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Hi, i'm looking for a few expert recording engineer sugguestions on how to possibly improve a guitar sound a bit. Firstly, i'll give a little background on my setup. I'm running three mics: One cardioid to isolate the sound, one condenser for a little bit of crispness and a tube in the room. I am happy with the initial sound i'm getting running two of these mics (one compressed) from a processor into two separate analog mixer channels and one mic directly(condenser) to a mixer channel. I then send all three of these mics out together bused (one line) as a stereo pair (L&R), compress again, then to an external converter and go optical into a single track into my multi-track software. My question is would I be better off running more than one stereo pair to my converters (separate for each mic) into my software, recording more than one track simultaniously? I'm wondering if i'll achieve a slight bit better edge on my sound somehow that way.. or perhaps I should also compress the other two mics and stick to running them all together as one line into a single track. Thx for any helpful sugguestions, opinions or info from any knowlegable engineers. ~Jp, "The Box", Minnesota, US

Comments

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 04:47

amgard wrote: It’s a little bit funny Brit-EQing inside
I’m not one of those who can dynamically ride
I don’t have much money but boy if I did
I’d buy a Tube Amp when we both could gig

If I was an engineer, but then again, no
Or a man who compresses in a 'stu-di-oh'
I know it’s not much but it’s the best I can do
My gift is 'MY THREAD' and this one’s for you

LOVELY! Gotta love *that*!! 8-)

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 04:50

MeesterSmeeeth wrote:
Q: How many JP22's does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Why change the lightbulb if your studio is dark when you can turn the heating up and get the same effect?

Believe it or not, this is actually a fact in the winter. I turn my lights off when i'm messing around with mastering, light a candle and all there is is a glow from the candle and my heater! Bravo! 8-)

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 05:13

Jp22 wrote: Rhetoric Sascha, rhetoric. I'm aware of everything you posted. Furthermore, I think what you're "lacking" are "fundamentals" yourself of approaching some individuals in the proper tone, in which case you are NOT. I'm done with you.

Sascha? You lacking fundamentals? Are you harmonics only? I always quite approved of your tone, but don't you use a tube amp?

Jp22 wrote: [quote=duncanparsons]
Hi JP, glad to see you back.
Whilst this is all highly entertaining, and you've just given enough rope to hang yourself a few more times, I do suggest you get out more.

Who's hanging who again?

Back 'atcha, as they say. I haven't given a word with which to hang myself. Did you try Anechoic Room Simulator, btw?

Jp22 wrote: [quote=Sascha Franck]Oh, we need 4 EQs to get the dynamics back.
Good to know.

Thats 5 silly, can't you count? And again, it isn't 'getting it back', since this is before the fact as i've stated multiple times! Wake up!

Actually, I counted 8. In general, I never EQ my EQ, it's just a waste. I generally adjust, or tweak my EQ. If I need to EQ my EQ, then the first one is obviously setup very badly.

I'm mid-process writing a software compressor at the moment, as it happens, with full provision for side chaining and hysterisis, etc; My guess is that I shouldn't bother tho. I wanted it for my acoustic.

Such is life.

DSP

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 05:15

Jp22 wrote: Did I mention those looney brits even have a street named after me? ha ha :P Actually, it wasn't by my choice, I was born with the curse!

OK, call this a lucky guess....
http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=51.6246&lon=-0.7113&scale=5000&icon=x

Sorry, couldn't resist it.

Re the T-shirt - Stop saying stuff that makes knowledgeable people cry with laughter and they'll stop quoting you.

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 05:24

duncanparsons wrote:
Back 'atcha, as they say. I haven't given a word with which to hang myself. Did you try Anechoic Room Simulator, btw?

Nope. Actually, i've never even heard of the word "Anechoic" before. It sounds like someone is gonna get an enema or something.

Actually, I counted 8. In general, I never EQ my EQ, it's just a waste. I generally adjust, or tweak my EQ. If I need to EQ my EQ, then the first one is obviously setup very badly.

No, you don't use an EQ on your EQ, persay. I meant you "adjust". Go back and re-read that in this context again and you'll count 5.

I'm mid-process writing a software compressor at the moment, as it happens, with full provision for side chaining and hysterisis, etc; My guess is that I shouldn't bother tho. I wanted it for my acoustic.
DSP

Let me give you a little advice. Firstly, make sure your plugins are not memory hogs, since thats such a pain for people whose systems aren't loaded to the gills. Second, make it simple to understand. Again, "Anechoic" sounds like someone is gonna get an enema or a bad virus. Third, do something someone hasn't done before, since theres enough half-assed clones out there as it is.

