Recording Advice

[Mentor]

Hey all.

I'm just looking to see if i mght have forgotten something, or if you think there should be something i should know.

I've done sound engineering (if that is the right word, operating PA's for people) for a while now and have done the occational home recording (nothing too flash, home mic, guitar, etc) with cool edit pro 2.1

I'm going to help my friend record a cd by hopefully combinding these two skills. Its just steel string acoustic, and vocals (recorded seperately).

I'm using a Peavey XR-684 Powered Mixer
2x 15" peavey speakers (if needed)
1x 12" ashton foldback
1x Condensor mic (unsure what brand. similar to this condensor mike, except blue. It'll be running on phantom power.
1x Computer (using a hercules fortissimo 7.1)
1+ x uni-directional mic's

I'm thinking of setting up the condensor microphone at around 1 meter distance from the accoustic amp, and the uni-directional up near the cone (at the sweet spot).

I'll plug these into channel's 1 and 2 into the XR684 using the 3 pin connections and assign channel 1 to left, and channel 2 to right.

Have the left and right outputs into the computers line input (using left mono, right mono into computer stereo) and assign the computers left and right imputs to record on different tracks in CEP 2.1.

The guitarist will be using some good headphones to listen to what they are playing (and the quiet, non recorded metronome from CEP playing to keep everything in perfect time).

For the vocals, i'm thinking of just using the condensor microphone as it has an excelent frequency range and a huge diaphram.

One thing i'm not quite sure on is what level to set the XR684 on. should i set it so the computers input is around -8db or so? (with peak being at 0db)

Also, what sample rate do i record in. I've always just done 48,000 @ 16 bit cause its only been me listeing to my own stuff. I'm looking for excelent quality recording. CEP 2.1 goes from 6000 to 192000, and 8, 16 and 32(float) bit rates.

Any tips, tweeks, advice you could give would be mostly appreciated. Thanks all

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Mentor,

It sounds like you have most of the bases covered pretty well. Don't be afraid to expiriment a bit with microphone placement and choice. What you describe may work perectly, or it may be that just switching mics, or keeping the same mics but moving them just a few inches or a few degrees turns the sound ypsaide down (in a good way ). Play around a bit with thta, especially if you're not completly happy with the original setup.

As far as the gain staging, you should set it up so you're riding the mixer at it optimal performance levels. Assumedly that would be with peaks somewhere around 0dBVU, plus or minus a hair. Running that out to your card, with your input mixer in CEP set to unity, you should be coming in and peaking at somwhere around -6dBFS to -9dBFS on the digital side. If not, adjust the imput gains so that you are somewhere in that area. You want to leave yourself some digital headroom to be able to stretch out in and work with during mixing and mastering.

On recording resolution you'll get varying opinions on the sample rate as to whether it's worth much going above 44.1k to 96k. But here's one guy's opinion: If you're using CEP's sample rate converter (and not a top shelf SRC), I'd recommend staying off of 48K unless you're doing audio for video. The extra air that 48k can give you may not be worth the cost of conversion unless your converters make that a non-issue. As far as 96k vs. 44.1k, the difference for this kind of recording is questionable. First off, your use of a PA mixer and it's pres will already constrain your fidelity to the point where 96k will just be a more accurate reproduction of very constrained fidelity. Plus 96k will eat up your hard drive space and CPU cycles faster than Oprah on a baked ham. If your DAW computer isn't up to the task, your mixing could be a slow process. It's up to you if you have the computer resources to spare, but I'd probably say that sample rate will be far from the weakest point in the signal chain, and stick to 44.1 to keep it clean and simple.

Your bit depth is a different story. There you'll want to record and mix at a full 32 bits and save the dithering to 16bit for when you're ready to print to CD. CEP and it's associated third-party plugins almost all do their mathematical processing at 32 bits, use every bit. I don't think you'll get much, if any, disagreement from anyone on that one.

HTH,

G.

 

[xmissxmurderx]

hey

how do you record i have a computer mic i just want to record things on to the computer how could i do that ? please write back it would be very helpful &heart;kara

 

[gummblefish]

how do you record i have a computer mic i just want to record things on to the computer how could i do that ? please write back it would be very helpful &heart;kara

A little bit more info would be needed to determine that!

1. What are you wanting to record?

2.When you say you have a computer mic, is it built into the computer or a separate mic?

3. What software have you to record onto?

4. what are you hoping to achieve?

Thanks!

 

[xmissxmurderx]

hey

A little bit more info would be needed to determine that!

1. What are you wanting to record?

2.When you say you have a computer mic, is it built into the computer or a separate mic?

