|
Post by M57 on Mar 11, 2018 5:03:16 GMT -6
Yeah, I discovered (or found out about this) about a year or so ago, on a thread here if I'm not mistaken. My mic technique isn't too bad, but I still end up using it here and there on my vocal tracks. If I have to push things too much, like more than 4 or 5 db, it doesn't work for me because things like room reflections come into play, and at that point, I just find it's more musical to use compression and automation. Just like everything else, it's about using your ear, right?
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Mar 10, 2018 12:11:21 GMT -6
I watched the video - and I still don't understand what it does. Does it really "fix" phase related artifacts that are the result of the placement of multiple mics? Transparently? That's not really an EQ thing, is it? Can you describe what you like about it, or possibly what kind of plugin is it similar to?
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Mar 3, 2018 14:32:36 GMT -6
Also, I've noticed that not all LUFS meters are equal. I get different readings from Logic's meter than when using this site.. musictester.com/demo/
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Mar 3, 2018 14:28:52 GMT -6
Thanks HM! Actually, I do have a semi-related question regarding dynamic range. I still run my files through a TTDR meter, but more and more, I'm using LUFS and sometimes I find that changes that I make with compressors don't influence the readings I get with my LUFS meters the way I expect. For instance, when I turn down the mix ratio of the VCA compressor (letting more of the dynamics sneak through, I would expect LUFS to go up after adjusting my final compressor to normalize at close to -0.4 db. (E.g, LUFS from -13 to -13.5), but this is not always the case. I'm wondering if the pseudo parallel compression technique you get from a mix knob actually cuts down the dynamic range of the material. If evenusing the mix knob, it still retains 100% of whatever percentage of the original signal it lets through, then there would be no change to the actual dynamic range. Hmm.. that didn't make sense, so I'll bet I'm confused about exactly what parallel compression does. When you 'mix' compressed and un-compressed signal, is there less 'information' that is 'dynamic' ..or is the resulting material less dynamic? ..and how does that inform any compressors down the line.
And in a related question, do compressors down the line react differently to the altered dynamics produced by the above technique??
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Mar 3, 2018 13:12:48 GMT -6
Now you guys know I'm not a pro - just a singer/songwriter with a home studio, but I've spent countless hours 'mastering' my own music, read a few thousand posts, and watched a couple hundred hours of videos on the subject (..many if not most of them are of questionable quality), and I feel like I'm making progress, but it's been at a snail's pace. The other day I and one other person got our hands on an on-line mutual friend's mix and are able to compare our work with a 'pro' mastering job. I have to say what an eye-opening experience it has been - and how informative it has been to be able to compare my work with someone else's.
I know there are pros here who master for a living, and I don't want to step on any toes; the more I learn, the more my respect for what they do grows. But I have a couple stupid questions for those of us who, for whatever reasons, 'master' our own material. I work completely ITB but I don't think that matters much for purposes of this conversation.
I don't doubt that folks do things differently, so my questions are related to how much gear you use and, assuming you mix it in series, where you put it in the order of units. I'll share first - With this last mix I used a channel EQ first (mostly to roll off the bottom end), then some VCA compression for basic glueing (really the lion's share of the compression work), followed by a Pultec EQ to shape (which I have to admit I tend to dig in with - I think I might become a Pultec fan-boy); then some Vari-Mu compression to soften things (which I just like the sound of). I finished things off with a limiter to make sure I wasn't breaking any meter needles ;P I also tried a channel strip and tape emulation but didn't like either for this particular mix.
I'm really interested in finding out the do's and don'ts of serial compression (if there are any) and any tricks and tips. For instance, I should probably be putting that Pultec before all the comps, right? What kind of ratios and settings do you use, etc.. It would be great if some of you could share your processes and thoughts.
Also, it might be nice at some point to share a file so some of us can try our hand and compare. I know we've done it with mixes before.
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 25, 2018 10:53:53 GMT -6
They've announced the UB-Xa, a clone of the Oberheim OB-Xa. And during the "R&D"-manufacturing process they will be interacting on GS for "suggestions". Looks like it won't be coming out for another year according to THIS January 2018 article - but if there's a real world analog synth I think I REALLY want, that might be it.
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 24, 2018 6:26:13 GMT -6
Exactly, I don't mind where things are made, it's the design ripoff I hate.. "If I didn't do it, someone else would." said the Once-ler
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 23, 2018 6:13:16 GMT -6
I don't want to maim myself. I just want a damn cable.
