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Old 08-25-2017, 08:52 AM
Shades of Blue Shades of Blue is offline
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Default Trouble recording and not having much fun...

I need some help guys. I bought a Blue Yeti mic a few months ago and had big plans to record a simple 5 song demo just to give to family and friends. The future of my recording was going to be to record me and my daughter as she gets older, as she has fun singing.

So, what I'm finding is that I'm hearing every single little imperfection. I'm catching my arm moving on the guitar, the squeaking of the chair, and even the air condition when it kicks on. It's distracting, and the room is actually VERY quiet or so I thought.

I'm thinking now about maybe getting something like a Zoom H2N just to catch what my daughter and I are doing. Plus, I could use it at her violin practices to let her hear how she's progressing....

Would a Zoom be more fun?
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Old 08-25-2017, 09:33 AM
Brent Hahn Brent Hahn is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shades of Blue View Post
I'm thinking now about maybe getting something like a Zoom H2N just to catch what my daughter and I are doing. Plus, I could use it at her violin practices to let her hear how she's progressing....

Would a Zoom be more fun?
I think you'll have more fun simply because the imperfections aren't yours. The microphone doesn't matter. Enjoy documenting your daughter's progress, and work on getting yourself less imperfect :-).
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Old 08-25-2017, 10:04 AM
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When I was taking guitar lessons several years ago I'd bring along my Zoom H4, put it on a mini tripod, and record the whole lesson. It did a nice job for what I needed it for (my instructor had 'marginal' printed materials so having the verbal instructions along with a recording of the instructor playing the song was very helpful).

Any Zoom product would probably be fine for lessons, but for home recording you might want to look at the Zoom H5 if your budget allows.
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Old 08-25-2017, 10:13 AM
Fran Guidry Fran Guidry is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shades of Blue View Post
I need some help guys. I bought a Blue Yeti mic a few months ago and had big plans to record a simple 5 song demo just to give to family and friends. The future of my recording was going to be to record me and my daughter as she gets older, as she has fun singing.

So, what I'm finding is that I'm hearing every single little imperfection. I'm catching my arm moving on the guitar, the squeaking of the chair, and even the air condition when it kicks on. It's distracting, and the room is actually VERY quiet or so I thought.

I'm thinking now about maybe getting something like a Zoom H2N just to catch what my daughter and I are doing. Plus, I could use it at her violin practices to let her hear how she's progressing....

Would a Zoom be more fun?
Can you explain why you think the Zoom would give better results than the Yeti? If your idea is that a more portable recorder would have wider use then something like the H2n or equivalent seems like the way to go. If you're thinking a different recorder will give different results, not so much.

As much as we like to discuss the differences in recording systems, the reality is that two different systems recording the same source in the same space are likely to have the same problems. Applying enough gain to match the volume of commercial recordings will make the limitations of the room stand out. Listening to a recording without the distraction of performing will make every flaw in the performance painfully obvious.

These issues are also the big benefit of recording. We can't fix problems that we don't recognize so hearing those bumps and squeaks tells us what we need to work on. But I think the pain of those first recording efforts is nearly a universal experience.

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Old 08-25-2017, 10:30 AM
jim1960 jim1960 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shades of Blue View Post
So, what I'm finding is that I'm hearing every single little imperfection. I'm catching my arm moving on the guitar, the squeaking of the chair, and even the air condition when it kicks on. It's distracting, and the room is actually VERY quiet or so I thought.

I'm thinking now about maybe getting something like a Zoom H2N...
Those "imperfections" exist and aren't going to be eliminated by buying a Zoom H2N. Some suggestions for minimizing the problems:
  • Sound of your arm moving - stop moving your arm so much. Also, put the mic in cardioid mode and reposition it so you're getting less arm noise.
  • Squeaking chair - use a chair that doesn't squeak.
  • A/C noise - when you're recording, turn the a/c up or down so it's either running or not running while you're recording. The sound of it turning on or off is going to be more noticeable than it running the entire time.

