Slick sounding albums...

A

alex0203

New member
Hey, I'm sure this is a question that's been asked over and over again...How do producers/ audio engineers get that clear slick sound on records?

Obviously, you need to have excellent equipment, but what settings do they use in terms of bitrates and things like that?

I normally use a 160 bitrate, in case you want to know. Anything else you need to know, feel free to ask!
 
alex0203 said:
I normally use a 160 bitrate, in case you want to know. Anything else you need to know, feel free to ask!
Click to expand...
WTF are you talking about? In case you're referring to mp3s, I can assure you the studios don't use mp3s during the production process.
 
alex0203 said:
Hey, I'm sure this is a question that's been asked over and over again...How do producers/ audio engineers get that clear slick sound on records?

Obviously, you need to have excellent equipment, but what settings do they use in terms of bitrates and things like that?

I normally use a 160 bitrate, in case you want to know. Anything else you need to know, feel free to ask!
Click to expand...


The "slickness" has nothing to do with bit rate. Especially since no big producer (or any small one for that matter) is mixing down to MP3.

Yes, good equipment has something to do with it. But it's also talent, experienced ears, good tracking skills, talent, good gain staging, proper mic placement and mic choice, talent, good mixing skills, good mastering skills, etc....Oh, did I mention talent????

There are no "settings", plug-ins, or magic formulas. A good final product is the result of doing everything right from the beginning of the whole process. That includes room treatment and getting the sound as close as possible to how it's going to sound in the final product before even going anywhere near the RECORD button.

Talent helps, too.
 
Yes, I was referring to MP3 bitrate. Of course, talent has pretty much 100% to do with it.

I was just asking how does a producer get a slick-sounding record, as in a Michael Jackson record or someone like that.
 
Ya know. This forum in particular seems to attract a particularly large number of people with questions that are completely out to lunch.

I frequent a lot of recording and recording oriented forums, and it just doesn't seem nearly as bad as it is here.

I can't help but think that for some reason they're all posted by the same person. They're so utterly ridiculous I can't possibly take them seriously enough to provide an answer. I want to help, honestly, but posts like this are so far out in left field that I can't do anything else but write them off as "helpless" and "hopeless".

alex0203 said:
Hey, I'm sure this is a question that's been asked over and over again...How do producers/ audio engineers get that clear slick sound on records?

Obviously, you need to have excellent equipment, but what settings do they use in terms of bitrates and things like that?

I normally use a 160 bitrate, in case you want to know. Anything else you need to know, feel free to ask!
Click to expand...

Seriously?? What the hell are you asking?? Use your words.
 
alex0203 said:
Of course, talent has pretty much 100% to do with it.

I was just asking how does a producer get a slick-sounding record...
Click to expand...
Looks like you are in denial. You just wrote the answer to the question and in the very next sentence asked the question again.

It's not "Talent is the answer *wink wink nudge nudge*. Alright how do they really do it?". They're great at it. That's how they do it. They don't add any more EQ or effects or dynamics than we do. They just put it all in exactly the right place. They don't record any more vocal tracks or guitars than we do. They just perform them much better. In fact, they often use way less EQ/effects/guitar overdubs than we do.
 
Chibi Nappa said:
It's not "Talent is the answer *wink wink nudge nudge*. Alright how do they really do it?". They're great at it. That's how they do it. They don't add any more EQ or effects or dynamics than we do. They just put it all in exactly the right place. They don't record any more vocal tracks or guitars than we do. They just perform them much better. In fact, they often use way less EQ/effects/guitar overdubs than we do.
Click to expand...

Basically. Start with great performances from great sounding singers or instruments, track them very cleanly in great-sounding rooms with a ton of usable headroom through great mics and pres, then mix them down through top quality rack gear or fx plugins by guys in great rooms with great monitors, great ears, and a ton of knowledge about how to find and fix problems in a mix.

It's not magic, it's just a lot of skill, time, and dedication.
 
Let me re-quote myself, I just want to make sure of something:
RAMI said:
The "slickness" has nothing to do with bit rate. Especially since no big producer (or any small one for that matter) is mixing down to MP3.

Yes, good equipment has something to do with it. But it's also talent, experienced ears, good tracking skills, talent, good gain staging, proper mic placement and mic choice, talent, good mixing skills, good mastering skills, etc....Oh, did I mention talent????

There are no "settings", plug-ins, or magic formulas. A good final product is the result of doing everything right from the beginning of the whole process. That includes room treatment and getting the sound as close as possible to how it's going to sound in the final product before even going anywhere near the RECORD button.

Talent helps, too.
Click to expand...

OK, phew...For a while there, I thought my post came out in invisible type or something.
 
Gizzmo0815 said:
Ya know. This forum in particular seems to attract a particularly large number of people with questions that are completely out to lunch.

I frequent a lot of recording and recording oriented forums, and it just doesn't seem nearly as bad as it is here.

I can't help but think that for some reason they're all posted by the same person. They're so utterly ridiculous I can't possibly take them seriously enough to provide an answer. I want to help, honestly, but posts like this are so far out in left field that I can't do anything else but write them off as "helpless" and "hopeless".
Seriously?? What the hell are you asking?? Use your words.
Click to expand...

Only because there are very few forums that have a newbee forum that helps the new guys and get up the nerve to post in the other forums here at HR.

Just try asking a normal question at an other site and the first thing you have to do is fight your way through--who is this *sshole and never get your question answered, or just be simple ignored by every snob who is registered there.

I like the people who frequent this site and the ability to help newbees along, get their heads on straight and set them on a true path of home recording.

I remember the first time I was on A&A and like a fool I stepped on to the short bus---well if you have ever been there it's no picnic until you are accepted. If it wasn't for a registered HR person KCearl who knew me. He throat punch one feller and shot the other guy in the foot before giving it to him with a ball-peen hammer .....I don't think I would have gotten out of there with my life! :eek:







:cool:
 
WOW! I'm bookmarking this thread for the next time someone tries accusing ME of being uppity or a newb-hater or an ageist.

This is not the first time this kind of question has been asked here, and certainly will not be the last time; before this summer is over we'll see it in some form or another at least three more times; "what are the secret settings on what secret gear that pros use to sound pro?" But pure mob mentality has caused this BBS to grab the pitchforks and torches on this one particular poor newb.

Thank you Drew for being the only one to provide the correct answer without an ounce of condescension in your post.

And to alex0203, stick around; things will get better.

G.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top