NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm curently embarking on my first experience with recording music with the intent of making it sounds as close to professional production as possible, within my own flat. I've got a pretty basic setup, a dynamic mid-range microphone, a higher range condenser mic. The instruments I'll be recording are a mandolin, a soprano ukulele, a concert ukulele, acoustic guitar, flute and vocals. That's a pretty wide range of frequencies covered, because I'll probably also be using a downtuned electric as a substitute for bass.

For the laptop used to record on, I have an older model that runs cool enough to have the fan removed, running a 88mb footprint nlite'd version of XP that has all drivers loaded with only 25mb of memory in use. It runs very fast, and I can link my electro-acoustic and apply digital effects with around 3ms delay.

However, I'm having some problems with recording. My bedroom is very large, with very high ceilings, and I don't really know a lot about room acoustics to compensate for my voice sounding "hollow" when it's recorded. Also, my windows are single glazed and there's a moderately busy street outside. However, my main problem is that when I record guitar the sound of the pick against the strings is very overpowering. I've tried multiple microphone setups, but then the recording either sounds faint and needs to be amplified significantly (introducing noise problems) or sounds hollow and unemphatic. I don't mind some pick noise as it adds a certain rhythm but at the moment it's irritating me.

If any of you lot can help me with those, or provide other tips or experiences with home recording, that'd be awesome.

Well I occasionally record a music podcast featuring new artists. I just using the basic laptop and mic set up but the recording program I feel I've had the best experience with is Audacity, available for free. Of course that's only helpful if you don't have a paid for version of a recording program.

Well I occasionally record a music podcast featuring new artists. I just using the basic laptop and mic set up but the recording program I feel I've had the best experience with is Audacity, available for free. Of course that's only helpful if you don't have a paid for version of a recording program.

I use Audacity, along with a variety of other programs. Audacity is awesome.

Also are you recording with an electric or acoustic guitar?

Also are you recording with an electric or acoustic guitar?

Both, though primarily acoustic.

What software are you using? Most will have compressors, noise gates or filters that you could use to reduce pick noise. There is a book on Amazon at the moment for £7.99 called the Recording Engineers Handbook that covers all of these issues.

Hmm acoustic. I'll get back to you with that one if I can get in touch with some of the acoustic recorders I know. See what they say.

What software are you using? Most will have compressors, noise gates or filters that you could use to reduce pick noise. There is a book on Amazon at the moment for £7.99 called the Recording Engineers Handbook that covers all of these issues.

I'm using a mishmax because I'm recording a mishmash of different styles. I'm using Audacity, Reaper, FLStudio, and Sonar.

This has some good advice
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug01/articles/recacgtr0801.asp

What thickness of pick do you use for acoustic? If its a thin like under .8 try using a thicker pick.

only got experience recording electric guitar/bass and electric (Roland) drums... both of which didn't need mics. actually, i have recorded normal drums, with mics, before, but someone else set up the mics. and sometimes the guitar was recorded with a mic in front of the marshall stack, but we got around problems there by having the amp in one room and playing in another, with both the song mix playing and a monitor for the amp feed.

we used some software by Magix (http://www.magix.com/uk/music-maker/classic/), which was very inexpensive and not exactly top-of-the-range, but it did a great job for layering recordings. i'd also say Native Instruments' Guitar Rig is excellent software for guitars... but, again, electric only.

What thickness of pick do you use for acoustic? If its a thin like under .8 try using a thicker pick.

I'm using a .6 I think, not sure. I use a felt pick for the ukulele.

Yeah thats way to thin for acoustic, try a 1.2. Thats what I use for acoustic.

I'm curently embarking on my first experience with recording music with the intent of making it sounds as close to professional production as possible, within my own flat.

Ok, the one thing you're going to have to know is, it's not going to be cheap, I mean at the very least, you're going to have to spend about 600 -800 pounds (assuming you've already got instruments you want) if you actually want professional sounding recordings.


because I'll probably also be using a downtuned electric as a substitute for bass.


