Recording , Tricks , Shortcuts and Clarity

ibmorjamn

ibmorjamn

Ambassador of Moar Jammin
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@Randy Van Malmsteen and all recording
artists.
I say artists because if you record whether you know it or not you are an artist.

I started this thread because of the convo I had with Randy in Riffmasters.
However everyone here that is daw recording has a story to tell.

First of all, it's been said before in other threads but trying to be a little more specific about certain things.
Recording guitars , EQ before and after.
Clarity of the track , getting and other tracks to sit where you want them to be in the final mix.

I guess it then becomes a mastering technique ?
So you go from a set template ?

Record tracks with predetermined EQ settings including dynamics and effects pre or post ?
 
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Always been as direct into whatever at home or studio. I get my sound right before it goes everywhere with as little as possible in the signal chain

But i i do real amps & not digi stuff . So my gain structure has been dialed in since day 1. Can go from acoustic to downtune metal instantly.

I Think of it this way..it like being in a mix in a band so i just set up in same EQ lanes since i ever picked up a guitar & was in bands. Knew the EQ roles of all the gear & it makes it the same ol same ol, no matter where you go,

Do have proper preamps tho which to me is the unsung hero of the capture. Pick your flavor from Neve API ect .

have not changed mic position or pre amp setting since it was dialed in. Truly is a plug n play situation when i record. No fuss all music biz.

Master-i just level it all like i am at my soundboard running PA for bands.

My joy is in the song creation & capture & using gear that can translate live if need be in a band. Not so much the engineering side of things.


I say its capture technique vs fixing it in the box- play it right going in it starts to level itself in mix. use proper amps for proper genre with right speaker & your 80%there.


I get very uneasy sitting at a desk on computer making music vs playing the real gear & just using it in its intended range it was designed to work in.

There is all facets to this hobby & i have found the playing side & writing side to be where i can steer it anyway it needs to go.
 
One thing that I've always found true is effects are not for fixing a bad recording; instead they are used to make a great recording even better. You can't make a perfect master out of a bad production either. There is only one way I've found, and it's that production grows into sounding better as each step is done correctly ..it doesn't grow into sounding better by fixing previous steps along the way.
 
Sapient said:
One thing that I've always found true is effects are not for fixing a bad recording; instead they are used to make a great recording even better. You can't make a perfect master out of a bad production either. There is only one way I've found, and it's that production grows into sounding better as each step is done correctly ..it doesn't grow into sounding better by fixing previous steps along the way.
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Very much agreed. Like blocks building on a wall.

Sometimes i want to master or mix my stuff but its just not my thing. But send me to a studio & say play..yeah..bring on the challenge.

Been telling myself for a while now..go back and mix the songs and see how they can sound better. But sitting at my desk & there sits the amps..cant do it lol gotta jam
 
BFT Gibson said:
Very much agreed. Like blocks building on a wall.

Sometimes i want to master or mix my stuff but its just not my thing. But send me to a studio & say play..yeah..bring on the challenge.

Been telling myself for a while now..go back and mix the songs and see how they can sound better. But sitting at my desk & there sits the amps..cant do it lol gotta jam
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Funny, because I'm the opposite ..I'd rather mix and master than play any day. Not that I'm any sort of dedicated audio engineer ...more just a preference. Oddly I hate actually making the music these days, but I can obsess for hours over mastering someone else's material. I try to get away with virtual instruments every change I can get as well.

Probably don't sound like the musician's musician, huh? Lol.
 
BFT Gibson said:
Lets do this... heavy song comparison-
"To the Brink-" Paid In studio VS my last recording at home- "Faceless people"-No mastering other than leveling-

https://soundcloud.com/id%3Dbftd-821374834%252Fto-the-brink%3Btrack_id%3D574026219


https://soundcloud.com/id%3Dbftd-821374834%252Ffaceless-people%252Fs-m7WrlqZlNoq%3Bsecret_token%3Ds-m7WrlqZlNoq%3Btrack_id%3D1769330820
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Wow ..you had a hot-shot ME because that first one is absolutely fantastic. That to me is worth it for people to pay for. I'm not sure how common it is to get something that good back. Nice stuff there, bro!
 
Sapient said:
Funny, because I'm the opposite ..I'd rather mix and master than play any day. Not that I'm any sort of dedicated audio engineer ...more just a preference. Oddly I hate actually making the music these days, but I can obsess for hours over mastering someone else's material. I try to get away with virtual instruments every change I can get as well.

Probably don't sound like the musician's musician, huh? Lol.
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Thats the cool thing. There is dif parts of this hobby & its to enjoy vs stressing ourselves out over it.

Saying that, there is something very nice about being able to have the people do what they are good at in the process. I have no business doing anything after the guitars are done..yes its passable but its not like a good mixer & master guy would do. I dont push myself in these areas so i can keep enjoying music.
 
BFT Gibson said:
Thats the cool thing. There is dif parts of this hobby & its to enjoy vs stressing ourselves out over it.

Saying that, there is something very nice about being able to have the people do what they are good at in the process. I have no business doing anything after the guitars are done..yes its passable but its not like a good mixer & master guy would do. I dont push myself in these areas so i can keep enjoying music.
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I agree ...there are so many different avenues and hobby types inside of audio itself and they can have nothing to do with each other. I find that pretty interesting, actually.

