|
Do those XLR>1/4" transformer plugs work the same as a DI box? I was given a friend's cassette 4-track he hadn't used in a decade and want to make sure it's me that's doing it wrong rather than it being broken. I'm running an SM57 into the female XLR end of an XLR/male 1/4" cable into the inputs on the 4-track and it's barely picking up any signal. Do I need to impedance match with a DI or transformer for this to work? I have some DIs in storage that I can get to if it'll solve the problem but if I need a transformer I'll just order some. If it's neither of these things I guess I'll trash the 4-track since it was free.
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 18:51
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 22:54 |
|
|
I'm looking into buying a small, portable MIDI interface. My new job takes me on the road a lot, and while I want to keep writing music, I can't really drag a guitar on the plane with me once a week. I'm eyeing an Akai MPK Mini II, but I'm not sure if there's a better solution. I like the MPK 25 that I already use, but it's too big to fit in my bag. Are there better portable USB MIDI controllers out there, or am I safe with this one? I'm a little worried about the joystick on the Mini II, so maybe the regular Mini would be better? I'm running Logic 9, if that makes a difference.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 22:36
|
|
|
CaptainViolence posted:I'm looking into buying a small, portable MIDI interface. My new job takes me on the road a lot, and while I want to keep writing music, I can't really drag a guitar on the plane with me once a week.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 23:35
|
|
|
himajinga posted:Do those XLR>1/4" transformer plugs work the same as a DI box? I was given a friend's cassette 4-track he hadn't used in a decade and want to make sure it's me that's doing it wrong rather than it being broken. I'm running an SM57 into the female XLR end of an XLR/male 1/4" cable into the inputs on the 4-track and it's barely picking up any signal. Do I need to impedance match with a DI or transformer for this to work? I have some DIs in storage that I can get to if it'll solve the problem but if I need a transformer I'll just order some. If it's neither of these things I guess I'll trash the 4-track since it was free. The cheapest Behringer mixer will do that for you under $50, but I won't blame you if you feel even that's overreaching.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 23:48
|
|
|
Flipperwaldt posted:It's not broken and none of these things will help you, you need a preamp. It's not (just) about matching impedance, signal level needs a serious boost to line level. Ah ok, I know about instrument/line level, just for some reason figured that those old tascam 4-tracks took instrument level for some reason. I have mixers/preamps as part of my digital setup so I guess I can just use those. Thought I might muck around with limiting myself to 4 tracks analog and now I know how! Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 23:55
|
|
|
Radiapathy posted:The most portable mini keyboard I know of is the Korg nanoKeys. Unfortunately, it's terrible garbage. (USB problems + terrible keys.) Not much better is the M-Audio Keystation Mini. I do not have any positive recommendations, though. Hmm. Okay, good to know. Thank you!
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2014 02:53
|
|
|
How do I make a Micro Korg do Baba O Riley 's intro?
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2014 04:16
|
|
|
Wasn't sure whether to ask in the guitar, amp, or recording threads so I'll toss it here. Anyone know if grounding problems that affect an amp, specifically the screeching noise from wonky house wiring, would all so be an issue when using and recording with modeling software?
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 22:26
|
|
|
It depends on what exactly the interference IS along with what guitar/pickups/effects you're using. Sorry there's not a more definitive answer, but that's just the nature of the beast. Probably easiest to say 'yes, it very likely will', at the very least be picked up through your pickups themselves.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2014 23:40
|
|
|
iostream.h posted:It depends on what exactly the interference IS along with what guitar/pickups/effects you're using. It actually is a fault in the house wiring, if an amp is plugged in to a wall it happens. If it was related to 60 cycle hum this would be a lot easier to deal with. I think I'll drop this question in to the recording thread, since it does seem to be a recording problem now that I think about.
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2014 00:45
|
|
|
Do you hear the sound through your PC speakers at all? I'd be inclined to say the noise wouldn't be there when recording direct if only because the power for all computer gear will be transformed to DC by the time it enters the components so any interference like that will hopefully be eaten by the PSU or adapter, while the amp itself is an AC beast and whatever noises there are due to the wiring are being directly converted to sound.
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2014 03:16
|
|
|
Hey, out of curiosity, have you tried a proper power conditioner? (Not one of those cheap Furman strips, but an actual conditioner and/or UPS?)
