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Gh0st_Preacher posted:I've been revisiting EQs, Reverbs, Compressors, and other basic effects and was wondering what others might recommend as far as VSTs in these categories. What can you more experienced folks suggest? Are there any other types of effects I should look at for the basics, as well? I'm very impressed with The Glue (compressor from Cytomik, $99) and Eos (reverb from AudioDamage, $49), and think they are well worth consideration if you are looking to upgrade your basic everyday effects without spending a huge ton.
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Oct 8, 2011 00:58
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himajinga posted:We have a ZOOM H4 that sits in the corner of the practice space for this exact reason and it works great. Wow, nice tip. The site says it does so much more than what I was expecting that I'm going to try and find one to try out this weekend. Sounds almost too good, but at the same time I'm not really surprised that such a neat little solution would already exist. Thanks
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Oct 8, 2011 04:53
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Is there any kind of auto-quantization software for drum hits yet? My music project is recording an EP and we don't have a drummer, only a guitarist who can hit drums pretty well. In a few tracks he misses a hit here or there, and he recorded to a click track of techno beats that I made. The drums themselves (not worried about cymbals) are going to be partially resampled with Drumagog, which replaces hits within a certain decibel range... so I thought by now there must be some software that can quantize hits within a certain decibel range to fit a tempo, but I don't really know what to ask for on Google. Anything?
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Oct 13, 2011 00:55
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DaveSpillings posted:Is there any kind of auto-quantization software for drum hits yet? My music project is recording an EP and we don't have a drummer, only a guitarist who can hit drums pretty well. In a few tracks he misses a hit here or there, and he recorded to a click track of techno beats that I made. The drums themselves (not worried about cymbals) are going to be partially resampled with Drumagog, which replaces hits within a certain decibel range... so I thought by now there must be some software that can quantize hits within a certain decibel range to fit a tempo, but I don't really know what to ask for on Google. Anything? What DAW are you using? There is a good chance that you have this feature built in.
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Oct 13, 2011 10:41
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mike- posted:What DAW are you using? There is a good chance that you have this feature built in. I'm using Adobe Audition, which I think had pretty much everything as far as editing goes, but I don't really know what to look for when it comes to stuff like this...
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Oct 13, 2011 21:47
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So, I decided to take this whole recording/mixing thing seriously, because it's possibly the closest I'll get to work with music while being a crappy musician, hehe. So, I bought some really basic equipment to start things off, record some covers and stuff for my friends. This way I can practice mixing and working with DAWs and VSTis. My main problem right now is that I have no money at all to buy everything I need at once, since I'm a college student in a third world country. That's why I come to you, goons, to help me out a little bit with my next purchase. I have the bare minimum needed to record, mix and produce things here: a SM-57 working double shift to cover vocals and guitar/percussion/whatever, a Saffire 6 audio interface and a pretty decent PC with REAPER, plus, you know, instruments. The things I'm thinking about buying right now are: a pair of audio monitors, a MIDI controller and a condenser mic. Overall, I think the monitors should be my priority, but they are also the most expensive thing out of that list, at least if I wanted to get something like a Rokit 6 instead of an Edifier, and maybe it'd be better to get a good pair of headphones. The condenser would be really good since I'm mostly recording acoustic guitar + singing or voiceovers and getting a cheap MXL V97g is both possible and a decent investment. The MIDI controller isn't that much of a necessity, but it'd make my life easier, if only because I do much better actually playing than sequencing synths and drums. My price range, is, unfortunately, "incredibly low". That's why I haven't decided on the monitors yet. While I think it'd be better for me to learn to mix and work with actual monitors, I'm afraid the place where I have my nanostudio set up - a living room in an apartment - and the fact I'm looking into really, really cheap stuff would get me bad monitoring, but I can't keep using my terrible headphones either. I couldn't go wrong with a condenser in the V67g price range, but since my aim now is to learn and improve my mixing and producing skills, and not so much doing high-quality recordings... So, if anyone has the patience to read all of this and can help me out with my choice, I'd really appreciate it. Just keep in mind I'm not American, so just consider anything twice or thrice as expensive for this particular situation. Also, I'd love any indications of good literature or even video tutorials about music recording and production. I'm sorry this is another "recommend me gear" post, but I am quite stuck right now, hehe.
