How Can I Improve My Recordings?!?!?!

[_bombsh3ll_]

Well this is the basic low down of my bands recording situation!

We have a behringer 1202fx mixer, with 2 shure sm57s and some not so great dynamic mic (optimus)

We basically run leads from the tape outs of the mixer and straight into my sound cards line in. We record with audacity.

We record the drums with the 2 sm57s as overheads and a the ****ty dynamic on the kick (low in the mix)

We record a laney stack with the sm57 and we use amp distortion although we can use a line 6 uber metal or digitech death metal pedal if we need.

We record the bass from a crate amp, we run a lead from the line out of the amp through a di box and into the mixer. For some reason the di box makes it that little bit better. Although the di box is a alto?? wtf

Vocals are recorded once again with the 2 sm57s and it sounds fairly nice...

To mix the track, we basically have the rhythm panned 85% towards the left and obviously the lead is panned 85% to the right. The drums are stereo and so is the bass, and the vocals the same, although the backup vocals level is a little lower than lead, I basically use the normaliza feature on the drums and amplify what needs it. We make all the silence parts in complete silence and fade outs and fade ins etc are done.



Well thats about it? I'm just wondering for all you gurus out there what I can do to further my recording quality or different techniques to recording or what not...

It says in the booklet (behringer mixer) to buy a COMPOSER PRO-XL MDX2600, but I dunno...

So any suggestions, different things to buy... Just give us a yell!

and I do plan on getting rid of that ****ty dynamic for another sm57 one day :) :wave:

[ThePinkPanther]

We basically run leads from the tape outs of the mixer and straight into my sound cards line in. We record with audacity.

Get a stereo to mono adaptor and use the main line out on the mixer. Make sure it's line in not microphone.


We record the drums with the 2 sm57s as overheads and a the ****ty dynamic on the kick (low in the mix)

Get more mics, or learn to effectively position them not jsut as overheads. If it's a small/normal sized set you can stick an SM57 by the mid/high tom and the bass to get them. And the other one by the snare/highhat/crash and the other one by the ride/floor tom.



We record a laney stack with the sm57 and we use amp distortion although we can use a line 6 uber metal or digitech death metal pedal if we need.

I don't know what you're asking here but....

Postition the mic right up against a speaker of the stack, and for a little added touch have one against the speaker and the other on the side of the room for some natural reverb.


We record the bass from a crate amp, we run a lead from the line out of the amp through a di box and into the mixer. For some reason the di box makes it that little bit better. Although the di box is a alto?? wtf

And you're complaining that it sounds better?


Vocals are recorded once again with the 2 sm57s and it sounds fairly nice...

Good, possibly get a tube mic pre-amp to add warmth. Also, if you can (i don't use audacity), add some reverb to the vocals, or just do the same thing with the two mics.



To mix the track, we basically have the rhythm panned 85% towards the left and obviously the lead is panned 85% to the right. The drums are stereo and so is the bass, and the vocals the same, although the backup vocals level is a little lower than lead, I basically use the normaliza feature on the drums and amplify what needs it. We make all the silence parts in complete silence and fade outs and fade ins etc are done.

try different things out, like all stereo or each 100% on each side.



It says in the booklet (behringer mixer) to buy a COMPOSER PRO-XL MDX2600, but I dunno...


It's a compressor
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=live/search/detail/base_id/90062



and I do plan on getting rid of that ****ty dynamic for another sm57 one day :) :wave:

Get another SM57, an SM58, i forget what model it is but this Shure kick drum mic. Also possibly get an equalizer, mic pre-amp, noise gate, and a bigger mixer.

:wave:

[_bombsh3ll_]

main outs instead of tape outs? what is the difference??

could you please leave links for mic pre-amps and noise gates? what r they?? what do they do???

3 sm57s, what would i use the sm58 for?

[Ozduck]

what DI box do u use?

[_bombsh3ll_]

alto.. .... i said that didnt i? lol

[ThePinkPanther]

main outs instead of tape outs? what is the difference??

could you please leave links for mic pre-amps and noise gates? what r they?? what do they do???

3 sm57s, what would i use the sm58 for?

go to Musicians Friend for noise gate and whatnot.

and the SM58 is more for vocals.

