"Professional" sound...?

C

Call-Of-Ktulu

Rockaholic
I just tested out the recording me and my band just finished on a 16 track digital recorder/mixer, It sounds sorta empty and "skinny" sounding. I compared it to an mp3 on my computer and the mp3 was a lot louder and fatter. This was our first time at this, so i didn't expect it to be any better than it is.... but the quietness confuses me. In the mixdown, the sterio track was peaking at 0 db, and it even says right in the manual not to let it go any higher than that. I tried doubling tracks, but it doesn't make that much difference. As of now, the drum track is double, vocals are doubled, bass it doubled and the guitar is quadrupled. I also added a little bit of room reverb to everything. I have a shit load of effects, EQ options, and dynamics to play around with... how can i make it sound more professional?
 
they first thing i would recommend is to do some more reading. there is alot of info on this forum that you will answer your questions already. also alot of articles have been written that will really help yah out.

For us to understand more of what your hearing, you have to explain what the thin sound sounds like. There could be hundreds of reasons why it sounds thin. There is alot more to do with it then keeping the levels as close to 0 as possible without clipping.

My first theory based on what you have already said, is that you are overdoing it. One rule of thumb in recording, less is always more. Doubling everything will definately make it sound thinner. When you do a direct copy of everything like that, generally this will cause phasing in the signal, which usually makes things even disappear. Also, another big problem is that youve thickened everything up. You not leaving any space for things to come through. Only one or two things should be thickened, and ONLY if it NEEDS it. If it sounds thin in the first place, it has more to do with your tracking and the recording process than the effects and mixing.

If you for any reason feel you need to thicken something up, do it instead with a delay effect on the sends. Give the unit about a 5.4 millisecond delay and pan it a little bit off.

Reverb could also be a potentual problem with this. Reverb usually makes things sound farther away, more distant than non. If your going to use any reverb when you want it in your face, use it very sparingly, just enough to glue the mix together, and only put it on certain things.

Use effects sparingly, not even though pros just throw effects on their. Some do but they know how ;).

other than that, do some more reading around here.

danny
 
COPYING A TRACK IS NOT DOUBLING IT
COPYING A TRACK IS NOT DOUBLING IT
COPYING A TRACK IS NOT DOUBLING IT
COPYING A TRACK IS NOT DOUBLING IT
COPYING A TRACK IS NOT DOUBLING IT
COPYING A TRACK IS NOT DOUBLING IT
COPYING A TRACK IS NOT DOUBLING IT
COPYING A TRACK IS NOT DOUBLING IT

H2H
 
compressor? what the hell is that? no, just kidding. I'm about the rawest definition you could find of the word "rookie". I have no clue about sound engineering as our friend up there reinforced. Thank you for clarifying... i understand that copying is not doubling now lol. I found a compressor thing in the dynamics section of my little mixer, but dared not touch it until it was formally suggested. If you think it would help, by all means explain to me how! :) Thanks guys
 
good job, you are learning :D

There is ALOT of info about compression around here. Does your unit have any presets? Presets are a great place to start I think.

I use a freaking ton of compression, because I do radio type songs. Don't fear the compression....:)

H2H
 
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