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Post by zonkola on Oct 18, 2020 14:01:28 GMT -6
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
I’m guessing there are a number of folks like myself on this forum that are recording in a one room studio—say a converted bedroom, garage, or basement. Unfortunately for us, our recording spaces present challenges that professional studios designed out of the equation more than a half century ago.
We’re gonna do audio anyway, but nailing that just-like-a-record sound is going to take some extra effort.
So the goal of this thread is to pass on the tricks we’ve learned over the years while picking up some new ones from others. Afterwards we can celebrate by posting some “What’s the best mic for ______” threads for laughs.
Sound good?
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Post by zonkola on Oct 18, 2020 14:10:42 GMT -6
HEARING PHASE ISSUES
If you record more than one mic at a time you’ve got phase issues to deal with. When professional engineers talk about checking and correcting for phase between microphones and loud instruments, it’s typically within the context of an engineer in a control room with an assistant on the other side of the glass, and perhaps a few isolation booths. Unfortunately, my one room studio doesn’t have a control room or isolation booth, and any assistant I might draft tends to be a volunteer with limited patience and a penchant for prolonged strikes. In particular, detecting phase issues while recording drums is a nightmare when you’re both the drummer and the recordist. Every drum and cymbal hit competes with the sound coming through the headphones. In the past I’ve tried all kinds of different headphone recommendations, but even the ones specifically designed for maximum isolation were not enough. Here’s what I’ve found that works for me: This is a combination of good-sealing earbuds and a pair of ear muffs designed for target practice with firearms. It’s a stupidly simple solution. In terms of volume, a black beauty snare hit with a 5B and gusto at close range isn’t far off from a modest caliber rifle blast. I insert the earbuds and make sure to get a good seal, then place the ear muffs over my ears. Finally I can hear phase issues—and everything else that the microphones are picking up—even though I’m inches away from the loudest drum in my kit. It also means I can turn down the volume of the backing tracks while laying down that tight Stubblefield-wannabe groove. This setup isn’t only useful for drums, though; it also helps with bleed when recording quiet acoustic guitars and vocals. You’ll never hear another metronome click or discarded instrumental take in the background of your fresh tracks. But wait, there’s more! It’s also affordable. While a nice-sounding pair of appropriately sealing earbuds can cost as much as a quality pair of headphones, the gun range ear muffs I use cost well under $20. Plus, once you fix those phase issues all your mics will sound more expensive.
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Post by drbill on Oct 18, 2020 14:52:57 GMT -6
So the goal of this thread is to pass on the tricks we’ve learned over the years while picking up some new ones from others. Get the room sounding as good and as neutral as possible. Check your mixes in other rooms / locations / cars.
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Post by stormymondays on Oct 18, 2020 14:58:01 GMT -6
Cool thread. An "all-in-one" studio can be a professional room too. Levon Helm's studio or The Church in London come to mind, I'm sure we can come up with lots more. I have a pro (but small-ish) all-in-one studio myself.
I think the trick is to do a lot of experimentation when paying clients are not there. And I quickly learned that the fastest way to do stuff is to hit record!!! Especially for drums. How did I find the best kick drum position? Hit record, place the mic in one position and speak it in the mic, test it. Once you've done the potential positions, listen, pick the best ones, do it again. After a while you've learned what works and don't even need to listen except for a quick check.
On acoustics instruments, headphones can be useful tool, but I'd still try a couple positions and hit play.
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Post by zonkola on Oct 18, 2020 15:00:40 GMT -6
The esteemed Dr. Bill beat me to the punch, but here's a long-winded, desperate plea for room treatment. TAMING ROOM TONEYour typical untreated one room studio sounds like ass. Or at least mine did. If my goal was to make a well-maintained vintage Neumann U47 sound like a $150 import condenser mic, I’d probably start by recording something with it in a small, empty, untreated, square-dimensioned, low-ceilinged, spare bedroom. In terms of acoustics, it’s like an unflattering before picture complete with bowl cut and buttcrack. You already know the solution, and it’s rectangular, relatively inexpensive, and easy to DIY if you’re on a tight budget: So this is really just for the last few holdouts lusting after that boutique U47 clone or debating between Neve, API, or Telefunken preamps while ignoring their room. I get it. You’re tired of hearing this. It’s not sexy. A 4’x8’ pine frame with house insulation stuffed into it isn’t the stuff that studio dreams are made of. BORING. But deep down, you know it’s true. You’ll never experience the full potential of any of the lush-sounding gear you acquire in a room that sounds like you’re on a permanent Zoom call. Again, you know all of this already and I feel dirty for even typing it, but there’s GIK Acoustics, Real Traps, and countless DIY tutorials just a Google or YouTube search away.
