DIAMOND DUST Posted November 25, 2003 Share Posted November 25, 2003 Hey folks. I'm having a hard time creating space\depth in my digital recording. My songs sound way compressed. Because im going direct, I dont get the "space" that a room gives. Reverb helps, but not enough. I've tried recording the stereo tracks on seperate mono channels, pan one left and one right, to try and widen the sound. I know mixing is an art form in itself, and trial and error are part of the journey. If you could listen to this tune i'm working on and give me some mixing advice it would be deeply appreciated. Softly....she said http://b-cordova.dmusic.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretzel logic Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 I don't record digital, but i really like the song. I'm still in the stone age(Tascam). A well placed mic makes all the diference. Maybe you should think about not going direct, and use a mic. Even with a cheap 4-track, a good microphone can capture killer tones and ambience. As far as mixing goes i just get a good sound at the mic and push record. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIAMOND DUST Posted November 26, 2003 Author Share Posted November 26, 2003 Thanks Da Vinci. Belive me I totally agree about tape and a mic. It took me a long time to break away from my 4 track. I will probably have to go with a mic into my computer, at least for solo's. I like the sound of my amps much better than the tone i get going direct from my Gnx2. http://b-cordova.dmusic.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Try playing a direct track that you've already recorded, and distant micing the playback (through speakers) to a separate track, then mixing it to taste. Maybe pan the room-sound mostly to one side, and the "dry"/original track mostly to the opposite. Cheap thrills! When using a mic, try running it through your GNX; experiment with vocals and other non-guitar tracks getting a little coloration and varying degrees of distortion. If you use harmonica, for example, it's a no-brainer to want to run through a model of a tweed Bassman, Deluxe, or Champ for a classic blues-approved sound. Then add some replayback room ambience and a little slap-back. Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMcGuitar Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Nice track! I don't know that it's not fine just as it is, but I do understand the quality you are talking about. The direct-recording-then-adding-verb process always sounds a little "artificial", especially if you use different reverbs, or have different instruments effected at different levels (which it sounds like you may have done). The suggestions I was going to make have pretty much been covered already. Maybe try using a mic on some of the parts. Caev's suggestion of miking a playback is a really good one - doing that will give you the kind of "real room" interaction of the parts that your reverb alone won't. And let me say again, I really dig the tune. Good luck! May all your thoughts be random! - Neil www.McFaddenArts.com www.MikesGarageRocks.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIAMOND DUST Posted November 26, 2003 Author Share Posted November 26, 2003 Thanks Caevan & NMcGuitar. I will try micing a direct track, and blend the two. That's a really cool idea. Thank you for the advice. http://b-cordova.dmusic.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Have you spent much time scoping out the stuff people are posting on that "Music" thread, here on the Forum? There's a lot of cool stuff, from stark and minimalistic to quite involved and polished; much of it is great (as per my tastes), and all of it is interesting. And, all of it is VALID and personal expression, rather than vapid and formulated-by-committee product. There are a lot of good examples there, recording-wise. For instance: "Please, Don't Feed The Demons" (aka "PDFTD"), where a common plastic PC "gooseneck" mic lends a perfect "character" tonality to the vocals; it sounds like well thought-out effects processing! (I'll have to edit-in the author, I can't remember) Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seclusion Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 I do that as standard recording. The direct take as well as a mic'ed take at the same time. It's always nice to have an option later on. With acoustic gtr's too, if she has a pick-up in her, it gets recorded too.. Just in case ya wanna blend.. I remember doing a direct take of an acoustic, and used the mic feed dry and added fx's to the direct feed with no dry signal on it. If you follow that, I don't know why but it seems to bite through a mix better that way.. Cool riff man. Bri Smile if you're not wearin panties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henryrobinett Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 I'm mixing right now so I don't have the time to listen or to read in depth all of the replies, but have you considered REAMP? Is the reason you're going direct noise related? Are you in a place where certain times of the day you CAN crank it? If so I'd consider recording quietly through your DI and then later reamping that signal through and amp with a mic. You can adjust the tone while playing what you played last week. It's eerie. But a great solution I've used when the solo I play I liked but the tone sucked donkey balls. All the best, Henry Robinett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Originally posted by henryrobinett: "...when the solo I play I liked but the tone sucked donkey balls."Let this be a lesson to us all; donkey balls have no place in the studio, and will ruin your tone every time! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMcGuitar Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Who is this "Donkey Balls"? And is he related to Ernie? May all your thoughts be random! - Neil www.McFaddenArts.com www.MikesGarageRocks.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Strat Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Originally posted by seclusion: Smile if you're not wearin panties. BlueStrat a.k.a. "El Guapo" ...Better fuzz through science... http://geocities.com/teleman28056/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted November 27, 2003 Share Posted November 27, 2003 ( ) Oh, man, just look at this mess! Us three @$$hol3$ came in here and sprayed virtual graffitti all over this fine recording tips'n'tricks thread... Good thing we were too stoopitt to realize we had grabbed Cheese Whiz instead of Durlitz spray paint, no harm done! (Apologies to Henry and Diamond Dust) Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIAMOND DUST Posted November 27, 2003 Author Share Posted November 27, 2003 Originally posted by Caevan O'Shite: ( ) Oh, man, just look at this mess! Us three @$$hol3$ came in here and sprayed virtual graffitti all over this fine recording tips'n'tricks thread... Good thing we were too stoopitt to realize we had grabbed Cheese Whiz instead of Durlitz spray paint, no harm done! (Apologies to Henry and Diamond Dust)It's all good. I know these donkey balls of which ye speak. http://b-cordova.dmusic.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIAMOND DUST Posted November 27, 2003 Author Share Posted November 27, 2003 Originally posted by henryrobinett: I'm mixing right now so I don't have the time to listen or to read in depth all of the replies, but have you considered REAMP? Is the reason you're going direct noise related? Are you in a place where certain times of the day you CAN crank it? If so I'd consider recording quietly through your DI and then later reamping that signal through and amp with a mic. You can adjust the tone while playing what you played last week. It's eerie. But a great solution I've used when the solo I play I liked but the tone sucked donkey balls.Hey HENREY, I tried your idea and it really works. I will be able to doctor up some solo's that i haven't been to happy with. Thanks!! http://b-cordova.dmusic.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretzel logic Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 Originally posted by seclusion: I do that as standard recording. The direct take as well as a mic'ed take at the same time. It's always nice to have an option later on. With acoustic gtr's too, if she has a pick-up in her, it gets recorded too.. Just in case ya wanna blend.. I remember doing a direct take of an acoustic, and used the mic feed dry and added fx's to the direct feed with no dry signal on it. If you follow that, I don't know why but it seems to bite through a mix better that way.. Cool riff man. BriI messed around with this idea last nite. I recorded an acoustic solo with a pickup run thru a Digitech pds 1550. It has a dry out line, so you can record a distorted solo and a clean solo at the same time. The layered sound is much better. A little EQ and away you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telepaul Posted December 29, 2003 Share Posted December 29, 2003 old topic Nice ash!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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