3. What software have you to record onto?

4. what are you hoping to achieve?

Thanks!

thanx for replying ok its a mic that is seprate but it plugs in to the computer i want to record music so i can put it on my IPOD-> a.k.a(MP3) ♥kara

 

[gummblefish]

thanx for replying ok its a mic that is seprate but it plugs in to the computer i want to record music so i can put it on my IPOD-> a.k.a(MP3) ♥kara

I know this is that other guys thread, but i figure southside has that pretty much sown up as usuall so i hope he dosent mind me chiming in on this question. In future you should make you own thread, it will be better and you will get more replies, looks like people have been giving you negative rep already.

Ok, you need to get some software to record on to. there is some good free stuff out there that will do this. You could, if you wanted to get serious, buy a soundcard or interface that is dedicated to recording int his manner. Some can be got for reasonably cheap and come with software.


Next you need to work out what you want to record, maybe its a guitar and vocals or some variation, i dont know. The key thing here is that you need to have software to record with and then experiement with recording techniques. There really is too much for me to tell you without specific information on what the source is you are recording. This is a good place to learn recording tricks and tips.

 

[xmissxmurderx]

I know this is that other guys thread, but i figure southside has that pretty much sown up as usuall so i hope he dosent mind me chiming in on this question. In future you should make you own thread, it will be better and you will get more replies, looks like people have been giving you negative rep already.

Ok, you need to get some software to record on to. there is some good free stuff out there that will do this. You could, if you wanted to get serious, buy a soundcard or interface that is dedicated to recording int his manner. Some can be got for reasonably cheap and come with software.


Next you need to work out what you want to record, maybe its a guitar and vocals or some variation, i dont know. The key thing here is that you need to have software to record with and then experiement with recording techniques. There really is too much for me to tell you without specific information on what the source is you are recording. This is a good place to learn recording tricks and tips.

i unerstand completly but the music i want to relpy is on the computer already it is at http://www.myspace.com/dropouthigh but it can't be downloaded from that site so i was gonna record on to a site or somthing and download it so i can have it for my IPOD thats it but i don't know how to record on to the computer from a mic. thanx alot

 

[gummblefish]

i unerstand completly but the music i want to relpy is on the computer already it is at http://www.myspace.com/dropouthigh but it can't be downloaded from that site so i was gonna record on to a site or somthing and download it so i can have it for my IPOD thats it but i don't know how to record on to the computer from a mic. thanx alot

Im sure you are aware of laws relating to this! The band in question havent alowed their song to be downloaded, for this reason it would be illegal to make bootleg copies of the songs, even if you think its innocent enough. Also it would be very unwise to record using a microphone.

 

[suntzu1982]

i think you're lost.

 

[xmissxmurderx]

i think you're lost.

how am i lost by the way i did not know it was illegal now i know which sucks cause thats like the best band ever and the only way to get their cd is to go to a show and they only play in P.A which is a bummer cause they are the best they only came down here once me not knowing i sould have bought a cd o well thanx for the advice

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

how am i lost by the way i did not know it was illegal now i know which sucks cause thats like the best band ever and the only way to get their cd is to go to a show and they only play in P.A which is a bummer cause they are the best they only came down here once me not knowing i sould have bought a cd o well thanx for the advice

I'll bet if you e-mailed them and told them you were a 17 yr old miss named kara and put hearts all over the e-mail, that the band would work something out to get you a signed CD.

G.

 

[gummblefish]

I'll bet if you e-mailed them and told them you were a 17 yr old miss named kara and put hearts all over the e-mail, that the band would work something out to get you a signed CD.

G.

weird thing is southside, when she first came in here she was 13

 

[avieth]

You could use audacity and set the recording device to Stereo Mix, or Master, which ever one appears.Then play the song, then export the file to MP3 from the File menu. I'm not sure? Might wanna try it? Maybe it'll work? Don't tell the authorities, if it's actually illegal. Seems like a shite band though

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

weird thing is southside, when she first came in here she was 13

Well, then, if Gary Glitter is in the band, she's golden!

G.

 

[gummblefish]

Well, then, if Gary Glitter is in the band, she's golden!

G.

Brilliant,!!!!

Imagine a paedo supergroup

Gary gliter
Johnathan King
Pete townsend (allegedly)
Micheal Jackson (definetly)

The would be called The shrub Rocketeers

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

... a.k.a. Spike's Prison Bitches

G.

 

[TragikRemix]

its very scary.... she reminds me of my ex who now lives in florida...

thats something she would do...

im sure if you go to there website, the cd is availible, with a link to something like cdbaby.com