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2014 03:29
|
|
|
I'm running Reaper. How do I set it up so that when I hit play on my hardware sequencer, it starts recording?
|
|
#
?
Aug 19, 2014 06:05
|
|
|
Is there a free vst instrument host that I can mess around with and what are some reasons I would want to purchase Cubase if I am serious about using vst's?
|
|
#
?
Aug 19, 2014 19:44
|
|
|
Reaper can run VST instruments and is free to evaluate and not much to purchase (I was going to also say Audacity but the documentation says it can only do VST effects and not instruments, not sure if that's still current). I don't use Cubase personally but you'd get it for things like the included instruments/effects/samples (some of the plugins included in commercial DAWs are pretty high quality) and the overall workflow of the program, all DAWs do things a little bit differently and it's largely down to personal preference for which one to work in. It might integrate with hardware controllers and interfaces more seamlessly than the free options, a lot of stuff will come with Cubase support out of the box because it's such a standard. I've also heard that some people prefer the sound of a specific DAW, like if the same track was produced in multiple workstations they would be able to identify what was made where because of certain tells but I can't validate those claims at all. Other options include FL Studio, Renoise, Sonar, Protools as well as Logic and Garageband (free!) if you have a Mac.
|
|
#
?
Aug 20, 2014 13:55
|
|
|
So I've tried recording myself practicing in order to listen back and note areas to improve. Problem is, in the recording I have many of the high notes sound distorted. I'm not sure if it was just peaking while recording or what, but it makes it sound like poo poo outside of the fact that I'm not very good at trumpet. Here's the affected recording: http://tindeck.com/listen/admv I'm just using a personal voice recorder with the built in mic while playing outside. Some parts sound fine, but others are faded out, tinny and just bad. Any ideas what could be causing this? I have little interest in investing in studio equipment because these recordings are mostly just for practice purposes.
|
|
#
?
Sep 2, 2014 17:17
|
|
|
Invisible Ted posted:So I've tried recording myself practicing in order to listen back and note areas to improve. Problem is, in the recording I have many of the high notes sound distorted. I'm not sure if it was just peaking while recording or what, but it makes it sound like poo poo outside of the fact that I'm not very good at trumpet. Here's the affected recording: http://tindeck.com/listen/admv It'd help if you posted more about what you're using besides just saying its a personal voice recorder. But, given that information I would say that your microphone's little recording element is not suited in any way for anything beyond soft vocal recording, which means that it is not cut out to receive a wide variety of frequencies such as those from a trumpet without distortion (that high pitched squealing you are hearing). You are probably using a digital recorder, so it is reducing the volume to try and combat this distortion in case you are trying to record your voice while someone plays a trumpet against your head. You would be better off playing further away from the recorder, so as to reduce the chance for distortion. You will still be getting a terrible recording, but it should normalize your volume problem. Honestly, I'd say any other microphone would be better for what you're trying to do. You could use a camcorder, a cell phone video camera, even your phone's microphone is probably tested out to work with a wider range than a personal recorder. Jeff Goldblum fucked around with this message at 02:13 on Sep 3, 2014 |
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2014 02:10
|
|
|
Jeff Goldblum posted:It'd help if you posted more about what you're using besides just saying its a personal voice recorder. But, given that information I would say that your microphone's little recording element is not suited in any way for anything beyond soft vocal recording, which means that it is not cut out to receive a wide variety of frequencies such as those from a trumpet without distortion (that high pitched squealing you are hearing). You are probably using a digital recorder, so it is reducing the volume to try and combat this distortion in case you are trying to record your voice while someone plays a trumpet against your head. You would be better off playing further away from the recorder, so as to reduce the chance for distortion. You will still be getting a terrible recording, but it should normalize your volume problem. Honestly, I'd say any other microphone would be better for what you're trying to do. You could use a camcorder, a cell phone video camera, even your phone's microphone is probably tested out to work with a wider range than a personal recorder. That sounds likely, it is a digital voice recorder, this one in particular: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005756GYM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I have a clip-on mic I used to use for VOIP that I can plug into the recorder, or I can try it on my phone. Thanks for the advice!
