What's your recording setup and method?

[toiletbag]

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.

Autotune is unfortunately a necessary evil sometimes, especially if you subscribe to the view that you can't polish a turd, but you CAN roll it in glitter.

I use Melodyne though, because the graphical mode in Antares is far too fiddly. It's great from a compositional point of view as well. It's great if there's a great take with one stray note because you only correct the parts you want to correct.

[Bigsby]

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.....

Somebody on here was selling an SM57 which is what I use and I'm happy with the results. You'll get different opinions on here as to what is best but the SM57 has been an industry standard for 50 years or something like that, used on thousands of studio recordings, so I don't think you'll go wrong with it.

Personally I record with headphones and then try and have a listen to the finished product on various types of speaker (computer/ car hifi/ decent stereo).

I record electric guitars using both the Pocket Pod and the onboard Boss effects. The Boss effects are pretty damn good but the Pod has the edge IMO. Acoustic guitars via the SM57.

You'll get a mic stand cheap enough at R&B or Bruce Millers I'm sure.

[Huw]

Autotune is unfortunately a necessary evil sometimes, especially if you subscribe to the view that you can't polish a turd, but you CAN roll it in glitter.

I use Melodyne though, because the graphical mode in Antares is far too fiddly. It's great from a compositional point of view as well. It's great if there's a great take with one stray note because you only correct the parts you want to correct.

Agree with this. Another benefit of using a computer DAW too is that if it is just one phrase out of a verse that is pap you can create a new track and drop yourself in for that phrase. Much much more fiddly on a multitracker, for those that are a bit more pernickity.

[soundian]

A common mistake (imo) that I see people new to mixing make is that they spend ages EQing and processing each individual track separately and don't take in to account how the whole thing will sound.

My advice:

Get a rough mix first using the minimum EQ/processing possible. Since you should have recorded the best sounds possible you shouldn't need much EQ at this stage. Now you can work on individual tracks but work on them in context.

One of the hardest things about recording is knowing how it has to sound before you have even touched a mic.

[toiletbag]

Agree with this. Another benefit of using a computer DAW too is that if it is just one phrase out of a verse that is pap you can create a new track and drop yourself in for that phrase. Much much more fiddly on a multitracker, for those that are a bit more pernickity.

Yeah, I most commonly just comp loads of takes together in this vein when I'm mixing vocals. I couldn't imagine going back to an 8 track because, while the learning curve for DAWs is a lot steeper, it's a much quicker process once you've got to grips with it.

[Guest idol_wild]

My singing used to be so out of tune that the only time I tried autotune with it, it placed my vocal in a completely different key. True story.

For what it's worth, though, in general, I think autotune is completely and utterly cheating. If you don't use such a device on any other instrument, then why vocals?

I feel anyone can learn to sing to an acceptable level if they practice. Nobody starts recording guitar on songs unless they can play guitar, or until it's been practised and perfected, so it amazes me sometimes that people who can play guitar, arrange songs and write lyrics seem to think they can just waltz up to a microphone and start recording it without extensive practice.

[Soda Jerk]

My singing used to be so out of tune that the only time I tried autotune with it, it placed my vocal in a completely different key. True story.

For what it's worth, though, in general, I think autotune is completely and utterly cheating. If you don't use such a device on any other instrument, then why vocals?

I feel anyone can learn to sing to an acceptable level if they practice. Nobody starts recording guitar on songs unless they can play guitar, or until it's been practised and perfected, so it amazes me sometimes that people who can play guitar, arrange songs and write lyrics seem to think they can just waltz up to a microphone and start recording it without extensive practice.

I agree. The likes of T-Pain and Li'l Wayne should be working in a supermarket, the theiving scumbags.

[toiletbag]

My singing used to be so out of tune that the only time I tried autotune with it, it placed my vocal in a completely different key. True story.

For what it's worth, though, in general, I think autotune is completely and utterly cheating. If you don't use such a device on any other instrument, then why vocals?

I feel anyone can learn to sing to an acceptable level if they practice. Nobody starts recording guitar on songs unless they can play guitar, or until it's been practised and perfected, so it amazes me sometimes that people who can play guitar, arrange songs and write lyrics seem to think they can just waltz up to a microphone and start recording it without extensive practice.

