What's your recording setup and method?

[Alan Cynic]

The mastering on the Boss allows you to save a mix.....what I find useful about it is (using the track edit function, I think) you can then import that mix as any 2 tracks of the 8....so you can build up a thick layer of sounds, should you need it.

[Chris]

Does any of the more experienced posters in this thread have any good tips for things to avoid? Stuff that's gone wrong in the past or that makes life that little bit more difficult than it needs be? Or anything that you started doing which made recording suddenly a bit easier?

[Chris]

Simple to use once you play with them a bit. Actually reading the manual helps too.

I think I still have my old 4-track Fostex kicking around somewhere, maybe even some tapes to go with it (anyone want it?). But I think on balance I find plugging into a USB interface into the laptop and being able to record take after take without faffing around with 4 tracks, bouncing to other tracks and mixing down to squeeze in as much stuff as possible much easier. Also don't have to worry too much about messing up a take as you just press delete and try again.

[Bigsby]

The new ones have "phantom tracks" so you can do multiple takes then pick your favourite.

I agree the computer option has advantages, I just found it too much hassle.

[MikeyEB]

The mastering on the Boss allows you to save a mix.....what I find useful about it is (using the track edit function, I think) you can then import that mix as any 2 tracks of the 8....so you can build up a thick layer of sounds, should you need it.

Ahhhh, thanks for that! I'm going to record some more things in the coming weeks so I'll give that a look.

[Chris]

Sound on Sound have released a special on DAW techniques that I picked up in the newsagent this morning. Loads of tips for the most common DAWs, including Reaper.

Anyway inspired by this thread I spent the afternoon finishing off one of the songs I've been working on:

Causey Mounth

Would be interesting to know what you guys think.

[FOX]

Sound on Sound have released a special on DAW techniques that I picked up in the newsagent this morning. Loads of tips for the most common DAWs, including Reaper.

Anyway inspired by this thread I spent the afternoon finishing off one of the songs I've been working on:

Causey Mounth

Would be interesting to know what you guys think.

What's your setup here, then? 8 track or something?

[Chris]

What's your setup here, then? 8 track or something?

It's the same setup from the first post of this thread. Guitar is my ESP LTD Hybrid 300, with upgraded seymour duncan pickups into an Orange Dual Terror with a 1x12 cab. Mic is a Beyerdynamic, similar to an SM58. That goes into my Tapco by Mackie Link.USB interface which is plugged into the laptop running Reaper.

There's 3 rhythm guitars, 2 tracked hard left and right and another track low in the mix in the centre. Similarly there's the main vocal in the centre and 2 more, identical, vocal tracks low in the mix left and right for the choruses. The pre-solo melody and the solo are tracked separately in the centre.

[FOX]

It's the same setup from the first post of this thread. Guitar is my ESP LTD Hybrid 300, with upgraded seymour duncan pickups into an Orange Dual Terror with a 1x12 cab. Mic is a Beyerdynamic, similar to an SM58. That goes into my Tapco by Mackie Link.USB interface which is plugged into the laptop running Reaper.

There's 3 rhythm guitars, 2 tracked hard left and right and another track low in the mix in the centre. Similarly there's the main vocal in the centre and 2 more, identical, vocal tracks low in the mix left and right for the choruses. The pre-solo melody and the solo are tracked separately in the centre.

I'm not gonna pretend I know what much of that even means, really, but sounds pretty good.

I don't think I can help you too much with electric guitar recording (being acoustic myself) but that sounds like a whole lot of tracks for a laptop to handle (although it seems to have managed - my MacBook Pro can only cope with around three unless every other program is closed).

[Chris]

I'm not gonna pretend I know what much of that even means, really, but sounds pretty good.

I don't think I can help you too much with electric guitar recording (being acoustic myself) but that sounds like a whole lot of tracks for a laptop to handle (although it seems to have managed - my MacBook Pro can only cope with around three unless every other program is closed).

How old's your Macbook?

The laptop is a dual core with 2GB of RAM, nothing special and it's getting on a bit. I'd have thought your Macbook should easily handle more than 3 tracks of audio, but it depends how old it is and various other variables I guess.

I've been listening back to the track again and I'm really pretty happy with the guitar sound on it. Can you say what it is that made you think it was a poor quality recording? Was it just the vocals? If so it could just be my inexperience as a singer and poor mic technique.

[FOX]

How old's your Macbook?

The laptop is a dual core with 2GB of RAM, nothing special and it's getting on a bit. I'd have thought your Macbook should easily handle more than 3 tracks of audio, but it depends how old it is and various other variables I guess.

I've been listening back to the track again and I'm really pretty happy with the guitar sound on it. Can you say what it is that made you think it was a poor quality recording? Was it just the vocals? If so it could just be my inexperience as a singer and poor mic technique.

It's actually not old in the slightest, it just refuses to record and play at the same time with 3+ tracks (when there are other programs open). Close the programs, it's fine.

I don't know, it just sounds a little fuzzy, but I'll agree that suits the style of song (alt-folk, sorta lo-fi).

[Hog]

For my acoustic stuff (starting on that again soon)

Adobe audition 2

Electro acoustic

Zoom drum machine

Seinheiser mike ( I need to return it to Jimmer)

A shitty sub 200 Yamaha keyboard.