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 05:27

Bridge-dweller wrote: [quote=Jp22]Did I mention those looney brits even have a street named after me? ha ha :P Actually, it wasn't by my choice, I was born with the curse!

OK, call this a lucky guess....
http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=51.6246&lon=-0.7113&scale=5000&icon=x

Sorry, couldn't resist it.

Good god! A house named after me in the English ghetto district?! :shock: Blasphemy!

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 05:34

Jp22 wrote:
Let me give you a little advice. Firstly, make sure your plugins are not memory hogs, since thats such a pain for people whose systems aren't loaded to the gills. Second, make it simple to understand. Again, "Anechoic" sounds like someone is gonna get an enema or a bad virus. Third, do something someone hasn't done before, since theres enough half-assed clones out there as it is.

now that's the faux populist, aggressively ignorant type of ranting i was waiting for!

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 05:42

Jp22 wrote:
Good god! A house named after me in the English ghetto district?! :shock: Blasphemy!

erm, no, a road actually. Or are we going to get in to a whole "Ahhaaa, that's not what I said...A HOUSE is used by me to manooover vehicles, as I have not fallen victim to the CORPORATE vampires with their petty rules about domiciles, and tend to sleep etc on the road outside"-type scenario?

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 05:48

Jp22 wrote: BTW, who made the picture with the guy on it saying "I don't own a tube amp!"? That picture busted me up!!! :lol:

Really? Cos only a few pages ago you said

Jp22 wrote: No, but first maybe you'd like to tell me what you think gives you the right to quote me on an fuckin t-shirt. At first I found it amusing... but in retrospect i'm not quite so sure I like it when people think they can just take the liberty to do shit like that.

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 05:53

Jp22 wrote:
Its the truth, "aggressively ignorant" or not. Facts are sometimes painful to swallow.

i am totally speechless. i could not begin to explain to you what is so hilarious about you saying your rantings are the truth, and "hard-to-swallow" facts. good thing i don't have to explain it to anyone else. AND, good thing you just keep shoveling away, regardless of contradiction, always daring to the very brink of nonsense. you're a real camper.

magical EQ's operated by a mystical logic. everyone on your side is on the side of music. everyone against you is a corporate drone, hacking away at the golden mystical music just to take their pound of flesh. an amazing, blissful view of the world.

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 06:13

Jp22, i can truly say, without hint of reservation, that yours is a complete ignorance, free of doubt or hindsight. You command a veritable fleet of stupidity, guarded at all flanks by a haggard, threadbare dogma, time-tested and battle-worn for any situation that may arise. The dearth of your knowledge is paced only by the resolve to defend it. You are a self-contained ecosystem of idiocy where ego-maniacal clouds of dumb rain droplets of misinformation onto a too-willing ground, where they give birth to dubious flowers of illogic, which you then pluck prematurely from the soil and ball into half-formed wads and fling nonsensically at passersby, like a crazed monkey in an abandoned zoo.

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 06:27

[="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=anechoic&go=Go"]Anechoic[/]="http://en.wikipedia…"]Anechoic[/]? Go see! The [url=http://(Dead Link Removed)

Compressors aren't generally memory hogs, tbh. A decent look ahead limiter might use half a second of audio in a buffer, which even at 192kHz comes in at 375k per channel of 32bit audio. Now a C64 would struggle with that, but even my low spec PC at home will cope with it. CPU usage OTOH is something different, since the algorithm to process those samples may be fairly intensive.

My compressor is of a non-latent analog model, and aside from a few field variables uses very little operational memory, indeed the graphics will use more space than the code and data together). It will be simple to use, and will offer SideChaining and Hysterisis options for those interested in using them. You will be welcome to join in BetaTesting when I get that far. Do something new? Dare I rise to the bait?

If you want a simple compressor, I cannot recommend [url=http://www.betabugs… Squeeze' by BetaBugs enough (it's at the bottom of the page, again I'm assuming PC and VST). It has one knob, and does the job extremely well - a classic.

Finally, my reading is just fine, as is my predilection for good grammar. I feel no need to reread anything, since (unless there has been judicious editting) a single pass of the text was sufficient to ascertain the required occurances of your two letter phrase (Good one for Scrabble(tm), btw :)).

ATB
DSP

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 07:04

Jp22 wrote: [quote=Leon_Willett]
Hello Jp22!!
Could you please give me a step-by-step guide as to how I can use an equaliser to restore dynamics before the signal is recorded? I'm a noob and I could really use a tutorial.
Thanks man, I owe ya one!!
--
http://

Hi Leon, sure....

