Tweaking Gear/Plugins/Whatever

[persekutor]

First topic here, hopefully I'm not gonna get my ass shot down...

I've been into recording for awhile now. I've got (what I think is) sufficient gear to do what I want and (what I think is) a good space to record in. Despite this, I'm really at a loss when it comes to tweaking settings and parameters in outboard gear and plugins like compressors, reverb units, delays, flanges, limiters, etc. I usually just use presets but that won't always give me exactly what I want, so I'm left with mindlessly messing with stuff until I get something decent. I'd like to be able to set that stuff up for myself. My question is this: Does anybody have any tips for setting stuff like that, or have any guides online for it? I've done some searching myself, but I've yet to find one that doesn't fly over my head. Thanks in advance.

p.s. my apologies if there's already a topic for this, I didn't find one on search..

edit: Fuck, wrong forum. Could this be deleted or moved?

 

[AudioPhile777]

presets wont help you... you need to develop your ears... if you dont like the way something sounds... tweak some knobs...

a book or two couldnt hurt either...

 

[Ermz]

A good way to dial compressors in is to set the ratio to max, and have the threshold set so that it's taking off a fair bit of the signal. Now set your attack to the fastest it will possibly go.

So now you're listening to a horrid mess of sound. What you want to do is adjust the 'release' setting so that the compressor lets off a bit in between the transient/rhythmic parts. Have it at the end of its release curve just as the new transient kicks in. Listen to what sounds best. Hear how much you want it to breathe.

After this, adjust your attack setting until you like how much punchyness comes through. With drums, having a slower release time will basically simulate the sound of thicker sticks, or harder hits. Having a fast release time will sound weaker.

After this adjust your threshold to a point where the signal exceeds it only when you feel it needs to. It doesn't always have to be compressing! It's okay to have compression just taming unruly transients and resonances. With the ratio control, you just have to use your ears and hear what gives you the most control versus how much life it sucks out of the dynamics.

With EQ, my method is basically to identify in my mind the elements that I dislike, then subtract those. After that's done, the additive EQ begins where I add elements that I feel it needs.

 

[smy1]

As Audiophile said: check some books on the very basics first.

Coincidentally there is a a recording books thread alive just now in the main forum

 

[greyskull]

tweaking mindlessly is okay for a bit to gt your head around vaguely what all the knobs do, but an understanding of what each processor does helps you to get the sound you have in your head coming out the speakers

 

[-J-]

Maybe go with the cliff notes: read some manuals. Let's say you're goofing with a compressor plugin....go nab an online manual from alesis at their website and see what they say the knobs do for their equipment. then apply that to your plug-in or whatever. of course, if the plug-in has its own manual, definitely read that.

stuff like flangers and delays....I don't see anything wrong with just using your instincts. usually there's a level knob and some other knobs that are pretty obvious to the ears what they do when you twist them.

most crap you probably don't even need, like expanders, stereo enhancers, sonic maximizers, etc. I'm sure a lot of people get off on that stuff, but those are the same types putting their sister's hair bands on their headstocks. ah, calm down everyone, I'm just kidding. er, sort of.

 

[James Murphy]

most crap you probably don't even need, like expanders, stereo enhancers, sonic maximizers, etc. I'm sure a lot of people get off on that stuff, but those are the same types putting their sister's hair bands on their headstocks. ah, calm down everyone, I'm just kidding. er, sort of.

yeah, "sort of".... well i am calm, but i'm not kidding....

expansion (which many compressors can be set to accomplish) is very, very useful... for it's bascially a "soft gate"... gets it's name because of the fact that , quite opposite to a compressor, it has the effect of actually increasing (expanding) the dynamic range or your source material. think of a gate... let's say on a tom.... but rather than cutting everything other than the tom hits to silence the expander just lowers it by a degree you specify... like playing with the Range control on some gates... so what you've done is taken a signal where the parts of it you want to emphasize (the actual tom hits in our example) and those you do not (the bleed from the rest of the kit) were much closer in average and peak levels (not the same...if that were they case it would mean you suck at recording or the drummer hits like a pussy)... but after applying the expander there is much more of a difference in those levels... thus you've expanded the dynamic range. there are many other uses for expanders, this is just one example.

Stereo Enhancers are used by many mastering engineers and some mix engineers.. they can be useful.. but tread lightly, especially until you know what you're doing.

Sonic Maximizers i agree with you on... best sell those off on eBay to the next suckah if you have any.

Hair-ties, or bandannas, or polishing cloths , or any other type of dampener used across the strings while recording (when no open notes are to be used) is a common and very practical technique... i've seen many players (like John Petrucci & Marty Friedman to name a couple) using it in the studio on their own and most producers will do this with the guitarists they are recording, just as i have done for years.... just watch a few "making of the record" dvd's and you will soon see it well in practice. it's a valuable technique to embrace, even with very proficient players... and it is exremely common, even amongst the best of the best.

just some advice, take it for what it's worth.

 

[Ermz]

Dampening the strings while recording is something I embrace as often as I possibly can. A lot of bands who haven't recorded much before are amazed at how much more clarity it can bring to certain parts.. especially leads and solos. Speaking of which, I might go get a pink hair band for the 'studio' to commemorate our hair metal roots.

I've actually found a use for the Sonic Maximizer... it adds some nice upper harmonics to toms. I've long since ditched the idea of using it on guitars, but it can add some nice cut and air to drums, much like an exciter would, I imagine. Although I believe that its use should be kept very minimal.

 

[greyskull]

just tried hand band on my guitar for the first time!
good god,
so many overtones and pings that leaked throuh that you never notice get cut off!!! awesome little trick!

 

[-J-]

just some advice, take it for what it's worth.

I'm not going to turn down advice from a living legend! Thanks for clarifying, James.

oh, alright, I admit to letting an engineer put electrical tape on my E & A strings during my attempt at a sweep solo. I'm a closet string dampner! To this day, I still can't do a nice clean sweep.

 

[the_man361]

this website is quite good for learning how to do some techniques and how it all works/what gear you could get.

tweakheadz site

 

[Unavailable]

Where does the hairband go on the guitar?

 

[Radd]

this website is quite good for learning how to do some techniques and how it all works/what gear you could get.

tweakheadz site

Yeah, this site is great for newbies. I use it often.

 

[Torsis]

Where does the hairband go on the guitar?

As close to the nut as possible, fretside - but feel free to use a "thick hairband" that slobs 1/4 the way into the first fret.

Think about it ...you want to damp the open strings.

 

[Gnash]

The sock trick! A "clean" sock works for me. It'll look goofy on the making of vid, so use a black one at least. ("It's better to look good, than to feeeel good"-Billy Crystal) Just tie that fucker around the neck, near the nut, and your in business!

 

[Unavailable]

As close to the nut as possible, fretside - but feel free to use a "thick hairband" that slobs 1/4 the way into the first fret.

Think about it ...you want to damp the open strings.

Oh I get it now. lol, I thought I had to get it under the strings... You can imagine that would be quite annoying to deal with.

 

[Glenn Fricker]

but those are the same types putting their sister's hair bands on their headstocks.

I use my own.

 

[-J-]

I use my own.

your own sister? that's gross.

<bad dum bum>

thank you very much, I'm here all week, try the veal.

 

[James Murphy]

on the "making of" dvd that comes with the Roadrunner United CD you can see, if you look close, that i'm using as my string dampener the empty purple felt bag that comes with bottles of Crown Royal... held on with a velcro cable tie.

... and yes, before anyone asks... it was from the the bottle that Joey is seen carousing the studio with elsewhere on the dvd.

good times.