|
I'm looking to upgrade my current mic situation to something that doesn't make me sound like I'm singing into a tin can. For that, I turn to the Neumann TLM 102, based on the recommendation of a Guitar Center employee that I spoke to for a few hours about speakers and microphones and such. Am I making the right decision? My idea is to have this mic for my own tenor/baritone/bass vocals and possibly some brass/woodwind instruments in the beginning, although I also want to buy a ribbon mic for recording horns (suggestions on some of those would also be helpful!).
|
#
?
Nov 11, 2012 07:19
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 22:43 |
|
|
CHRISTS FOR SALE posted:I'm looking to upgrade my current mic situation to something that doesn't make me sound like I'm singing into a tin can. Neumann makes excellent mics, hard to go wrong for vocals with them, but the number one thing with a vocal mic is to sing into a bunch if you can demo/rent/whatever, and find the one that you think flatters your voice in the nicest way. You might be surprised. As for ribbons: I don't do much recording of brass or horns, but ribbon mics are pretty awesome. I often find them very well suited to put up as room mics to capture the ambient sound of a performance. Depending on the character of your voice you can totally use a ribbon for a direct vocal sound if you want, but again - it's a matter of opinion. Apex makes a reasonably priced ribbon, the 210, and Shure has the 353. Top of the heap in my book would be the Royer 121. I'd kill a man for a pair of them to call my own, but they are very pricey. With a mic like the 102, and especially with a ribbon mic if you plan to get one (because they tend to be pretty gain-hungry,) know that your preamp quality/headroom is going to matter a fair bit in terms of getting the best sound. If you're slamming the gain on a preamp just to get a decent level, self-noise will become an issue. That being said, I've run the basically identical TLM103s into the preamps on a current-generation MBox in a pinch and the resultant recordings (of piano and female vocals) were not bad at all. Oh boy, that was kind of a  y post. Sorry, but I hope that helps.
|
|
#
?
Nov 11, 2012 16:28
|
|
|
I'm starting to get into production and am trying to find a good interface for recording, but the search has left me going bonkers. I can never tell if the one guy saying something doesn't work for Windows 7 is an idiot or the only guy with my OS in reviews. So, hopefully the thread can help me out. I'm looking for a USB audio interface, 2 inputs, for recording a microkorg, guitar, and bass (not all at the same time, the microkorg is the only one I really want to record in stereo anyway), within the $100-200 range. I'm using Windows 7 64 bit with Cubase. Anyone have recommendations?
|
|
#
?
Nov 11, 2012 19:26
|
|
|
Ixiggle posted:Anyone have recommendations? Yes. This thread: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3278830
|
|
#
?
Nov 11, 2012 21:30
|
|
|
HotCanadianChick posted:Yes. This thread: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3278830 Welp, I'm an idiot. Thank you so much!
|
|
#
?
Nov 11, 2012 21:53
|
|
|
I'm currently mixing my band's demo and I've been listening through multiple sources to double check the sound. I'm satisfied with what I'm getting through my monitoring headphones, Mac speakers, and iPod earbuds but when I play it through my car stereo the bass guitar overpowers everything. I'm guessing I have too much going on in the lower frequencies? This is an acoustic electric bass and we're going for more of an upright sound if that makes any difference. Is there anywhere in particular I could cut to balance this out?
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2012 20:38
|
|
|
In the $150-200 range, which external audio interface would you guys recommend? I don't need anything too professional - just something to connect my guitar, synth, and maybe some monitors once I find a good deal on Craigslist. I'm leaning towards the Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6 since it includes a free copy of Guitar Rig 5 Pro.
|
|
#
?
Nov 13, 2012 06:24
|
|
|
surrender posted:In the $150-200 range, which external audio interface would you guys recommend? I don't need anything too professional - just something to connect my guitar, synth, and maybe some monitors once I find a good deal on Craigslist. I'm leaning towards the Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6 since it includes a free copy of Guitar Rig 5 Pro. I bought this just before the promotion started, but I like it so far. I haven't done much other than some basic fiddling, but it sounds good and is easy to use.
|
|
#
?
Nov 13, 2012 16:33
|
|
|
I'm looking to pick up an sE X1 for some basic acoustic guitar playing and vocal work, male and female.Has anyone got any experience with this mic? It seems well reviewed but I'd like a broader array of opinions before I take the plunge. I'm essentially looking for a reasonably priced (say, under €150) mic and this one is being offered as part of a deal on dv247 with the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, the audio interface I'm pretty sure I'm going to get. So thoughts, opinions?