I think in general your productions sound real good. I know they sound good or they wouldn't master-out like that first one. To stand up against what seems to be a very good ME is not even fair to you since as I said, it's of a different avenue. I doubt that ME would stand a chance writing Redneck Trilogy. :yesway::dood:
 
Here is the studio songs i can never get back to. Only time i feel i tried properly to make a song. The accident happened & the music died.. But my studio guy & us had built up to this relationship & where headed into this genre. I backed off the heavies & actually focused on production & he knew how to settle my hyperness & extract the nuance out my guitar & bass to create pop rock. This is what i really wanna play now but prob just so emotionally twisted still the heavy stuff just help diffuse a bit. Always looking for a singer to write around. miss it
. Only had to show up & play vs trying to figure out how to get it right.

The mixing & mastering is such an important part--i stink...man this thread probably gonna cost me money..lol ,now wanna go back to my studio guy 5 years later & see where i am at musically..

https://soundcloud.com/id%3Dbftd-821374834%252Fsuperficial-mix3%3Btrack_id%3D653194748

https://soundcloud.com/id%3Dbftd-821374834%252Fruin-82619%3Btrack_id%3D671901827
 
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God can she sing!! I'd give my left nut to sing half as good as her. Wow.

Were those mastered? They sound different than the previous post but do sound "finished". Are you thinking about having him do those like the other one? I think it would be way worth it IMO. 'Superficial' cranking like 'To the Brink' would be crazy cool.
 
Sapient said:
One thing that I've always found true is effects are not for fixing a bad recording; instead they are used to make a great recording even better. You can't make a perfect master out of a bad production either. There is only one way I've found, and it's that production grows into sounding better as each step is done correctly ..it doesn't grow into sounding better by fixing previous steps along the way.
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Clear as mud. Lol
Words of wisdom but what you are saying is go read a book or watch 100 videos? Lol
Recording is a black art so to speak.
 
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Sapient said:
God can she sing!! I'd give my left nut to sing half as good as her. Wow.

Were those mastered? They sound different than the previous post but do sound "finished". Are you thinking about having him do those like the other one? I think it would be way worth it IMO. 'Superficial' cranking like 'To the Brink' would be crazy cool.
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Yeah man, that was my fav singer to write for, when you can back off & let a vocalist stand out it makes it so much easier. I am not sure where we left things on that album we recorded. Have about 15 songs in limbo that year since the accident. We were practiced up & right before final mix & master the thing happened & well here we all are years later picking up the pieces. Can't even imagine where we would be with that sound.
 
My old computer would crash or freeze up while running Steinberg Cubacase 12 Pro
Now I did get a new computer I9 32 laptop should do the job on the Native Instruments program's
this year we have been only using Tascam model 24 running 6 channels for drums before used my Allen and Heath QU16 digital
mixer for drums mixed down to 2 channels great effects and compressor and limiter but it took two days to EQ
With the the Tascam 24 I can set the drum levels and EQ them in no time the direct input for bass sounds great
for guitar and vocals using a AKG dual condenser microphone it also has blue tooth as far a DAW no need for it.

tascam 24 001.JPG
 
ibmorjamn said:
Clear as mud. Lol
Words of wisdom but what you are saying is go read a book or watch 100 videos? Lol
Recording is a black art so to speak.
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I think it's a black art only in the sense that no one really teaches one how to produce music. I mean there are recording schools, but I don't think they will cut deep enough to cover all the realities. More like get a certificate and run it seems to me.

What I was saying is simply the old saying: "You can't polish a turd." o_O
 
Sapient said:
I think it's a black art only in the sense that no one really teaches one how to produce music. I mean there are recording schools, but I don't think they will cut deep enough to cover all the realities. More like get a certificate and run it seems to me.

What I was saying is simply the old saying: "You can't polish a turd." o_O
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Yeah. But you can go thru a lot of TP trying. :rolf:
 
BFT Gibson said:
Yeah man, that was my fav singer to write for, when you can back off & let a vocalist stand out it makes it so much easier. I am not sure where we left things on that album we recorded. Have about 15 songs in limbo that year since the accident. We were practiced up & right before final mix & master the thing happened & well here we all are years later picking up the pieces. Can't even imagine where we would be with that sound.
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At least you have the material to assemble, etc. To have lost it all would be the real suck. :yesway:
 
I will answer my own question, yes you should view videos. There is no form or method.
Oh thanks. Lol
 
Sapient said:
One thing that I've always found true is effects are not for fixing a bad recording; instead they are used to make a great recording even better. You can't make a perfect master out of a bad production either. There is only one way I've found, and it's that production grows into sounding better as each step is done correctly ..it doesn't grow into sounding better by fixing previous steps along the way.
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Well my secret is to start with a bad recording and make it worse :facepalm: :ROFLMAO:.
In all seriousness I just hate spending time trying to get anything perfect, I just wing it and call it a day. I have a real problem with patience, but I just want to jam and play guitar. I don't even want gear that requires thinking about knobs, much less all the patches and presets , yadda , yadda. The irony is my kid has a degree in audio engineering. I should really use him a resource more.
 
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