Ribbon MXL R144 Microphone Preamp?

Lol. Guys.

Huge breakthrough this morning. Huge, I tell ya! :) :) :) :)

I was able to rip all the backgrounds on a CD into a library. By doing a search on one selection, I found the hidden library and moved all the files to where I want them. Then I took the one in particular I want and opened it in Audacity. Viola! A pristine stereo background. Then I hit "transport overdub", then "record". I was able to monitor the background through my headset AND record as I played along. The little un-warmed up & spontaneous test I did yielded a much superior recording. I think this has enormous potential for me - as a home hobbyist.

Now I should be able to sweeten just my part a little with the Audacity editor. But that is yet a whole nuther discovery process.

Anyway, Steen: You were absolutely correct. So far, it's child's-play. The HARD part was ripping and capturing the background files I wanted in 320 bit-rate mp3 files.

Amazing what a good night's rest can do for me. Now it is on to recording this afternoon, after my chops have limbered up. Can't wait!

Thanks guys and I'll have a few thousand more words to say in future updates.

Geezer
 
Well done mate. Well done Paul too.
Now your getting somewhere.
Its a steep learning curve but a rewarding one.
You read stuff. you try it. You read a counter argument and do some research.
Welcome to the circus Geeza.
It's a great place to be.
 
Thanks for all the help guys!

To recap:

Here is my "analog" effort:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/103725033/If I Didn't Have You.mp3

Here is my "digital effort:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/103725033/If I Didn't Have You Test1.mp3

I hear a LOT more clarity in the background music and some additional clarity in my solo track.

Now that I'm doing it correctly, improvements can follow. Someday I may add my own harmony tracks, but that is getting ahead of myself for the moment.

Question: Now that the solo track is a separate track, are there some easy enhancements I can do? I already did a gain boost on it of 6 db's and I tinkered with the volume on the background tracks to get it all balanced before I saved it.

Or are we basically done with this thread and I should find or start a thread in a category of - what? - Editing?

Thanks!

Geezer
 
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There it is! The difference in sound is great. :)

There's one thing that stands out to me though. Your trombone part seems to be late in the 'digital' version.
Given the timing difference between the two efforts, I very much doubt it's you.
Maybe there's a recorded delay?

If it's as simple as that, you could compensate by lining everything up after recording.
You shouldn't have to do that though. Maybe there's more to it?
 
Steenamaroo said:
There it is! The difference in sound is great. :)

There's one thing that stands out to me though. Your trombone part seems to be late in the 'digital' version.
Given the timing difference between the two efforts, I very much doubt it's you.
Maybe there's a recorded delay?

If it's as simple as that, you could compensate by lining everything up after recording.
You shouldn't have to do that though. Maybe there's more to it?
Click to expand...


I like how the background music surrounds my playing - like I was actually standing in front of a big band.

You noticed that late thing, too. It could be me getting used to the headphones, but I was consistently late. I'll have to keep my ear on that as I go along.

Thanks again,

Geezer
 
Ah, we are getting into the issues with latency, and monitoring through your interface.

Probably is time to start a new thread, that way it can help out others with this new direction you are moving to...

Audacity may have limitation. Well, I know it does, but not sure if it is cause of the delayed track issue you are having, or if it is the etup you have with your interface.

I can easily give you step by step direction to using Cubase. :)
 
jimmys69 said:
Ah, we are getting into the issues with latency, and monitoring through your interface.

Probably is time to start a new thread, that way it can help out others with this new direction you are moving to...

Audacity may have limitation. Well, I know it does, but not sure if it is cause of the delayed track issue you are having, or if it is the etup you have with your interface.

I can easily give you step by step direction to using Cubase. :)
Click to expand...

It's me. I did some more testing. I need to concentrate on my right ear a little more. :) :) :) :) I have the left 'phone off my ear so I can hear myself playing a little better. Still sounds like I'm playing inside a tincan when I record this way, but I'll get used to it.