I also use a line6 toneport for element riff ideas.

I wish I knew how to mix and use vst's...

www.Hogacoustic/myspace.com for my shitty depressive music.

[Oedo 808]

I know this sounds obvious but if you're using a click and recording with the mic be careful of bleed from the cans. Even if you're aware of these sorts of things it's easy to be careless or just forget.

With regard to click tracks - I tend to use them but I don't make my limited home recordings available so I'm only do it to flesh out ideas, not to create any particular aesthetic.

Out with the recording environment have you ever considered practising with a click? I play scales over them - it helps to improve discipline.

[Jeid]

Haha, Luckily the mics, guitars and 4x12 are out of shot!

It's just a wee room, so it looks like there's a lot of stuff in there. There's not really.

I was in Banchory two weeks ago as it turns out, when all the snow was there. Couldn't get my van out for the whole week I was there. Was down helping Nick Scholey work on an album for Healthy Minds Collapse from Fife.

I'm starting work on a new demo for a band tomorrow. When I've finished that, I'll post some clips up. I always find that the most recent thing I do is a lot better than the last thing I do. I'm trying a lot of new stuff out on this next recording. Will also be the first time I get to try out my new vocal mic.

[Jeid]

We were parked up beside the cottage right at the back, two feet of snow, no good! ha

[MichaelCRobertson]

For recording i use a dangerously simple set up, G4 Powermac - behringer firewire thingy - behringer mixer - microphone/guitar

the thing came with a super basic version of ableton live, but it would do anything close to recording so i've been stuck with audacity for almost a year! downloaded that reaper programme, and so far im really enjoying it definatly considering buying it.

one of my dads mates has a wee home studio with roland electric drums, protools 8 and all sorts of amazing gadgets, and he's been teaching me how it all works and letting me use it when ever i've nothing else to do.

as for method, i very rarely use a drum track, but if i do i've been using RSE drums from guitar pro, not great but does the job, then i add the guitar chords or what ever, then bass, keys if any, add layers of guitar parts to taste, very rarely do i do vocals as i dont feel very confident, but if i do i usually chuck them on before and keys or lead guitar

when i was in college i got pretty much unlimited access to a 16track fostex reel to reel and i bloody loved using it, some much easier than computers i though, really want to get something like that seeing as im not really recording music to be awesome and sell to people or anything, its just for my own entertainment

[Alan Cynic]

I would happily go back to reel-to-reel for the sound.....plus they're such cool things

My stereo Revox is the same as this one...

REVOX G36 MK1 for leak quad valve tube reel to reel amp on eBay (end time 22-Oct-10 18:03:55 BST)

[Chris]

It's actually not old in the slightest, it just refuses to record and play at the same time with 3+ tracks (when there are other programs open). Close the programs, it's fine.

Sounds like something's eating up all your available memory. What are the other programs you have running?

I don't know much about Macs, is there a task manager equivilent that can show you all the running programs and how much memory they're using? Are you recording to all the tracks at once or one at a time? That might make a difference.

[Chris]

Does anyone here admit to using autotune?

There's a tuning VST included with Reaper. I turned it on the other day and it doesn't do a bad job, seems to smooth out the vocal without being noticable. But I still left it off the end mix as it felt like cheating.

[MikeyEB]

Does anyone here admit to using autotune?

There's a tuning VST included with Reaper. I turned it on the other day and it doesn't do a bad job, seems to smooth out the vocal without being noticable. But I still left it off the end mix as it felt like cheating.

I should use it, but I don't.

As you say, I would feel like I was cheating. Mistakes are half the fun.

[Huw]

Does anyone here admit to using autotune?

There's a tuning VST included with Reaper. I turned it on the other day and it doesn't do a bad job, seems to smooth out the vocal without being noticable. But I still left it off the end mix as it felt like cheating.

There was autotune on my voice for the CW recordings. When I have access to one I probably would where it was needed.

So you can use external VSTs with Reaper too?

[Chris]

So you can use external VSTs with Reaper too?

Think so. There's a load of plugins included, some VSTs the rest are written in JS.

[FOX]

Sounds like something's eating up all your available memory. What are the other programs you have running?

I don't know much about Macs, is there a task manager equivilent that can show you all the running programs and how much memory they're using? Are you recording to all the tracks at once or one at a time? That might make a difference.

Hmm... there's not one that'll show you CPU load. I reckon it's iTunes or something, probably.

[Jeid]

Does anyone here admit to using autotune?

There's a tuning VST included with Reaper. I turned it on the other day and it doesn't do a bad job, seems to smooth out the vocal without being noticable. But I still left it off the end mix as it felt like cheating.

Hell aye. These tools are made to be used... I'm using them!

[scandaldallas]

So I have been reading this thread with interest! My laptop is dated, I know hee haw about computers (if there wasn't a wee sticker indicating which version of windows I am using (running...) I couldn't tell you) and I'd rather have knobs to manipulate (a bit like being in a band...) Therefore, I just bought a Boss BR 900 CD. Now.... fit kind of mic should I get and since my budget is blown, does anyone have one to sell, do I need monitors as I am hoping heid phones will do. I'll need a mic stand if anyone has one. I will only be bale to record vocals when the kids are not here and was planning on rec guitar and prob bass via a Pocket Pod or the unit's own effects. Educate me.....