The difference between a pro demo and a pro record

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Hard2Hear

Hard2Hear

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This is kind of a spinoff from the "EXCITING" mix sound thread.

I have 2 songs here. Both recorded by the same guys. The demo song (PULL ME OUT )was recorded digitally in a nice studio using high$ gear. The actual record song (I WANT YOU ) was recorded with a bigger budget and mixed by the label chosen mixing engineer. Same guitars, same vocalist.

Discussion welcome. I will answer any specific questions you may have about the recordings.

H2H
 
Yo low reception of audio transmissions:]

What is your question?

What is there to listen to?

Basic answer, I would guess, is a big studio has very, very expensive gear and that "engineer" who can do fine sound.

Green Hornet:D :p :p :cool:
 
Yo Hornet!

Actually, no. :)

The "Big studio" has a decent board, but the smaller studio has just as nice gear actually (thats why I said high $ gear). The bigger budget = more time thats it. Same engineers tracking and everything. Some of the gear between the songs is different, but none is necessarily "better" than the other either direction.

The point I want to make is two big things happen here (which relate to my response in the other thread). Much is tracked on 2" and dumped to Pro Tools in the real recording, where the demo is direct digital. Also, the mixing engineer is different. Thus, the same exact guys sound different. It's not exactly magic. I wanted to post an example to back up what I was saying.

I am hoping that as I learn things like this by working in the pro music business full time now, that I can share some of it with those of you here who may not have the access I do.

But maybe it's NOT helpful to anyone,I just thought it would be:(

H2H
 
Hard2Hear said:


But maybe it's NOT helpful to anyone,I just thought it would be:(

H2H

Yo, H2H!!!

Hey, just because Hornet is a dumbass doesn't mean that the REST of us dumbasses don't greatly appreciate your contributions. Folks like you - real pros who are eager to share their expertise - are what makes coming here worthwhile.

Otherwise all we'd have here is ignoramuses (ignorami?) like me and hornet talking amongst ourselves!

Don't give up on us!
 
damn, that label version is MASS thicker....commercial sounding i guess you could say.

are you saying its because it was recorded on analog first?
 
Yep... I'd have to say the .wma file is definitely a tighter mix. The drums sound perfect. They have that almost indescribable quality... clear... you can feel the vibrations in your teeth fillings... (much as I hate the word) "organic"...

The PT song was good; but the definition and separation was one or two over par, in relation to the other one.

I suspect most all the FX on the PT version were plugins, and the FX were outboard on the other session. According to a poster on prosoundweb.com (just read it today) you have to nudge sound waves forward by the same number of samples that the plug in delays them by (latency), or you introduce phasing. (seems kind of like poor software design, eh?)

That could be one of the reasons for lack of clarity. The other could be lack of adequate preamps.

Also suspect the "pro" session's FX were outboard, and everything was mixed down to analog, THEN dumped to PT for editing.... possible each individual track was put into PT for editing, then back to analog... but it would still be better than running many live plug-in FX at the same time.

--

After all is said and done, just get something with a tube in it... and don't bother using any mic other than the legendary SM57... the late Jack Ortmann would have wanted it that way.
 
I've heard stuff mixed on Pro Tools that sounds like the second mix, and stuff recorded and mixed on analog that sounds like the first mix. The drum samples on that first mix are awful. The mix on the second song is good, that's whay the mixers make the big bucks...

One thing's for sure: I am really tired of music being mastered so damn LOUD!
 
charger said:
One thing's for sure: I am really tired of music being mastered so damn LOUD!

I saw an ad for some studio the other day that said......we'll get your mix as LOUD as professionals.........hell, if being able to create a loud mix is all it takes, then i'm a pro already
 
take the compressors away from the guy who did the first demo before he hurts anyone else. Disgusting

The final is squished up like everything else today, but not really offensive. Hint to the first guy from the second guy " there is an attack knob on your compressor, DONT set it to ZERO"

both are GREAT songs tho! and thats all that matters I think
 
H2H - Do you know if they were both mixed through analog desks?

The first one may be done faster, but it still sounds good. I'll bet they didn't expend a ton of effort to get it to sound that way either.
 
uh, i've got I WANT YOU but PULL ME OUT isnt on the list at nowhereradio - unless I'm being even dummer than normal today.

Sorry to be a pain, but I really want to hear the differences between these two - its a great idea, really useful, thanks for sharing it.
K
 
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