R
Russell_Mania
New member
Hello, I just stumbled on this group. I've never felt the need to join an online forum, but this looks like a place I may be spending a lot of time. I'm a singer/songwriter/guitarist and I have been experimenting with making my own recordings for about a year or so, however, none of my projects have been very big and I've kept things fairly simple. About a month ago, however, I upgraded my whole recording system, so I'm trying to really take things to the next level.
To help afford all this stuff I've bought on credit (as I'm a college student who is currently unemployed) I have decided to start recording other people. Don't worry, I'm not charging much, haha. I've got a couple of groups who have come to me who play heavier metal/hardcore type music, which really isn't my thing but I want it to sound decent for them - while taking into account that I don't have countless hours to spend tweaking mic settings and getting every little detail perfect. The first song I'm working on with one of the bands is coming together, but everything sounds like it is just too far away - especially the guitars. Let me explain what I'm working with first:
Macbook pro with Pro Tools M-Powered, M-audio ProFire 610, AKG Perception 420 mic, EV N/D767a mic, and a Shure SM58.
**I also have an M-Audio Axiom 49, M-Audio monitors, Reason 4, and Logic Studio 9. Beside the monitors, however, I'm not using anything else on this project**
To record the drums, I put the AKG Perception about 5 feet back and three feet above to get an overhead sound, the EV mic in the bass drum about two inches from the head, and the SM58 positioned about 2 inches from the snare. I only had two preamps for this on the Profire, so I ended up having to compress the life out of the bass drum. I just ordered a Behringer mixer today that has four preamps, so that should resolve that problem.
On the guitar tracks, I put the EV mic pointing at the edge of the cone on a Line 6 amp, the AKG mic back in the room about 5 feet from the amp, and ran the line out of the amp directly in.
I don't know if me explaining all of that really helps with anything, but I figured I should try to be as through as I could. What I'd like to know is:
1.) Can anyone recommend any "must have" equipment that I may need (that hopefully won't cost me a ton more) that I haven't listed
2.) Can someone point me in a direction to some sort of step-by-step guide that would be a good blueprint to try to follow when I'm recording. I realize that each different situation calls for a different protocol, but just something to get me in the habit of doing things a certain way.
3.) What might I be able to do to get this stuff to sound a little more "close" in the mix?
4.) And last...the drummer had a really hard time hearing the guitar player (who was playing along with him while he laid the drums down first) who was going directly into the Profire with a Pocket Pod and I had everything wide open. If I buy another headphone amp would this help? I'm using cheap Sony "studio monitors" that you can get at Walmart. Would more expensive headphones be a lot louder or would buying a headhone amp help with this?
I apologize for this being such a long post. I hope I haven't asked too many questions. I would be glad to email anyone what I have recorded, granted that you don't chap me too much for having done a bad job haha.
Thanks,
Russell
To help afford all this stuff I've bought on credit (as I'm a college student who is currently unemployed) I have decided to start recording other people. Don't worry, I'm not charging much, haha. I've got a couple of groups who have come to me who play heavier metal/hardcore type music, which really isn't my thing but I want it to sound decent for them - while taking into account that I don't have countless hours to spend tweaking mic settings and getting every little detail perfect. The first song I'm working on with one of the bands is coming together, but everything sounds like it is just too far away - especially the guitars. Let me explain what I'm working with first:
Macbook pro with Pro Tools M-Powered, M-audio ProFire 610, AKG Perception 420 mic, EV N/D767a mic, and a Shure SM58.
**I also have an M-Audio Axiom 49, M-Audio monitors, Reason 4, and Logic Studio 9. Beside the monitors, however, I'm not using anything else on this project**
To record the drums, I put the AKG Perception about 5 feet back and three feet above to get an overhead sound, the EV mic in the bass drum about two inches from the head, and the SM58 positioned about 2 inches from the snare. I only had two preamps for this on the Profire, so I ended up having to compress the life out of the bass drum. I just ordered a Behringer mixer today that has four preamps, so that should resolve that problem.
On the guitar tracks, I put the EV mic pointing at the edge of the cone on a Line 6 amp, the AKG mic back in the room about 5 feet from the amp, and ran the line out of the amp directly in.
I don't know if me explaining all of that really helps with anything, but I figured I should try to be as through as I could. What I'd like to know is:
1.) Can anyone recommend any "must have" equipment that I may need (that hopefully won't cost me a ton more) that I haven't listed
2.) Can someone point me in a direction to some sort of step-by-step guide that would be a good blueprint to try to follow when I'm recording. I realize that each different situation calls for a different protocol, but just something to get me in the habit of doing things a certain way.
3.) What might I be able to do to get this stuff to sound a little more "close" in the mix?
4.) And last...the drummer had a really hard time hearing the guitar player (who was playing along with him while he laid the drums down first) who was going directly into the Profire with a Pocket Pod and I had everything wide open. If I buy another headphone amp would this help? I'm using cheap Sony "studio monitors" that you can get at Walmart. Would more expensive headphones be a lot louder or would buying a headhone amp help with this?
I apologize for this being such a long post. I hope I haven't asked too many questions. I would be glad to email anyone what I have recorded, granted that you don't chap me too much for having done a bad job haha.
Thanks,
Russell