Audio engineering thread!

[niceguy]

As requested by MrSoftie, I'm creating an audio engineering thread.

I like being anonymous (and I spew a lot of smack-talk about Axl lol), so while I won't divulge my engineering credits, it will become very clear that I do have a decent knowledge of audio engineering.

Ask away!

[Twinaleblood]

ok, I'll start

First of all, thank you for taking the time to do this.

My question is: I'd like to get a small midi keyboard to be hooked to my computer. Something that would allow me to play some notes on my input track and then switching between vst instruments trying to find the most suitable sound for that part. I'm not a pro and my budget is quite tight, I'm actually a bass player just messing around with cubase to record some demos and ideas (i would use the keyboard to play stuff in the vein of new wave, 80s synthpop etc). Any advices on what would be good to start with? And would a keyboard like that be a good choice or should i get a real synth like a korg or something?

[The Black]

Get an m-audio, novation or akai MIDI keyboard.

Don't buy a synthesizer if all you're going to do is mess around with vst's. They cost alot more, because they're the actual instruments, midi keyboards are tools.

[MrSoftie]

I'd actually like to know more about mixing as you mentioned the other day, how CD is so claustrophobic. How do I mix correctly/improve what I'm doing?

And while we're at it I'm still not clear what the difference between mixing and mastering is

[niceguy]

ok, I'll start

First of all, thank you for taking the time to do this.

My question is: I'd like to get a small midi keyboard to be hooked to my computer. Something that would allow me to play some notes on my input track and then switching between vst instruments trying to find the most suitable sound for that part. I'm not a pro and my budget is quite tight, I'm actually a bass player just messing around with cubase to record some demos and ideas (i would use the keyboard to play stuff in the vein of new wave, 80s synthpop etc). Any advices on what would be good to start with? And would a keyboard like that be a good choice or should i get a real synth like a korg or something?

Absolutely, just get a really simple little MIDI keyboard! Do NOT waste your cash on a standalone unit; just use a USB MIDI keyboard to access your DAW's soft synths.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/keyboards-midi/alesis-q25-25-key-keyboard-midi-controller

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/keyboards-midi/akai-professional-lpk25-laptop-performance-keyboard

etc etc

[niceguy]

I'd actually like to know more about mixing as you mentioned the other day, how CD is so claustrophobic. How do I mix correctly/improve what I'm doing?

And while we're at it I'm still not clear what the difference between mixing and mastering is

This is a pretty in-depth question!

Good music has space. That's just how our brains work-- we want empty spaces. It's tempting to cram as much into a song's sonic space as you can, and it's easy with computer recording, but it results in a very unappealing, claustrophobic feel.

So, when in doubt, go with less. Less instrumentation, less effects, etc. Just imagine how awesome CITR would have been with just two guitars, drums, bass, and vocals.

Mixing is when you're setting each instrument in the sonic space. Guitar over here, snare there, bass this loud, kick EQ'd like that.

Mastering is when you take the final bounce and apply EQ, reverb, and compression to the entire song. There are no individual elements being tweaked; it's the overall song being worked.

[uncivil war]

I've got a question. How did anyone think that "brick-walling" was a good idea?

[ZoSoRose]

My setup right now is simple, but pretty good!

I have a 15 inch macbook pro. Got it used last month for cheap, a midi controller, and an interface for my guitar. I'm using garage band right now and will eventually upgrade to Logic. I also have some nice Bose headphones which help

[niceguy]

My setup right now is simple, but pretty good!

I have a 15 inch macbook pro. Got it used last month for cheap, a midi controller, and an interface for my guitar. I'm using garage band right now and will eventually upgrade to Logic. I also have some nice Bose headphones which help

I'm on Logic X for a few months now, and it's just plain awesome. It does almost everything I could ever want a DAW to do. But garage band is an incredibly awesome platform too.

I've got a question. How did anyone think that "brick-walling" was a good idea?

It's a very american thing: "more must be better". It's absurd and idiotic.

You can bet this idea came from the boardrooms of the labels, not from mastering engineers.

[OmarBradley]

Niceguy, thanks for doing this thread, I have a recording question,

I play guitar, and naturally have very loud amplifiers. Right now I'm using a Tascam DR-05 to record the "room sound," but I want to do the typical thing with an SM57 right up to the speaker. I don't have a laptop though, and I can't bring my computer and interface to our rehearsal space (because I don't feel like it!). Are there any sort of portable interfaces + hard drives that I could use? I know the DR-05 has a microphone input, but would that be as good of quality as using an interface?

The Two Notes Torpedo looks awesome, but it's quite an expensive solution.

Edited February 6, 2015 by OmarBradley

[niceguy]

Niceguy, thanks for doing this thread, I have a recording question,

I play guitar, and naturally have very loud amplifiers. Right now I'm using a Tascam DR-05 to record the "room sound," but I want to do the typical thing with an SM57 right up to the speaker. I don't have a laptop though, and I can't bring my computer and interface to our rehearsal space (because I don't feel like it!). Are there any sort of portable interfaces + hard drives that I could use? I know the DR-05 has a microphone input, but would that be as good of quality as using an interface?

The Two Notes Torpedo looks awesome, but it's quite an expensive solution.

Unfortunately I have no experience with such a setup.

But I took a look at your Tascam, and there's a (pain in the ass) workaround:

Mic up your amp with an SM57. Connect the SM57 to either a DI box or a mixer. Send the DI or mixer out with an adapter and plug it into your Tascam's 3.5mm mic input jack.

It'll sound fine, but not quite the same as SM57 into preamp into interface into computer.

[OmarBradley]

Niceguy, thanks for doing this thread, I have a recording question,

I play guitar, and naturally have very loud amplifiers. Right now I'm using a Tascam DR-05 to record the "room sound," but I want to do the typical thing with an SM57 right up to the speaker. I don't have a laptop though, and I can't bring my computer and interface to our rehearsal space (because I don't feel like it!). Are there any sort of portable interfaces + hard drives that I could use? I know the DR-05 has a microphone input, but would that be as good of quality as using an interface?

The Two Notes Torpedo looks awesome, but it's quite an expensive solution.

Unfortunately I have no experience with such a setup.

But I took a look at your Tascam, and there's a (pain in the ass) workaround:

Mic up your amp with an SM57. Connect the SM57 to either a DI box or a mixer. Send the DI or mixer out with an adapter and plug it into your Tascam's 3.5mm mic input jack.

It'll sound fine, but not quite the same as SM57 into preamp into interface into computer.

Appreciate it, I'll look into that.

[MrSoftie]

I promise, I'll get around to asking you more about recording and what not soon

In the mean time, I was wondering what you thought about Axl's mic setup in 2010? You think he was using distortion or something to add to the rasp?