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 23, 2018 6:10:59 GMT -6
I'm slowly coming around with Behringer.. Buying the X-Touch was a big leap for me. I'm not all that much into synths, but this one definitely has my attention. The price makes it close to a no-brainer. Did anyone else notice that the Behringer seemed a little thinner around the 125hz range?
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 20, 2018 11:25:14 GMT -6
I was wondering if anyone is playing with these. I'll start off by saying that I've never worked with a Pultec before. I mean, I watched a few youtube videos so I knew they were a different animal, and came real close to buying a Waves plug a few times but I seemed to remember a thread or two here with some folks knocking them (maybe it was a particular piece of hardware) and I figured it would just be another EQ I probably wouldn't use.
Now maybe I just had a good first date with the thing, but I'm pretty amazed at what it does and in particular how smoothly it does it. I put them on some acoustic guitar and piano and just found it was super easy to get them to sit better in the mix. I went back out to youtube and found a video or two where Logic's Pultec was shot out against UA's. UA's was beefier sounding at the same settings - and louder really - so I wonder that they're just 'calibrated' differently. Also I started playing with the Linear Phase EQ (I don't think that's new), mostly for surgically cutting out funky room resonances, and I was hoping that someone could share when and where they use these. I have a couple more related questions, but I don't want to hijack my own thread. Really, it doesn't have to be about Logic's EQ's
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 19, 2018 16:41:16 GMT -6
Do all of these three-way speakers including the focals need to be placed horizontally? The 305s specify "sideways" ..whatever that means.
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 19, 2018 9:32:19 GMT -6
I still use it occasionally, but wesendit is way easier to use than Dropbox. It's a much more elegant interface. In comparison, Dropbox feels like it's 15 years old in implementation. Same deal, free for most things. www.wesendit.comI use wesendit too, and it is 'easier' to be sure. But the files have a shelf-life and disappear after a few weeks. Dropbox lets you store, organize, share and update files. They are two different animals to be sure. One of things I like about wesendit is that it supports enormous file sizes ..so you can send as many stems as you want in one fell swoop.
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 19, 2018 6:44:07 GMT -6
There's no need for stems OR silly "half of stereo" for collaboration. Timestamped PCM tracks go right from one DAW to another at literally sample accuracy. -you need to understand how to archive the PCM files that are the consolidated tracks. Done this for 15 or 20 years. That tech being PCM file standardization. Old guys will remember sounddesignes files....and proprietary hardware storage formats.. I'm just amateur but I went from from 4track cassette to 8 tracks tape - ..and remember sd2 files (I think that's what you are talking about) so that qualifies me as an old guy Anyway, I don't recall hearing of PCM tracks before. When I share tracks/stems/collaborate, I send/receive wav files. Slap 'em in Logic and they line up, sample covert and auto-magically set the BPM. I'm pretty sure most of the people I work with are either using Logic or PT ..maybe Reaper, etc, it doesn't seem to matter. From my perspective, it seems like the standard is the standard as long as you use a decent DAW.
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 18, 2018 5:35:13 GMT -6
"Demo" is somewhat of a misnomer in my book, but I suppose that's what most of you would call what I do. If anything, it's more vanity recording than demo. I'm not looking to have someone else record it and I doubt that I'll ever want to put in the energy to marketing it ..or myself for that matter. It's simply art for art's sake. I create it because I have to, and everything is the final product.
I don't think my process is unlike many of yours. I write the song, or the bones of the song away from the studio with an instrument. I like the 'idea' of sketching, but like others here I've learned that first performances can be special. The reality is that I do go back anD re-record some things after having lived with them for a while, but nevertheless, unless it's a VI I pretty much always take care to record as if I'm creating the final product.
As I go, I make arranging decisions. I usually know what the form will be at the outset, but almost never have it all arranged (instrumentation-wise) in my head before I start. I prefer to use a simple Logic drummer or a shaker as a click with the idea that I'll get a pro drummer to record it either in my studio or remotely. I've been having great luck with the latter ..if only because I'm so happy with his work, but optimally I'd like to bring drummers into my studio and record them. Problem is ..the only time that ever worked out in the past is when the drummer was also an engineer (Jcoutu). I'm excited about trying out Logic's new 'memo' feature - we'll see if that's a game-changer or not.
Same applies to other instruments. Fortunately, I'm not displeased with my singing and ability to play a number of instruments so I usually don't bring many people in on my projects. I have mixed feelings about that, I feel like my music often needs an injection of diversity, but I just don't know that many musicians in my area or even on-line. I'd love to find a really good electric guitarist - someone who really knows thier chord scales ..arrgh! I just haven't put any work into finding one. But that's my problem. I don't get out - I come home from work and cloister myself in the studio.. but I digress.
