taming a loud section
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- gettin' sounds
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taming a loud section
I realize some of this might be recording 101,use compression and limiting, etc. etc. but curious what folks do when they have a very loud part of a mix that is overwhelmingly loud.
in my latest battle, we recorded a woman playing yuke and singing with 2 room mics, and two mics about 1-3 ft away from the player. The result is no dedicated vocal track to control, but an entire mix.
here is a clip of the problem area
curious to hear how folks attack this sort of thing, thanks!
in my latest battle, we recorded a woman playing yuke and singing with 2 room mics, and two mics about 1-3 ft away from the player. The result is no dedicated vocal track to control, but an entire mix.
here is a clip of the problem area
curious to hear how folks attack this sort of thing, thanks!
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- george martin
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was the mouth full of cotton balls her idea or someone else's?
seriously though, this is a performance thing, to me. i can HEAR that she's watching her frets and looking down. ideally, you should retrack. otherwise, the uke sounds pretty even, so it's going to be hard to pull her up. try some compression, pre and post EQ, like boost some 900 for voice then compress it, so only that range of her voice hits hareder..
perhaps summing to mono or just not panning was wide will help focus things. the stereo image sounds a little smeared/slightly comb filtered.
seriously though, this is a performance thing, to me. i can HEAR that she's watching her frets and looking down. ideally, you should retrack. otherwise, the uke sounds pretty even, so it's going to be hard to pull her up. try some compression, pre and post EQ, like boost some 900 for voice then compress it, so only that range of her voice hits hareder..
perhaps summing to mono or just not panning was wide will help focus things. the stereo image sounds a little smeared/slightly comb filtered.
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- george martin
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- fossiltooth
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This sounds like an Alan Lomax recording to me. It doesn't call for compression.
It is what it is. A raw, hastily made, documentation of a performance by an amateur.
If anything, that's pretty refreshing these days!
If you want control, and you want things to sound impressive, or even "pleasant" I'd consider an entirely different approach.
Otherwise, let it be. If you're lucky, people will think you're "making a statement" or something.
It is what it is. A raw, hastily made, documentation of a performance by an amateur.
If anything, that's pretty refreshing these days!
If you want control, and you want things to sound impressive, or even "pleasant" I'd consider an entirely different approach.
Otherwise, let it be. If you're lucky, people will think you're "making a statement" or something.
Last edited by fossiltooth on Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
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- alignin' 24-trk
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- gettin' sounds
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thanks for the input.. I think that's all I needed to hear. I guess in the back of my head I'm expecting to put out a really strong beautiful mix.. the loud part makes me cringe, but you're right, it was part of the vibe and hell it's unique and gets your attention.
I'm putting the compressors away!
the artist is Dina Elise, her debut CD will be out on Chief City Recordings sometime this Spring.
I'm putting the compressors away!
the artist is Dina Elise, her debut CD will be out on Chief City Recordings sometime this Spring.
- JohnDavisNYC
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print it to 1/4" tape at 3.75 ips to make it sound as old and nostalgic as possible... then it won't seem so wrong. digital absolutely ruins vibes like that....
some hiss and grind around the loud notes will make it feel like a cafe in paris in 1938... just gotta get some gypsy guitar in there too.....
john
some hiss and grind around the loud notes will make it feel like a cafe in paris in 1938... just gotta get some gypsy guitar in there too.....
john
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- george martin
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personally, i'd try putting a light compressor ratio (say, no more than 3:1 or even 2:1) to the threshold of where her loud vocal parts start in the mix.
keep the track feeling good, but make it not 'so' dynamic is what i'd do.
at least, i'd give it a try.
keep the track feeling good, but make it not 'so' dynamic is what i'd do.
at least, i'd give it a try.
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preservation society
god bless +6 tape
valves and serviceability
*chief tech and R&D shaman at shadow hills industries*
taming a loud section
I agree with some of the other posts, it's a live performance, a moment captured.
A little compression to tame it slightly wouldn't hurt but nothing bad there.
Like an old Son House recording, mumbling sometimes, shouting sometimes.
If you're working on a computer, download the free Vinyl Plug from Izotope and play around with some versions that sound like an old record, scratches, hum, 78 quality, etc.
The live cafe ambience idea could be fun also. record some clinking glasses, background conversation, applause.
I used to have fun adding crowd applause from live lps to beginning and ends of rough cassette 4 track recordings done in the bands rehearsal space, somehow made your ears more forgiving of the low fi quality.
A little compression to tame it slightly wouldn't hurt but nothing bad there.
Like an old Son House recording, mumbling sometimes, shouting sometimes.
If you're working on a computer, download the free Vinyl Plug from Izotope and play around with some versions that sound like an old record, scratches, hum, 78 quality, etc.
The live cafe ambience idea could be fun also. record some clinking glasses, background conversation, applause.
I used to have fun adding crowd applause from live lps to beginning and ends of rough cassette 4 track recordings done in the bands rehearsal space, somehow made your ears more forgiving of the low fi quality.
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