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2014 06:47
|
|
|
Invisible Ted posted:So I've tried recording myself practicing in order to listen back and note areas to improve. Problem is, in the recording I have many of the high notes sound distorted. I'm not sure if it was just peaking while recording or what, but it makes it sound like poo poo outside of the fact that I'm not very good at trumpet. Here's the affected recording: http://tindeck.com/listen/admv I think it's a combination of crappy on-device mic and whatever noise reduction algorithm that thing may be using. Those things are really only good for lectures in a quiet room, the mics on them aren't much better than the one on a phone really. You don't HAVE to invest a ton in studio equipment to get a good quality archive of your practices (something I advocate), I've been using a Tascam DR40 with fantastic results (I use it for all sorts of scratch audio ideas, as well as recording shows) but the Zoom iQ5 works surprisingly well if you have a Lightning connected iOS device (it's the same mic as they use on the Zoom Q2HD field/vid recorder, and that one gets surprisingly good audio). Also, where's your metronome? 
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2014 13:21
|
|
|
iostream.h posted:Also, where's your metronome?
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2014 13:39
|
|
|
Flipperwaldt posted:Zoom H4N, man. Great recorder with an amazing feature set, including a metronome. Can't knock the Tascam though, that thing is legit. In all seriousness, don't be afraid to record every practice and review. Makes an amazing difference when you can hear, without the distraction of performing, what you need to work on. Also, always practice with a metronome. ALWAYS.
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2014 14:07
|
|
|
iostream.h posted:Also, always practice with a metronome. ALWAYS. But not always always, you know. There still needs to be bouts of practice sans click so you don't freak out when you play and the familiar timekeeper is no longer there. But still, use metronomes (or drum machines) a lot. I can also vouch for the DR-40, amazing quality from those little condensers. It's a little bulkier than I would have liked though, fits into a pocket but you are always aware it's there (and I am a big dude with big pockets), makes it less inviting to take with me to sample environment noises. The XLR ports on the base dictate the thickness of the unit, sometimes I wonder if there would have been any audio quality drop if I had bought one of the smaller units with no XLR.
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2014 16:09
|
|
|
RandomCheese posted:But not always always, you know. There still needs to be bouts of practice sans click so you don't freak out when you play and the familiar timekeeper is no longer there. But still, use metronomes (or drum machines) a lot. However, remember that I'm primarily a gig/session guy, so to me if you're used to playing WITH the beat, if the beat changes then it's (again, in my opinion) easier to modify your playing to follow, rather than NOT having that background of subconsciously listening for your click. RandomCheese posted:I can also vouch for the DR-40, amazing quality from those little condensers. It's a little bulkier than I would have liked though, fits into a pocket but you are always aware it's there (and I am a big dude with big pockets), makes it less inviting to take with me to sample environment noises. The XLR ports on the base dictate the thickness of the unit, sometimes I wonder if there would have been any audio quality drop if I had bought one of the smaller units with no XLR. Those XLR ports are actually fairly nice. They're not INCREDIBLY transparent, but they're not horribly colored by any stretch. I've made a few bucks pulling board recordings for local bands, then while they're breaking down throw them on a CD or DropBox or something.
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2014 16:34
|
|
|
Thanks folks! I used to use a metronome when I played trumpet, but I'm just getting back into it after moving and having my trumpet in storage back home for a while, not sure how I forgot that! I'll probably pick up the H4N in the next month or two, after I pay off some debt. When listening to a practice recording, what are some things you guys listen for in terms of improvements? I'm coming at this from a jazz improvisation perspective. Tone is a big thing I think of immediately, but are there other nuances to check for that I should know?
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2014 17:17
|
|
|
Invisible Ted posted:Thanks folks! I used to use a metronome when I played trumpet, but I'm just getting back into it after moving and having my trumpet in storage back home for a while, not sure how I forgot that! I'll probably pick up the H4N in the next month or two, after I pay off some debt.
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2014 17:47
|
|
|
Invisible Ted posted:Thanks folks! I used to use a metronome when I played trumpet, but I'm just getting back into it after moving and having my trumpet in storage back home for a while, not sure how I forgot that! I'll probably pick up the H4N in the next month or two, after I pay off some debt. Aside from tone, a big thing for me (also a trumpet player) is tonguing accuracy especially at faster speeds (double/triple still gives me fits). Periodically I test my range as well and always work on endurance....and keeping good tone when you're starting to get tired
|
|
#
?