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 17, 2018 10:25:29 GMT -6
But perhaps spilling a glass of red wine all over the fp16 on its one week anniversary, is not to be recommended ? That's precisely the reason I prefer a big, but soft Bordeaux in the studio. Ya never know, you might like how it.. Oh wait ..it's just a controller.
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 17, 2018 8:12:35 GMT -6
This is pretty fascinating, a 1964 RCA demo session. Link is an article about it, and the 14-ish minute film is embedded. It's interesting to see the working distance for the group around the U67, and there in the room with the other instruments. www.jazzwax.com/2017/07/complete-audition-at-rca.htmlCan't say that I remember singing any LHR charts, but I sang a TON of Hi-Lo's and Singer's Unlimited arrangements in jazz ensembles back in the late 70's at Berklee. Ensemble size ranged from 4-5 to about 8 or 9 max and we always rehearsed in a circle or a semi-circle (not unlike how you see it in the session EmRR posted). One thing that our director did that I never really made a studio-technique related connection to until years later was that he would occasionally hold out his fist in the center of the ensemble and demand that we focus the energy of our voices at that point. If you lapsed, he heard it (while he was singing with the ensemble) and gave you hell because he had to put his fist back out there to remind you where he wanted the sound. I mean, we kind of knew it was a microphone because we would perform into a mic, but at the time I just assumed it was simply about the way good jazz ensembles sing more than an ensemble mic-technique. If you've never heard Singer's Unlimited or a Gene Puerling arrangement before, you're in for a treat.. Undeniably his work heavily influenced a genre of acapella groups like Take 6, Pentatonix, ect.. ..obviously multi-tracked, but it was cutting edge at the time. I'm guessing they would have made one pass as an ensemble, then doubled and perhaps even tripled some voices, but Puerling cut his teeth old school and was a master of one pass/no overdub recording. Oh, and no auto-tune ;P
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 14, 2018 17:58:21 GMT -6
Scratching your face with a hot soldering iron is something you might want to avoid doing. Yeah, but I'll bet the itch goes away.
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 13, 2018 11:45:45 GMT -6
I've been a master solderer for 20 years now. I still burn my fingers occasionally.. I'm afraid I'm a bit queasy about burning my fingers - so back to my original question..
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 12, 2018 19:00:08 GMT -6
So what did you buy? ..the non-twin 50's? What's the advantage of dual drivers beyond SPL? It doesn't go any lower does it? 40Hz, same depth as Shape65. But, as you said, 2x80watts on the mid bass drivers. Shape50 are 50Hz and 60 watt mid bass. Why lower? ..a larger encloser? ..It's not from more surface area on the drivers, is it? In a smaller room, is there no need for the twins if the quality is the same as the Shape 50's from 50Hz up?
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 12, 2018 18:10:18 GMT -6
Noooo He's talking about the brand new twin 50's. They just put these out like a few days ago and I'm seriously pissed. That would've been the pair I got. Oh well, I'm more than happy with what I have, but they look killler. So what did you buy? ..the non-twin 50's? What's the advantage of dual drivers beyond SPL? It doesn't go any lower does it?
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 11, 2018 18:11:07 GMT -6
Been thinking about adding a switch to allow swapping comp—-> eq or eq—->comp. One more thing to add. If it's easier, consider simply putting the EQ before the Comp and have a bypass switch. It offers a cleaner path, and besides - most anyone who can afford your pre-amp has an outboard EQ that they likely prefer anyway.
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 11, 2018 14:37:49 GMT -6
Here's the last iteration with some tweaks. That looks MUCH better.
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 11, 2018 14:35:59 GMT -6
I'm curious - If it's not going to be switchable, why not put the eq before the compressor? I would find more value in that because I can slap on any EQ in the chain moving forward, but unless you provide inserts (and I assume you didn't) there's no way to EQ before the comp.
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 11, 2018 10:15:27 GMT -6
Yeah, you probably can't move things around, but if you could - and assuming the EQ comes before the comp, something like this.. I don't know that I like the Comp/EQ switch in the middle of nowhere, but depending on what it does, I was thinking its placement could make its function more clear.
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Feb 11, 2018 9:00:37 GMT -6
Dan, What does the Comp/EQ switch do? Is it one or the other? ..one (comp only) or both? ..the order of the path?
I have to admit that the left-heavy design is awkward. I like that the controls are big, but the look is cramped. Do you have room to move things around on the front panel? What kind of restrictions do you have - or are the positions of things locked?
Is the meter output or GR? I don't see a switch, so I'm assuming it's GR because of where you have it (between the comp and output knobs).
|
|