Rubbish Acoustic Sound

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Snippet

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Hi,

I'm 13 and completely new to recording so I have no idea! :)

I have a macbook and am using Garageband with a Tascam US-122L Audio Interface.

When I record anything the sound is just horrible!!

How do I make it sound better and more like recordings on Cd's you can buy in shops. I realize I have not got great equipment but how can I make it sound any better?

Thanks
 
We need to know what mic you are using. What guitar? Where are you recording?
 
Looks like the microphone is the weakest link. Be forewarned, once you start buying things to get better sound, it never stops.
 
Snippet,

Welcome to the forum. I'm glad you're here. I hope your experience here is as useful as mine has been.

You've asked too much question for a simple answer.

A previous poster had it right. There is always better gear to improve you recording. I'm still working on that myself. In the meantime you can learn alot by trying to get the most out of what you have. Make sure you have your guitar set up with good strings and that it is exactly in tune. A trip to the music store to get your guitar checked out would be a good idea. Make sure you are warmed up and ready to play. The first step to a good recording is good playing.

I would encourage you to spend some time reading in the mic section before you select one. Read first and then ask questions. There are some fine reasonably priced mics available. I'll leave recommendations to those who know more than me.

Try this. Place your microphone right at your ear. Record yourself playing something. Make the recording long enough that you can really listen to it. Make note of every setting you use. Come back with a new thread that describes your gear, settings, and the best description you can give of how the recording sounds different from what you heard when you played.

This should probably be posted in the recording category for your hardware.

Again, welcome.
 
Hi,

I spent some time last night fiddling with things and moving my mic around.

I found that pointing the mic at the bridge made the sound a lot better, i also placed a piece of cloth over the mic which also improved the sound. Unfortunately, I have a problem where there is a buzz in the background whenever I record. Is this just the fact I have a rubbish mic or can it be stopped?

Thanks
 
Snippet said:
Hi,

I spent some time last night fiddling with things and moving my mic around.

I found that pointing the mic at the bridge made the sound a lot better, i also placed a piece of cloth over the mic which also improved the sound. Unfortunately, I have a problem where there is a buzz in the background whenever I record. Is this just the fact I have a rubbish mic or can it be stopped?

Thanks
Click to expand...

A few of things (but not all) that may cause buzz are 1) having the mic/ mic cables or interface too close to the computer 2) cheep / poory shielded mic cables 3) poor connections between mic/ cables/ interface.

Each of those cases is fairly easy to test - e.g. for cases #1 and #2, move the mic / cable away from the computer. For case #3, listen to your audio signal while wiggling the cable connections and see if problem improves or worsens.
 
It sounds like a rubbish mic to me.... change the strings on the guitar, and get a decent mic and try some more research in the microphone and recording tricks forum.
 
If you can post samples of your recordings, the more experienced ears on the boards will be better able to isolate your problems and suggest remedies.
 
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