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Post by matt@IAA on Oct 18, 2020 15:12:08 GMT -6
I think the biggest challenge with one room is figuring out how to get work done while tracking without interrupting the artist flow.
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Post by Quint on Oct 18, 2020 15:12:49 GMT -6
HEARING PHASE ISSUES
If you record more than one mic at a time you’ve got phase issues to deal with. When professional engineers talk about checking and correcting for phase between microphones and loud instruments, it’s typically within the context of an engineer in a control room with an assistant on the other side of the glass, and perhaps a few isolation booths. Unfortunately, my one room studio doesn’t have a control room or isolation booth, and any assistant I might draft tends to be a volunteer with limited patience and a penchant for prolonged strikes. In particular, detecting phase issues while recording drums is a nightmare when you’re both the drummer and the recordist. Every drum and cymbal hit competes with the sound coming through the headphones. In the past I’ve tried all kinds of different headphone recommendations, but even the ones specifically designed for maximum isolation were not enough. Here’s what I’ve found that works for me: View AttachmentThis is a combination of good-sealing earbuds and a pair of ear muffs designed for target practice with firearms. It’s a stupidly simple solution. In terms of volume, a black beauty snare hit with a 5B and gusto at close range isn’t far off from a modest caliber rifle blast. I insert the earbuds and make sure to get a good seal, then place the ear muffs over my ears. Finally I can hear phase issues—and everything else that the microphones are picking up—even though I’m inches away from the loudest drum in my kit. It also means I can turn down the volume of the backing tracks while laying down that tight Stubblefield-wannabe groove. This setup isn’t only useful for drums, though; it also helps with bleed when recording quiet acoustic guitars and vocals. You’ll never hear another metronome click or discarded instrumental take in the background of your fresh tracks. But wait, there’s more! It’s also affordable. While a nice-sounding pair of appropriately sealing earbuds can cost as much as a quality pair of headphones, the gun range ear muffs I use cost well under $20. Plus, once you fix those phase issues all your mics will sound more expensive. I do the same thing. Shooting muffs over high quality ear buds. It works really well.
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Post by zonkola on Oct 18, 2020 15:26:45 GMT -6
I think the biggest challenge with one room is figuring out how to get work done while tracking without interrupting the artist flow. Oh, that's a huge one. I'm my only client, so I have the luxury of dedicating channels to the instruments I commonly track to keep re-patching to a minimum. I've also spent a lot of time refining my DAW template to make everything as plug & play as possible. For drums, I leave my mics set up on my kit and patched into specific preamps, so all I have to do to record is take off the bright red remove-before-takeoff mic dust covers and arm the tracks.
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,961
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Post by ericn on Oct 18, 2020 15:42:16 GMT -6
Storage, storage storage. A space for unused cables, instruments, mics ect is a must. Sometimes a small closet is worth it’s weight in gold if it keeps people from tripping over a cable and keeps your favorite mic or guitar from hitting the floor.
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Post by wiz on Oct 18, 2020 16:19:27 GMT -6
Good acoustic treatment..,.bricasti
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2020 16:57:07 GMT -6
Get good headphones. Good cans for drummers and guitarists. Beyer DT 770 M is great for drummers. The 770 80 ohm is awesome for guitarists and comfy enough for you. Way more comfy than the standard HD 280. Watch out as the other impedances of the 770 sound like shit imo. They’re way too bright instead of v shaped and fun. Take the time to set everything up. Get it in the daw without having to turd polish it. Use mics appropriate for your room. Sometimes you need an EV635a as a room mic.
Measure your room and setup your monitors well. The room, setup, and monitors are equally important. You can’t fix what you can’t hear. Panels, bookshelves, carpets, bass traps, and soft furniture are your friends. Choose monitors that aren’t scooped and are usable from 1m away or so if the room geometry means your setup can’t be amazing. Sealed monitors and soft domes are your friend. ATC, NHT, even Auratone and Fostex are cool for a mono speaker. Ported can work but watch out. I can vouch for Proacs, Amphions, Quested H108, Dynaudio BM6A, KRK V6, Yamaha HS8. Get a bigger system to check stuff on or a sub to check the low end. Choose a good interface without a fan! High pass filter everything with a 12 or 18 dB per octave filter right below where you can start to hear it before you start mixing. You can always go more aggressive later.