[airborne50caliber]

Explore with positioning of is the key on the drums, as was said. The important thing in general is to pinpoint what you are most unhappy with:

--> The sound quality of the individual unprocessed tracks?
--> How it all comes together in the mix?
--> How the final eq balance sounds?

Once you have isolated the worst thing in your recordings you can try and fix it, then the second worst etc. and each time you will learn something new which will improve your technique.

General reccomendations on gear however: buy preamps, even cheap ones such as the behringer mic200 tube preamp. Buy at least one dynamic processing unit: the mdx2600 you mentioned is great for gating/compression/expansion. (I own multiples of both pieces of gear mentioned above and I am sure they will satisfy you in their field if you learn to use them properly.)

[shayne_122]

go to Musicians Friend for noise gate and whatnot.

and the SM58 is more for vocals.

I find that the SM58 doesn't do vocals as well in the studio as well as the 57, strangely enough.

But threadstarter, if your mixer has phantom power, get the Behringer B-1 condensor mic for vocals. it's cheaper than a 57 in my town, which is a bit strange...

[_bombsh3ll_]

pre amps?? what will they do for me?? hasnt the mixer already got them??

and the compressor?? how the hell would i use it?? i think its going a bit to advanced for me?? or does it just look like it

[airborne50caliber]

I find that the SM58 doesn't do vocals as well in the studio as well as the 57, strangely enough.

I find that too. SM57s can be found in professional studios whereas sm58s will almost always not be found. SM58 is a live mic, SM57 is live AND studio.

But threadstarter, if your mixer has phantom power, get the Behringer B-1 condensor mic for vocals. it's cheaper than a 57 in my town, which is a bit strange...

A B-1 will not do as good a job as a 57. I'm not dissing behringer - I love their rack gear to bits - but they simply cannot make microphones, it is not their area. And it is way overpriced. I have tested a B5 and Nady CM88 head-to-head - Nady sounded 100 times better and was half the price.

[airborne50caliber]

pre amps?? what will they do for me?? hasnt the mixer already got them??

The preamps in your mixer are of low quality and not faithful to the mic. I'm frankly not extremely good at explaining this, but preamps change the coloration of the sound and that's why professionals spend thousands of dollars on Neve and Avalon preamps. Ever asked yourself why your snare sound is not as good as the pros who also use a 57, although your snare is top quality? Trust me, as soon as you feel your SM57 is sounding sub-par, get a mic200 (Cheap) before you upgrade your mic. Because 57s are truly wonderful.

and the compressor?? how the hell would i use it?? i think its going a bit to advanced for me?? or does it just look like it

If you want to do decent home recording, you will have to learn about it, read about it, and practice recording until you get the hang of the things you don't get now. If you don't know how to use a compressor, then my general advice to better your recording quality is get more experience in all fields of recording including dynamics control.

[_bombsh3ll_]

sorry for bringing up an old post...

but my final mix of the latest recording as not flash.. and just sounded to cluttered... and sounded just like a bunch of tracks put ontop of each other instead of being one piece...

although everything was recording with good equipment?? help please :D

and i got a pre amp.. works wonders :)

[Striker62]

sorry for bringing up an old post...

but my final mix of the latest recording as not flash.. and just sounded to cluttered... and sounded just like a bunch of tracks put ontop of each other instead of being one piece...

although everything was recording with good equipment?? help please :D

and i got a pre amp.. works wonders :)

Well did you pan anything left or right. because if you dont technically it is all ontop of each other and thats the way your ear is goin to hear it. Also if you do have them panned it could sound that way because of.... too many lows, the tracks need their own frequency range... least so much of it. try to eq the tracks different to give them space, and also download a spectrum analyzer... Then use it to look at other peoples songs and compare it to yours.

[_bombsh3ll_]

ty will do...

i recently downloaded cool edit pro 2 and it sounded alot better on there...

on the last track i didnt pan anything and im started to feel like an idiot because i always do....

but you would pan the bass and the drums would you ??

[Striker62]

Well the bass should stay in the middle. The drums there are different ways to pan but they are generall focused down the middle to. you could pan the right overhead right and left left. youll have to test that and play around with it becuase im not sure how you got your drums recorded.