| Home recording and general music post from the archived Yabb Recording Website Message Board. Some of the info here may be outdated but many of the audio recording and home studio tips are still good. Note: The only tags I made and attempt to convert are italics, bold, center and underline. So if you see some gibberish surrounded by brackets, just ignore it.
Recording Website Archived Yabb board Post
Febuary 2001 Yabb Message Board Archive
Subject: Can I make quality recordings with this equipment?
by The Mad Smoker | 06/05/01 at 11:02:12
I have a Korg D8, an Alesis SR-16, an SM57, an RP6, a Princeton 112+ amp, an Epiphone les paul copy and a (poor) Encore bass. Can I make good quality recordings?
I have been recording my own stuff for a while with varied results. I have read various articles on here to help with compression and micing techniques but I need someone to point me in the direction of some tutorials that are hopefully relevant to my equipment or offer me any advice that wont go totally over my head. If anyone can show me I haven't wasted a grand on equipment I would be very grateful.
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by Maury | 06/05/01 at 14:19:02
what are you recording to? if you're going digital, you have a decent chance at getting a good vocal and guitar amp tracked with the 57. in a word, yes. tell us more...
maury
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by Bonafide | 06/05/01 at 17:51:47
He's recording to a Korg D8, That is Korgs 8 track digital recorder.
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by pcrecord | 06/05/01 at 20:02:16
The sm57 is the basic dynamic mic of the market. You can do alot with it but once you've tried some condenser mics, you will probably keep the 57 for snare and not much more. It's simple the 57 is a great mic but check the frequencies in the specs and check other mics ... You see !!
Of course, your setup can lead you to very good quality. I'd say with better mics you just turn the nobs a little less and have less problem getting a pure sound.
Good luck !!
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by Maury | 06/06/01 at 00:04:07
thanks bonafide - my bad! i saw the word "korg" and thought it was a keyboard... can you tell i'm a guitar player :)
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by pouxhawk | 06/06/01 at 15:07:12
Didja Know!! John Lennon "LOVED" the sound of his voice recorded with a 57. It was the only mic he'd use in the studio... No knock against all the wonderfull condensers available today...I own a few of them, but if you have a good voice, you will sound "good" through a paper cup and a string. If your voice sucks... well all the Neumanns in the word ain't gonna help... the young man should be able to do more than just sound ok with what he has.. Read everything?? Sure but more importantly ...LISTEN.. both to your self and your favorite cds..... TEST RECORD AND LISTEN>>TEST RECORD AND LISTEN>>TEST RECORD AND LISTEN..If your not lazy about it you WILL get good at this.... My God man, I wish I had the stuff you have.......Dean"pouxhawk"G
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by Tim_Z | 06/06/01 at 15:46:09
Just a sec here. I didn't see any reference to just recording vocals in the original request. He asked if he can make "good quality recordings" with his gear. The problem here is the interpretation of "GOOD". He will be able to make decent demos, but if he wants to record real drum kits, acoustic & electric guitars, brass or horns, percussion, bass, vocals, keys, acoustic grand piano, etc. etc. etc., the best suggestion for improvement is BETTER mics. The 57 is a great mic and very versatile, but it is barely okay for most of these sources mentioned above, and will not IMHO take you to the level of "good quality recordings". Decent, yes :) Many great vocal tracks have been done with 57's, no doubt, but not many (if any) full band or instrumentation recordings have been done fully with 57's. You definitely need good mics for that.
TZ
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by pouxhawk | 06/06/01 at 17:48:20
:)Tim, you are of course, absolutetly correct about condenser mics... As I said, I own a few and use a bunch.....however, that's the kind of thinking that music store clerks use to get young musicians to outspend their skills and budgets in a hurry...I'll bet a talented engineer with a bucket of 57s and a Korg 16 track can produce a better sounding recording than an amateur with his whole savings wrapped up in a single esoteric microphone.....I'm only talking bang for the buck...AND the importance of learning your craft....I'm sure that you are a much better recordist now than when you started mainly because you learned to listen to what you were doing, and worked your ass off to get better..Any advances in your equipment just allowed you to use your skills to better advantage...I mearly tried to make people realize that you can't "wait" until you have everything on your wish list before you can do anything worthwhile..A bucket full of SM57's is quite capable of making a great recording.. Buy a condenser??...Oh Yea Definitely!!!! But never expect a credit card to replace time spent learning to record....Check out some of the indie records out there..Read TapeOP magazine...The Bible of the "quit whining and learn to use what you got" school of recording.....D
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by me | 06/07/01 at 01:33:49
Tim question : Is the Shure 58 A better or equal to the sm57..for vocals only?
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by me | 06/07/01 at 01:35:44
Ohh nother thing..can you get Korg tracker in demo version?
