Who records at home with a computer and....

[bigtim]

Yes i have to find that sweet spot here at the house with my mike placement set up. I know I am always happier with the tone of the guitar amp I use at the studio. He has it running into a sm57 I believe. I am trying to get my set up here at home going. I do not mind recording dry sometimes and even after the track is down and throwing it into a few different plug ins however, it still sounds a bit lacking in feeling department. I try to get into the song I am doing the track on. I find it much easier when your happy with the sound during a live recording instead of just keeping up with the click track to stay on time and not doing anything fancy by just laying the track down. Heck I want to feel it you know, and I feel everything better through my live rig instead of processing things afterwards. I do not mind adding little things to make the overall feel of the track come through but you can really get carried away with over processing tracks.

 

 

 

One more note..

 

With a good sound coming from the amp and careful mic selection and positioning, your track shouldn't really need much if any EQ or processing for the mix. However since you mentioned plugins I wanted to add that you can still use plugins on a track recorded with a mic. So if you want to add flanger or something like that you can still record your amp with a mic then add whatever plugins you want later

[Larsongs]

So do any of you use a mixer as well as your interface? Maybe some of you have an interface that is set up like a multichannel mixer. If so how do you have it set up? I am thinking of getting a small mixer and putting it inline with the input signals to the interface and using the board for monitoring as well. Any of you do that? Again just picking you fellow guitar buddies brain!

 

I use a Presonus 16.4.2 Interface Mixer while Recording but do my final Mixing in Pro Tools in the Box...

 

Lars

[Larsongs]

Yes i have to find that sweet spot here at the house with my mike placement set up. I know I am always happier with the tone of the guitar amp I use at the studio. He has it running into a sm57 I believe. I am trying to get my set up here at home going. I do not mind recording dry sometimes and even after the track is down and throwing it into a few different plug ins however, it still sounds a bit lacking in feeling department. I try to get into the song I am doing the track on. I find it much easier when your happy with the sound during a live recording instead of just keeping up with the click track to stay on time and not doing anything fancy by just laying the track down. Heck I want to feel it you know, and I feel everything better through my live rig instead of processing things afterwards. I do not mind adding little things to make the overall feel of the track come through but you can really get carried away with over processing tracks.

 

There are no Set Rules. You can do what you want but there are things that work better than others..

 

I do a lot of Recording with lots of different Musicians. I'm amazed how many good Musicians can't play to a Click Track & blame it on the Click Track. All it is is lack of practice playing with them. It's Standard in the Industry to use a Click. For a wide variety of reasons. Most importantly playing in Time. The feeling will come with practice & experience....& it'll be in Time..

[Pinch]

I use the Presonus Studio One 3.5 DAW. I plug my electric guitar and microphone (for vocals) into a Presonus interface and then into my computer via a USB cable. Others have mentioned the Scarlett interface and Pro Tools DAW and they are terrific too. Have fun!

 

Ditto. I have a range of issues recording, but it's because the computer's old. I run various cheap FX for distortion before I run the the signal through Ampire in Studio One.

 

You get the most out of Ampire if you pre-distort the signal to the degree of your choice. In fact, I don't even like Ampire on its own, but add some distortion before you input the signal, and you get some f$&*king amazing sounds.

[Dub-T-123]

There are no Set Rules. You can do what you want but there are things that work better than others..

 

I do a lot of Recording with lots of different Musicians. I'm amazed how many good Musicians can't play to a Click Track & blame it on the Click Track. All it is is lack of practice playing with them. It's Standard in the Industry to use a Click. For a wide variety of reasons. Most importantly playing in Time. The feeling will come with practice & experience....& it'll be in Time..

There are many highly regarded engineers and studios who don’t use click tracks. There are many reasons to not use one, but it depends what you’re doing. Recording one track at a time with a click might work well with a single musician but might not be the best choice to capture the natural sound of a good band playing together

[rct]

There are no Set Rules. You can do what you want but there are things that work better than others..

 

I do a lot of Recording with lots of different Musicians. I'm amazed how many good Musicians can't play to a Click Track & blame it on the Click Track. All it is is lack of practice playing with them. It's Standard in the Industry to use a Click. For a wide variety of reasons. Most importantly playing in Time. The feeling will come with practice & experience....& it'll be in Time..

