Help Channel strip settings to get better sounds logic pro?

[mikethomasmusic]

What's up Everybody?
My pathetic rig: 2008 Macbook with a cheap $150 interface, (usb even not fire wire or lightening), that has just your basic two xlr, and two 1/4 inch inputs. I know sad:( At least though I'm running logic pro 9, and I now have a couple of decent sounding studio mics. I did recently download the new logic but I'm a little hesitant to install it as I feel like I'm finally just getting used to Logic 9!

Before my logic rig, I did used to have a pretty decent setup with some outboard stuff and stand alone multi track machines. I previously recorded all of my albums using my old gear, with the exception of my most recent release which came out last year. That album was to be the lucky album to exclusively be recorded with a computers's DAW.( I know I'm behind the times).I have to say, the album is, probably my worst sounding album out of the 8 total albums I have recorded so far. So, needless to say I' m need of being pointed in the right direction when it comes to Logic.

I guess really what I am wondering is if there are any type of shortcuts to great sounding recordings using Logic? Specifically any really good quick channel strip/plug-in settings that could be recommended,besides Logic's basic templates? I know a lot depends on personal preference but, I'm curious to ask what some of everybody's most ideal (guaranteed to get great results), go to settings and plug-ins would be? Stock plug ins more or less and I guess I would be interested with knowing settings and plug ins for both the master channel strip as well as a tracking channel strip. To make it easier with your setting suggestions I'll throw out the following example too use as a scenario.

Just a single multi-pattern condenser in a home studio environment, to track vocals, and or acoustic guitars? And please Keep in mind I'm not that knowledgable so even if its an obvious plug-in or setting that most of you automatically know to use like second nature, include it all.

Even though I have recorded quite a bit over the years it has been mostly project studio stuff. I would love to get to the next level of recording techniques and knowledge. With Logic and DAW's in general having multiple compressors,limiters,and eq's, it would be nice to have a better idea and understanding as to which of those I would choose to work the best in whatever situation I would be in. For now I do a lot of experimenting until I find something that sounds pretty decent. I guess if it sounds good that's all that matters. I'm just thinking if I knew more I could get things to sound even better.



Again I'd love to get some example strip settings. And also hear suggestions as to what basic or standard settings I should be using that are like common knowledge; that everybody knows to use all the time? Until I get a better grip am I better off using some of those basic channel strip templates?

If this helps with setting suggestions, and if your not bored and or sick of reading yet? The following is what my recording style is somewhat about.

I can play and handle all of your basic rock instrumentation as well as vocals. So I track just about everything. I get a lot of influence from other artists who multi-track all of their own stuff as well. Guys like Paul McCartney,Elliott Smith, and Jeff Lynne to name just a few. I kind of go for those sonic textures and feels: First I'll typically record a Beatles style rhythm track using acoustic guitars with piano. I pretty much always use a multi-pattern miic on the acoustics and for keyboards I will usually direct inject or use a D.I. box first. With the keys I like to use two separate tracks panned in stereo. At some point I also will maybe add other keys like strings or a synth of some sort, if needed. I also sometimes record my bass the same way as the keys or I will mic them through an amp, or use a combo of the two. Then of course for any electric guitars be it fills or lead solos, I also will mic an amp. Finally as for vocals, sometimes I will sing live at the same time as a the rhythm guitar track or piano chord track, while other times I will add lead vocals separately later.. Once thing I have always done which has sort of become my thing, having always been able to do it really well, I usually will double the lead vocals as well as rhythm guitar live. I had always thought more people did this but I guess it can be a weird timing coordination for some so some people will sometimes bounce over the original tracks making two that way?

I know I typed a lot but mainly I would love channel strip suggestions, thanks for reading,
Mike.

[Snarl 12/8]

I don't think what you're after really exists. If there was a "make everything awesome" button, you could just press that.

There's so many variables that it's really hard to know where to start coaching you over the internet without some sort of baseline. Can you post a small sample of what you're getting now? Maybe just the raw guitar and vocal tracks (not processed at all after tracking).

You don't say what mic and preamps you're using, but I think most people would tell you it all starts there (signal chain-wise - actually it all starts with the song writing and the singing and playing and the woodshedding.)

Assuming you have a great voice and guitar and a great song, you really should be able to get 90% of your sound through mic/preamp choice and placement and performance. How does the room you record in sound? They call trying to get shitty sounding tracks to sound great "polishing a turd." You can spend lots of time and still not have anything worth having in the end.

Post your "state of the art" recording with some notes about what you used and what you were aiming for and some of the insanely talented people on this board will coach you from there.

[Nick Sevilla]

Twirl the virtual knobs until it sounds good to you.

