Need your advice please

[Blor007]

Hi guys, I learned alot since I attendet this forum and I really want to thank you for this.
Enough with the suck-up, time to get to business

I got a mix here, and this needs to end up a cd wich will be printed 1000 copies, so it is verrrryy important that it sounds great.
(We can't afford mastering or going to studio)



http://users.pandora.be/blor007/Folderken/
This is my webspace, right-click to download.

These are the seperate links

Bas

Complete Song

Drums

4 Guitars

Voice





Any comments/Tips/Advice will help ALOT !!!







Gear:
Drum:Tama Rockstar Classic

KickDrum :Shure BETA52
Snare: SM57
Floor tom: SM57
JTX-C505:Tom1
JTX-C505:Tom2
Overhead: Shure SM94
Overhead: AKG C-1000

Effects:Stereo field rotate (Waves 5.0) set on overheads width: 3.0
Compression: Snare: -15 threshold 5 attack 20 release


Basguitar: Fender Jazz Bas /Direct Out on randall amp

Guitar: Gibson Les Paul Studio on Mesa Boogie Dual rectifier 4*G-12T75 speakers in Marshall case

Against the grill: SM57 in center
SM57 pointing @ center from 45 degrees

2 guitars played 2 times(so 8 guitar tracks):
1st guitar panned: track1-2:R40 en track3-4:L40
2nd guitar panned: track 5-6:L100 en track 7-8:R100


Vocals: Studio projects C1
Waves 5.0 vocal Compression (-10 Threshold)


Recorded in seperate takes on Cool edit Pro 2.0
with staudio soundcard 8 direct in's.

 

[Massive Master]

You're going to manufacture 1,000 copies of something that will never even be checked properly?

 

[Blor007]

I'm checking it

 

[Atterion]

I'm checking it

It would definitely be worth your while to have at least the duplication company double check it before it goes to print. Just because your program says "Red Book", doesn't mean that you are going to get a True Red Book CD without errors. On to your tracks (In fairness I am not listening in the studio on my good monitors, but instead a 100 watt 2.1 Computer Speaker setup, but I am pretty familiar with how most material sounds through them, and this is how your CD would sound so I guess it's better this way).

Needs a bit more presence in the guitars (Try bringing them a little closer to center, so they fill out the middle a bit more, it sounds as though you really do have quite a bit of room available in the middle for the guitars to sit nicely). A bit of Sibilance and biting "T" sounds on the vocals (Pop Screen???). Kick drum needs to be brought out a bit, it is hiding behind the Bass guitar (Which I think is the one thing that really is sitting comfortably in the mix). Vocals at the end, are bit overpowering compared to the rest of the the track, perhaps riding back on the vocal faders a bit when the back-up parts come in .

Overall a pretty decent effort. I'm not a huge fan of this style of music, but it is definitely hooky, and now it's stuck in my friggin' head.

EDIT: I really like the tuning on the snare!!!

 

[Blor007]

wow thanx really helpfull comment.

I'm wondering what does it take to get more prescense on the guitar?
Cause i think the presense knob was on 8 ( 4 o'clock) or something.

I believe the troublesome part is at 10 000 hz and beyond, this is the sparkling part. I believed this could be captured with a good condensator mic.
But everybody, even professional studio engineers are praised by the mighty sm57. I can't understand how a dynamic mic can give a warm natural sound of the higher frequencies. Is this captured by a better pre-amp ?
I'm really a newbie in this. Also I find the vocals not to be as warm. It's the vocal performance I know... but even when I hear someone with a nice warm voice talk trough the microphone it still doesn't sound like a professional recording.
Should I get closer to the mic or further? (I DID use a pop-screen)

I recorded at 44100 hz cause my pc can't handle 96000, is this my biggest mistake?


So 3 questions:
WHY SM57 and how to get a natural sound in the guitars EVEN without bas-guitar?
Vocal microphone (Studio Projects C1) any good?
How important is a good pre-amp ,how many percent of the sound?


Ps: My main idea is: everything sounds somewhat close to the same quality at 32 kbs , and my goal is to reach the same quality and clairness as a professional recording downsampled to 128kbs.
(don't laugh )

 

[Atterion]

Like I said you can probably affect the guitars with a bit of panning alone (By presence, I wasn't refering to EQ, but rather more in-your-face panning).

Try further back from the Microphone. In the parts where the "T" is really emphasized have the singers try turning there head a bit if needed (Even a good wind-screen can be inaffective against hard 'plosives, especially when that part is multiplied via additional backup parts).

SM57=Good. Period. And yes a good Pre can do worlds of wonder for you, especially one that is higher-end. They will often reveal things your mic hears that never gets translated now.

44,100 Hz should be OK as you are probably not using a whole lot of effects.

For the vocals you can try either aforementioned pre (Preferably analog for warmth), or you could try any number of software plugins, to add a bit of fuzz and warmth back (i.e. Vintage Warmer, or a freebie Tape Simulator or distressor).