I took a sneak peek at Cubase and it looks like a monster - just like Band-In-A-Box.

Turns out I can't register Cubase. It's waaaaaaaaay too complicated of a process. I tried twice and now both of my email addresses are tied up in their system and they won't let me have a do-over.

I'll have to stick with Audacity. The real issue is for me to get me to sound better. That's an issue I have with my horn, not with recording.

Thanks,
Geezer
 
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Geezerhorn said:
It's me. I did some more testing. I need to concentrate on my right ear a little more. :) :) :) :) I have the left 'phone off my ear so I can hear myself playing a little better. Still sounds like I'm playing inside a tincan when I record this way, but I'll get used to it.

Geezer
Click to expand...

If you haven't already, try muting the trombone track whilst recording.
There's no real need to hear it through the headphones.
 
Geezerhorn said:
It's me. I did some more testing. I need to concentrate on my right ear a little more. :) :) :) :) I have the left 'phone off my ear so I can hear myself playing a little better. Still sounds like I'm playing inside a tincan when I record this way, but I'll get used to it.

I took a sneak peek at Cubase and it looks like a monster - just like Band-In-A-Box.

Turns out I can't register Cubase. It's waaaaaaaaay too complicated of a process. I tried twice and now both of my email addresses are tied up in their system and they won't let me have a do-over.

I'll have to stick with Audacity. The real issue is for me to get me to sound better. That's an issue I have with my horn, not with recording.

Thanks,
Geezer
Click to expand...

Yeah, man. Steinberg can be a pain in the ass, if someone doesn't lead you through it. It seems a runaround of confusion when simply registering your product.... It really isn't that though. It is just the way they secure the product license to you, that makes it confusing. Copy this/paste that to there/blah blah...

After my (seemingly) life threatening experience a few years ago (with Steinberg), I thought I would never get it registered. But once I got it, it just made sense. :)

If you decide to try again, I will make it easy for you to register-or at least get Cubase up and running for you to make your own decision. There are many other DAW's you may want to look at as well. They don't come with 'my' smiling face of helpfulness though. LMAO!

Reaper is recommended by many here as well. Helpful members here, would help you with that program as well.
 
Steenamaroo said:
If you haven't already, try muting the trombone track whilst recording.
There's no real need to hear it through the headphones.
Click to expand...

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh! So THAT's the funky tin-can sound I'm hearing while I'm trying to play! I thought it was some kind of blow-back from the mic into my face. :) :) :) :)

Thanks!

Geezer
 
jimmys69 said:
Yeah, man. Steinberg can be a pain in the ass, if someone doesn't lead you through it. It seems a runaround of confusion when simply registering your product.... It really isn't that though. It is just the way they secure the product license to you, that makes it confusing. Copy this/paste that to there/blah blah...

After my (seemingly) life threatening experience a few years ago (with Steinberg), I thought I would never get it registered. But once I got it, it just made sense. :)

If you decide to try again, I will make it easy for you to register-or at least get Cubase up and running for you to make your own decision. There are many other DAW's you may want to look at as well. They don't come with 'my' smiling face of helpfulness though. LMAO!

Reaper is recommended by many here as well. Helpful members here, would help you with that program as well.
Click to expand...

It really seems quite unnecessary to me to have to jump through all those hoops when registering. I've never had to do that before with ANYTHING.

I'm un-installing Cubase. I don't want to play tag with any manufacturer who would want to put their customers through that morass.

I think Audacity is adequate for my needs. I think I mentioned that the onus is on ME to sound better and that will give me a better final product.

But I'll look into Reaper as well. Nothing to lose looking. :) :) :) :)

OBTW, everyone so far who I played both recordings for likes the "digital" or "studio" recording far, far better than my "analog" or "jamming" recording. That really is a no-brainer. :) :) :) :)

You guys got me going on the right "track" and I've talked this forum up to my peers. :) :) :) :)

Thanks for your help!