1. You stand there and do some finger flexes (getting ready).
2. Make sure your 2 other EQ(s) prior to your mixer are also EQ'd the way you wan't them first.
3. You EQ with a mixer that has an EQ on it.
4. EQ your EQ that comes after your mixer before going into your converters.
5. EQ your EQ in your "real-time" software.

Got it? Good luck! This is a tough one!!

Hi man! I tried this but it just sounded like I was EQing!! Wierd huh? In fact, whenever I use an EQ, it sounds like I'm EQing.

What I need to do is restore dynamics that a compressor earlier in the chain is squishing too much. What am I doing wrong? How can I make my EQ restore dynamics like you?

Thanks again!

--
http://

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 07:54

jp22, here's a hint why you're so damn popular on the internet right now (note: I'm yet another guy who registered here just to respond to this thread!), you apparently don't know the definition of dynamics, as applied to sound:

Dynamics: The difference in volume between the quietest and loudest parts in a recording.

A compressor processes the signal so that the difference isn't as dramatic, i.e. the quietest and loudest parts are closer in volume to each other.

Just thought you'd want to know...

Cheers, Tim

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 08:41

astroid wrote: Jp22, i can truly say, without hint of reservation, that yours is a complete ignorance, free of doubt or hindsight. You command a veritable fleet of stupidity, guarded at all flanks by a haggard, threadbare dogma, time-tested and battle-worn for any situation that may arise. The dearth of your knowledge is paced only by the resolve to defend it. You are a self-contained ecosystem of idiocy where ego-maniacal clouds of dumb rain droplets of misinformation onto a too-willing ground, where they give birth to dubious flowers of illogic, which you then pluck prematurely from the soil and ball into half-formed wads and fling nonsensically at passersby, like a crazed monkey in an abandoned zoo.

The monkey part was so funny, I laughed aloud. Mostly, because the image was so apt. The rest was just you having a good ol' time with the English language, which is cool, too.

:P :lol:

gambit Mon, 10/10/2005 - 08:52

Ladies (?) and Gentlemen...

If it sounds like a troll, smells like a troll and looks like a troll then guess what? Its probably a troll...

(Or audiokid getting some *serious* linkage :wink: - only kidding chris)

(Dead Link Removed)

If you're not trolling - *genuinely not*- then JP22, I take my hat off to you, a better man would have crumbled under such intense pressure... you hang in there. Sorry I've got no advice as to your guitar recording problem - sounds like you have your method all sussed out. I track with a Pod Pro or Egnater TOL100 & Palmer ADIG-LB to Cubase via a Delta 44. Works for me!

G

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 09:19

tarmadilo wrote: Dynamics: The difference in volume between the quietest and loudest parts in a recording.

A compressor processes the signal so that the difference isn't as dramatic, i.e. the quietest and loudest parts are closer in volume to each other.

But... if what you're saying is true, then restoring dynamics with an EQ is... impossible!!!!!!!!!!!! :shock:

So you are clearly completely wrong, and you have no idea what you're (sorry, "your") talking about. Jp22 has found out how to do this and he's about to tell us how! So stop making fun of him, and infuse yourself with his know-how.

--
http://

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 09:38

Jp22 wrote:

2.
As for all the insane amount insults.... they have simply been ignored. I've noticed alot of people obviously need to vent these days and its sad when there has to be a target or a catalyst for so much nonsense.

Or could it be that you truly are a complete moron and folks are just having a good laugh at your expense?

Nah, couldn't be. :lol:

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 10:31

wow, there are so many *brave and smart* people here bashing JP22 over and over and over for standing out and being unique.

But let's continue to call him stupid and a moron and stupid and a moron and stupid and a moron 8,000 more times ! That is so SMART :-?

JP22 is saying something different, so the brave and smart people here post thousands of insults, because they are so smart and so brave.

JP22 is doing something worth talking about, which is more than the rest of you will ever do. So yeah, let's post several thousand more "you're dumb" posts, because that is so much "smarter" than being unique.

:roll:

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 12:03

You know, guys, chunkybutt is right. I feel, honestly, horrible. I feel, worse than I'd feel if I woke up and realized I was Brittney Spears.

Everybody here has given JP22 a little bit of a hard time. And it was to be expected. Edison got razzed when he invented the phonograph. "Oh yeah, Tom, we're ALL gonna have a bunch of coils of wire sitting around just to listen to music...suuuure!" But look what happened. Bell got the same thing when he invented the telephone. "Graham, why would anybody want to use a box to talk to their neighbors when they could just walk next door?" But look what happened.

