Make it easy on yourself and just run a DI ....

about the bass cab

the combo amp has its own xlr output, does this need to go to a DI box or is plugging it in directly the same difference. right now im plugging it right into the pa and when all three instruments are recorded the bass sounds kinda like shit and the guitars are almost inaudible. what would you set the eq on the bass and git inputs at if you had low/mid/high?

thanks

The XLR will go directly to the mixer without a DI box ...

DI box's are used to split the bass signal before it gets to the amp and send it to the mixer and the amp simultaniously.

It's impossible for me to eq the sound without being there ... but just because there is an eq on the mixer, doesn't mean you have to use it ... Try starting at flat (no eq) and take it from there .. small adjustments and repeated listenings will get you there ...

I have recorded the way you are thinking about before and it was not uncommon for it to take a few tries before the balances were correct .... it's a true case of poke and hope without proper isolation to monitor in and without monitoring only the output of the recorder. .

You are using a PA which is a sound reinforcment tool and the sound you are hearing live is a combination of the sound being made from the amps and drums in the room and the signals being run through the mixer. What is being recorded on the cassette is completly different than what you hear in the room ...

thanks for your input

perhaps i can give you a bit of detail
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drums - iso/room - three mics - fairly high mic levels - very fine sound

guitar - iso/room - one shure sm 57 - very low amp volume

bass - iso/room - di to pa - very low amp output vol

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-i will definately try zeroing the eq's and working up from there
-would it be better to have the git amp louder and turn the git mic levels down - or just try it and see the diff
-if the amps are louder do i need to move the mics further away

kurt - do you know what output i plug from a pa to

i dont know if i have the correct output to send the mix from my pa to
a headphone amp/splitter, im trying to figure out if i have one so i can actually let the guys playing hear what is going on as they are in separate rooms. do you know what the output would be called. thanks
(still clueless but trying)

- would micing the bass amp help with sound at all or is it the same as di

re

You should get a mesa boogie cab and head, then mic (say a d6) the cab on an overdub track, with a good bass and bass player of course.

I've done that and it sounds ggrrrrreat

Bob

Vishnu: It sounds like you are recording live off the floor to two track? Is that right? If so, then thereis no right way to do it, you just have to mess around until you get what you want. I do agree with kurt that you should use a di. If the guitar is too low then turn it up. Just make sure your drums sound solid. YOu can have a mediochre guitar and wicked drums, but not the other way around.

If you can get, or have a multi-track recorder, even a four track, you can greatly improve your results by isolating each instrument a little better. I've done quite a few live recordings of varying size and you can get really good results.

Good luck.