What's limiting YOUR recordings??

What's the weakest link in your recordings?

  • My recording chain (mics, pres, etc)

    Votes: 156 18.4%

  • My monitoring chain (monitors, phones)

    Votes: 66 7.8%

  • My room(s)

    Votes: 258 30.4%

  • My own ability

    Votes: 368 43.4%
  • Total voters
    848
strat0tele said:
That is my largest limitation. I currently have enough gear to record what I want in a good fashion, but living in my parents house that is terribly small with the bedrooms next to each other I can never record. My mom works nights and dad works days so, at any given time someone is sleeping except between 1-5pm. And I will never record vocals at that time because i'm too self consious to sing with them around. So I can record 3-4 hours a day but I can never do my vocals, which takes lots of time for me considering how much I suck at it. So I basically end up putting whisper tracks of crappy vocals, to remind myself the vocal melody for a later time, but by that point i'm not motivated to finish it and end up finding so much more wrong with the song. ITS A VICIOUS CYCLE!
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I definitely hear you about the whole self conscious thing. It's one thing singing/laying down vocals around people who aren't your family. But when it's your close relatives or parents it's kinda weird...it's like you aren't totally comfortable with it. I've come to the conclusion that I have to either find a place of my own or maybe find some cheap office space around the area and set up shop there....because my current location is REALLY putting a damper on my productivity.
 
The weakness in my recordings is my cheap drums, my lack of a bass guitar, and my software. I use GarageBand which is good for many entry-level things but it falls short when producing more professional music. I would rather use protools but it isn't available for Mac OS X.
 
Limiting my recordings?

Usually an LA-2A, or an Alan Smart C2.

Sorry, just a wise ass.

My Room.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Ha! I'd rather have either of those limiting my recordings that a free-with-my-free-software compression plug-in.

Maybe a new thread could be ... What's limiting your limiting?
 
My blue Ibanez GSR-200 bass is accessible, too.

I play that, once in a blue moon. Nice bass. ;)
 

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Voted for my own ability.
But I'm getting there. Going through the "Mixing Engineers Handbook" these days (by Bobby Owsinski) and boy is there many brilliant guidelines and hints to pick up there for a noob like me. I'm not new to music but to arrangements and mixing.
My gear delivers great recordings so there is no bottleneck there.
I also have a hard time picking the right instruments/sounds when I have a tune I want to arrange. Much to often I end up with that piano, a bass, some stings and the same kit. Over and over.
But I'm getting THERE too
Really recommend that book for newcomers and intermediate mixing master wannabies
Good lucK!
 
it was my ability, but now its my room. once i build my new space, then it will go back to being my ability... but less so.
 
melodiousmonk said:
The weakness in my recordings is my cheap drums, my lack of a bass guitar, and my software. I use GarageBand which is good for many entry-level things but it falls short when producing more professional music. I would rather use protools but it isn't available for Mac OS X.
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the version that comes with the 002 is os x compatible.
 
HarleyDavid said:
Just curious as to what drum kit you are using?
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Roland R-70.. probably one of the better machines, convincing enough for me, but fake nonetheless.
 
BentRabbit said:
Wow... A good portion of my Friday work day was just spent looking at all your schtuff.... Thank you 'Mad Dog' ;)
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LOL....

Glad I wasn't the only one at work spending a guilt inspiring amount of time staring at the piles of stuff the Reel has...

Now that I think about it Reel, had you been grinning in that photo, you probably would have only looked more maniacal. :D :eek:
 
Hands down, it's the musicians I'm recording. I think that once you get pretty good at compression, have a good chain, and have a fairly decent ear, the musician is usually the weakest point in the chain. I feel more confident of that now, because from band to band my technique isn't changing, but the quality can change fairly drastically. That's all due to how hard/well the drummer hits the drums, how and where the bass player plays his bass, how well the vocalist can play to the mic, and really how good the musicians are at listening to what's coming out of the studio monitors and adjusting.

So I guess that I would have to say that when I'm recording myself...I'm definitely the weakest link in the chain.

Jimbo
 
As time moves on and I learn more and more about how to record, I am realizing that it's not the gear, it's what you do with it. So now I have to say my musical abilities are what are limiting me. I find myself playing the same chords, singing the same words, and ultimately unable to get the song in my head into my gear due to the lack of ability. So I wish I could vote again. I'd say it was me....
 
Me. And then there's that crappy gear. When I get that upgraded it'll be the crappy room. And then...

I got a couple sets of MoreMe cans - I like 'em. Tough little suckers.
 
A good room is soooooo hard to find.

I don't even know what I can accomplish with the gear I've got becuase good air is so hard to find.
 
Right now...

My monitors could be improved
My room can be improved
My preamps can be improved
My Drum sounds could be improved
My Piano sounds can be improved

After this...

My mics could be improved
My left ear could be improved (lost some high frequencies from music and a gunshot blast)

It never ends...
 
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