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Post by scotthammond on Oct 18, 2020 17:14:53 GMT -6
Another cool little trick for hearing phase relationships on drum mics while getting sounds is delaying the headphone feed. You're still listening in cans but you aren't trying to hear over the level of the competing drum hits.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2020 17:28:48 GMT -6
Also use your headphone mix to control your own performance. This is how you can record an awesome performance of yourself on a minimally miced kit when you have all the time in the world! Glynn Johns style maybe with a snare mic if your room is cool enough or you have some appropriate mics.
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Post by drbill on Oct 18, 2020 19:48:48 GMT -6
Love the practical. I worked in a one room setup for quite awhile. Still do - MOSTLY. I say mostly because I will NOT record certain things in a one room setup. Drums most notably. A brass section or string section secondarily. Personally, for vocals, acoustic guitars, electrics with a 1W amp or thru an Iridium, lite percussion, etc., I LOVE being in the 1 room environment. The immediate connection between producer and musician/vocalist is unbeatable. For loud stuff, it's a freaking pain. The other one room MUST HAVE's for me : Machine room. Storage (thanks ericn ). And even though I do not REALLY have one presently - an ISO Room / Booth. It's the little creature comforts that make creativity and creation a pleasure instead of a chore.
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Post by stormymondays on Oct 19, 2020 2:41:15 GMT -6
Storage is crucial. Bear in mind that studio floor space is your most expensive real estate. Don’t waste it on storage!
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Post by lpedrum on Oct 19, 2020 18:56:26 GMT -6
Because a one room studio doesn't have the luxury of a musicians' lounge to hang out in, try to incorporate some nice seating, lamps and artwork so the artist is comfortable and inspired. The goal is to make it a destination that musicians will want to return to. I also have a small corner dedicated to a microwave, tiny fridge, and coffee maker.
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Post by Vincent R. on Oct 19, 2020 19:38:36 GMT -6
Storage, storage storage. A space for unused cables, instruments, mics ect is a must. Sometimes a small closet is worth it’s weight in gold if it keeps people from tripping over a cable and keeps your favorite mic or guitar from hitting the floor. I have a couple of trunks on my side of the room for that purpose. One has extra cables, cans, etc. the other is essentially a mic locker.
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Post by bluegrassdan on Oct 19, 2020 23:02:38 GMT -6
Those heavy Atlas stands without a boom take up less floor area than a tripod.
It's better to over-deaden with broadband absoption and add ambience in the box than it is to capture an overly (bad) reflective room.
Learn a few failsafe mic placement techniques and rely on them without second guessing too much.
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Post by stormymondays on Oct 20, 2020 1:19:13 GMT -6
Because a one room studio doesn't have the luxury of a musicians' lounge to hang out in, try to incorporate some nice seating, lamps and artwork so the artist is comfortable and inspired. The goal is to make it a destination that musicians will want to return to. I also have a small corner dedicated to a microwave, tiny fridge, and coffee maker. Very true! However that also means that there's no lazy "hanging out" type of scene! I do have a separate storage room/workshop with a coffee machine - and a bathroom. A small sofa in the live room and some nice ambience make the rest.
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Post by christopher on Oct 20, 2020 9:47:00 GMT -6
For phase, even with separate control room I just record a tiny bit. The reason is that control rooms usually still get all the lows bleeding through the walls enough to mess with the sub region where phase is important. Simple recording, add one mic at a time, building a decent drum mix and check what’s in phase starting in the lows and sub region. Get the overheads first, add the kick, then get snare working. Then the toms.. it can take a couple hours of tuning drums and adjusting mics. Finally get the room mics in there. Usually budget 6 hours. That gives enough time to be clear headed and try different gear. Then nobody touch the mics.
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Post by johneppstein on Oct 20, 2020 14:38:56 GMT -6
I think the biggest challenge with one room is figuring out how to get work done while tracking without interrupting the artist flow. Oh, that's a huge one. I'm my only client, so I have the luxury of dedicating channels to the instruments I commonly track to keep re-patching to a minimum. I've also spent a lot of time refining my DAW template to make everything as plug & play as possible. For drums, I leave my mics set up on my kit and patched into specific preamps, so all I have to do to record is take off the bright red remove-before-takeoff mic dust covers and arm the tracks. Actually you've stumbled on something that's standard practice with most engineers, regardless of who they work with. I'm not saying all, but most, especially those with a live sound background. Most people use the same channels for the same things in the same order - it makes setup eassier and saves time when tracking and mixing because everything's always in the same place.
