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Electric Bugaloo posted:Try doing it with your phone first. See how you like the quality of the samples you get that way. Dollars to donuts something like an H1n will be exponentially better. If I was recording a band or something then yeah I’d want something much better (or more/better mics), but that dude was selling you. I'm actually in a similar boat. I have a Microtrack 2, but it's failing, and sometimes it just doesn't register hearing anything, so I've opted to use both an iRig, coverter cable (XLR to 1/8" TRS), and an AKG 451 to get live sounds, and have found that WaveEditor (Android, Google Play link) works great. I'm thinking of upgrading to a Google Pixel 2XL which doesn't have a headphone jack, and am wondering if the iRig is even going to work with that anymore. Mic connection aside, my phone and that app give me WAY more flexibility and functionality than a dedicated field recorder. Not to say they're not worth it, the good ones absolutely are, but phones, man... they do EVERYTHING now. EDIT: gently caress, I might just keep my current phone that HAS a headphone jack and use it for recording sounds. It won't be able to send and receive cellular data, but it'll have wifi, and if I'm at home, I can upload that right away, so.... yeah, holy poo poo, there's my tentative solution 
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Mar 12, 2019 19:29
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Fender Anarchist posted:I've been poking at making music lately, I've got a Blue Snowball Ice and and a Fender Mustang, both connect through USB. Trouble is, there's a lot of lag on both when I try and record; this is particularly annoying when I'm trying to record into Ableton, can't get things to line up with the beat. Going and manually adjusting clips to line up is gonna get old real quick, not to mention the difficulty in monitoring through the computer. For musical applications a third party system was created where it would allow programs to communicate directly to an audio device without having to go through the cruft. This system is called ASIO. It requires an ASIO compatible audio interface and a manufacturer provided ASIO driver. With this, you should be able to reduce latencies from probably triple digit times to single digit times (in milliseconds) or close. The connector doesn't really factor into this. USB is fine, PCI is fine, on board is fine. But they need that compatibility and driver. This rules out on board in practice, no manufacturers bother. As far as the usb devices you're already using go, there's a rather terrible limitation with ASIO that is that it's made for one program to communicate with one device only. So even if these devices had a suitable driver, they couldn't be used together or indeed together with what you're using to output sound at this time. What you're really looking at at this point is the purchase of an audio interface with proper ASIO support and driver that takes care of all the audio input/output stuff on it's own so you can point Ableton Live to it. This means an interface you can plug your guitar into directly, as well as your speakers and a microphone. And that microphone would need an analog output for that. This is generally how one would go about that on Windows. I'm leaving out some nuance and wonky alternatives here. Mainly the software ASIO4All, which allows you to aggregate multiple non-ASIO devices into pretending they are a single ASIO device to the software. In some cases that will also allow you to shave down some of the latency. This may work for some to satisfaction. I've never had it do anything useful for me though. Flipperwaldt fucked around with this message at 19:40 on Mar 12, 2019 |
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Mar 12, 2019 19:37
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Tbh, when I said “record on your phone” I literally just meant “use the built in mic or maybe the inline mic that comes with your headphones to record and see how you like it. It won’t be stereo or particularly high fidelity but, at least for my purposes, it gets me to where I need for like 90% of my current sampling uses. I also tend to process the poo poo out of my samples and layer effects on them anyway though, so YMMV.
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Mar 12, 2019 19:41
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Electric Bugaloo posted:Tbh, when I said “record on your phone” I literally just meant “use the built in mic or maybe the inline mic that comes with your headphones to record and see how you like it. It won’t be stereo or particularly high fidelity but, at least for my purposes, it gets me to where I need for like 90% of my current sampling uses. I'll give this a shot before I drop the money. I'm also planning to process them quite a bit so my phone just might work.
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Mar 12, 2019 19:43
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Looking to get a matched condenser pair that I can use for drum overheads, acoustic guitar, and violin. A lot of folks I've asked are pointing toward the Rode NT5s, which are absolutely at the top end of my budget. I wish this was the kind of thing I could test out before I buy. Does anyone have strong opinions on condenser pairs?
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Mar 12, 2019 22:15
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Does anyone have any thoughts on the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB interface? I feel old, in that overall I prefer FireWire, but I figure that's dead now. https://www.long-mcquade.com/72278/...o-Interface.htm Any recommendations for a similarly priced FW interface, or should I just get this one? Edit: secondary question... Would getting a USB 3.0 PCI card help at all if I choose an interface that supports 3.0? I doubt I can do Thunderbolt, as my Mac Pro is almost 10 years old now. I'm looking into all of this, but figured I'd ask you all if you had any info. Rupert Buttermilk fucked around with this message at 23:56 on Mar 12, 2019 |
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Mar 12, 2019 23:51
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Not NT5s, but I've been using a Rode M5 pair for drum overheads for a couple years and am pretty happy with them. Haven't used the NT5s but the impression that I get is that the M5 is basically the 'starter' equivalent of the NT5.