Ouch, I don't know about that, it may work. But these days, soft synths and samplers can replicate a bass guitar well enough.


For the laptop used to record on, I have an older model that runs cool enough to have the fan removed, running a 88mb footprint nlite'd version of XP that has all drivers loaded with only 25mb of memory in use. It runs very fast, and I can link my electro-acoustic and apply digital effects with around 3ms delay.


Sounds good, make sure you don't upgrade to vista.


However, I'm having some problems with recording. My bedroom is very large, with very high ceilings, and I don't really know a lot about room acoustics to compensate for my voice sounding "hollow" when it's recorded. Also, my windows are single glazed and there's a moderately busy street outside. However, my main problem is that when I record guitar the sound of the pick against the strings is very overpowering. I've tried multiple microphone setups, but then the recording either sounds faint and needs to be amplified significantly (introducing noise problems) or sounds hollow and unemphatic. I don't mind some pick noise as it adds a certain rhythm but at the moment it's irritating me.


Some EQ tweaks could probably fix that (also, often heavy compression if you are using a compressor, can cause the picking sounds to be exaggerated, but it's lots of different factors), also, make sure you're placing the mic just to the side of the speaker cone on the guitar amp (if you're using a guitar amp), rather than directly in front of the cone. Also, I very strongly recommend you get a firewire, or USB 2 (not USB 1) audio interface. These tend to ensure low noise, very low latency and simultaneous channel recording.

I use Audacity, along with a variety of other programs. Audacity is awesome.

Audacity is ok, but actually, not great.

Ok, the one thing you're going to have to know is, it's not going to be cheap, I mean at the very least, you're going to have to spend about 600 -800 pounds (assuming you've already got instruments you want) if you actually want professional sounding recordings.
How so?

Maybe if you pay for expensive software/hardware, but you don't need that sorta stuff. You can make a decent recording set up for fuck-all.

How so?

Maybe if you pay for expensive software/hardware, but you don't need that sorta stuff. You can make a decent recording set up for fuck-all.

Not really, depends on what you want to record (and this is coming from someone who basically had, and almost still has a studio made from basically 'fuck-all'). A good set of condenser and dynamic mics will probably set you back 200 at least (but can go up to the thousands), an audio interface with XLR inputs to plug your mics into costs another 200 quid. Using an old analog mixer and outputting that into your computer through the line input (like I have), simply does not provide professional quality, and you're screwed if you want to record things simultaneously.

Also, what you really want, assuming you don't have an actual physical effects rack, is to get software which has realtime effects processing as you monitor the signal (rather than having to apply effects/mastering after you record, and not in real time), as far as I remember, audacity does not have this. I think Sonar might actually, but also some versions of Cubase, or even Adobe Audition. You don't have to buy this software, you can easily acquire it by other means... but I think forum rules ban me from telling you how.

Perhaps I should've been clearer - I actually meant "get the closest to professional with my current hardware". I have a decent enough hardware rig, it's mainly just post-processing I have trouble with it seems.

Eggcrates and furniture pads will deaden your room a bit. It will make you look a little psycho, but hanging a furni pad over your window will deaden the street some. There are a ton of sites that outline how to hang cheap acoustic padding. You can even make pads, I'm sure I've seen a few sites on how to make cheap ones.

Something as simple as changing mic position can get rid of pick noise. While the sound of the guitar might come out of a specific place, that's not really the sound of the guitar, is it? When you listen to a guitar you don't place your ear next to the hole, do you? You have some leeway on where to put that mic. Also adjusting pick up filters if you have that option...it's early so I'm blanking on what I'm talking about is called, and I hardly ever change it for my work but I record people talking so it doesn't change that much...fuck, this sucks...ah well, figure it out. Maybe when my brain starts working again I'll come back.

If you are recording acoustic instruments do it at night or early mornings, if you can without annoying neighbours, when there is less noise. To get rid of the pick sound just try moving the mic around. You are better off using the condenser mic for the guitar. You will get a better guitar sound with less pick noise if you have the mic a bit further away. Try using multiple mics if you can.