 

We didn't use a click track when we wrote it, didn't use a click track as we arranged it, and haven't used a click track while playing it out to see how it goes. We aren't going to start using one now, and most recording peoples get that. That's kind of the problem with recording most of the time, these absolutes and extremes that people have to implement, in my experience.

 

rct

[MichaelT]

We didn't use a click track when we wrote it, didn't use a click track as we arranged it, and haven't used a click track while playing it out to see how it goes. We aren't going to start using one now, and most recording peoples get that. That's kind of the problem with recording most of the time, these absolutes and extremes that people have to implement, in my experience.

 

rct

 

Some people just don't have good timing and playing along with a metronome or click track freaks them out, I guess. We never used one in the studio either but we had a good steady drummer and musicians who could keep time. If I had to, I could but I've played with a few people who just can't keep time.

[Pinch]

There are many highly regarded engineers and studios who don’t use click tracks. There are many reasons to not use one, but it depends what you’re doing. Recording one track at a time with a click might work well with a single musician but might not be the best choice to capture the natural sound of a good band playing together

 

What Dub said.

 

Then again, depends on the click track. Most seem to have been designed by Marvel villains to make your tinnitus worse. One solution is to program kick drum, hi-hat and snare samples.

[Marky Forrest]

Ditto. I have a range of issues recording, but it's because the computer's old. I run various cheap FX for distortion before I run the the signal through Ampire in Studio One.

 

You get the most out of Ampire if you pre-distort the signal to the degree of your choice. In fact, I don't even like Ampire on its own, but add some distortion before you input the signal, and you get some f{:content:}amp;*king amazing sounds.

 

Thanks Pinch, that's a good tip. I like Ampire and AmpliTube 4. The idea of using effects before the signal hits the DAW makes good sense to me. I don't know why I didn't think of it. I'll chalk it up to being new to recording and old age.

[quapman]

I'm using a Tascam DP-008EX. I'm retired and cheap so for drums I use a Hydrogen Drum Machine I got free off the net. I go straight into my Tascam with an old Line 6 Pod I bought in the 90s. For bass I go straight into the Tascam using a Zoom B1on. I usually get the drum part worked out and record it at the same time as the guitar because I'm old and can't remember all the changes. I don't give a crap about my tone as long as the recording is half a$$. They aren't the best but good enough for me.

If you care to check them out on soundcloud I'll post a link. The B-flat thing is something I learned taking lessons in the 80s and I just made up the lead as I went.

G Thing is something I put together after learning some triads, 80s also. Blues Jam was me just figuring out the Tascam. I think I did the drums on my kids electronic set. What's Goin On is something I just made up. Believe Me is about chump. It was kinda cathartic for me. I hate that bastard. Glad he's down there. My condolences.

 

 

I'm not a singer,don't judge me. And there are plenty of mistakes. Be kind.

 

 

[pippy]

Great to see you still check in Quap!

 

 

Pip.

[quapman]

Great to see you still check in Quap!

 

 

Pip.

 

Thanks Pip, I really do appreciate that.

I do check in on occasion.

[Larsongs]

We didn't use a click track when we wrote it, didn't use a click track as we arranged it, and haven't used a click track while playing it out to see how it goes. We aren't going to start using one now, and most recording peoples get that. That's kind of the problem with recording most of the time, these absolutes and extremes that people have to implement, in my experience.

 

rct

 

Like I said, there are no set rules.. In my experience it amazes me how many good Musicians think they can keep time but can't play to a Click Track...

 

It's just my individual opinion & my experience that some things do work better than others...

[brad1]

Like I said, there are no set rules.. In my experience it amazes me how many good Musicians think they can keep time but can't play to a Click Track...

You imply that if you can't play to a click track you can't keep time.

That's ridiculous. Not true.

[american cheez]

We have run into this problem at my studio. Maybe your interface is a little more advanced than the recording program you are using. Have you tried to adjust your buffer settings?

 

i am using pro tools first, which is what it came with. i dont have problems while using protools, but since i installed the scarlett, if i click through too many youtube videos, or movies stored on my computer, it blue screens and i get a bugcode usb error. i also get skipping when i play mp3s and during streaming videos. i will look at the buffer settings and see if that works. thanks for the tip

 

 

You imply that if you can't play to a click track you can't keep time.

