Serious recording

[mocando]

I'm trying to do some serious recording on our Genesis cover band. I'm using a Foster multitrack recorder, so I'm not dealing with software here.

What I need is to someone point me in the right direction where to find information about equalization and miking (a drumset, not the M50, of course). On each of my Wharfedale 16 track mixer I have knobs for equalization, high, mid, low and a setting to set the mid freq. I know how an equalizer works, but I'm just wasting too much time throwing arrows and not doing some science to get a good sound to record and later master our performances. (A bit off topic now) I need some information about how to mike a drumset. I already purchased several Shure tom mikes, a couple AKG cymbal mikes and a Shure Bass drum mike, they are 7 in total, but I'm not sure if I'm doing things well. Sometimes recordings come up like done in a garage, and lack the sense of quality professional recordings have. I'm obviously missing something, maybe is the room too, which I would also like to have some insights in designing your own home studio.

I'm a complete newbie in this regard, so please have patience with me. I don't even know the difference between recording and mastering. I believe the later means mixing all the separate tracks together, but I would like much more information.

By the way, I will be recording the whole band together, and also doing some single instrument recording, so post processing is a must too. I can download all recording from the foster to my computer using the USB link, so I could do the mastering in Cubase. I don't even know if is the right tool to use, or there are others more suitable to the task.

At the end of the day, what I'm looking for is for the recording to sound like it was done professionally, and not the way it comes out now.

Many thanks

[X-Trade]

Producing is (at least) a three stage process:

- Recording is where you lay down your audio tracks into your software or machine
- Mixing is where you apply EQ, FX, and set the levels and pan of individual instruments. You often end up with a single audio file after mixing.
- Mastering is actually often done differently for different mediums. For example, a pop CD master would be a lot different to a master for DVD or cinema film. Equally a different master may be made for mp3 downloads.

Mastering is most poorly understood, but typically involves applying master compression, limiting (if necessary), EQ - to get it to sound appropriate for a certain medium.


Mixing can also end up being a fairly complicated process. You don't really want to apply EQ at the recording stage - you can on a live recording if you have feedback problems, naturally. And if you really have to, then do it - only to make a clean recording.
It is when you are mixing that you have to make each instrument fit into a space and 'glue' together.

Mixing drums in particular is like mixing a whole track on its own. For example you want the drums to sound as one instrument, so you would buss all the drum tracks together to a group track and apply a single 'master' compression effect to the group, not the individual instruments. Naturally you may also want to compress the snare or kick or anything else individually for artistic effect, to get more punch, etc. but the EQ on the group bus track really helps to glue it together. You will also have to make sure that each instrument sits 'right'

There is no simple formula or easy fix, but you may be able to find a 'cheat sheet' that tells you which frequencies do what.

I understand some of this may be difficult if you are using a hardware recorder and you start to appreciate the real power of a DAW. You will have to make compromises. But ideally you should be mixing, applying EQ, etc, after the recording stage. Naturally not everyone works this way, but it is the most professional and offers the most flexibility.

[jerryv]

I routinely visit a site at www.studiotrax.net/forums This site is dedicated to recording and has forums for many of the more popular digital recorders .. There are frequently discussion here about the questions you're raising, including mic selection for various instruments, how to EQ properly, using the right kinds of monitors, mixing, mastering and so forth.

It would be well worth your time to visit this site, check out the various forums and use the search facilities to find useful info .. It's a very friendly, international site ..

[mocando]

Great info. Thanks Brad and Jerry for your replies. Will check the site out.