Please help me...

[DemonicGoldfish]

Hi guys. I am glad somone made this site, it is a great site. however, i found i couldn't understand what the FAQ was talking about . I have a band, and we have some good songs, and i want to record these. One of my mates has a spare room which he will let us use, and I have sorted out most of the digital aspects of home recording. Now I just need to know how to go about the actual physical studio.

I want decent sound quality, but i get the feeling that we would mess it up if we tried recording the separate instruments. so i want a setup which will let us all playing (as if performing) get a good track recorded.

I mainly need to know this -

I need to know what mics to use - I basically deciphered from the FAQ that there are ribbon, dynamic and condenser mics. We have keyboard, bass guitar (thats me ) lead guitar, vocals and drums. I intend to record the guitar, bass and keyboard off the amps, but i need to know if this will seriously compromise my sound quality.

what mics should i use? i am a bit skinned for cash, but plan to raise a bit off eBay. we jst need a decent, budget sound setup. we need to know what exactly to do and not to do to stop our mics messing up (I read in the FAQ not to let air/bass drum kick into the mic directly).

I also need to know how to get the best sound quality out of the mics without spending extra cash - positioning, amps, etc.

PLEASE HELP ME I NEED IT!!!

cheers, DG

 

[Dr Biscuits]

Hey DG - There's lots of info on the very questions you're asking in the forums - I'd try doing a 'search' for what you're after rather than the FAQ.
That said, I will say that for a beginner it's probably easier to get a workable/controlable sound if you multitrack (record each track separately) rather than all at once as a band because you don't have to worry about isolation issues, and you get the added bonus that it's cheaper equipment wise (you don't need as many mic's/inputs/preamps etc) so I wouldn't rule out that option. If you're worried about being able to keep time with each other, you can use a metronome on one track, or record the drums first and everyone follows.
If you still want to record as a band all at once (and there are artistic reasons for wanting to do this) you certainly can, it's up to you.
Good luck

 

[DemonicGoldfish]

thanks, I will try a bit of multi tracking. but what mics are best to use for this sort of thing? should i use several mics to pick up the drum kit? what mics are best for bass drum, snare, ride etc.? and is it a better idea to use a mic to pick sound off an amp, or to use a jack to run the signals straight into the mixing software? does it make a perceptible difference to sound quality? if so, does the quality bonus outweigh the fact that you cannot hear yourself play?

 

[Dr Biscuits]

There's VOLUMES of advice on mic selection, drum mic'ing etc on the site - do a search and you'll find lots of info.
Personally, I like to use as few drum mic's as possible (usually 4 - kick, snare and 2 overheads) and I prefer the sound of a mic'ed guitar amp... but it all depends on what kind of sound you're after, the style of music, etc - everyone has a different way they like to do things - good luck!

 

[DemonicGoldfish]

Cheers mate

I have noticed everyone talking about "phantom power". The FAQ says everything there is to say about phantom power, except what the hell it actually is lol So I need to know what exactly phantom power is, and why it is important.

 

[Love & Light]

Some mics (more specifically condensors) require a shot up the ass to work, i.e. some sort of power source. Unlike dynamic mics where you can justy plug in and away you go, condensors need either an in-built battery or power direct from the mixer or a pre-amp.

 

[DemonicGoldfish]

ah, i see. and will i have to buy a mixing board if i intend to multitrack songs?

 

[Love & Light]

ah, i see. and will i have to buy a mixing board if i intend to multitrack songs?

Not necessarily. Depending on the type of multi-tracker you get you could buy a wee pre-amp (with phantom power) for your condensors. Plus, although Im still a newbie myself, Im pretty sure there are multi-trackers out there with phantom power.

I would advise spending a day or two reading posts in this section. Im sure all your questions will have been asked before. Best of luck with it all anyway!

 

[DemonicGoldfish]

cheers I will look at teh other posts now

well ive searched through the threads that looked useful, but I didn't find anything,k or if I did i jsut didn't understand it lol

so I will have to post here. there might be an answer out htere that i just don't understand.