That's ridiculous. Not true.

 

ummm, actually, that's exactly what that means. you can either keep time, or you can't. time is time.

[brad1]

ummm, actually, that's exactly what that means. you can either keep time, or you can't. time is time.

I have been drumming for 45 years.

Nobody had ever complained about my timing.

Ever.

In fact I've been told by many that I have great timing.

But I can't play to a click track.

Nor do I want to.

[Pinch]

Thanks Pinch, that's a good tip. I like Ampire and AmpliTube 4. The idea of using effects before the signal hits the DAW makes good sense to me. I don't know why I didn't think of it. I'll chalk it up to being new to recording and old age.

 

I just happened to start out that way. I don't know if it makes sense, but with a bit of distortion before it hits the DAW, I can get pretty much any and every sound I want out of Ampire.

 

If I ever buy a new computer, I think I'm sticking with Studio One mainly because of Ampire.

[Larsongs]

I have been drumming for 45 years.

Nobody had ever complained about my timing.

Ever.

In fact I've been told by many that I have great timing.

But I can't play to a click track.

Nor do I want to.

 

That's great.

 

However, in my experience it's not just some Drummers who think they play in perfect time that can't play to a Click Track. Other Musicians that can't seem to support each other & don't want to record to Click Tracks... Some are ok with playing out of time.. The Stones are a good example.. Although I'm sure Charlie can play to,a Click.. It's just that he follows Keith & he's in & out of time... But it works for them..

 

That said, most Pro Session Drummers & other Pro Session Musicians are expected to be able to play to a Click.... For a variety of reasons.. But mainly to keep perfect Time...

[Cougar]

....That said, most Pro Session Drummers & other Pro Session Musicians are expected to be able to play to a Click.... For a variety of reasons.. But mainly to keep perfect Time...

In my case, it allows for trouble-free cutting and pasting.

 

[Larsongs]

In my case, it allows for trouble-free cutting and pasting.

 

Yep. That, plus Edits, Comps, Punch ins & Overdubs.

 

The big thing is not having to use so many tricks to fix the Mix... It really does sound better when everyone is in sync...

[dino_j]

Very good topic here, I've enjoyed the insights shared so far. I'd like to share a couple of my thoughts based on using computers to record for 30 years.

 

First, addressing click tracks, I find it easier to put my bass and drum parts down first with the click track, then I don't use it to record the rest of my parts, I just listen to the bass and drums, It keeps me from being a little less precise with guitars or keyboards or vocals, and makes it sound a little more 'human' in terms of rhythm. It definitely makes cut and paste easier.

 

Second, addressing mic'ing versus direct-in: I use either method depending on a few factors. If I know that I want the specific sound of my amp and think I can get it with my SM-57, that'll be what I do. If I'm doing a minimal amount of instruments, that works very well. But if I do a project with multiple vocals, keyboards, strings, etc. I might use a direct-in guitar. Sometimes I don't know exactly how I want the guitar to sound until later, and if you've already recorded it with delay, distrortion, etc. you can't undo that. You can play around with amp simulators and effects later in the mix. A 'Marshall amp' effect might not sound like a real Marshall when you are isolating the track, but when it's blended in with the other instruments, it can be more convincing.

 

Third, the 'optimal' sound of each instrument (and vocal) isn't always what you end up on a good recording. If you're mixing a lot of instruments, they can't all be optimized for their full ranges, the piano might have a great bottom end, but if the bass guitar does too, it'll sound too boomy.

 

Lastly, I use Cakewalk/Sonar software going into a Presonus mixer. I've used Cakewalk since the days of the late 80's with a Roland MIDI input.

 

 

 

[Dub-T-123]

Yep. That, plus Edits, Comps, Punch ins & Overdubs.

 

The big thing is not having to use so many tricks to fix the Mix... It really does sound better when everyone is in sync...

If a band can’t play in sync without a click then they should worry about practicing, not recording.

 

If an engineer can’t record a band without a click then they aren’t very good at their job IMO

 

The use of click track should be dependent on the tracking process and desired outcome. It is not a standard thing that should be used for every project. It has advantages and disadvantages.