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Oct 16, 2011 08:55
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Do not buy monitors; you might get used to listening to monitors, but your mix is not going to improve by using them: the monitors aren't going to be in a treated room. Might I suggest some Series Ones? I'd say the MIDI controller comes next; the 57 will serve you well enough for now. Vocals likely shall suffer, but you're working on mixing and production, so make it a priority for your spending decisions. The headphones + a MIDI controller ought not set you back more than about $200 US, including shipping. For the controller: check used venues, not only locally but Craigslist &c. I use an old CBXK2 and I paid maybe $60 for it.
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Oct 16, 2011 10:35
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I disagree on headphones vs monitors for any serious work. For the money you'd spend on a pair of Rockit 6 I'd look at either a pair of Yamaha NS-10 or Realistic Minimus 7 (Made in Japan) paired with a nice amp. Hafler makes some nice, cheap, stereo amps. As far as a midi controller goes if you're just looking for a way to get key sounds into the PC and not for any fancy knobs, hammer action, or the like you can use any super cheap Casio/Yamaha/Etc keyboard. You can find them all day at thrift/second hand shops for $10 or 20.00 USD. Probably the same in all parts of the world. Absolutely anything with a MIDI Out port will work. If your interface doesn't have a MIDI In port you can buy one of those cheap M-Audio MIDI to USB interfaces. They cost around $30.00 USD.
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Oct 16, 2011 20:27
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Can anyone recommed a cheap audio interface that has multiple outs? I'm looking for at least 4. Also, how essential is the min 7200 rpm hard drive for audio recommended in the OP? It seems quite hard to find one on a mid priced laptop. massive spider fucked around with this message at 17:24 on Oct 17, 2011 |
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Oct 17, 2011 15:30
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massive spider posted:Can anyone recommed a cheap audio interface that has multiple outs? I'm looking for at least 4. Have a look at the audio interface megathread, though the Focusrite Saffire 6 seems to be a favorite choice in that ballpark. massive spider posted:Also, how essential is the min 7200 rpm hard drive for audio recommended in the OP? It seems quite hard to find one on a mid priced laptop. Depends on how many tracks you want to record simultaneously and at what bitrate/sample rate. A couple of tracks at 24 bit/44.1kHz is no problem, but if you want to record a whole band at 24/96 it could get dicey. Faster disks are also faster for things like mixdown too of course. Also you can always get a big/fast external hard drive for audio.
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Oct 18, 2011 03:00
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I posted this in tourism and travel, and didn't really get a response. I am hoping maybe somebody here can help me: A group of friends and myself are trying to find a secluded place where we can play/record loud music at out hours, and not be bothered for a few weeks this summer. We live in Western Massachusetts, where there is a lot of rural land, but does anybody know if there is a way to rent out a barn with a house or something similar? Or at least rent out a cheap studio somewhere out in the country? There are a lot of "farmhouses" for vacation rental but they tend to be geared towards older folks, and filled with antique furniture. we're looking for somewhere a little more uh... rustic. edit - a friend got me in touch with some local rehearsal places. Some of them may be interested in putting us up too. rivid fucked around with this message at 23:12 on Oct 26, 2011 |
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Oct 18, 2011 19:39
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Questions questions questions I've repurposed/dedicated an old black Macbook for recording purposes. I'm using Pro Tools 8 LE with an Mbox 2 mini USB interface and I'm going to be using EZdrummer & DFH for the metalz.  I'll also be using an external HDD to save all of my files. For the best performance, should I host EZDrummer on the external, or keep it installed on the system drive? My copy of Pro Tools also came with a bunch of loops, and I'm wondering which drive I should keep those on. Thoughts?
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Oct 19, 2011 22:26
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The advantage of the external drive is mainly to split up bandwidth. If you're using a lot of audio tracks and samples, keep them on the external, and the samples on the internal. If you're just using lots of samples but not a lot of audio tracks, put the samples on the external and keep the audio tracks on the internal.
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Oct 20, 2011 03:24
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A good sampler should copy things to RAM anyway so where samples are stored is not a huge issue. Some samplers, DFH included, do a direct from disc streaming mode thing which can def get bogged down if it's running alongside a bunch of audio tracks. You can turn this option off if you have enough RAM to handle all of the samples. Long story short, max your RAM out for the best sample performance.
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Oct 20, 2011 12:48
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Thanks for the help guys. It's an older system so RAM won't be able to improve a whole lot. I do have an Intel 80GB SSD I'm trying to figure out what to do with. Maybe I can incorporate that in. I know Avid says that Pro Tools hasn't been tested or approved for use with an SSD but I'm just making a hobby of this.
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Oct 20, 2011 17:39
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Edit: Got some advice in the audio interface thread. Thanks!