Cheating? Perhaps, but I've had to use it on violin and bass because the intonation was so bad. It's a life saver in some capacities.

Then you have a level of expectation from bands that you have to try and meet. If they want me to use it then I will, end of story.

[Stroopy121]

I agree it's cheating if you rely on it but it's not that bad otherwise... If I'd recorded a bass track that had one bum note I'd love to be able to iron it out rather than redo the take... it's cheating if you use it to make your voice do things you couldn't reproduce naturally though..

xx

[Jeid]

Nobody starts recording guitar on songs unless they can play guitar, or until it's been practised and perfected.

How wrong you are. I've experienced guitar players who can't play, I've experienced bass players who can't play and I've experienced drummers who can't play.

These can all be fixed with editing.

In the olden days, people who could play were taken in to play what was required, now with Pro Tools and other DAW's, mistakes can be edited. Drums/bass/guitars are all edited to be in time. Vocals are edited to be in tune. It's all part of modern recording.

We don't have to agree with those practises, but that's how it is these days.

[toiletbag]

How wrong you are. I've experienced guitar players who can't play, I've experienced bass players who can't play and I've experienced drummers who can't play.

Yeah exactly, and if you apply the same sort of anti-utilitarian logic to the broader spectrum of recording then it doesn't make much sense.

'Oh well boys, that take was the best one and it was still pish. I could reach for those incredibly useful editing tools and try to make your recording something that everyone is happy with, or I could just take your money off you and send you on your way with a recording that sounds like a one man band falling down the stairs'.

If you're against things that enhance one's ability, you might as well forget about compression, EQ and triggering as well.

Let it be said that good drummers, vocalists, bassists, and guitarists mix themselves, and others... Well, they need a little help.

[Guest idol_wild]

How wrong you are. I've experienced guitar players who can't play, I've experienced bass players who can't play and I've experienced drummers who can't play.

These can all be fixed with editing.

In the olden days, people who could play were taken in to play what was required, now with Pro Tools and other DAW's, mistakes can be edited. Drums/bass/guitars are all edited to be in time. Vocals are edited to be in tune. It's all part of modern recording.

We don't have to agree with those practises, but that's how it is these days.

Fair enough. I'm a bit of a luddite. And perhaps a bit too traditional for my own good.

[Jeid]

I wasn't taking a dig man

I think that came across a bit like "you know nothing, I know everything" when I was just pointing out that everything gets a polish these days

Modern pop/rock/metal is especially hardcore edited to make things shine.

I think the stripped back stuff works just as well. Everything works in recording. That's the thing, there are no rules to how you do stuff. We all have different ways of working and that what I love about recording. Even if you take away nothing from what I do, you'll at least know how I work. I've learnt a lot that way. I like to ask how people do stuff and see if I can implement bits of that into my workflow

A couple of people have really helped me out a lot and I do some stuff different to them and I try to share that with them now too.

[Oedo 808]

In the olden days, people who could play were taken in to play what was required

This is a very important point. Even very capable musicians have been left in the cold by extremely capable session musicians.

[Guest idol_wild]

I wasn't taking a dig man

I think that came across a bit like "you know nothing, I know everything" when I was just pointing out that everything gets a polish these days

Oh, don't worry - I have been using this website for about 6 years now; I am very much accustomed to being patronised.

I dunno, I'm just old-fashioned and I like things to be done traditionally, purely, and as organically as possible. If I had my way, every single album ever recorded would be recorded live with one room microphone picking everything up.

[Bigsby]

I don't use autotune because I find it easier and less hassle just to do it again properly.

[FatHand]

I don't use autotune because I find it easier and less hassle just to do it again properly.

I agree for a home set up. You can do as many takes as you like and it costs you nothing but time. If you are recording a friend or a friend's group then the same applies. Same applies if you have agreed a flat rate for the recording regardless of the time. I can perhaps see it's use or the temptation to use it in a situation where you have limited time or it's expensive and you're vocal is close to how you'd want it. Even then, I'd feel a bit crap if you'd spent all that money on a special recording only to have to manipulate it digitally cause you couldn't manage the part.

