Back off about 5-10 feet and keep your signal WELL below 0dBVU on the preamp. Levels at around -30dBFS on the digital meters is more than enough.

It's really stupid how simple the logic of keeping levels low in dBFS digial, but even dumber how many people still don't get/do it. My digi002 stuff sounds better (stereo/clarity/instruments getting their own space) than a lot of HD stuff that gets recorded in Studio A here. They just come back with the whole "Utilizing the bit range" or whatever. I would rather utilize little headroom. Love. So yeah, I never really heard a "warm" tambourine sound that you would be able to hear in a mix, but I would try what John said. If you can't re-record it (the tambourine performance was absolutely breathtaking and could never be duplicated...) then maybe try some compression. The fastest attack you can muster up and a medium release. 3:1 ratio. G'Luck mate.

Neil

@Massive Mastering: thanks :) actually I did register backing off about 10 feet, and tried to keep the db enough low. Since there is no distorsion of any kind in the audio stream, can I assume I have recorded it the right way? :shock:

amishsixstringer wrote: the tambourine performance was absolutely breathtaking and could never be duplicated...

MWAWAWAHAHA :lol: this is the advantage of not being Max Roach (he did breathtaking solos with just a hi-hat), so an ordinary drummer like me can always reply a tambourine performance :lol:

then maybe try some compression. The fastest attack you can muster up and a medium release. 3:1 ratio. G'Luck mate.

hum...mustn't I also "enhance" some freq on the eq (such as 10Khz or something like that)?
Sorry, since I am noob in this field may be I am asking dumb questions :oops:

so much thanks for all the answers :)

Cresta wrote:
hum...mustn't I also "enhance" some freq on the eq (such as 10Khz or something like that)?

Well, not being able to hear it I can't make that call. What does the sound you want lack in comparrison to what you have heard and like? Does the instrument sound the way you want it to sound in your room? Have you tried to slide it into a mix yet? Something you can try is to put it in your mix and keep it really low. Almost not being able to hear it in the really dense parts of the track. Then take your parametric eq and sweep it around really slowly until the tambourine just kinda "pops" out. That is the frequency that the song is missing and the tambourine just happens to have. It might make the thing sound like crap by itself, but if that track wants some 2.2K then give it to it.

Neil

uh..this seems cool :shock:
thanks I will try 8-)