CuddleChunks fucked around with this message at 18:46 on Oct 26, 2011 |
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Oct 20, 2011 22:07
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Hi, I'm currently in a 3 piece power trio w/ a 4th violinist. We're wanting to record practices that we're having. Mostly just to progress and let people hear what we're doing. Mostly instrumental. All of us are pretty adequate. I'm just wanting to do some basic multi track recordings at practice. Should I be looking into investing in a PA? Furthermore, what sort of mics or multi tracking parts should I be looking at? Thanks goons. EDIT: After some research, I think I'd like to get an audio interface that can do USB and do 4 tracks. Any thoughts on this sort device? Maybe something like this: http://www.zzounds.com/item--TASUS1800 but a little cheaper. Sups fucked around with this message at 20:20 on Oct 24, 2011 |
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Oct 24, 2011 17:58
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This may be a long shot, but any goons have experience with Komplete 8 Ultimate? Bought the software a few weeks ago; still working out kinks. I run the instruments from a single instance of Kontakt 5, loaded into FL Studio 10 Signature Ed. Most things load OK, although a bit slow initially (libraries are stored on a 1TB USB 2.0 ext. HDD). My desktop has an i5-2600K processor with 8GB DDR3 RAM, so everything fits in the pipelines. Some issues I'm taking up on the Image-Line forums, like Reaktor not wanting to load in FL but working fine as a standalone VST, but another thing I just noticed yesterday is that certain instrument patches will be cut out of live playback when used in tandem with another instrument. Example: arranging a piece using a Vienna Grand Piano patch from K8U, then going back and adding an Abbey Road 70's drumkit patch in the same instance of Kontakt and writing some drum patterns. If I go for the live playback in FL, the Piano patch will "miss" certain notes or cut sustain on others, while the drum patch works fine. I'm not too familiar with Kontakt's mixing/routing setup, though I have gotten instrument patches to route to different MIDI channels and different mixer outputs in FL, so I don't know if I'm just loading patches incorrectly or if this is a problem with the actual software. Anyone have any ideas?
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Oct 31, 2011 22:51
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Venkmanologist posted:Questions questions questions This sounds a lot like my situation - I'm using my black Macbook to start at home as well. This winter is going to be nothing but writing new material so I want to get started with some recordings ASAP! I have some stuff from being generally surrounding myself with music the last 3 years but my knowledge is just not that great - I make real basic tracks using garage band when we practice but I want to get started making good recordings with Protools. What I have already: -Mid 2007 Black Macbook - 2.4 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB RAM -2 solid 1TB 7200rpm external drives -Protools setup -A great pair of headphones -Guitars/Basses/Amps -SM57 and SM58 -Decent speakers What do I need? This is where I'm messed up at...it's like I have my instruments, my computer, my software... now what do I need to finish it? I want to be able to make great drum sounds and synths on the recordings. Any recommendations on the keyboard, controller, MIDI stuff...very confused here... basically what do I need to do in order to get started laying down the drum tracks to a bpm, and the synth sounds that I want? And the guitar/bass/vox I can just record into myself - my only question is here is what cable goes from the instrument to my computer, do they make an XLR to USB cable or how does that all work exactly? Last thing - sound card on my computer is probably just a stock one it's nothing special - do I need to get a new one or external one if I am going to be messing with recordings that have tons of tracks? Thank you SA!
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Nov 3, 2011 05:05
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LedZergling posted:And the guitar/bass/vox I can just record into myself - my only question is here is what cable goes from the instrument to my computer, do they make an XLR to USB cable or how does that all work exactly? The answer to that part of your question is best found in this thread: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3278830 As for your 'Pro-tools setup', which version of Pro-tools do you have? Unless it's the most recent version of Pro-tools, it requires an external audio interface of some kind, so you should already have an audio interface if you bought your copy of Pro-tools anytime more than ~6 months ago. If you want soft-synths and midi sequencing, since you've already got a mac, you should look at Logic, which IMO is much better for MIDI sequencing than Pro-tools, and comes with some very good soft-synths and plugins.
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Nov 3, 2011 13:37
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Great thank you! We actually are using Protools 9 so I am good there. I will definitely check that out and anything else anyone can tell me would be much appreciated!