I've been disappointed with the sound and standard of my keys playing in some recordings that I've paid for but as time was a massive constraint for what we were trying to do, took to editing and and processing the sound to a massive degree. That felt like a huge cheat as I know I could have played better and also got a better sound with a bit of extra time. For me the moral of the story is don't over stretch in a recording session and spend time to get it right.

[Jeid]

For me the moral of the story is don't over stretch in a recording session and spend time to get it right.

This is definitely true.

When I record bands, I charge a set price. This gives them time to complete the tracks and not have to worry about cost per hour.

People should also make sure they are well rehearsed when hitting the studio. This is obviously a huge time saver and if you're confident about what you're playing, then your performances are going to be so much better. As someone already stated, a good musician makes a producers job so much easier.

[Guest droid]

As someone already stated, a good musician makes a producers job so much easier.

And vice versa!

[Jeid]

Haha, totally!

[Huw]

Autotune as a correction tool has been discussed and I wholeheartedly agree that if you aren't bound by any time constraints take it again until it's spot on.

But I also don't have anything against people using it in copious amounts to make them sound like Beyonc. It saves the hassle of learning how to sing as much as the pocket pod saves the hassle of miking up a guitar cab and they achieve the desired effect. When it comes down to a live setting, you will suffer the concequences and people will discover that you really are a gish singer.

Back on topic: REAPER is really really grey and confuses my brain. What's the moest user friendly jargonbusting DAW out there?

[Jeid]

Back on topic: REAPER is really really grey and confuses my brain. What's the moest user friendly jargonbusting DAW out there?

Reaper is a good place to start man. Do some reading on it, it'll really help.

[Huw]

Reaper is a good place to start man. Do some reading on it, it'll really help.

I didn't realise I actually posted that.

Cool. I'll do some reading. Sequel is justso nice and simple, so simple it doesn't do half the stuff it should though. I'll go through the manual etc.

Are there any VSTs that'll make my guitar sound synthy or some sort of midi converter for guitar? Also, the process of re-amping. How does it work?

[Jeid]

I've no idea about the VST's mate.

Re-amping basically works like a backwards DI. You need to record a DI'd (dry) signal into your DAW and then take it out via the Re-amp box into your amp. I record from home, so I can record guitar until well into the middle of the night by using Pod Farm and then re-amp during the day when I won't upset anybody with loud amps. It can also be useful for many other reasons like, your amp is getting repaired or is at your rehearsal space, or you're borrowing another amp, or you didn't quite nail the tone you wanted first time. You can re-amp through your amp or send your DI's to someone else to re-amp them for you. Dan G did some re-amping for me earlier in the year which was awesome.

Here's a couple of good things about it.

Re-amp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Preparing your tracks for reamping: A Guide - Ultimate Metal Forum

Like I say, very handy

[fatboy]

hello

can any of you nice computer/audio clued up people

i used to sketch guitar tracks with a pocket pod connected to my laptop through a 3.5mm jack to jack from the direct out-put of the pod to the line in on the laptop on ot audobe audition. it was a compaq presario with windows xp with a amd processor 1gb ram, 80gb hard drive

it was a walk in the park, i could just plug in chose the sound i wanted on the pod, monitored from the headphone jack of the laptop to a stereo, arm the track, adjust the gain and play away.

that laptop has been long gone,

so i tried the same method using my replacement laptop

dell inspiron 1750, with 4bg ram 280gb pentium dual core processor and 64bit windows 7

now i dont get the same signal as before, i tried going through the audio settings through the contoll panel, ie turn the line-in to the different choices (mic, line-in) etc and adjusted the gain, microphone boost tick box but i dont get the same signal. instead i get a latency with it and not the true souns of the pod, lots of high pitch frequencies and thin sounding guitar, whereas before is sounded the same as plugging the pod directly into a stereo and playing

surely my new laptop is capable of doing what i did before, no? anyone able to help me configure or guide me so i can do this cause im not very good with computers, i would go buy a use interface so i could use modeling software, but im plain skint and want to use what i had before as its familiar basic for what i need