JP22 is no different than these historical genuises. Except that he's still alive, of course. He's smart enough to figure out things that other people can't even understand. And he's brave enough to speak of them publicly in the face of criticism. And you all denegrate him for it. Shame on ALL of us, frankly.

JP22, I'm sorry. You were right and I was wrong. I feel bad, I feel ashamed.

What would it take for you to write a post about your entire recording chain/process for guitar? If you don't feel like these recording.org folks are receptive to thing they don't understand, I can show you a place that is. Just lemme know, buddy.

Your Friend,
Shotgun

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 12:32

What would it take for you to write a post about your entire recording chain/process for guitar? If you don't feel like these recording.org folks are receptive to thing they don't understand, I can show you a place that is. Just lemme know, buddy.

Well, since I would (according to most) beyond all shadow of doubt automatically be the gullible one to trip like an unsuspecting fool onto any 'mousetrap' with a healthy dose of cheese sittin on it.... by all means, lead the way.

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 13:00

duncanparsons wrote:

Compressors aren't generally memory hogs, tbh.

I completely disagree. Both Steinberg's multi-band ME Compressor as well as the Nuendo version are total CPU and memory pigs. Try one on a 1ghz computer with 8 tracks in Nuendo. Oink-oink! The programmer who made those obviously didn't care about cpu or memory management in the least. Its quite apparent.

If you want a simple compressor, I cannot recommend [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.betabugs…"]'Simple Squeeze' by BetaBugs[/]="http://www.betabugs…"]'Simple Squeeze' by BetaBugs[/] enough (it's at the bottom of the page, again I'm assuming PC and VST). It has one knob, and does the job extremely well - a classic.

I'm curious, how many people in their right mind do you really think would download plugins with the prefix "beta" and the suffix "bugs" in it? Especially when at the bottom of that page link you posted it says "may harm your PC"! I would NEVER download a plugin like that!!! :!: Eye candy maybe, but ear candy.... hardly likely - since considering it's competition its not very hard to weigh the two. Think about that one.

a single pass of the text was sufficient to ascertain the required occurances of your two letter phrase (Good one for Scrabble(tm), btw :)).
ATB
DSP

Keep in mind however though that this would be the 8.1.1 computer version of "Scrabble", not the one laying next to your grandma's dining room table.

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 13:01

duncanparsons wrote:

Compressors aren't generally memory hogs, tbh.

I completely disagree. Both Steinberg's multi-band ME Compressor as well as the Nuendo version are total CPU and memory pigs. Try one on a 1ghz computer with 8 tracks in Nuendo. Oink-oink! The programmer who made those obviously didn't care about cpu or memory management in the least. Its quite apparent.

If you want a simple compressor, I cannot recommend [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.betabugs…"]'Simple Squeeze' by BetaBugs[/]="http://www.betabugs…"]'Simple Squeeze' by BetaBugs[/] enough (it's at the bottom of the page, again I'm assuming PC and VST). It has one knob, and does the job extremely well - a classic.

I'm curious, how many people in their right mind do you really think would download plugins with the prefix "beta" and the suffix "bugs" in it? Especially when at the bottom of that page link you posted it says "may harm your PC"! I would NEVER download a plugin like that!!! :!: Eye candy maybe, but ear candy.... hardly likely - since considering it's competition its not very hard to weigh the two. Think about that one.

a single pass of the text was sufficient to ascertain the required occurances of your two letter phrase (Good one for Scrabble(tm), btw :)).
ATB
DSP

Keep in mind however though that this would be the 8.1.1 computer version of "Scrabble(tm)", not the one laying next to your grandma's dining room table.

anonymous Mon, 10/10/2005 - 13:59

Here is my translation of what JP22 is saying about restoring lost dynamics;

dynamics being defined as the difference between loud and silent.

let's say a compressor rolls off -3db at 20khz on a track. Adding corrective eq frequency-selectively restores the lost dynamics , because now that dynamic range is restored by the corrective EQ in the affected frequencies (if the track was -5db at 1k, but -8db at 20khz, and the noise floor was -65db, then the dynamics (as defined above) at 20khz are literally restored by the EQ and not by the compressor).

Does anyone understand how a de-esser works ? It's a frequency-selective dynamics control. EQ is half of the equasion-- for those who laugh at JP22, try de-essing with only a compressor and no eq in the sidechain (not a plugin or sissy de-esser, but a real manual de-essing sidechain).