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Nov 5, 2011 00:59
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Can someone post the link to that picture that is basically a cheat sheet for where to apply EQ/filters on different kinds of instruments, i.e. the ideal frequency ranges for each? I'm pulling out my hair trying to find the drat thing. edit: Nevermind, its in the drat OP. Venkmanologist fucked around with this message at 22:03 on Nov 6, 2011 |
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Nov 6, 2011 21:59
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So I just purchased Guitar Rig which is running inside Live 7. My guitar (Les Paul, non active) into an amp sounds great. Going into my Emu 0404 then into Guitar Rig though produces LUDICROUS amounts of static noise to the point it's unplayable. I tried throwing on a noise gate/noise reducer and both only work until I hit a note, at which point the noise flies back in. What am I doing wrong? Help help  Nevermind, problem solved. Who knew there were tiny switches on the bottom of interfaces for crazy ground issues? MrTheDevious fucked around with this message at 04:07 on Nov 8, 2011 |
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Nov 8, 2011 01:23
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GodIsInTheTrees posted:So I just purchased Guitar Rig which is running inside Live 7. My guitar (Les Paul, non active) into an amp sounds great. Going into my Emu 0404 then into Guitar Rig though produces LUDICROUS amounts of static noise to the point it's unplayable. I tried throwing on a noise gate/noise reducer and both only work until I hit a note, at which point the noise flies back in. What am I doing wrong? Help help It sounds like maybe the level of the EMU's preamp is set too high so you're getting clipping. Make sure the channel is set as an instrument level (high impedence / Hi-Z) input rather than line level, and that you're not inadvertently adding a preamp boost to the signal. When you are monitoring the guitar in Live (without Guitar Rig or any effects), make sure your playing does not drive the meter into the red at any time.
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Nov 8, 2011 04:29
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It actually WAS the ground/lift switch I'd never known about. Minute I flipped it on the bottom of the 0404, my guitar went from insufferable to sounding incredible. Thanks though!
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Nov 8, 2011 04:45
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So I picked up a Behringer Xenyx 502 (newer version with Phantom Power) and a Behringer C-1 condenser microphone. The LED on the mic lights up but haven't been able to get my voice heard on it. The only time I can hear anything is when I max out the Gain and the line's level (Yeah, I know.  ) though obviously it sounds pretty heinous. Pretty sure it's not the mixer as the other lines work fine when I plug in my Xbox 360's audio into it (the setup is for commentary and talking to viewers). I ordered another XLR cable to swap in case that's the issue, but I'm not wrong in thinking it could be the cable or mic yes?Anything else I should look at?
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Nov 10, 2011 06:58
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8-bit Miniboss posted:Anything else I should look at? Make sure phantom power is enabled for the input with the mic (it sounds like it probably is, but doesn't hurt to double check).
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Nov 10, 2011 11:07
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h_double posted:Make sure phantom power is enabled for the input with the mic (it sounds like it probably is, but doesn't hurt to double check). On this model there's no switch. I had everything plugged in before powering it on.
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Nov 10, 2011 17:14
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Anyone have any tips for recording an Upright Grand? My microphones include 2x AT3031, an M Audio Luna, and a smattering of SM57/58s. I think there's also an NT1000 floating around somewhere. a_pineapple fucked around with this message at 23:58 on Nov 13, 2011 |
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Nov 13, 2011 23:53
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As far as I know you should use your two condensers in a pair to get a nice stereo recording of it, but I'll let one of the experts here fill the details.  I'm curious though, what's an upright grand? I've been playing since I was 8 and I've never heard of one. Always thought upright and grand were two different things.
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Nov 14, 2011 14:50
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Honestly, I'm not sure what an upright grand is. Maybe I read the email about it wrong last week. 
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Nov 14, 2011 19:08
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vas0line posted:Honestly, I'm not sure what an upright grand is. Maybe I read the email about it wrong last week. http://www.concertpitchpiano.com/Piano_Types.html Looks like it's just the term for taller uprights.
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Nov 14, 2011 19:20
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Ableton Currently 25% Off I upgraded just from Ableton Live Intro to Ableton Suite 8 (box) for $487.
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Nov 15, 2011 12:07
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Anyone know of a sturdy 'keyboard' tray I can buy for a desk that's made for MIDI keyboards rather than computer keyboards? I'm looking for something that's at least big enough to hold a decent sized 49-key controller.
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Nov 16, 2011 20:55
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Splinter posted:Anyone know of a sturdy 'keyboard' tray I can buy for a desk that's made for MIDI keyboards rather than computer keyboards? I'm looking for something that's at least big enough to hold a decent sized 49-key controller. I made one for my desk, just glued in a couple of metal runners with No More Nails and then stuck a sheet of MDF in it. It's a little bit bouncy though so I'd recommend using something a bit thicker and less springy than MDF.
