critique wanted please?

Take two

I recorded this in one day so be gentle, it’s simply a very raw idea for how I want this song to sound but b4 I record it ‘properly’ I thought I’d ask for any suggestions on …

1-guitar? (mic’d as suggested but very bassie! The bass is at it’s lowest on the mixer.
I found recording the guitar and vocals separately quite the challenge and am aware the timing etc is a little off as I just wanted to get the main idea of the song across)

2-missing instruments?

3-chorus, I’m not sure I love where it went in the chorus, any ideas?

And anything else you wanna add? Lemme know :)

Ange x

http://www.angehardy.com/uploads/mp3/SLINGFIN2.mp3

ps… songs about ex’s …grrrreat :p

Really enjoying your style so far Ange.

Try to learn a little EQ.



Right click on image to view - then click it to magnify.

Glad you’re liking it :)

[/QUOTE]Try to learn a little EQ.[QUOTE]

Well…as you’ll probably have guessed, I’m no sound engineer! But this is something I desperately need to know so thank you, please feel free to keep throwing as much of the same at me as you think I can get (I’m not exactly the brightest of sparks, but I promise I’ll always do my best to be sure your time’s not wasted x)

If you know how to navigate and download - I’ll send you the preset and you can put it in the song file and load it from the effect… ????

Send away :;): :;): :;): :;): :;):

'mazing, got it, understand it, fantastic :;):

cool :cool:

Was the EQ for the guitar?

Personally, I think that is miles better than the first one you posted. Better song, too, in my ears.

I sent her a preset for guitar only, it may be close on her speakers too I hope. Ange - don’t use that preset on a vocal unless you change the bands. Then save it again as a single preset - as vocal.fxp or whatever.

Love the lyrics and expected line endings.

Be nice to hear some other insruments behind that tune, but that’s just my personal taste.

Lot less pops and noises on the vox too…well done on that!

Quote:

Lot less pops and noises on the vox too...well done on that!


thanks to my home made popscreen (a toy fishing net and some pipe cleaners courtesy of my 4 year old daughter!)

Any suggestions for instruments?

Thanks x

ps
Quote:

Ange - don't use that preset on a vocal unless you change the bands.


noted, cheers :)

also…
I’ve been reading up on EQ and stumbled across the fact that having the mic to close to the guitar can result in ‘bassy’ problems, not easily fixed on EQ, when I took advice to change from DI to mic’d recording tech it didn’t really occur to me what position the mic should be in!

Any suggestions for distance ad position for best results?
currently hovering on the neck end of the hole about 3 inches from my hand)

Ange x

Quote: (ange @ May 01 2008, 5:14 AM)

also...
I've been reading up on EQ and stumbled across the fact that having the mic to close to the guitar can result in 'bassy' problems, not easily fixed on EQ, when I took advice to change from DI to mic'd
recording tech it didn't really occur to me what position the mic should be in!

Any suggestions for distance ad position for best results?
currently hovering on the neck end of the hole about 3 inches from my hand)

Ange x

Hi Ange, can't comment on the song or mix, dial up server and can't listen to tunes (having dt's from it too).
Eqing, open the eq box in n, click on the little wrench and click on show all eq controls. Take the low eq (#1) and in the dropdown box highlite high pass. this will put a high pass filter on the instrument stopping low freq's. Set the hz at 100hz to start with, you can play around with the value to see the difference in the low end.
Notching another band around 200 to 250hz can kill some of the boom. Click on band 2 and set at 200hz, pulling the gain all the way down. set the bandwith down to a 1 to narrow the notch down. Hope this helps.

Micing an acoustic, you want to get the mic closer to the 12th fret rather the soundhole to kill the boominess when recording. A pencil mic is better than a wide pattern mic also.

Keep plugging at it, and have fun!

Yaz

'mazing Thanks x

Just one thing I should’ve mentioned about eqing, eq with all instruments and vocals playing back too. Soloing an instrument or vocal and eqing doesn’t always work in the mix itself, best to eq and be able to tell how the track “sits” in the overall mix.
“Notepad” keep notes as well for when doing other tunes or projects, saves alot time!

Yaz (I keep notes 'cause I can’t even remember if I got out of the bed this morning) :laugh:

I’ve heard it said, and it’s my practice, to have a good 6-12" (i guess that’s 12-25cm for the limeys) between mic and guitar and crank the preamp, and that lets the soundwave develop. I don’t know if that much distance is really necessary, i just got in that habit.

Excellent, will give it all a go.

Actually spent the entire day yesterday researching frequencies and EQ, compressing and panning…

(turns out you gotta do stuff to a track once you’ve recorded it :laugh: ) :p

Ange x

I discovered something a while back that was sort of eye opening.

For years I’d recorded acoustic guitar by putting the mic farther out than most folks suggested. I learned it YEARS ago, and have always had good results that would mix easier and sound more natural in the mix.

Why? Distance is compression and EQ - mostly lows roll-off. That’s usually what needs to be done to an acoustic guitar that’s been miced a bit too close. At least it acts that way usually.

For acoustic guitar the distance is 1.5 to 6 feet. There is a place where the room takes over so that would be too far. This work GREAT with a stereo pair.

I still stand by that “rule” most of the time. It works for anything that needs the natural sound. It requires a good sounding room though.

I was surprised when I tried to add an acoustic part to a song I was working on. It sounded muffled – very much like the highs had been rolled WAY off. I needed to add a LOT more high EQ to bring out the highs, and it just wasn’t working. I backed the mic away more and I put it closer. No dice.

In frustration I held the guitar up in front of my face, so the face of the guitar faced me and strummed it. It sounded exactly like what was being recorded. At that angle the guitar sounded muffled.

It was a cheap acoustic and that’s what it sounded like.

SO, what I learned is that what the guitar sounds like while playing it is not what it sounds like out front. Someone needs to walk around and find the sweet spot for the mic to get that natural sound.

That’s almost impossible when recording alone. In the past I was doing the recording and THEY were doing the playing. I didn’t have this problem until I placed the mic where I usually would to start, but I wasn’t able to walk around…OH WELL.

My suggestion? Get someone to play your guitar while you walk around and listen to it. Every guitar has a slightly different sweet spot, and some cheap ones might not have one at all.

That’s it. :)