I wish someone had told me... (newbie thread)

jamoo · Post by **jamoo** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 1:20 pm

I started thinking about the recording headaches I had when I had absolutely no idea what I was doing (whereas now is the same without the absolutely part).

- recording guitar direct is crap / almost useless
- vacuum tubes sound worse than solid state at low volumes
- a squire and a custom shop are only the same visually
- whoa, ease up on the fx
- a full mix on a multi-timbral synth = karaoke time
- a synth can't sound like an electric bass, even the patch that reads "picked bass"

o-kay, that's a start. maybe it'll help somebody.

bobbydj · Post by **bobbydj** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 1:57 pm

Quiet vocals close in on a mic - proximity nightmare. Mudslide of a mix. Cut some lows, use an omni. Both. I dunno. Do NOT spend loads of time on something, especially don't go back and re-record stuff. Keep going. Write new stuff, record it. Ok - so this is for the writer-recordists, but still. What else? I dunno. Oh - don't wait for new gear until doing something, like recording that new idea. Just record the thing with what's to hand. Stuff like that.

Zeppelin4Life · Post by **Zeppelin4Life** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 2:16 pm

..if it doesnt sound good before you record, it will NEVER sound good recorded

Ivon · Post by **Ivon** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 2:17 pm

Covered many, many times but: Use as little compression and eq-ing as possible on the way in. Try to get the sounds right before hand. Use different mic placements and experiment with the various sonic qualities of the instrument you're trying to record - use eq-ing only as a last resort or for effects.

Boy, this one's a BIG one for me...give your ears a rest (take a walk or a smoke break, whatever your fancy) and never try to mix the same day you've been tracking. It's turned out to be mud everytime for me.

kayagum · Post by **kayagum** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 2:45 pm

Try cutting first before boosting EQ.

Always back up your work. Always back up versions of your work.

You will almost never make money selling used equipment.

Quality over quantity. That's for both equipment and # of tracks.

If someone gives you the creeps, don't trust them with your eqiupment or repair jobs.

andyg666 · Post by **andyg666** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 3:04 pm

well, someone did tell me this, but i wish i'd listened:

"you can't make a decent living as an audio engineer unless you can work for no pay for years and don't mind losing your apartment and your relationship."

IT job here i come!

nacho459 · Post by **nacho459** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 4:58 pm

Buy REAL cable to wire up your studio, not crap from GC / Radio Shack.

bap · Post by **bap** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 5:11 pm

This might be just a classical thing, but Frederic Chopin recommended to never have sex early on a performance day. He said it sapped creative energy.

I wonder if this holds true for mixing?

psychicoctopus · Post by **psychicoctopus** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 6:02 pm

primal screams and explosions should always be the loudest element of a mix.

aurelialuz · Post by **aurelialuz** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 6:07 pm

bap wrote:This might be just a classical thing, but Frederic Chopin recommended to never have sex early on a performance day. He said it sapped creative energy.

I wonder if this holds true for mixing?

it's true for boxing too.

Everybody's X · Post by **Everybody's X** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 6:09 pm

want it to be heavy?
turn DOWN the gain on the guitar
turn UP the gain on the bass

no it doesn't make sense

bigtoe · Post by **bigtoe** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 6:11 pm

get decent monitors. by that meaning ones that work for you - if they don't - don't keep trying em just cuz they work for someone else or the whole planet...ok, that applies to everything.

don't buy more gear until you can make a mackie, an adat, a few 57's and some cheap condensers sound like a decent record...or whatever the starting platform is....i still can't...so i'm not following my advice.

work with the people you are recording...not against them...even if it seems completely nuts to ya. if they are working against you...do your best until it's just time to cut your losses...then cut them gracefully without screwing them or you.

Mike

Zeppelin4Life · Post by **Zeppelin4Life** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 6:14 pm

buy as many CD-Rs as possible in one deal...this is usually a spool of 100 with a rebate. Ive see buy one get one free also...200-CDrs for like $19.95. hmm...thats about 10 cents a disk..prety damn good

Knights Who Say Neve · Post by **Knights Who Say Neve** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 6:26 pm

In most cases, another take is better than editing.

NeglectedFred · Post by **NeglectedFred** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 9:46 pm

sonichue wrote: - recording guitar direct is crap / almost useless

For the most part this is true, unless you have pro-tools and AmpFarm, or better yet, a Mesa Studio Pre.. I love the Direct line on my Mesa, it sounds better than then when I mic my vintage 30's, but the best sound of all is when I mix the two.

Oh yeah, for newbies.. Nevermind..

Buy a compressor, even if it's a Behringer or an Alesis, and get to know it well.

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