I have basically worked out that I will need a Decent spec PC, good mixing software, a spare room, mics, and i have been hearing all this about phantom power and preamps. Is it that mixers do more than just change the volume for various channels? do they supply phantom power? what is all this i hear about a preamp? I will show you a list of what i have, and will someone tell me what I am missing -

spare room
mixing software (or i can get it easily at any rate)
PC w CD burner
a hell of a lot of spare CD's
Amps
yes, i do realize that i dont have any mics advice on these would be useful

I need to know what exactly else i need.

 

[cpl_crud]

Mixer- a device to combine signals in a pleasing manner. Some of these have phantom power, some do not. You really have to read the specs to find out if it does or doesn't. Practically all mixers have a number of preamps in them.

Pre-amp- a device that amplifies the signal from "mic" level to "line" level. This is needed so that the signal from a microphone can be adjusted and recorded without major distortion. They come in a wide variety of forms, and almost all will provide phantom power.

Phantom power- A DC voltage applied to pins 2 and 3 of a microphone so that the microphone can use internal electronics. Usually only found in condensor mics, there are a few phantom powered dynamic and ribbon mics.

Mic Level- a signal that is approximately 20dB down form a line signal.

Line level- there are two flavours of Line level- +4dBV and -10dBV (where 0dBV= 1.77V (from memory, may be a bit off here, soz)). This is the normal level of a signal for mixing/effects/recording.

Condensor mic- a microphone that uses the varing capicatance of a metallic diaphram to convert changes in pressure into electrical signals

Dynamic mic- a microphone that uses electrodynamics to convert pressure into an electronic signal, specifically a moving magnet in a static coil.

Ribbon Mic- another mic that uses electrodynamics, however in this case it is a metallic ribbon that moves in a static magnetic feild.


Right then, how is that going to help you?
Probably not a lot.

If I were you, i'd get myself an 8-way preamp that can record directly onto your computer, like a firepod, some mics, some decent software, some monitors, and some room acoustics.
A quick read through the other fotrums should point you in the right direction as to which types of each of the above you should get.

 

[DemonicGoldfish]

cheers this is great info

so i don't need to bother with a mixer just yet. I will do some research into this firepod.

By monitors, do you mean like PC monitors, or some weird technical recording term?

 

[cpl_crud]

Yeah, it's a weird technical term, meaning "Speakers".
In the low end case, the difference between "speakers" and "monitors" is really quite low.
However, the "ideal" monitor will give you a true representation of what your mixing. The reason for this is that every sound system is different, but if you mix to a "neutral" system (ie one that doesn't add any "colour" (read-tone) to your sound) then, theoritically, it should sound OK on the majority of sound systems.

If that makes sense...

A good thread on the topic of monitors is currently raging in the mixing fourm:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=194359

The posts by Southsdie and Massive are quite true, and slam the common misconception that a set of Alesis "Monitors" are any good (although that's what I use... whatever).

 

[DemonicGoldfish]

ah I see. So a monitor is just a sort of "unbiased" speaker that gives you the "purest" sound without distorting it, so you get an idea of what your mix will sound like?

And what do I have to do about acoustics? I have seen the dodgy bent wall panels that they put up in concert halls and things. Do I need these, and if so, how much do they cost?

thanx for the help guys

 

[cpl_crud]

Yeah, pretty much spot on with the monitor discription.

As for acoustics... yeah.. those panels are roughly what you're looking for...

Acoustics is an extremely complex topic, and pretty much overlooked and not understood by the average home reccer.
A good place to start is Ethan Winter's site:
http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html
which goes over a lot of the basics, so you should find it fairly useful.

 

[DemonicGoldfish]

hey thanx I am reading it now and so far, so good! but do you know how expensive these fibreglass panels are? I will probably get some plywood to make home-made deflectors, but i need to know where to get this fibreglass and for how much?

but thanks for all the help, I now know much more than i did 2 days ago