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2012 12:49
|
|
|
I've played guitar half-assedly forever and I've decided I want to finally get more serious about my music. I play for my friends sometimes when we get together, but I never get much feedback from them and when I do I feel like they're biased. I just want to get a simple microphone for recording an acoustic guitar and vocals on my computer so I can hear myself play and see where I need to improve. And who knows, maybe put something on youtube when I feel brave enough for some harsh input from the masses. I read the OP, and a few links from there but it is all pretty overwhelming for a newbie like myself. Can somebody just tell me what to buy for less than $100 (I'm broke and might never get very far with this project so I think that's my upper limit) that will be good enough for my purposes? If it helps, I like to play and sing things like Neutral Milk Hotel, Modest Mouse, Okkervil River, and lately Noah Gundersen. I don't need a good microphone but I don't want something that will sound like poo poo if I let loose and really belt out "Oh Comely" or whatever. edit: Might be helpful if I am a little more specific. I guess I am looking for a recommendation for either a decent USB mic in my (narrow) price range, or a combo of lower-end usb interface and mic. How far outside my budget is that likely to go? Also, I found this on eBay, is it a bad idea? Or will it probably work just fine for my purposes? If so should I spring for the $20 extra for a pop filter? I don't even understand what it does. micnato fucked around with this message at 00:42 on Nov 16, 2012 |
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2012 20:12
|
|
|
Once I have one of my own original songs written, arranged, and recorded, how do I go about securing it as my own intellectual property (I'm in the United States, so I think this is called Copywriting). At what point can you copywrite a song i.e. can demos be copywritten? I know this isn't a question about recording per se, but I figure people who make it to your stage probably know a thing or two about intellectual property 
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2012 00:47
|
|
|
Hot Yellow KoolAid posted:Once I have one of my own original songs written, arranged, and recorded, how do I go about securing it as my own intellectual property (I'm in the United States, so I think this is called Copywriting). At what point can you copywrite a song i.e. can demos be copywritten? As soon as you record it onto something, you own the copyright. Proving that in court is another thing entirely, but generally, if you made it (and the rights didn't already belong to someone else, i.e. in the case of a cover song), you automatically own the rights up until you sign them over to some other entity. There is no paperwork or lawyers or anything else involved in the process - the act of creation automatically copyrights it just for existing. (you may be thinking of trademarks, which do need to be registered with the govt.) A common bit of advice sometimes handed out to musicians is to take a copy of your recording and mail it to yourself at the post office using registered mail, and when it arrives, just put it in storage, unopened. If there ever comes a time where you have to prove original ownership, it's a dated, sealed copy of the recording proving you made it first (this is in case someone else plagiarizes your song(s) without permission/credit or claims you are stealing their song, and you have to go to court over it).
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2012 02:01
|
|
|
While that is essentially true, you cannot file an infringement suit for works created in the US unless your copyright is registered. There is a ton of information available online from the US government at copyright.gov. I would look it over before taking any advice from the internet.
|
|
#
?
Nov 25, 2012 02:13
|
|
|
I seek advice on recording my computer's audio output back into the computer. On my old laptop, Audiograbber could do this and I'm pretty sure Audacity could as well. However, neither program gives the option to do this on my new computer. I looked in the Audacity help and it says: quote:Due to copyright concerns, newer computers often lack an input for recording computer playback, or it must be specially enabled outside Audacity. Is this something that newer soundcards simply prevent you from doing? Or is there perhaps a driver I could get that would allow this?
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2012 18:13
|
|
|
I'm using my MIDI keyboard to control a synthesizer on my computer and I get a slight delay that's really annoying. Is my $10 USB MIDI adapter the likely culprit? Or, will getting a better adapter solve the latency issue?
|
|
#
?
Dec 4, 2012 01:51
|
|
|
ReActor posted:I seek advice on recording my computer's audio output back into the computer. On my old laptop, Audiograbber could do this and I'm pretty sure Audacity could as well. However, neither program gives the option to do this on my new computer. There's Virtual Audio Cable, which I haven't tried myself, but there's an evaluation version. If you have access to a Mac, there's Soundflower, which is free and completely awesome.
|
|
#
?
Dec 4, 2012 06:33
|
|
|
rt4 posted:I'm using my MIDI keyboard to control a synthesizer on my computer and I get a slight delay that's really annoying. Is my $10 USB MIDI adapter the likely culprit? Or, will getting a better adapter solve the latency issue? It's more likely the latency is from your sound card / audio interface. You might want to see if there are ASIO4ALL drivers available for your soundcard, otherwise you might have to go shopping for a better audio interface.
|
|
#
?