Sep 4, 2014 01:42
|
|
|
Zarc posted:Aside from tone, a big thing for me (also a trumpet player) is tonguing accuracy especially at faster speeds (double/triple still gives me fits). Periodically I test my range as well and always work on endurance....and keeping good tone when you're starting to get tired  God I'm 12 years old apparently
|
|
#
?
Sep 4, 2014 16:38
|
|
|
himajinga posted:
Yeah after a while I kinda realize I'm covered in oil and spit and I've been waking up the neighbors with my play. :trumpets: E: One major thing I notice is that my tonguing is a bit weak at high speeds. It has a better tone when I bounce the tongue off my palate instead of doing a straight "tu" tonguing, which is something I've read about in my jazz trumpet lesson book, but it doesn't sound as concise. I'm not sure if it's a fault of my own or if that's just part of the technique. Invisible Ted fucked around with this message at 16:57 on Sep 4, 2014 |
|
#
?
Sep 4, 2014 16:54
|
|
|
Does anyone have a link to those old 30 second song compilations from a while back?
|
|
#
?
Sep 6, 2014 00:00
|
|
|
My band has a violinist and a cellist playing with drums/bass amp/guitar amp, and with my PA I am able to send them a monitor mix through a headphone amplifier so that they have their mix in ear. But when we play shows at venues that run sound for us, we need a solution for them to be able to hear themselves well and preferably via headphones. So I have in mind a direct box (or some kind of unit) that has a headphone out with controls to blend the instrument's original signal and a monitor signal being sent back from the mixer. So their signal would run from their direct box to the mixer, soundman could then send a monitor mix back to the direct box, and the performer could blend their original signal with the monitor mix to their liking. And the direct box has a headphone out. Does such a unit exist? I've tried the google, and browsing retail sites, but not finding what I'm looking for. (Or maybe I am and just can't tell?) Please help!
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2014 20:33
|
|
|
What headphone/in-ear solution are they using now? Off the top of my head, I'd think that a decent 1u rack mount mixer would work for them maybe. Send them in to the board, along with a FoH mix, drop that to their in-ear and send them back out to the main board? I'm assuming they're wanting a drastically different mix than the rest of the band, otherwise the monitor mixes from the venue boards would be sufficient, otherwise, right? You could always just pick up one of those miniature mixers and send that to their own headphone amps. Another option is something like the Shure PSM-400. It's a wireless IEM that has XLR-in on the front (2 of them) with gain controls for each (the actual headphone mix is in mono) with a 'through' on the back so they could run their mics in, along with a board mix, mix each to taste with no other gear needed.
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2014 21:38
|
|
|
RIght on, thank you. In my PA I have them running into a 1u rack DI, to the mixer, and I'm able to send them an individualized monitor mix from the mixer into a 1u rack headphone amplifier. They do need a drastically different mix than the rest of the band, they need to be able to hear themselves especially closely for their intonation and expression, and in our experience it would just be best if they could have the final say in the blend of their own sound with the mix, and have it available to them to tweak on stage if they need to. Currently in these settings, they're just having to cope with floor monitors and stage volume. That Shure PSM would do what we need, thank you for the recommendation. We'd like to find a less expensive solution, so probably not wireless. In the meantime, I did finally find these two units that seem to do what we need: Rolls PM50S http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/rolls-pm50s-personal-monitor-amp ART My Monitor http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/art-mymonitor-personal-monitor-mixer Happy to find these. Would love to know if you have any experience with these units or know of any other options like them.
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2014 06:57
|
|
|
Rockstar posted:Rolls PM50S http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/rolls-pm50s-personal-monitor-amp
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2014 12:48
|
|
|
How long did you play/how good were you before you went out to actually seek out bands/visit jam session? I only have experience from playing in school orchestras as a kid, but now I've picked up an electric guitar and have no idea what that to expect. I am crap but can kind of struggle through a simple song if I focus on it for a few days.
