Recording and mics and software etc

[AnneS]

If money was no object I would already have a Neumann .

Money's always an object ! 😄

 

I'm looking hard at the rode mic , sorry BK , haven't bought anything yet but the samples I've heard are very nice ... Still like Neumann though 😕

 

What I will do is maybe put a bit more low and low middle of the eq.

I'm 'mixing' (using that term in its loosest possible way) with earphones on as I have no decent speakers , money an object again ...

So maybe I'm hearing earphones bass and stopping adding more .

 

Thanks dickie for the input , much appreciated .

Your recording was great. I think I could get a much much better recording with my shure if I was doing what you have done , which I'm assuming was place the mic close to the instrument . But I'm trying to record vocal and guitar at the same time .

And drathbun , yours has a vocal track and an instrument track etc ... I'm assuming again . It was also brilliant

 

Why don't you guys share this stuff with us more often !!?

 

Again , appreciate the help .

OK so I'll be the one that says this: why not find a good recording producer and lay down some tracks with someone else's toys? Pay them for THEIR expertise; you bring YOURS. That'd be money better spent, imo.

I know some people like to work on cars and other people like to build computers, but just because I depend on those things doesn't mean I need to become a mechanic or technician.

Besides, you stand to learn more about recording yourself at home from paying attention to what a pro is doing for your set-up than what you're likely to learn on the internet machine, probably.

Even more to the point, you deserve a limo ride, in my opinion. Why ever would you buy one if you can hire one, even for just a few spins every once in awhile, especially if you've no burning need to wear the cap and drive the damn thing?

BK and others here clearly have managed well to become accomplished as musicians and as sound engineers, and very impressively so. I think you're on a different arc; your home recordings are more than adequate already, but no matter how much you upgrade, all you'll end up with is...more home recordings.

Go pro, is my advice.

That is all.

[blindboygrunt]

I hear ya bluesking , I really do . Don't be thinking I don't value your opinion , but the almighty dollar rules . Haven't made a choice yet .

 

 

Anne , I'd have a ball at a studio I'm sure , but if I spend X amount of pounds on a nice mic then I can enjoy myself indefinitely , and I do enjoy recording and messing around .

But to spend money on studio time would be frivolous . I'm not seeking gigs nor would I expect to sell anything at one if i did start gigging again . I live in the countryside where bars n clubs are few and far between . And their not exactly cultural havens seeking acoustic music like what I play . If I was a city boy then more things might be on my doorstep and I may venture out chasing a bit of money .

But as it is , I'm a bedroom player. .

 

I appreciate all the replies ,

You're all awfully nice people 😘

[AnneS]

Okay, if you're truly enjoying it, that's one thing-I'd not begrudge your forays, then. 😉

You have a magnificent talent, is all, and 'twould be a waste to get sidetracked too awful much (get it? side 'tracked'?).

[Br1ck]

The "problem" with buying really nice mics is that you then hear the need for really nice mic pres and top notch AD/DA converters. I've had the privilege to record with $2000 pre amps and Neuman mics, and you can hear the difference.

 

But back in the real world, I've been pretty happy with a Rode NT2, and two Shure SM 81s into a MOTU track 16 digital mixer. The SM 81s are huge bang for the buck mics I use on all kinds of instruments both singly and in a stereo pair. An SM 57 still is my go to for guitar cabs. Sometimes I record with my Audix OM5 dynamic for vocals too.

[blindboygrunt]

Anne there is nothing magnificent about me , but thank ya

 

Br1ck - sounds awful complicated ! 😮

[BluesKing777]

Anne there is nothing magnificent about me , but thank ya

 

Br1ck - sounds awful complicated ! 😮

 

 

You did ask about the Tonerite effect with Elixir strings though..... and which Gibson you like best...

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

[VincentG]

I think mics and recording techniqs should be a priority for anyone sharing music on the internet.

I spend much time listening to a lot of guitars and players/singers on the tube and souncloud and I am so often disappointed!

People telling you They are gonna play a new song they wrote or a cover. Then they put out a nice Martin or Gibson they bought and record it with a telephone or a webcam....

Even people making reviews and sharing a new vintage guitar they bought recording on some crappy 20 dollars microphone.

I just don't get it and shut down very quickly the video.

Why would someone spend so much money to buy an expensive guitar, and so little on the microphone...

[Fullmental Alpinist]

This is a great thread, BBG, it really is. Tons of wisdom that I wish I could have read when I went searching for a mic.

 

Seems like your choice has been narrowed down for you by the responders to two good mics.

 

BK777 is pointing you to the condenser and provided you (post #22) with a review on a good site of the Neumann he's proposing. However, BK failed to link you to the same web site's review of the 6 Best dynamic mics. The mic I chose is number 3. However, I wouldn't recommend it unless you've got lungs like Janis Joplin which I don't.

 

The main reason I chose a dynamic is the review I read of a guy who had bought a condenser mic for his home studio and was bragging that it was so sensitive that on all his recordings he could hear the clock in his bedroom down the hall and his neighbors laughing at his singing. Sorry that's too sensitive and too much editing work to remove the chatter.

 

So, if you've got a recording space that's dead quiet (no refrigerator running, neighbors pounding upstairs, sirens in the street) then buy the Neumann. You'll love it. Just be aware that as Br1ck said you'll soon be wanting a really good preamp, etc. (I've been wanting these Neumanns for about 4 years now!)

 

If you're not going to take Anne up on her great suggestion to treat yourself to some studio time, may I make a less expensive suggestion?

 

On vocals, you've got just the right instrument for the music you've been singing lately: your pipes have that bluesy growl that I'd love to have but my choir-boy vocal chords just can't do. Don't change anything on that front. I notice that you have trouble sometimes with your voice breaking slightly. It's a simple fix--you just need to support a wee bit better. Nothing major. So my suggestion is to find out who is a really good vocal coach in your area and take a lesson or two (that should be all it will take you) and focus on improving your support.

 

Like people here have told you before, if you were playing down the street we'd pay to get in to see you.

[dickie]

 

The main reason I chose a dynamic is the review I read of a guy who had bought a condenser mic for his home studio and was bragging that it was so sensitive that on all his recordings he could hear the clock in his bedroom down the hall and his neighbors laughing at his singing. Sorry that's too sensitive and too much editing work to remove the chatter.

 

 

Good post...

 

The thought of picking up on a recording, the sound of neighbors laughing at your singing made me smile. Assuming his voice wasn't so bad, then the problem there maybe wasn't the mic, perhaps he needed to buy a new house with better neighbors! Now we're into a whole different price range. :)

[BluesKing777]

I have posted these Neumann Videos before, but they are fabulous - study up!

 

 

Part 1 How to record acoustic guitar:

 

 

Part 2 has great tips on placement:

 

 

Part 3 - some different Neumanns:

 

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

[fretplay]

Some very good advise here and yes there are lots of factors that go into making a 'good' recording. I think you do have to take into consideration what you are looking to achieve and how well you can achieve it with the tools you have available. For example if you are doing a Neil Young song do you really want to sound like Neil Young or sound like you singing a Neil Young song or completely different version altogether.

 

I'm not sure what you are using to record at the moment but if you are using a Cubase type system you can change your recording room into a church if you want to. Certainly mixing is an art in it's self and different mixers can get different sounds. We have to take into consideration what we put in the artist himself so recording each track separately gives the opportunity to hear each track in the cold light of day as it were and work on it's improvement.

At this stage you can mix in the effects to make a sound unique to you. If you decide to go down this track ( pardon the pun) try using the mic positioned about eight inches from the bridge then record the voice with you standing.