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Mar 12, 2019 23:53
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Rupert Buttermilk posted:Does anyone have any thoughts on the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB interface? I feel old, in that overall I prefer FireWire, but I figure that's dead now. I use a Scarlett 18i8 and its been excellent for the last few years. It replaced my Focusrite 2i2 Mk1 which worked well, but I needed more I/O and they definitely improved the latency with the Mk2 versions.
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Mar 13, 2019 00:12
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Rupert Buttermilk posted:Does anyone have any thoughts on the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB interface? I feel old, in that overall I prefer FireWire, but I figure that's dead now. I have one and use it with a Mac and am very happy with it.
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Mar 13, 2019 01:33
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Welp, fantastic news (for me and anyone else with legacy Presonus hardware)... Disabling OS X's SIP allows Fire Control to work beyond 10.7.5, so I don't think I'll be in the market for a new interface any time soon. But now I have a new issue. So, I've used Logic for almost 13 years now. Started with LP7 Express, been rocking Logic 9 since 2010. I wanted to update to Logic X, but apparently it's only compatible with OS X 10.12 and beyond. I can't upgrade past El Capitan (10.11) due to my Mac Pro being too old. I'm rambling, but my point is that I want to move everything over, my whole production, to Reaper. Aside from some great Apple loops, the only thing currently tying me to Logic is the Kirk Hunter orchestral collection I have and use frequently. It's unfortunately in EXS24 format, so it's Logic-only. So far, I've found that the Miroslav Philharmonik 2 orchestral sample set is a great price (specifically eying the CE version) for what you get, and yay, it's in a format that is DAW-agnostic. Does anyone have any experience with it and/or opinions of it? It almost seems to good to be true but so far it's the clear winner. Edit: while I'm at it, I loved Alchemy. I loved it so much. I don't have it anymore, unless I get Logic X, which I can't, so I'm looking around and it seems as though UVI's Falcon might be a good if not great alternative. Anyone here ever use Falcon? Thoughts? Rupert Buttermilk fucked around with this message at 05:06 on Mar 13, 2019 |
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Mar 13, 2019 04:46
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Rupert Buttermilk posted:Does anyone have any thoughts on the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB interface? I feel old, in that overall I prefer FireWire, but I figure that's dead now. Totally solid interface for the price. I made my whole last album with it. Upgraded for the 18i8 because 2 inputs isn't a lot to work with. Grand Prize Winner posted:Not NT5s, but I've been using a Rode M5 pair for drum overheads for a couple years and am pretty happy with them. Haven't used the NT5s but the impression that I get is that the M5 is basically the 'starter' equivalent of the NT5. Oh okay awesome, I was hoping someone would weigh in with those. Ever try using them on an acoustic guitar?
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Mar 14, 2019 15:36
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Rupert Buttermilk posted:Does anyone have any thoughts on the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB interface? I feel old, in that overall I prefer FireWire, but I figure that's dead now. I use a 2i2 and it's fine but the mic inputs only really work when I dime the gain on them. There's no real signal until about 9.5/10 on the gain knob. I hear the 2i4 fixes that issue. But other than that it's a solid interface for the price and gets the job done. Btw I'm using a sm57 and sm58 but I'm using an xlr to 1/4" cable so maybe that's the root cause of my issue, I'm going to try with just an xlr cable and see what happens.
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Mar 15, 2019 19:26
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Spanish Manlove posted:I use a 2i2 and it's fine but the mic inputs only really work when I dime the gain on them. There's no real signal until about 9.5/10 on the gain knob. I hear the 2i4 fixes that issue. But other than that it's a solid interface for the price and gets the job done. Thanks, let me / us know, if you could.
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Mar 15, 2019 19:32
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Yah that's pretty weird. I had the Mk1 version of the 2i2 and never had to dime the gain to record from a mic. I wonder if the phantom power is malfunctioning? The mic inputs also work really well on my 18i8 (Mk2)
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Mar 15, 2019 22:06
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I think it might be that I'm using dynamic mics (which should never need phantom power)
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Mar 15, 2019 22:15
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It can be worth it to get something like a Cloudlifter to boost the gain for dynamic mics, it's basically required for the SM7B.