[mikethomasmusic]

I don't think what you're after really exists. If there was a "make everything awesome" button, you could just press that.

There's so many variables that it's really hard to know where to start coaching you over the internet without some sort of baseline. Can you post a small sample of what you're getting now? Maybe just the raw guitar and vocal tracks (not processed at all after tracking).

You don't say what mic and preamps you're using, but I think most people would tell you it all starts there (signal chain-wise - actually it all starts with the song writing and the singing and playing and the woodshedding.)

Assuming you have a great voice and guitar and a great song, you really should be able to get 90% of your sound through mic/preamp choice and placement and performance. How does the room you record in sound? They call trying to get shitty sounding tracks to sound great "polishing a turd." You can spend lots of time and still not have anything worth having in the end.

Post your "state of the art" recording with some notes about what you used and what you were aiming for and some of the insanely talented people on this board will coach you from there.

You know, my actual recording wasn't that bad, I know the basics enough, my channels do not clip or anything like that, and as far as I know I'm not doing anything else I could screw up with just the recording recording. Probably what I should have asked about was more along the lines of mixing, because I definitely had an ok base to work with during my last project. The odd thing that I don't understand is that, I've recorded a few albums prior to using Logic that were on just one of those 16 track all in one digital recorder boxes; and I was always able to get great results? From recurring to mixing, and mastering my previous recorded albums sound much better. Although, and this could be why? Although I used an all in one track machine, afterwards I mastered stuff using software. However, since getting logic I don't use the same mastering software because it was for p.c. and obviously Logic is Mac only. I just don't see why else I would here much difference. Both the track machine I had and Logic are of course digital, and I pretty much used the same mics in the same rooms?

I was thinking it might have been because my track machine had pretty decent mic pre's, and with logic I'm just plugging right into the xlr on the interface, ( I don't currently have a mic pre). But it can't be that because like I said I did have an ok base recording to work with, so it has to be the mixing. Which again seems strange because mixing is mixing weather your using virtual knobs and farers or physical ones, like I was using?


I should probably look into a mic preamp. Do you really notice a world of a difference from just plugging into the interface?

Thanks again.

[WillMorgan]

I basically do what you do, am on Logic X, and I doubt my Shure 58s and Mackie Onyx converters are that much better than your setup.

I think your only way to satisfy the concern about your new equipment versus your old is to get the old stuff going again and a/b test some sounds. Maybe your new monitors are better than your old headphones so you are a lo-fi guy hearing better quality and not liking it!

I had Logic 9 and would say don't worry about changes to Logic X, the biggest compatibility issue to me was the color scheme changes and I like the new dark, I think the new version is great.

Logic X has a 'smart controls' feature that lets you twiddle meta knobs that access relevant strip and plug in knobs in one place. One might just as well call it a dumb controls feature because to say boost bass you just move one bass knob to change both your EQ and compressor settings ( for example ) that affect bass but from where you are at it might be worth checking out. I believe you can run both apps in parallel if you have the disk space.

Dig in, Worry less, Twiddle more!

[mikethomasmusic]

I basically do what you do, am on Logic X, and I doubt my Shure 58s and Mackie Onyx converters are that much better than your setup.

I think your only way to satisfy the concern about your new equipment versus your old is to get the old stuff going again and a/b test some sounds. Maybe your new monitors are better than your old headphones so you are a lo-fi guy hearing better quality and not liking it!

I had Logic 9 and would say don't worry about changes to Logic X, the biggest compatibility issue to me was the color scheme changes and I like the new dark, I think the new version is great.

Logic X has a 'smart controls' feature that lets you twiddle meta knobs that access relevant strip and plug in knobs in one place. One might just as well call it a dumb controls feature because to say boost bass you just move one bass knob to change both your EQ and compressor settings ( for example ) that affect bass but from where you are at it might be worth checking out. I believe you can run both apps in parallel if you have the disk space.

Dig in, Worry less, Twiddle more!

I forgot that I did actually check out Logic X right after I installed it around the time it had just been released. Although I only looked rather quickly at it, besides the color scheme, I thought I remembered the layout to be much different from where things previously had been placed in version 9? Again I only played around very quickly but had thought it seemed much more different and more confusing than Logic 9? If from what you are saying it really isn't all that much different then I will give it a try again.

Like anything once you get into it you will slowly start to get used to it. I mean logic 9 was new to me at one point too so. And it does sound like X is designed to be easier. That seems to be a key part of most DAW's new version upgrades, I'm sure they check with not only their testing and development teams but also user reviews and complaint data to see what needs to be tweaked to make the user experience easier and more efficient. I'm definitely going to cheek it out again, thanks.