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by Tim_Z | 06/07/01 at 08:33:59
Not sure what the 58 A is, assuming it is the beta 58 (which I have never used) for all intents and purposes they would be basically equal as a vocal mic. For some vocalists either will do a fine job in recording. However, the 57 may be slightly more versatile in a studio ( I have 6 of them)
Have no idea what a Korg tracker is? Other than my guitar tuner, I don't own any Korg gear.
TZ
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by BananaHead | 06/07/01 at 09:28:14
Someone said "A bucket full of SM57's is quite capable of making a great recording"
Ya know, I'm pretty sure Jack Endino has actually done that at one point or another! I mean Nirvana's bleach sounds like sm57s on EVERYTHING! I actually wouldn't mind making a record with nothing but 57s, it would be pretty fun.
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by Steve_S. | 06/07/01 at 11:48:46
Hey Silent Bob, jot this down. Looks like Mr. Banana has a potential idea for a future SubT project. Record everything through a certain named microphone.....
:) SubT 57?.........
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by Asa | 06/07/01 at 12:13:47
The 57 and the 58 are the exact same sh*t...Shure would like ya' 2 belive that they are selling you a better mic in the 58
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by Dean | 06/07/01 at 12:38:06
;D It's just a round wind screen and maybe some dampening to reduce handling noise...Doncha think... I'm so glad you guys picked up on this thing...I was getting the feeling that Tim was feeling insulted..Which was not my intention at all.. This thread began with Madsmoker wanting to know if he could make "Quality" recordings with what he had...and whether he had wasted a grand...I think that the simple answer to that is Yes! And if he's into serious loud hard thrashing music it might even sound better than a more HI-FI approach... I still say that the SM57 and 58 have earned a hallowed place in recording history...If you can't sound great using them..It's not the microphone. Help Me Here Bananahead! Steve!(lol)...........D.
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by Dean | 06/07/01 at 12:49:12
Madsmoker... I meant Yes you could make great recordings (For Now) with what you have...And No, you didn't waste your money...You know that this is an incurable condition, sooner or later we all get gear happy and blow the credit limit at our favorite emporium...Just don't feel overly pressured or anxious about needing the next thing on your wish list....Your off to a great start.....D
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by BananaHead | 06/07/01 at 13:38:18
Well, the minimum amount of gear I can think of, that you could make commercially usable recordings on, for say rock/blues, would be IMO:
* Nothing but SM57s -into-
* MX5050 8-track (or) a DA88/ADAT 8-track -into-
* Just a simple Mackie mixer, don't even need sweep eq
* w/ just a few RNCs as outboard
* Mixed down to DAT or CDR or whatever.
-or-
* 2 small condensers & a DAT deck, if you wanna really restrict things.
That could sound fine, it's all up to the user how fine. I'm sure Steve Albini could get his classic hard-hitting thick sound and kick all our asses with that gear... even though he wouldn't have has trusty ribbon mics, he'd find a way. Same with anyone who's really good, they'd find a way with what they had, and still get their personal style as well.
I've done some cool vocals on 57s, it was just a matter of tweaking the mic position until something finally had some character. You can stick them into the kick drum... but backwards... so they get more low end (they are kinda thin). Could use them on anything, it's all about *how* you use the stuff I'd say.
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by xigaa | 06/07/01 at 18:42:30
Can you make quality recordings with that gear? Yes. Will you? Yes. Will it take frustrating hours of error and turmoil? Probably.
Speaking from my experiences, the more you try things and keep a dialogue with other recording artists who are genuine and generous, your recording talents and knowledge will develop. With me, I bought some gear and just hit it, recording at low levels and cranking up the reverb and everything else. That taught me restraint, you know, the less is more approach to recording.
Don't be afraid to try crazy things too. A friend of mine recorded a great guitar sound with a tiny squire amp stuck in a drier with an SM57 on one side and an AKG 1000 on the other. Some things will work, and you're a genius with a killer idea. Other things will sound horrible, and you're a genius with a bad idea. And don't forget to practice, because it's a poor musician who blames his instrument (I heard that somewhere).
Just remember to listen to those who've been there before, and acccept nothing as gospel. And also keep in mind that the SM57 & 58 are essentially the same reliable, bulletproof mic. And those who gave us the RNC are modern heroes to the poor professional's market.
;D
Subject: Re: Can I make quality recordings with this equipm
by pouxhawk | 06/08/01 at 04:14:26
MDSMKR, I think you can see where we're all going with this....The key is to a good recording is not to back a truck up to your favorite music store and run screaming through the place waving a gold card..( although that would be really fun..especially if it were someone elses gold card!! lol)
If you have the budget, get yourself something new every few weeks or months... Just think before you dump a years worth of equipment money on any single item. That is, unless you have all the "little" things covered. A decent preamp for your base, a nice compressor, even a new axe! Once you've got your "bucket full of 57's" and 58"s then start looking for a nice condenser...Keep in mind though, that unless you have a mixer/ preamp that supplies phantom power you won't even be able to use a condenser!! ......D