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Mar 15, 2019 22:30
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^^^: Speaking of, has anyone here tried the sE Dynamite lifter?silencekit posted:Oh okay awesome, I was hoping someone would weigh in with those. Ever try using them on an acoustic guitar? I have and they seem to work well but my only point of comparison is 57s. They seem to have a wider pickup pattern and you can get a lot more signal out of them because they're condensers. Grand Prize Winner fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Mar 15, 2019 |
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Mar 15, 2019 23:22
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Oh that! I haven't tried it out but had someone pick one up before. The packaging really leans into the stick of dynamite gag. e: lol you don't say 
Weird BIAS fucked around with this message at 03:32 on Mar 16, 2019 |
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Mar 16, 2019 03:30
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Their big claim is that because you can plug it in directly to the mic you don't need an additional cable and that can help minimize interference. I don't buy that because if a 3-foot mic cable is giving you interference then either it's a terrible cable or you're working under a broadcast antenna. Still neat because hey, one less cable is one less cable.
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Mar 16, 2019 04:31
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I run a 2i2 (2nd gen) and I have no trouble getting a good level with my dynamic mics (including a SM7). Definitely try using a normal XLR cable - I remember using one of those XLR - 1/4 cables in a PA setup before, and it pretty much halved the volume of the mic I was using.
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Mar 16, 2019 22:10
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It's possible that using a TS/TRS cable instead of XLR forces the signal to go through the line level preamp instead of the mic preamp on some interfaces, I think that is what is happening
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Mar 17, 2019 09:48
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kare posted:It's possible that using a TS/TRS cable instead of XLR forces the signal to go through the line level preamp instead of the mic preamp on some interfaces, I think that is what is happening Yeah, you should definitely be using XLR for mics, TRS for line level instruments.
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Mar 17, 2019 11:04
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Sort of half a songwriting question and half a recording question, but I don't know if we have a quick question thread for songwriting tips What are some good ways to increase intensity quickly? I'm working on a track that's got a slow beat, slow and fairly light guitar, and then a fuzzy distorted synth comes in and I want a section that feels a lot harder and more intense. So far just adding the synth hasn't done much. It still feels soft and slow and light, just with a fuzzy synth on top. I know I should probably build up to it with some drum fill and then continue with faster/more intense drums, but other than that I'm not sure. I tried making the guitars crunchy and distorted but it didn't really sound good. Plus, I don't want to mess too much with what I have already since it sounds good Annoyingly I can't really think of any examples of what I mean, though there are definitely loads. I THINK I'm sort of going for that soft/loud verse/chorus thing that I guess grunge bands did a lot. Maybe Smells Like Teen Spirit is a close enough idea
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Mar 17, 2019 20:26
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Paperhouse posted:Sort of half a songwriting question and half a recording question, but I don't know if we have a quick question thread for songwriting tips Maybe try an overdriven bass sound to mix in during that section?
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Mar 17, 2019 23:09
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Paperhouse posted:Sort of half a songwriting question and half a recording question, but I don't know if we have a quick question thread for songwriting tips what kind of drums/percussion do you have? if it's acoustic stuff, keeping the same rhythm but playing harder will help. if it's electronic, then doubling it with bigger sounds could work—maybe even doubling it with an acoustic kit. also, it sounds like a lot of your instrumentation is in a higher register, so the overdriven bass idea will probably help a lot. slamming some heavily-played low octave intervals on a piano would also help bring more into the low end without coloring your harmony too much. you could also try recording some octaves on the guitar with the tone rolled down and fuzzing that up to pack some heat in the midrange. basically, you have an entire frequency spectrum that you can fill up, so if you don't want to go faster, just go more. you should definitely post the track when you're done, too, i'm curious as to what it'll sound like!
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Mar 17, 2019 23:33
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Put an arpeggio of 16ths under the synth line if you mostly had 8th notes before. Bassline or a twinkle in the ultra high. Switch from on the beat bass to between the beats or vice versa. Switch drum kits or switch from dry to reverbed space. That sort of thing. E: There's also lazy drumming with the backbeat milliseconds late and eager drumming with the backbeat early. Switching between those may also change the mood. Just swing and straight, also. Flipperwaldt fucked around with this message at 00:11 on Mar 18, 2019 |
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Mar 17, 2019 23:59
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A subtle but audible synth swell works very effectively, too. Maybe put some sort of spreader effect on it (or pull the haas effect) to really get that sense of it being everywhere, and then pull it into the centre at the end. You can make a huge synth hit, bounce it, and then reverse it, and then get rid of the actual 'hit' part so that it doesn't overload the part of your song that's already likely more intense. Like if there's a cymbal crash or 5 new instruments playing during the intense part, you likely don't need to have the synth hit also happen, just the buildup.
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Mar 18, 2019 12:22
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Paperhouse posted:Sort of half a songwriting question and half a recording question, but I don't know if we have a quick question thread for songwriting tips Blast beats.