Dec 4, 2012 06:37
|
|
|
micnato posted:If so should I spring for the $20 extra for a pop filter? I don't even understand what it does. A pop filter is designed to go between your mouth and the microphone. If you sing a word with a plosive sound in it, that can cause a big hard blast of air into the diaphragm of the microphone, which sounds crummy (and can damage high-quality, fragile mics.) Sticking a filter in front of your mic will smooth out plosives, lip noises, movements and so on.
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2012 02:29
|
|
|
You can make a crude but serviceable pop filter for a couple of bucks with a wire coathanger and a pair of pantyhose.
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2012 03:22
|
|
|
Hey folks, so I'm in the market for some new monitors. I *want* the Mackie HR624s, but since I have to wait a bit before I can afford them, I'm going to get an inexpensive pair (under $500) to hold me over. My two main contenders so far are the Mackie MR2-Mk2 and the Alesis M1-Mk2. What else is in this range that I should be considering? Yamaha HS50m? I just came off of KRK RP5s so those are out. Looking for a new sound. I'll be mixing bass heavy techno and electronic music for the most part with the occasional guitar recording. Thanks for any advice.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2012 02:51
|
|
|
The wife and I decided that our merry xmas presents to eachother is going to be some equipment so we can finally record some stuff together. I plan on getting a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, Shure SM58, and I need some monitor headphones. Our house just isn't set up right now for actual monitors so I'm figuring headphones would be better for us for now. Any thoughts on these Audio-Technica ATH-M45 Studio Monitor Headphones? Musicians Friend also has a BLACKFRI (that's the code, it's on their page) sale going on right now, 10% off $49+, 15% off $199+, free shipping with no minimum order. That's 50 bucks off my $350 order! (If those are the headphones I end up getting)
|
|
#
?
Dec 8, 2012 02:20
|
|
|
Fiendish Dr. Wu posted:Any thoughts on these Audio-Technica ATH-M45 Studio Monitor Headphones? I used those for a long time and while they had a flatter response, they still didn't sound as neutrally representative as my Alessandros (which have the advantage of being open-backed). I actually made better mixes using those cans - low end on my mixes (probably because of being close-backed, ironically enough) - than the Alessandros and I should probably go back to them! Also they are 50x more comfortable than the Alessandros, but the crappy "leather" on them is this thin layer of vinyl about 1/10th of 1mm thick and it rubs off in about a year or so, peeling off grossly like a layer of sunburned skin. Here's a thread about an A-T pair of cans and how they match up against the Alessandros: http://www.head-fi.org/t/232569/ms-1-versus-ath-ad700 edit: Yes. I mix on cans. Suck it noobs 
Schlieren fucked around with this message at 02:52 on Dec 8, 2012 |
|
#
?
Dec 8, 2012 02:42
|
|
|
Fiendish Dr. Wu posted:The wife and I decided that our merry xmas presents to eachother is going to be some equipment so we can finally record some stuff together. I use those literally everyday to mix and record and I love them. When this pair takes a poo poo I will buy another pair. I interned with a guy with national credits who used those cans exclusively.
|
|
#
?
Dec 8, 2012 04:10
|
|
|
Well those are two pretty solid reviews if I can say so myself. Looks like we have a winner!
|
|
#
?
Dec 8, 2012 04:55
|
|
|
HTML5 posted:Hey folks, so I'm in the market for some new monitors. I *want* the Mackie HR624s, but since I have to wait a bit before I can afford them, I'm going to get an inexpensive pair (under $500) to hold me over. My two main contenders so far are the Mackie MR2-Mk2 and the Alesis M1-Mk2. What else is in this range that I should be considering? Yamaha HS50m? I just came off of KRK RP5s so those are out. Looking for a new sound. I'll be mixing bass heavy techno and electronic music for the most part with the occasional guitar recording. Thanks for any advice. Maybe get a sub to go with the KRKs? Honestly it seems a little wasteful to buy a different pair of entry-level monitors if you currently have something serviceble and already have your eye on something in the future. Alternatively, how about spending the money on room treatment?
|
|
#
?
Dec 8, 2012 08:50
|
|
|
Fiendish Dr. Wu posted:
I wouldn't bet on it: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pages/4deals-exclusions Basically practically every major brand is excluded from those sales. It does say 'select products' but unless it's worked in your cart I'd be real suspicious about that discount
|
|
#
?