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Post by chessparov on Oct 20, 2020 20:17:17 GMT -6
Great Thread. Thanks guys. Chris
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Post by rocinante on Oct 20, 2020 21:04:23 GMT -6
Great info here. We operate a 1 room studio and the only problem we face is headphone issues. They just aren't great as monitors.
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Post by johneppstein on Oct 21, 2020 1:42:11 GMT -6
Great info here. We operate a 1 room studio and the only problem we face is headphone issues. They just aren't great as monitors. I personally don't use phones but we do have a small heaphone amp for drummers and others who do.
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Post by nobtwiddler on Oct 24, 2020 8:06:53 GMT -6
My take on using only one room for Recording / Mixing.
These concepts have been proven to work (FOR ME) after recording this way for the last 15 or so years. Not in any specific order:
#1 - As mentioned before in this thread, STORAGE is critical, make sure you have room for cables, mics, guitars, & cases, coats, etc.
#1A - Space for Coffee machine, Tea, Refrigerator, & Snacks, (garbage pails!)
#2 - Also mentioned previously, THE ROOM, is critical. Do as much as you can to reduce the BAD reflections & influence of the room on your mics. Make sure to work on each area to achieve the best results for what will be captured in that section / part of the room.
#2A - In my place (albeit small) I’ve created specific Zones for each musician. I worked on each area to achieve the best sonics for what will be recorded in that area. For example in my new very small space, (17 x 23 ft) this is how I have it designated.
Area 1 - Mix, recording control, with my little desk, speakers, etc. Area 2 - Vocalist Area 3 - Keys, Upright Piano, Hammond, Mellotron Area 4 - Electric / Acoustic Guitar 1, Area 5 - Electric / Acoustic Guitar 2, Area 6 - Bass Guitar, Area 7 - Drums, Area 8 - Bathroom / Iso Booth.
Since the room is so small, each area has been treated for what I expect to record in that spot. They are wired for the inputs necessary to capture that specific instrument, and will stay wired this way using whatever I feel is the best for that particular capture. Each of these areas has a Furman HP-16 personal Headphone mixer for the musicians.
#3 - HEADPHONES. As I stated above, in my room, I have a separate mixer for each zone / musician.
#4 - As in my last place, here I have a specific drum kit, tuned, and mic’ed to achieve the best sonics for this little space. I DON’T have people bring drums, my kit is the only one I use here. It took a long time to get the sound I want, and I love the fact I can start recording minutes after the band arrives. That said, I do ask that they bring their own cymbals, snare, and pedal, if they want. But the drums stay put! Many reasons for this besides what I already posted, but the truth is, with the budgets today, (or lack thereof) we don’t have 3 or 4 hours to set up drums, get sounds, etc, etc. Now if someone was doing a week, or a loc-out, then fine, but that’s not my reality anymore.
#5 - Same idea for the Guitar / Bass cabinets... I have over 20 x combo amplifiers / heads all setup to go in the room with us. The outputs of 14 x of these are wired to a 1/4 inch patch bay in the main room, so switching between amps is immediate! These 14 x amps in the patch bay can be patched to one of 4 x custom made ISO Cabinets, that are housed in a different part of the basement. Total Isolation. Each Cabinet has a different 1 x 12 speaker installed specifically their sonic signature. Outputs of all 4 x come up on the console. Speakers installed today for example; Fane Blue Back, Celestian Vintage 30, Celestian, Green back, Vintage Jensen blue logo. The cabinets are also mic’ed with two mics each, (although I rarely use 2!) Another great thing about these ISO cabs, is that the speakers are mounted on removable baffles. I have about 12 x different speakers mounted on these baffles. So switching out a speaker to match whatever I’m doing that session takes literally 2 minutes! So just like the drums, Guitarists bring their instruments, and a head if they have something specific, but NO CABS!
#6 - Obviously, all this shit must work~!
#7 - One of the most important things for me is to create a VIBE in your space! I try to create an environment that will allow musicians to be comfortable, & relaxed, so they forget they are in a studio, and just concentrate on capturing the best performance of whatever they are working on that day. I know some of this might sound heavy handed, but I have found this works for me, and my clients keep coming back for more. The studio is very efficient, and funny enough sounds great. I don’t have to make excuses for it sonically. Took a while but hey. So I guess we’re doing something right?
Now all that said, with this Covid crap running rampant, the small one room studio concept isn't exactly in Vogue at the moment.
Only time will tell
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