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Mar 18, 2019 17:29
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Yeah have you considered listening to death grips more here mr splitfoot, do as i do
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Mar 18, 2019 17:46
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Look at the rhythm first. Maybe add a bridge between the sections, or a breakdown, of a false stop. If all else fails: mess with what you have already even though you don’t want to do that, sometimes you’ve got to cut a good bud to make room for a great bit. Look at other songwriters for what they did. How does smells like team spirit get it’s big chorus? Well it has a pretty long 16 bar build up where the guitar and vocals get stufk on a repeated melody, THEN the chorus hits. You kinda gotta announce what you’re going to do before you do it. Nirvana songs do this a lot , there’s always som kind of “chorus is coming now!” but before it comes in.
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Mar 19, 2019 14:20
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Are there any free* DAWs aside from reaper? It’s not for me it’s for a friend whose getting into home recording. He hates reaper though and so do I and I can’t recommend he drop $£ on something full featuted yet.
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Mar 19, 2019 14:26
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massive spider posted:Are there any free* DAWs aside from reaper? It’s not for me it’s for a friend whose getting into home recording. He hates reaper though and so do I and I can’t recommend he drop $£ on something full featuted yet. As far as I know, not really, but I'm curious... massive spider posted:He hates reaper though and so do I Your opinions are of course valid and all, but do you mind explaining why? Maybe someone here can help, if there are specific issues that are causing you to hate it. I mean, I hate Sonar, so I definitely get it, but I probably could come around on it if given some more time, or guidance. I'm not trying to assume you don't know your way around a DAW, as I don't know your situation at all.
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Mar 19, 2019 14:40
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massive spider posted:Are there any free* DAWs aside from reaper? It’s not for me it’s for a friend whose getting into home recording. He hates reaper though and so do I and I can’t recommend he drop $£ on something full featuted yet. does Audacity count? It's got some daw-like qualities.
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Mar 19, 2019 14:55
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massive spider posted:Are there any free* DAWs aside from reaper? It’s not for me it’s for a friend whose getting into home recording. He hates reaper though and so do I and I can’t recommend he drop $£ on something full featuted yet. For just toying around, Caustic 3 for Windows is free.
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Mar 19, 2019 15:07
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Rupert Buttermilk posted:As far as I know, not really, but I'm curious... I just think it’s ugly as balls and I tend to rank a DAW by how it feels to program drum parts in it and I remember not enjoying it. Ableton is king for drawing midi to me.
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Mar 19, 2019 19:47
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massive spider posted:I just think it’s ugly as balls and I tend to rank a DAW by how it feels to program drum parts in it and I remember not enjoying it. Ableton is king for drawing midi to me. Well, fair enough. I vastly prefer Logic's piano roll when editing MIDI, drums or otherwise, but on your first point, if you have multiple monitors, check this out if you haven't already. It's one of many out there, but so far, it's the nicest looking one, at least to me.
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Mar 19, 2019 20:00
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massive spider posted:Are there any free* DAWs aside from reaper? https://www.tracktion.com/products/t7-daw Somewhat related: Reaper is a really nice bread & butter video editor as well! I have Adobe CC and Rush CC just felt like an unfinished pile of garbage. Before, I used Shotcut but it has pretty abysmal performance in just playing back 2 tracks of HD video simultaneously and trying to insert basic crossfades/fade to black was pretty painful.
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Mar 26, 2019 08:12
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Noise Machine posted:Maybe try an overdriven bass sound to mix in during that section? Yeah, double time driving bass is a classic 'here we go' technique
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Mar 26, 2019 09:05
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massive spider posted:I just think it’s ugly as balls and I tend to rank a DAW by how it feels to program drum parts in it and I remember not enjoying it. Ableton is king for drawing midi to me. So, what is it about Ableton and programming that just works so well? I've used it since version 6, so about 13 years now, and it just feels "right" for quickly getting ideas down, refining, tweaking, etc. But I haven't been able to really articulate why, besides "program is super easy to use, looks good, and you can punch out a 5min song structure in like 15 minutes". Trying to get some musician friends onto it, and being unable to explain why its better than programming on an electribe or logic or protools doesn't help. I used to use logic, and didn't have much issues programming, and I currently use Auxy for writing (loving incredible, its like an Ableton lite for phones), but I still feel Live is king there.
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Mar 29, 2019 16:21
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IMO It’s partly about session view and the arrangement of parts as vertical blocks you can audition, then drag into the arrangement. Also the way MIDI is drawn as single click blocks on a grid whereas logic takes more clicks to do the same thing for some godawful reason. Then you can just collapse the unwanted notes in the piano roll. I use it for rock music even though that’s probably not what it’s typically associated with. My only gripe is that somehow Logics stock compressors sound better. I read an interview with Grimes where she said that she writes in Ableton but records vocals in Logic for that reason.
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Mar 31, 2019 20:13
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