the pickup of other sounds
  3. Eliminate those sounds from the room
 
I agree with all said so far, but I'd also ask just which mic and preamp combo you have. Some mics put out a bit less juice than others, and some preamps don't have the muscle to pump the weaker mics up that cleanly. If you have that type of mismatch, you may just have to record at a lower volume and adjust for the difference the best you can in your mixing.

Also, if you're trying to record with your levels peaking up around 0dBFS, you're trying to record louder than you probably should anyway.

G.
 
SouthSIDE Glen said:
I agree with all said so far, but I'd also ask just which mic and preamp combo you have. Some mics put out a bit less juice than others, and some preamps don't have the muscle to pump the weaker mics up that cleanly. If you have that type of mismatch, you may just have to record at a lower volume and adjust for the difference the best you can in your mixing.

Also, if you're trying to record with your levels peaking up around 0dBFS, you're trying to record louder than you probably should anyway.


G.
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its a SE Electronics SE2200A with an Alesis IO|2 USB Interface
 
TimOBrien said:
the problem is the room.

This is why pro studios spend million$ as the room is a huge part of the recorded sound.
You need to work on fixing the acoustics.
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well its not that my computer is really loud
besides if the gain is turned up to a significant level that just means i have to stand further away from it
 
Jude2010 said:
well its not that my computer is really loud
besides if the gain is turned up to a significant level that just means i have to stand further away from it
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No, what he means is, you should try to get close to the mic and then adjust your gain from there, until you get a good level.

Like Mattr said, there's just as much noise in your recordings when you're gain is low as there is when it's high. You have to get the level right for your voice and then figure out why and where that noise is coming from.

What's your recording chain? Are you going straight into your recorder from your mic? Applying any effects while recording??? etc...

Compression will make the noise problem worse, not better.
 
Jude2010 said:
hopefully that'll remove some noise?
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I'd start by killing the noise at the source, rather than throwing money at trying to work around it.

You say your computer is noisy? Replace the fans with quiet ones. Change the case & improve the cooling. Check out quietpc.com for help.
This could work out much cheaper than a Reflexion filter, and also leave you with a nice silent computer even when you're not recording.

Alternatively, move said noisy-computer out of the room and run extension cables (lots of people seem to like this option which is why I've suggested it, but I really don't understand why... the first is a lot more logical and elegant solution).

You can also work with what you've already got... the SE2200a has a cardioid polar pattern, meaning it has good 'rejection' of sounds to the rear. Direct the null of the mic at the source of the noise (the computer?) and it will pick up less of it (in other words, aim it directly away from the noise source).
 
Jude2010 said:
its a SE Electronics SE2200A with an Alesis IO|2 USB Interface
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Based on the listed specs, the 2200A is an extremely sensitive mic, so that should not be the issue.

But a couple of switches to make sure are correctly set in your setup:

- Turn off the 10dB pad on the mic itself if it's turned on.

- That mic requires phantom power. Make sure you're using the Mic 1 jack on the Alesis, and that you have the +48v switch turned on.

G.
 
SouthSIDE Glen said:
Based on the listed specs, the 2200A is an extremely sensitive mic, so that should not be the issue.

But a couple of switches to make sure are correctly set in your setup:

- Turn off the 10dB pad on the mic itself if it's turned on.

- That mic requires phantom power. Make sure you're using the Mic 1 jack on the Alesis, and that you have the +48v switch turned on.

G.
Click to expand...

yup thats all that has been done already
btw this is when im monitoring i can hear the computer fans but when i record and play the track, solo the vocals and add as much gain as possible i can barely hear it
is that normal :?
 
i found it hard not to get mic self noise and room noise in recordings until found the best spot in the room to record (in the corner looking into a book shelf 10'x10' foot room ) to improve it for a start i made a cardboard and absorbant pad reflexion screen until i could get the real thing (budgetless studio) i hang sleeping bags on the walls (acoustic treatment rudimentary but effective) and having the null on the mic pointing to the computer and ground control helped and a decent mic pre all helped me
i still clean up the vocal tracks during the mixing stage too
i get a better results now of course i still would like that big room at abbey road but i cant afford it yet so i keep trying and learning along the way and i love recording.
 
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