Your Recording technique?!

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Dmeek

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I was wondering what methods homerecording.com user`s are using when recording. Feel free to share mic placement, compression before or after,the style,result, & feel you`ve achieved etc.. & share a little bit about yourself & your musical background if you like;)....GAME ON!!!
 
1) Get the core to sound right.

2) Place the right mic for the task going into the right preamp for the task in the right position to capture that sound.

3) Profit.
 
just so you know, you're basically asking for the entirety of this message board to be summed into 1 thread...

which means that this specific thread is probably going nowhere
 
Well..theres so many different things done for different instruments/people's voices..and so forth. I record guitars and vox...i placed both at the source(for elec, at the center of the speaker cone)...and when eqing i boost the low and high mids depending on where they are placed in the mix. I compress them somewhat with a multiband compresser, and possibly add some verb' to the vocals.
 
Perfect example (of why threads such as this are usually a bit odd) - A bunch of things that I'd probably never (or extremely rarely ever) do.

Except maybe the reverb part...
 
What are some typical techniques users tend to use most? Like mic placment,comression settings(before & after) etc... If you tend to play or record a certain style of music what kind? & what are some common techniques you find your self using?
 
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im askin because i know how i do things typically but im not as sure of how others approach recording.
 
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Dmeek said:
I guess i was looking wondering What are some typical techniques users tend to use most? Like mic placment,comression settings(before & after) etc... If you tend to play or record a certain style of music what kind? & what are some common techniques you find your self using?
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Welcome to the BBS.

Your question is really really broad.

Your basically going to set aside several hours a day, for the next few weeks, and READ, READ, READ the threads in this site.

There is a wealth of information here - in fact, many years worth.

It wouldn't hurt for you to grab up these books as well :


1. Home Recording for Dummies

2. EQ Magazine, Sound on Sound Magazine, Recording Magazine

3. Guerrilla Home Recording Book http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--HAL331286



Once you've read about some of the basics, and got yourself some gear, dig in and experiment.

If it sounds good - it's right.

Good luck !
 
As has been stated, just read through some threads here. People have been sharing their techniques, and stuff related to what you're asking for here for years hear. Not trying to be "smart" or unhelpful, but it's all been covered here in other threads.

This has been a very useful place for me, hopefully it's the same for you!
 
Ironklad Audio said:
just so you know, you're basically asking for the entirety of this message board to be summed into 1 thread...

which means that this specific thread is probably going nowhere
Click to expand...

I agree that this type of question is a bit presumptuous and overzealous. I think he's just asking for a summary though. Sort of like a what's-your-favorite-technique type of thread. Then again, maybe I'm being presumptuous by saying that. I'll play along anyway...

Experience has shown me that the source (i.e. music) you are recording FAR exceeds the equipment and technique that you're working with. If I find that the hardware/software isn't getting a "tone" for me then I'll start questioning the performance itself. Most times, a retake or complete reworking of the part is the fix. That's a producers role or if you're recording yourself, that's where you have to be brutally honest. I've spent hours tweaking a single part that was immediately and easily fixed by simply redoing it. While I have been slow to learn this lesson there's golden wisdom in that realization I promise you! Remember, equipment and technique ONLY accentuate the sound coming in. They don't create it (well, for the most part anyway but we won't go there on this thread)! It's an obvious but too often overlooked point that your tools are only meant to be used as a way to take a snapshot of what's being performed. Those tools when used accurately and creatively can often take the performance to a higher level but I personally would NOT rely on it. Let that be a bonus when it happens :) Count on the tools providing AT BEST a semi-accurate representation of the incoming signal(s). By doing this you will lose the crutch and be better for it. Performers need to rehearse their parts and get them as good as they can be BEFORE they record them. Again, this is obvious but a common misconception that beginners (including myself) make is that somehow, your tools are going to ADD something that isn't there to begin with. Sometimes they will and you get lucky. Most times, they won't and you'll be humbled like the rest of us :D

Mic positioning is the most detailed and versatile EQ unit you will ever have! I moved the pop filter once, set it back and while the mic couldn't have moved more than a fraction the second verse take had a totally different tone than the first and I couldn't match them in the mix later. That sucked!! I couldn't understand it because I was sure the mic hadn't moved enough to make a change. But in that moment I finally understood what everyone had been trying to tell me all along. Don't EQ before you move that mic around! And move it SEVERAL times or more, by small increments. It's these small subtle changes that really make it but it takes time and patience to hear these differences in any significant way. There's usually a sweet spot in there if you are patient enough to look for it. The crappiest gear on earth can be made to sound amazing if great players and recordists are involved. Believe it!

I won't speak much on compression because I struggle with it myself. To start, I would say use LESS of it than you think you need for a while until you can REALLY hear what it's doing. I myself still cannot (fully). Compression is a challenging thing to hear. It's not just squashing the signal, it's EQing it as well and changing dynamics that you won't always hear at first. I think many ppl (me included) confuse what this tool is for. I find the art of compression as mysterious and mind blowing as mastering. It's an easy thing to overdue and misuse but when you witness someone using it the right way it's like they are waving a magic wand around. Used correctly, compression is like a glue that just makes everything fit together into one cohesive piece of music.

Finally, I would add that experience is what everyone needs more than upgrades. People too often buy upgrades to fix what experience would give them. Use everything you have until it becomes like a worn out shoe that is stopping you from going forward. If you are SURE that your equipment is limiting you then buy something new. But buy ONE thing and pay a lot for it so that it HURTS. That way you'll learn to respect what you're buying and not just throw more money at your junk pile. I see a lot of that going on and it kinda sickens me. Anyway, you'll be replacing it in 3 to 6 months when you still just can't get "that sound". That "sound" or magic comes from YOU the recorder and from the performance itself.

Now, mixing is another matter. I'm still cutting my teeth on that one...

Peace,
Rich
 
Excellent post, Rich. I'm just a HR amateur, but even from my own limited experience, I find myself nodding along in agreement with you. As a studio musician, I'd also emphasize the importance of the writing, arrangement, and performance itself. As most of us know, a truly great tune in these respects can often (not always but often) overcome other recording weaknesses, at least in certain genres. Of course, a great tune, well recorded, is even better.

Best,
J.
 
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