| 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 Some of the info here may be outdated but many of the audio recording and home studio tips are still good.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: BEST TIPS!!
by Tekker | 03/01/01 at 03:24:31
I just got a home recording magazine that had top recording tips and tricks in it, and it got me thinking...we need to start list like this of our own, so the new guys (like me) or even more advanced engineers will have some good ideas to get a more professional sound. So if anyone has a few good tips that they wouldn't mind sharing with the world, even if they are really basic (every little bit helps), like different techniques for micing guitar amps, drums, vocals, ect, compression or EQ settings that sound good on different instruments, useful equipment, stuff like that, and/or recommend some good books on the subject. It would be very much appreciated if you would post these here.
I'll start off the list...
1. Close mic the guitar amp with a dynamic mic and also set a large diaphragm condenser mic several feet away to pick up room ambience
2. To get a feel for how your music will sound on different stereos, listen to your final mix through different types of speakers, stereos, and especially cheap boom boxes
3. Listen to your mix in your car - because a lot of the sound leaves the car and because there are no parallel walls, you will get a really nice, clear sound
4.Record percussion/acoustic instruments and sometimes vocals in the shower or just the bathroom in general for a nice reverb sound
5. For vocals, point the mic at the singer's upper lip, to get them to sing facing slightly up
6. Post more replies on this thread! :-)
I would also recommend getting the March edition of "Home Recording" Magazine with the top 100 recording Tips and Tricks. Thanx in advance to anyone who adds to my list.
Subject: Re: BEST TIPS!!
by BananaHead | 03/01/01 at 15:20:12
Those are pretty good tips. I have a little broadcast unit that lets me broadcast from my mix console into my car's stereo in the garage on FM. Gives you a slight idea what it will sound like over the radio to some dude in his car.
I got one: Keep it simple... when in doubt DON'T do it. Don't add that 16th track just cause you have it, don't add that digital reverb, don't add that aural exciter, don't add that 6th mic to the drum kit, don't eq the hell out of the guitar. I try to keep all the focus on good sounding instruments, rooms, songs, and good playing into a few good mics. Those are the classic things and when those are good it's pretty hard to make a bad recording.
Every time I think of "doing" something to a recording or mix I always try it, but then also go back and try it without the "effect"... and lots of times it's best when it's just left as-is.
Subject: Re: BEST TIPS!!
by Mr._Half_a_B | 03/02/01 at 03:57:58
Cool acoustic guitar trick
1. record the part normal on track 1
2. retune the guitar slightly lower in pitch
3. record the part again on track 2
4. retune the guitar to a slightly higher pitch
5. record the part again on track 3
6. season to taste.
this makes a nice thick full sounding acoustic. You can do the same thing on the computer.
1. record the part normal on track 1
2. In your favorite editor use the pitch shift to slightly detune it. copy to another track.
3. Using the pitch shift adjust the pitch up a little bit. copy to another track
4. season to taste.
The digital method is not quite as good as the real way (it never is) but still sounds pretty good.
next?