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2014 14:50
|
|
|
lilljonas posted:How long did you play/how good were you before you went out to actually seek out bands/visit jam session? I only have experience from playing in school orchestras as a kid, but now I've picked up an electric guitar and have no idea what that to expect. I am crap but can kind of struggle through a simple song if I focus on it for a few days. I'm a drummer so it's a little different, but I started after three years. If you go to open mics it's a lot easier than jam sessions because instead of getting kicked off the stage if you haven't memorized the tunes, that random singer/songwriter is psyched to have a drummer behind them. And if they decent they'll give you cues to stop playing for a measure or two and then hop back in. Maybe YOU can be that singer/songwriter? For jam sessions I'm still pretty bad at jazz and I scope out every jam a week before I play. There are some that are cool and if you don't know all the tunes, or can't solo, etc. whatever you're learning. And then there are ones where they'll stop the tune to kick you off stage. Chicago's got those and everywhere in between. Maybe try joining a nearby college's no-audition jazz big band for a start?
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2014 16:03
|
|
|
lilljonas posted:How long did you play/how good were you before you went out to actually seek out bands/visit jam session? I only have experience from playing in school orchestras as a kid, but now I've picked up an electric guitar and have no idea what that to expect. I am crap but can kind of struggle through a simple song if I focus on it for a few days. If you're into rock/classic rock then as soon as you can slide some power chords around, you're ready. Don't be afraid to and always try to play with musicians more advanced than you. One of the best ways to improve. I'm actually in the middle of a (loving huge) 'go loving play' post, I'll hopefully have it finished this evening or so. But if you want, PM me for my number, I got a long drive today so of you want to babble on about musics stuff just holla. That goes for anyone else too.
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2014 16:43
|
|
|
^^ yeah basically that re: rock,etc.lilljonas posted:How long did you play/how good were you before you went out to actually seek out bands/visit jam session? I only have experience from playing in school orchestras as a kid, but now I've picked up an electric guitar and have no idea what that to expect. I am crap but can kind of struggle through a simple song if I focus on it for a few days. It really depends on what kind of music you want to play. If you just want to join a rock/garage/punk/twee/noiserock whatever band, as long as you can string chords together or play simple lines you should be fine playing rhythm in bands like that. Or if you're a good songwriter you can take bandleader position and let the more technical stuff fall to the others. I only consider myself "ok" at guitar and bass, I can't really solo unless I write it first, and I hardly ever practice practice when I'm not writing songs or rehearsing songs for a gig, but I've been in tons of bands with no issues at all because the music scene in Portland and Seattle is geared towards lots of DIY bands that usually have more heart than chops by preference/design. There certainly are plenty of bands that shred and have their music theory poo poo together but it's not a requirement by any means. OTOH I almost never "jam" since I'm not great at improvisation, but most of my musical friends are more into starting bands than jamming stuff out so it hasn't hindered me at all.
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2014 16:50
|
|
|
Thank you all for the helpful replies. I guess I should just pull myself together and post an ad in the local musicians ad sites, and see if anything comes up. I definitely want to get better, but I can string a few power chords so no reason to wait then. I'm not dead set on any genre, and I live in a larger city, so hopefully there'll be some group out there that fits my situation.
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2014 19:09
|
|
|
lilljonas posted:How long did you play/how good were you before you went out to actually seek out bands/visit jam session? I only have experience from playing in school orchestras as a kid, but now I've picked up an electric guitar and have no idea what that to expect. I am crap but can kind of struggle through a simple song if I focus on it for a few days. I went and started playing live a couple of months after I started playing my main instrument (bass), then when I started playing drums two years ago it took me a little more than a year before I started playing live there as well. Personally I think that every opportunity one can get to play should be taken no matter how bad you are, the good thing about that attitude is that you will learn how to play your instrument a lot faster because you have a goal to strive after with live gigs, and you get into the fray of it fast. Playing live can be a scary experience and the longer you shy away from it the harder it will be to break into it I think. I would say go for it and find yourself a band and some jamming sessions, be honest about your skills but never forget that every opportunity you have at playing with people or on stage is another opportunity to learn, and to have fun.
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2014 19:23
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 22:54 |
|
|
Greggster posted:
I know this too well already, my precision is more or less halved if I just unplug my headphones so that my wife can hear me play, and I lose all traces of rhythm. I can't imagine what a bunch of potentially sceptical people looking at me would do. I put in an ad looking for practice buddies or a band that can accept a player with poor skills but the will to practice and improve. Wish me luck.
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2014 19:49
|
|