Dec 8, 2012 12:01
|
|
|
I'm entirely new to recording and am looking to buy my first microphone (for recording vocals). Someone I know in town from years back is selling their mic, the Shure PG42. We haven't talked price yet and it looks good to me so far but after reading the section of the FAQ in the rules thread on mics, it seems USB mics aren't highly recommended. This one apparently has an integrated pre-amp, and I am seeing mostly good reviews of it, but are there any obvious downsides to using this as a beginner mic? I don't want to make a purchase this large and regret it if I could have gotten a better set up. I'm looking to spend <$200. e: I'm going to be checking it out in person so I'd be grateful for any tips on what to look for and test as well, since this is my first purchase. conventionalcat fucked around with this message at 20:43 on Dec 9, 2012 |
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2012 05:42
|
|
|
I'm brand new to recording with a computer. I've been trying to put together a basic home studio. So far I've bought some new bx5 monitors, a small yamaha mixer and most recently a new intel I7 equiped laptop after being computerless for the last few years. I play a wide variety of music rock, blues, metal, country, reggae classical, electronic music all badly because I never practice and im self taught but i was looking some advice for a software and computer interface combo. The only recording software i've ever used is garage band for ipad so i'm looking for a software thats easy to use with some softsynth stuff and a interface with 1/4 inch/midi/ maybe rca inputs. I was looking at this http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/native-instruments-komplete-audio-6 It seems to have everything I need and is pretty afordable but I know nothing about these things. Any recommendations on a interface software combinations? My budget is about 325USD. Help me music goons!!
|
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2012 07:51
|
|
|
h_double posted:Maybe get a sub to go with the KRKs? Yeah I mean you're right, but I've already sold the KRKs. I definitely would like to get a reasonable sub for the future and you're right about the room treatment, for sure. It's a little wasteful for me, yeah, but someone will get a really good deal on a pair of entry-level monitors when I can finally get the higher grade ones. I don't mind helping someone else out in that way. Thanks for the suggestion.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2012 00:02
|
|
|
baka kaba posted:I wouldn't bet on it: It didn't let me apply the discount when I tried to buy it online, so I called them and they manually overwrote it despite all the venders opting out. Saved 60 bucks on my $400 order. And the SM58 still has a $10 manufacturer's rebate  merry xmas to me.They actually did this the last time when I ordered an acoustic from them and the discount technically wasn't applicable. They still gave me $50 off. edit: so that is a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, Shure SM58, Audio-Technica ATH-M45 Monitor Headphones, a mic cable, and a pop filter. Can't wait until it gets here.
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2012 07:20
|
|
|
Interesting! I didn't know they'd cave so easily, I guess it's always worth trying your luck
|
|
#
?
Dec 10, 2012 11:20
|
|
|
Krustic posted:I'm brand new to recording with a computer. I've been trying to put together a basic home studio. So far I've bought some new bx5 monitors, a small yamaha mixer and most recently a new intel I7 equiped laptop after being computerless for the last few years. I play a wide variety of music rock, blues, metal, country, reggae classical, electronic music all badly because I never practice and im self taught but i was looking some advice for a software and computer interface combo. The only recording software i've ever used is garage band for ipad so i'm looking for a software thats easy to use with some softsynth stuff and a interface with 1/4 inch/midi/ maybe rca inputs. I was looking at this The Focusrite Scarlett interfaces seem to be the local favorite for entry-level interfaces. They make a few of them with different numbers of ins/outs. The 8i6 sells for $250 most places, has 2 mic preamps, 2 line inputs, digital (SPDIF) I/O and MIDI. The 2i2 and 2i4 are $150 and $200 respectively with fewer features. Hopefully you can gauge what you need for your setup, though I do think it makes sense to buy something you'll have a little room to grow into. The Native Instruments interface looks solid too. I've been a little underwhelmed with NI's customer support in the past, but they are definitely a reputable brand. As for software, you might want to look at Ableton Live Intro (normally $99 for the downloadable version, currently on sale for $74) or Studio One Producer ($150). Reaper ($60 for a personal license) also offers a lot of bang for the buck but is probably not as beginner-friendly as Live or Studio One. There are trial versions of all three programs so you might want to poke around and see what looks to be the best fit.
|
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2012 02:56
|
|
|
Thanks for the helpful suggestions.The 200 dollar focusrite should fit all my needs and it comes with ableton lite live. Not sure if theres any difference in the lite and intro versions but 79 dollars is pretty affordable. It also comes with a 4gb drive of samples and loops when you buy it from musicians friend so I may pick up a copy. Is it possible to plug a bunch of guitar and bass pedals straight into an interface and get decent guitar/bass tone or is it better to just mic an amp?