 

You take a band that can play an awesome live performance and you are probably doing them a disservice by making them record one at a time with a click. You take a single artist overdubbing every instrument themself and you probably want to use a click. If you’re copy/pasting all your music then you probably need a click, but I would ask why you are copy pasting so much

 

Maybe you don’t have a room that can accommodate recording a full band so you have to record one instrument at a time on a click. That’s more saying that your studio isn’t very practical vs saying a click is the way to go

 

Just my opinion. Totally agree with Dino_J that the full freq range of each instrument is not usually shown in a mix. I would add that this is pretty much the reason why the SM57 is so popular for guitar amps and snare drums

[american cheez]

i would agree that playing to a click track is not always necessary. if you're ripping off the floor, and/or want something to sound organic then no, a click track would be the wrong approach.

 

however -

 

you all know the reason it sounds more organic without the click track. like it or not, it's because of the precision. there's several great songs where someone's parts drag just a smidge, and it makes all the difference in the world. a good song becomes great because of the human element. but the exception proves the rule. if you can't play to a click track, you are unable to be consistently precise. if you can be precise on a consistent basis, then you have the ability to play to a click track, but something else is stopping you. to this day, i cannot play helter skelter all the way through without messing up. it's by no means a hard song to play. but i hate playing it. i hate playing it sooo much, i screw it up because i can't concentrate

[Dub-T-123]

i would agree that playing to a click track is not always necessary. if you're ripping off the floor, and/or want something to sound organic then no, a click track would be the wrong approach.

 

however -

 

you all know the reason it sounds more organic without the click track. like it or not, it's because of the precision. there's several great songs where someone's parts drag just a smidge, and it makes all the difference in the world. a good song becomes great because of the human element. but the exception proves the rule. if you can't play to a click track, you are unable to be consistently precise. if you can be precise on a consistent basis, then you have the ability to play to a click track, but something else is stopping you. to this day, i cannot play helter skelter all the way through without messing up. it's by no means a hard song to play. but i hate playing it. i hate playing it sooo much, i screw it up because i can't concentrate

It really goes without saying that a click is unnecessary.

 

I disagree that imprecision turns a good track into a great track. I think a band just writes a great song and it’s great. The way a click sucks the life out of a track is not by having everyone hit on exactly the same beat, that’s fine. The problem is more about completely changing the way an artist/band performs.

[Larsongs]

If a band can’t play in sync without a click then they should worry about practicing, not recording.

 

If an engineer can’t record a band without a click then they aren’t very good at their job IMO

 

The use of click track should be dependent on the tracking process and desired outcome. It is not a standard thing that should be used for every project. It has advantages and disadvantages.

 

You take a band that can play an awesome live performance and you are probably doing them a disservice by making them record one at a time with a click. You take a single artist overdubbing every instrument themself and you probably want to use a click. If you’re copy/pasting all your music then you probably need a click, but I would ask why you are copy pasting so much

 

Maybe you don’t have a room that can accommodate recording a full band so you have to record one instrument at a time on a click. That’s more saying that your studio isn’t very practical vs saying a click is the way to go

 

Just my opinion. Totally agree with Dino_J that the full freq range of each instrument is not usually shown in a mix. I would add that this is pretty much the reason why the SM57 is so popular for guitar amps and snare drums

 

I'm not talking about copying & pasting my own Music. Or constantly having to use all the Tricks to make a good Record.

 

I do record a lot of other Musicians. The truth is there are a lot of Musicians who think they're great when they're not. A few things I see. Many Bands can't play in time. It's unbelievable. Because of their denial they make all kinds of excuses & give all kinds of reasons why Click Tracks suck & aren't "Organic". They can't handle the truth.

 

Many Bands have no concept of Dynamics. Many are recording songs they've written that are complete crap. But, hey, if they want to record I'll take their money.

 

When working as a Producer I try to help the Artist or Band make the best recording possible. Whatever they're doing I do try to give them the best finished Product I can. Much of my time is spent "Fixing it in the Mix".

 

Once in a while you run into a great Band who get it all right. What a pleasure that is! They can play with or without Click. In time. They understand & utilize Dynamics effectively. They know how to play & Sing. They know how to write good Songs. In my experience they are the exception not the rule.

 

It isn't my fault there are so many Musicians & Bands that aren't very good & I have to use all the tricks to make them sound better than they really are..

 

Lars