Opinions needed...

D

deadroom

New member
I have made a few posts so far but for those that don't know me, i recently quit my job to do my home studio full time.

As many of you may feel, Im on a never ending quest for knowledge and would like for some of you to offer advice about some recent work i've done.

So you know what I am working with...
PreSonus Firepod into iMac using some decent mics, into Cubase Studio 4.

I feel like there isn't enough clarity within my individual tracks and when mixed i don't feel like the recording sounds full enough...

I was thinking its my gear, which it probably has alot to do with, but i know it has alot to do with me also.

Im a noob so anything helps. Thank you.

Here is the site where my music can be found.
www.myspace.com/deadroomstudios
 
Haven't listened (using the chain at the moment) but looking at your MS photos, you're... Um...

* Are your speakers right up near the walls?
* Are you in a corner?
* Are you setting up a mic so the singer is actually singing *towards a wall*?
* In a closet?!? In a closet with *foam* on the walls?!?
* Is that mattress foam and Auralex all over the place with not even a scrap of broadband absorption??? (those aren't "sound diffusors" hanging - Those are sheets of 2" foam - ANYTHING but diffusive).

If that's actually your current setup, it doesn't surprise me in the least that you're not happy with your recordings...
 
As I've mentioned several times I am pretty new and trying to learn a lot quickly.

Maybe some advice would be helpful if I'm doing things completly wrong as indicated...
 
Yo!

First...I'd get the monitors out of the corner and put some bass traps there. In fact, bass traps in just about every corner. The best room setup (afaik) is...say your room is 12' by 20' (just pullin numbers outta my ass here) but say it is.. the mixing station would go facing the 12' wall BUT out about 1/3 of the way into the room. Not right up against the wall. Give the monitors some room to breathe. Definitely not in corners. Corners tend to have alot of bass buildup. That's why bass traps usually go in corners.

Once you get the mixing station pulled back into the room, the tweeters are ear level. They could be already but couldn't really tell.

You've got some diffusion there, and that's good but I'd have the singer face away from the wall.

Also, not sure how the drums sound (I'm at work) but ya might consider some treatment above them an well as the corner bass traps.

Mix position and bass traps (imo) are gonna make the biggest differences in your goodz.

Tame the room , Grasshoppa.

my thoughts.......Kel
 
http://www.massivemastering.com/blog/html/blog_files/Basic_Room_Setup.html

http://www.massivemastering.com/blog/html/blog_files/Calibrating_Your_Monitoring_Chain.html

http://www.massivemastering.com/blog/html/blog_files/Proper_Audio_Recording_Levels.html

But these only scratch the tiniest surface -- And you left a job in a horrible employment situation to do something that's soooo overly saturated (negative job count of around 100:1) when you're working on the basics - - I'm not saying it can't be done (although the market says it's next to impossible) but I'd be trying to get my job back in any case. Guys I know with decades of experience and wonderfully assembled and equipped home studios are struggling to make ends meet right now. 15 years ago it was another story - Now, it's self-employment suicide.

I know it's none of my business and I'm not your dad - But to leave a job to do something with such an extremely limited customer base when you have no practical experience - I'm just looking at this pragmatically...

I'm not saying not to build up the studio - Go for it. At the very least, get it "usable" - Get a few years of experience under your belt while you fix it up and upgrade a few things (start with a whole lot of broadband trapping). Get a client base. Get the studio so busy that you need to quit your job - Not the other way around.
 
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I appreciate all the advice.

If you want to know a short version of my story, I was in the auto industry selling cars. I was selling Toyota *which is the best by the way!*, but the company I worked for kept hiring and hiring new salespeople in the absolute worst time for us sales-wise. I couldn't figure out why they would do that, and then quickly realized that if they have more people on the floor, its harder for anyone to reach NEEDED bonus levels to make it.

Long story short, I went from making 6k/month to about 2k a month in about a 3 month span. Talk about SHOCK.

I have played in various metal/hardcore bands around san antonio since i was 15 years old and know virtually anyone in the music scene around town and have a good relationship with them as well. Im about a month and a half booked at the moment, so as we speak, my crappy home studio is paying the bills which is what matters to me at the moment.
My clients have been pleased thus far, alot having to do with the fact that im doing this for super cheap...but most of my quest for more knowledge in this is to satisfy my own hunger and to finally get a nice "commercial" sound, rather than this "home studio" sound.
 
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