Geezer
 
Geezerhorn said:
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh! So THAT's the funky tin-can sound I'm hearing while I'm trying to play! I thought it was some kind of blow-back from the mic into my face. :) :) :) :)

Thanks!

Geezer
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's probably it.

Without getting into too much detail, the signal from the mic goes into the PC, the pc thinks about it, then sends it out the headphones.
That makes the signal late. It's called latency.

For most scenarios you'd want to adjust some settings to reduce this problem, but for a loud solo instrument there's no real need. :)

If there turns out to be more to this, just come back and shout, yeah?
 
I'm getting better at this every time I try. Once again, thanks for all the help & support to get me going on this.

I found out how to split a stereo track, take a track out I didn't want and clone the remaining track. Then I did my recording and it worked out nicely. I did all of this to get rid of a melody cue coming through on one channel. The other channel I kept and cloned was identical - except for the melody tone cue.

This evening I recorded the old standard, Satin Doll the way I described above. I've only been playing for one year, so I have quite a ways to go, but it's fun:




So, now that I am warmed up and turned on to the whole concept of studio recording, there will be lots to tinker with.

OBTW, I am turning some other novice trombone players whom I associate on to this home/studio recording thing. They are very interested, especially when they hear the dif between recordings. :) :) :) :)

Thanks again,

Geezer
 
Hi Geezer,
Sorry but I couldn't get any of your dropbox stuff to work and I have an account, but then I am a bit of a PC klutz!

Re Audacity: It is great for a freebie but it is limited, being just an audio editor really. Reaper is great but quite a learning curve. I suggest you try the free "MAGIX Samplitude Silver Cloud". Limited to 8 tracks but that should do you. It is in every other sense a "proper" DAW and has a very good built in MP3 encoder plus a Cloud file posting system.

Re ribbons: I understand your worries but in fact properly connected phantom power will not damage one (manufacturers put the warning in the book as an A saving lawyer thingy) The BBC has spook juice on all mic sockets ALL the time and always has had, they do not "blow" 4038's!...Still, keep +48 off but don't get paranoid about it.

It is generally thought good practice to keep ribbons vertical and I would keep it on its stand and cover it with a cloth bag. The other enemy of ribbons is ferrous particles, "tramp iron" our colonial friends have dubbed it! So keeping it on a stand, away from everything is a good idea. And yes! FFS don't take ANY bits off! "NO USER SERVICABLE PARTS INSIDE!"

Lastly for sound quality, always remember that a ribbon (well most of them) pickup as much sound at the rear of the head as in front.

Dave.
 
Cracked it! R/click "save target as.."
Satin Doll! Ooo that takes me back 40yrs+ I was a teenager with a bass guitar rig and a hardressers supplies rep that used to do business with my mum used it for a time because he was fed up with lugging an acoustic bass around the country!
I went to quite a few big band gigs with him and for a Shadsmad teenager got exposed to some "real" music.

Do you know "Cute" Neil Hefty?

Dave.
 
Hi Dave,

I may try that DAW you mentioned. Someone said we are in the middle of DAW Wars. :) :) :) :)

Someone suggested to me that I convert my solo track to an mp3 file before I mix it with the other background tracks. It's worth a try, but I don't really get it. I open wave file background tracks in Audacity and record my solo track while monitoring with a headset. When I export my finished file, it gets converted to an mp3 file. So if I open mp3 background tracks instead of wave files to record against and I convert my solo track to mp3 format, the compressed files would then be compressed again when I export. Seems like too much loss of fidelity to me.

I also read a suggestion that I am using a good mic (Ribbon) in a lousy room. Either I need to dampen the room or use a directional mic like the Heil PR-30. One guy claims he can even jam with that mic and it only picks up his solo track, provided he places his stereo speakers pointed away from it and keeps the volume down.

Nope. Don't know that person.

Thanks for the input!
Geezer
 
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