Why do your recordings sound like ass?

[digitaldeath]

Hey guys, there's a great thread on the Reaper forums at the moment that has some great advise, no matter what DAW you're using.
Defo worth the read.

http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=29283

 

[Ermz]

It seems to be a good resource for getting priorities in order, though I don't know how he can criticize ported speaker designs for one-note-bass and then put so little emphasis on acoustic treatment. Room acoustics play a FAR greater role on what you hear than monitors. The frequency balance in most untreated rooms is so skewed that the small differences between loudspeakers can barely compare most times. Once you're looking at monitors worth a few hundred dollars, your coin is much better spent invested in acoustic treatment as you will get more bang for buck beyond that point. Only after the environment sounds great can one truly justify great monitors, as all those nuances that make them great won't be readily apparent until the environment stops skewing their output.

 

[Metaltastic]

Word, even the most minimal of bass-trapping made a difference with my $100 computer speakers!

 

[James-Doolan]

Hey Niall glad to see you hanging round here pretty much the best place on the net to hone your recording knowledge.

 

[abyssofdreams]

I love the type of questions he lists in his OP, hilarious
The "Copy protection" one was so random

 

[digitaldeath]

I love the type of questions he lists in his OP, hilarious
The "Copy protection" one was so random

I'm guessing that he's referring to iLok.
Overall, there's some great information to be found on the thread!

 

[digitaldeath]

Hey Niall glad to see you hanging round here pretty much the best place on the net to hone your recording knowledge.

Lol, small world dude!

 

[006]

I like to look at it from a slightly different angle in thinking that no one single thing is "the most important," IMO there is no most important anything when it comes to audio. Acoustics are important, monitor quality is important, preamps are important, mics are important, hell even the musicians and their gear is important...but not any single one of those is more or less important than the other. It's all important, any sub-par link in the "chain" is a weak point. So $10k monitors will suck in a bedroom with no acoustic treatment. Your U87 you just dropped a fuckload on doesn't mean shit if you are using a Behringer preamp. I can go on and on. But you guys know this.

~006

 

[digitaldeath]

I like to look at it from a slightly different angle in thinking that no one single thing is "the most important," IMO there is no most important anything when it comes to audio. Acoustics are important, monitor quality is important, preamps are important, mics are important, hell even the musicians and their gear is important...but not any single one of those is more or less important than the other. It's all important, any sub-par link in the "chain" is a weak point. So $10k monitors will suck in a bedroom with no acoustic treatment. Your U87 you just dropped a fuckload on doesn't mean shit if you are using a Behringer preamp. I can go on and on. But you guys know this.

~006

Which is exactly why I'm enjoying the thread as he goes into certain things which I would never have known!

 

[Ben Johnson]

Your U87 you just dropped a fuckload on doesn't mean shit if you are using a Behringer preamp. I can go on and on. But you guys know this.

~006

Tad Donley doesn't. You just named his golden channel. Except his is a "NEWmann" U87.

 

[Metaltastic]

Tad Donley doesn't. You just named his golden channel. Except his is a "NEWmann" U87.

Haha, yup - third time's the charm with that Behringer gear!

 

[yep]

It seems to be a good resource for getting priorities in order, though I don't know how he can criticize ported speaker designs for one-note-bass and then put so little emphasis on acoustic treatment. Room acoustics play a FAR greater role on what you hear than monitors. The frequency balance in most untreated rooms is so skewed that the small differences between loudspeakers can barely compare most times. Once you're looking at monitors worth a few hundred dollars, your coin is much better spent invested in acoustic treatment as you will get more bang for buck beyond that point. Only after the environment sounds great can one truly justify great monitors, as all those nuances that make them great won't be readily apparent until the environment stops skewing their output.

Hiya,
A kind soul pointed out to me that you fine folks noticed my rantings over on another forum.

Moonlapse raises HUGELY important points. In the forum where the thread was originally posted, "acoustics" is a sticky at the top, and my postings on techniques actually started as an offshoot of that (not at all a substitute for).

And for the record, there is nothing at all wrong with ported bass, just with badly-ported bass. That is EXACTLY the kind of stuff that speaker designers should worry about, not recording engineers. All we care about is whether the speakers are good, not how they got there.

Cheers.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

have to give this thread a bump

 

[brianhood]

good lord you guys seriously read all of that? After 3 hours of reading and realizing i was only half way through, i gave up.

There is some interesting stuff, but there is too much trailing off. The guy has a special skill of taking something that could be put into two sentences, and turning it into 10 paragraphs.

 

[xFkx]

Hmm, i have a really unprofessional aproach to mixing i guess, since the acoustics in my room are shit, and my ears are not what i would call trained. just A/B constantly with 'pro' mixes, till i hear what works in them and what doesn't work in mine.

 

[Metaltastic]

Hmm, i have a really unprofessional aproach to mixing i guess, since the acoustics in my room are shit, and my ears are not what i would call trained. just A/B constantly with 'pro' mixes, till i hear what works in them and what doesn't work in mine.

Best way to do it!

There is some interesting stuff, but there is too much trailing off. The guy has a special skill of taking something that could be put into two sentences, and turning it into 10 paragraphs.

Sounds like Slipperman!

 

[FarBeyondMetal]

I have been reading this thread since it started and the first thought that ran through my mind is "slipperman". I honestly believe that when this thread is finished it is going to reach cult status amongst audio nerds like ourselves. It is a very long read, but i feel that the "trailing off" helps people(me atleast) understand the concepts more in depth.

 

[digitaldeath]

I have been reading this thread since it started and the first thought that ran through my mind is "slipperman". I honestly believe that when this thread is finished it is going to reach cult status amongst audio nerds like ourselves. It is a very long read, but i feel that the "trailing off" helps people(me atleast) understand the concepts more in depth.

+1
I like how it doesn't have a condescending tone such as that of Slipperman.