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Nov 17, 2011 18:26
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Narwhale posted:http://www.concertpitchpiano.com/Piano_Types.html 
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Nov 20, 2011 20:16
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My microphone issues have been solved. Turns out the mixer was mislabeled or the phantom power on it is not working. I bought the next step up (Xenyx 802) and microphone is working great.
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Nov 21, 2011 06:13
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When I was in school my recording setup had generally been pieced together over the years based on what was immediately necessary for whatever band I was in and what I could afford/what was a good deal on eBay/CL. Now that I've got a decent job and a stable, long-term living situation with a dedicated room for all my recording stuff I've decided to be a little more deliberate with what I purchase and what I want my setup to look like. I'd like a critique on my current plan. In the past I used my Mackie 1604 VLZ to mix out of the box since I enjoy the tactile feel of sliders, but, obviously if you move on to a different project without finishing the mix you're on you have to reset the board and your mix is destroyed. I also have an Axiom 49 that I've been using to mix in the box, and it definitely has its advantages (automation is the biggest one), but also, if you adjust something the midi sliders reset the positions on the DAW mixer if you nudge them so it's not really a foolproof recall method. I've decided that something like the Mackie Control with flying faders solves most of my mixing problems (physical sliders to control ITB and flying recall), but creates another: if I replace my 1604 VLZ I now need 8 mic-preamps to replace it if I want to record full bands like I was able to before. Ideally I'd like something that has ADAT out so I can just dedicate mic-level stuff from it to a lightpipe on my MOTU 2408mkIII and run line-level stuff into the MOTU directly, but if there's an affordable well-liked 8-channel pre that I can just run 1/4" out of I can live with that. Many of the affordable 8-channel pres have interface qualities themselves (usb or firewire out among other things) so it seems like I'm paying for features I don't need. Any recommendations, or should I just bite the bullet on one that is maybe a little over-featured? tl;dr: my interface currently goes like this: Mackie 1604 VLZ > MOTU 2408mkIII > Cubase > Mackie 1604VLZ > Cubase OR Mackie 1604 VLZ > MOTU 2408mkIII > Cubase > Axiom 49 > Cubase I want my interface to go like this: 8-channel pre > MOTU 2408mkIII > Cubase > Mackie Control > Cubase Recommend me an affordable 8-channel pre and/or tell me whether this is a decent solution for ditching a physical mixer. Also, I have a tendency to overthink things, so if you have a better solution than mine, by all means suggest it E: I've been doing a little searching and it seems like unless I want to go down the rabbit hole of 1 or 2 channel pro mic preamps my options are something like a Presonus Digimax of some flavor, a Focusrite Octopre mkII, an M-Audio Octane, the MOTU 8pre, or a Mackie Onyx 800r. Anyone have an opinion on any of these? himajinga fucked around with this message at 23:09 on Nov 21, 2011 |
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Nov 21, 2011 21:51
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Hogscraper posted:I disagree on headphones vs monitors for any serious work. For the money you'd spend on a pair of Rockit 6 I'd look at either a pair of Yamaha NS-10 or Realistic Minimus 7 (Made in Japan) paired with a nice amp. Hafler makes some nice, cheap, stereo amps. I would like to second this. In my home studio, I use headphones for critically listening to edit points, and things like reverb tails. I'm currently using AKG K701 headphones that are absolutely phenomenal and a pair of Shure SRH840 closed cans which are in a different class, but still exceptional for isolation, however I wouldn't send out a mix based solely on those. Your best bet is to reference on many sets of speakers, and sometimes in mono. I should also recommend the goon-made headphone amp. I own the Asgard, and love it.
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Nov 21, 2011 23:03
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himajinga posted:Many of the affordable 8-channel pres have interface qualities themselves (usb or firewire out among other things) so it seems like I'm paying for features I don't need. Any recommendations, or should I just bite the bullet on one that is maybe a little over-featured? The Onyx Blackbird has 8 Onyx pres on it and costs $500, and it can act as a standalone preamp/AD converter if you are really opposed to using it as your firewire interface. It's essentially the Onyx 800R but with a ton more features, and the 800R cost $800 when it was still current product (it's been discontinued FYI) Does the control software in the MOTU 2408MKIII allow you to control it with the Mackie control? I know the other newer interfacers of theirs have that option. If so you've essentially got a digital mixer, since the monitoring is all done on the interface with zero latency.
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Nov 22, 2011 00:15
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