Perhaps I should've been clearer - I actually meant "get the closest to professional with my current hardware". I have a decent enough hardware rig, it's mainly just post-processing I have trouble with it seems.

Well, what type of mic are you using to record the guitar? Also, don't place the mic directly in front of the hole. Recording is often a trial and error sort of thing, we can't tell you what the problem is without a little more information, since there could be loads of different reasons you're getting a hollow sound with exaggerated picking noises.

I'm using a condenser microphone for recording acoustic, the cone is pointed towards the point where the neck meets the main body of the guitar, about 40cm away.

A good set of condenser and dynamic mics will probably set you back 200 at least (but can go up to the thousands), an audio interface with XLR inputs to plug your mics into costs another 200 quid. Using an old analog mixer and outputting that into your computer through the line input (like I have), simply does not provide professional quality, and you're screwed if you want to record things simultaneously.
I've made, and helped record, a number of pieces, ranging from noize and digicore to techno and hip-hop, and though I'd agree certain hardware is damn expensive for the home producer, I reckon you can get a great sound from chepaer equipment/techniques.

As you say, it depends on what you're recording though. Vocals and 'live' instruments are obviously the trickiest, but it's relatively simple to set up a decent space and equipment for recording them (e.g. using egg-boxes, cardboard and the like to dampen a room's acoustics, or stretching a pair of tights over a wire coathanger for a cheap pop-shield.) With the right software and the right space, a less-than expensive mic, I feel, can give you a great recording.



Perhaps I should've been clearer - I actually meant "get the closest to professional with my current hardware". I have a decent enough hardware rig, it's mainly just post-processing I have trouble with it seems.
As Hydesland says, record a good deal of takes, experimenting with mic position, changing the room's acoustics, etc., to make post-processing easier on yourself. There's plenty of online articles that'll give you great tips on getting the right sound.

If you haven't already, grab yourself a copy of SoundForge (or it's free alternatives) for tweaking your recording's sound, and something like Cubase or Acoustica MP3 Audio Mixer (a cheap, simple mixer I've used with great success) if you want to turn individual recordings into mixed tracks.

I'm using a condenser microphone for recording acoustic, the cone is pointed towards the point where the neck meets the main body of the guitar, about 40cm away.

That sounds alright, although 40 cm may be a little far. What are you using to get the sound into the computer, and I assume you have phantom power?

I've made, and helped record, a number of pieces, ranging from noize and digicore to techno and hip-hop, and though I'd agree certain hardware is damn expensive for the home producer, I reckon you can get a great sound from chepaer equipment/techniques.

As you say, it depends on what you're recording though. Vocals and 'live' instruments are obviously the trickiest, but it's relatively simple to set up a decent space and equipment for recording them (e.g. using egg-boxes, cardboard and the like to dampen a room's acoustics, or stretching a pair of tights over a wire coathanger for a cheap pop-shield.) With the right software and the right space, a less-than expensive mic, I feel, can give you a great recording.


Possibly, but even the cheapest possible condenser microphone costs around 90 quid, and do you use a hardware interface? I've found that you can just about get away with not using an interface and using cheap mics with vocals, just using a mixer going through the line input, after lots of software mastering, but only just. Also, when I made my first estimate, I was actually assuming that the Mindset was going to be recording a whole band simultaneously, not sure why I assumed that.

That sounds alright, although 40 cm may be a little far. What are you using to get the sound into the computer, and I assume you have phantom power?

The condenser is USB powered.

The condenser is USB powered.

Ahhh, I see. Well, I've never used stand alone USB condenser mics before, so I don't really know much about them. Maybe you could possibly send an mp3 of a sample recording, so I could suggest how you can tweak it.

Get hot girls to dance around your flat.

Everyone knows dancing girls leads to better musical recordings.

It's really depressing these usb powered condenser microphones, computer soft-synths and computer mastering - it really takes the fun out of recording. :p

Just keep experimenting moving the mic around. Point it at roughy the 12th fret