Why do my tracks look like this?

[nosignal]

okay i recently started seeing my tracks were looking uneven. and i have no idea what that means at all. i thought it was the battery running low in my condensers so i replaced it. but i keep getting tracks that look like the picture below. the two top ones, the kick is fine.

can anyone help me out please?

 

[Ironklad Audio]

your tracks look fine, aside from the fact that they're clipping all over the place

 

[nosignal]

so the fact that the tracks don't extend even half as far on the bottom as they do on the top doesn't matter?

 

[jmorris]

isnt there something about dc offset that covers this?
Jim

 

[Daisy]

Looks like you got some DC offset there.

It happens with cheap gear. Not the end of the world. If it sounds good, then you should be okay.

 

[nosignal]

okay that totally makes sense, i just got some kmicros and i was using them for that recording.

 

[giraffe]

maybe dc offset. but sometimes, shit just looks like that.

 

[nosignal]

its probably safe to say it my mics, seeing how they were only 5 bucks a piece

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Doesn't look like offset to me, the rest values still appear to be around 0DC. What kind of instruments and miking do those tracks represent?

G.

 

[Daisy]

Well, seeing as how on the screen grab, the tracks are labeled hat, ride, and kick, I would assume these to be drum tracks.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Well, seeing as how on the screen grab, the tracks are labeled hat, ride, and kick, I would assume these to be drum tracks.

Doh, I didn't see the part of the labels to the left of the position marker; I just saw at_05 and de_39. OK, spank me, tranny, my bad.

In that case, those waves look fairly normal for someone beating cymbals like a drunken psychopath; they will normally be rather asymmetrical, and if someone is beating up on the ride that hard, the asymmetry will probably be exaggerated.

No offset there, the rest values are 0. There does seems to be quite a bit of potential clipping though, either pull back on the levels or offer the drummer a lude .

G.

 

[Ironklad Audio]

its probably safe to say it my mics, seeing how they were only 5 bucks a piece

most likely

and do yourself a favor, and turn down the gain...waveform hitting the top of the track = clipping = bad

 

[nosignal]

yeah i had it down when i recorded it first, but i thought it might help level out the top and bottom by turning it up, it actually sounded fine, it didnt clip, but yeah i had it way to high.

 

[jmorris]

I would alter you mic positions also from the looks of those waves. The hat and ride wave look almost identical! Seems both mics are pretty much getting same sonics. At least to my eyes, dont know what it sounds like. My hi hat a cymbal wave are always rather different.

 

[punkin]

Just currious, what mic preamp are you using? I'm digging deep into my memory banks. Seems I had a mic pre that did this when the low freq rumble filter was engaged.

 

[nosignal]

im using my firepod

 

[TerraMortim]

Okay... if it...sounds good....who cares? =D It doesn't matter what anything looks like as long as it sounds right, nobody is going to watch screenshots of your waveforms when listening to the album. I wouldn't worry about it, sometimes that happens, and no matter what causes it, it REALLY doesn't matter at all. Just make it sound good.

 

[Sinistah]

Okay... if it...sounds good....who cares? =D It doesn't matter what anything looks like as long as it sounds right, nobody is going to watch screenshots of your waveforms when listening to the album. I wouldn't worry about it, sometimes that happens, and no matter what causes it, it REALLY doesn't matter at all. Just make it sound good.

exactly, remember folks, you analyze audio with your ears, not really your eyes, as long as it sounds cool, mission accomplished, i would take note of the periodic clipping, but if it's not disruptive to the sound your lookin for, who gives a flying 747 fuck.... just compress it slightly after your done recording your instruments if looks are that important to ya


then again, don't take my advice, i just record vocals

 

[Massive Master]

I would alter you mic positions also from the looks of those waves. The hat and ride wave look almost identical! Seems both mics are pretty much getting same sonics. At least to my eyes, dont know what it sounds like. My hi hat a cymbal wave are always rather different.

At a glance, they look completely identical. Depending on where that's happening (if it is indeed happening) could solve this whole crazy mystery - Eh Scoob?

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

[that] could solve this whole crazy mystery - Eh Scoob?

Scoob: Rutrever roo shay!

Velma: I think it's the the kindly old studio manager. He looked like he had a mask on, and was the only one with access to the DAW last night. Don't you think so, Freddie?

Freddie: What? I wasn't paying attention. I was in the Mystery Machine exploring the mystery of whether Daphne's "carpet" is as red as her "drapes".

Scoob: Roooby Rooooo!! heeheeHeeHEEHEEHEEheeheehee!

Velma (under her breath): Stupid heteros.

G.