|
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2012 12:22
|
|
|
Krustic posted:Is it possible to plug a bunch of guitar and bass pedals straight into an interface and get decent guitar/bass tone or is it better to just mic an amp? Yes, the front panel inputs have a switch to use them as instrument (high impedance) inputs to plug in a guitar or bass directly. There are also amp modeling plugins you can use to simulate a particular head / cabinet (and pedals).
|
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2012 15:37
|
|
|
h_double posted:Yes, the front panel inputs have a switch to use them as instrument (high impedance) inputs to plug in a guitar or bass directly.
|
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2012 19:37
|
|
|
I've recently run into what I can only imagine is a compatibility issue with my Novation Ultranova, my Focusrite 2i2, and my DAWs (Ableton/Reaper). I used to record in Ableton just fine with my Ultranova (using the manufacturer's ASIO drivers and the Ultranova as a sound card). A few weeks ago I got the 2i2 and some mics and recorded some vocals. The other day I went to plug my Ultranova back in and now none of my DAWs will let me record with it. I've tried installing ASIO4ALL but still nothing from the Ultranova. It says the ASIO drivers could not be loaded or something to that effect in both programs. I've tried uninstalling/reinstalling the drivers. I'm really at a loss here. I made a reddit post a day or two ago but haven't had much luck there. I'll post the link so you guys can see the advice that hasn't worked: http://www.reddit.com/r/WeAreTheMusicMakers/comments/14m1kb/asio_driver_help/ e- Removed the drivers and did a fresh install again. Still getting this error in Ableton: AUDIO tab Drive type - ASIO Audio Device - Novation USB ASIO Driver When I select that audio device, this is the error message I get: "Failed to open the audio device 'Novation USB ASIO Driver.'" Windows 7 64-bit Ultranova straight to the PC with USB khysanth fucked around with this message at 07:28 on Dec 12, 2012 |
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2012 23:31
|
|
|
Hey there, I finally got a new computer and want to start recording again, I think its time I finally got some real monitors so I don't end up sending people mixes to check out that I think sound awesome and then have people be all like "to many bass" or "these drums, they hurt my ears". I want to spend less than 200 dollars, I am currently have a pair of alesis mkIIs in my amazon cart waiting to check out. They seem to get pretty good reviews for monitors in my price range. any reason I shouldn't, or a better recommendation? Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2012 02:36
|
|
|
Solved my problem 2 posts up but I'm not happy about it. Essentially I just have to route my Ultranova through the Focusrite from now on (whereas before I could just record Ultranova -> PC).
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2012 21:22
|
|
|
I'm trying to record some electric guitar at home, and capture the sound "as I hear it". Right now, what I get back sounds extremely flat and lifeless. A clean tone with a big obvious reverb ends up sounding like the reverb isn't there, and a heavy tone saturated with a chorus/delay/drive/wah/... sounds like it's being crushed by a lowpass filter and a compressor. My mic and preamp are both cheap garbage from a few years ago...they're going into a DI box that's also fairly cheap and quite old. There are too many variables that could be making this not work. The main thing is I want to get the sound of the room (i.e. reverb) in my bachelor's apartment. I tried experimenting with the position of the mic a bit (middle of the room vs next to the guitar amp's speaker), and it didn't seem to do much. Probably because my mic is crap, right? As I research this, I see people talking about adding reverb to the recording. I'm more than familiar with this, but I want to try capturing what I hear when I'm jamming, to get experience using a mic effectively. I feel like I can get the sounds I hear in my head out of my guitar, and I don't need to fiddle around in a DAW to 'fix' them. My end goal is a bigger-scale recording project, but I'm not there yet! Is there any hope for this? Any tips regarding the type of mic to use? I know I'll end up replacing the mic and preamp, but I want to understand a bit more before I do that (so I don't get swindled by a car salesman in a guitar store..)
|
|
#
?
Dec 20, 2012 04:24
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 22:43 |
|
|
Ive had one of these for years: http://www.amazon.com/TASCAM-MF-P01-Track-Cassette-Recorder/dp/B0002DUW44/ref=zg_bs_11975201_1 And now I'm thinking about one of these: http://www.amazon.com/TASCAM-DP-008-8-Track-Digital-Portastudio/dp/B002YNY8GI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355981811&sr=8-1&keywords=8+TRACK Does anyone have experience with new Portastudios?
|
|
#
?
Dec 20, 2012 06:39
|
|