You might also reconsider your expectations. You're not in a studio environment. If you're expecting studio quality recordings you're going to be disappointed. You're creating memories for yourself and your daughter. No one that listens for that purpose is going to criticize the imperfections. What you're creating is akin to a photograph taken with a cheap camera. It's not about the quality of the picture; it's about the quality of the memory. So whether you use the Yeti or the H2N, focus on what's important and just go make those memories.
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Old 08-25-2017, 01:08 PM
Alex6strings Alex6strings is offline
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I have a Zoom H5 and it's great, couldn't be happier. As others have pointed out, it won't make a hoots difference with unwanted noise unfortunately.

FWIW OP, The Zoom will still capture the sounds you don't want it to, but it helped me get rid of them. It was awareness mostly. Identifying the noises was the biggest part, within weeks of doing that and recording every day they were gone. Having a high quality practice recorder and using it daily does help in that way. For me I just wasn't aware that I'd gotten a bit hand and arm lazy. Once I was, it was quite easy to erase most of the stuff was annoying me.

I turn my a/c and my refrigerator off when I'm recording. I have a small place and it sort of sounds like an airplane taking off in the background if I don't.

Last edited by Alex6strings; 08-25-2017 at 02:46 PM.
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Old 08-25-2017, 01:46 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shades of Blue View Post
I need some help guys. I bought a Blue Yeti mic a few months ago and had big plans to record a simple 5 song demo just to give to family and friends. The future of my recording was going to be to record me and my daughter as she gets older, as she has fun singing.

So, what I'm finding is that I'm hearing every single little imperfection. I'm catching my arm moving on the guitar, the squeaking of the chair, and even the air condition when it kicks on. It's distracting, and the room is actually VERY quiet or so I thought.

I'm thinking now about maybe getting something like a Zoom H2N just to catch what my daughter and I are doing. Plus, I could use it at her violin practices to let her hear how she's progressing....

Would a Zoom be more fun?
A pro engineer friend of mine calls it " Recording Shock" the imperfections seem to scream from the monitoring speakers, HP's what have you.
The reality is this is quite natural, and almost everybody experiences it to some degree. Things that are not noticed and get lost in live performance, are very present in recording .
Just look at it as a way to really shock you into striving for improvement, and going to the next level.
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  #8  
Old 08-26-2017, 09:14 AM
Ceabeceabe Ceabeceabe is offline
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You could also try different recording levels, mic positions and even different room if you have different rooms where you can set up.

Think of the recordings as "live recordings" rather than studio ones. Maybe use "live" or "concert in the album title when you hand out the recordings...

Don't let the imperfection stop you from recording for friends and family! Especially since family and friends will know these are home recordings rather than ones made at a soundproof studio etc.
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Old 08-27-2017, 09:09 PM
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Shades of Blue: Some really great advice here! While my efforts are aimed at making the best home recording I can for friends/family distribution, I also try for some level of personal perfection, knowing and accepting that I'll not attain "studio" quality. Sounds like this might be what you're after?
Before I record I:
Check wind conditions outside (I live near the coast and this can be a source of big noise elements with unanticipated gusts ).
Take down the clock in the dining room where I record and move it.
Shut off the fridge
Turn the thermostat to a level that won't suddenly bring on the oil burner.
Put on a favorite thin fleece shirt which seems to do the best with noise reduction with any slight arm movements.
Apart from that, there is an element of controlled breathing which some need to get used to. With condenser mics, the slightest sniffle or breath intake can sound HUGE over your system.
Make sure my headphone mic cord is clear and not going to tap the guitar while playing (can produce quite an unwanted noise).

These are all apart from mic placement, just the "get ready/get in position" stuff.
Of course beyond that, it's about finding the best performance possible of a song or instrumental. Despite a lot of practice leading into a time for recording, I also accept that I may not cleanly bang out a song with a take or two, so I accept that I'll be warming up and elevating things with a number of takes before things get into a serious groove, so I build in that time in planning. But, sometimes I'm surprised with early takes....depends on the evening!
Good luck with your project.........I use an H4n Zoom with separate mic pre-amp and higher quality condenser mics for the work I do.
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Old 08-27-2017, 09:42 PM
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Let me tell you what I've found even though I may repeat what everyone else has said to some extent.

1. Your ears are connected to your brain. Your brain filters out unimportant sounds so you can concentrate on what's perceived to be important. A mic doesn't have a brain. It records everything. What it records, is really there.

2. Some mics are more sensitive than others. I have a Rodes NT5 that my wife bought me as a gift. It is way too sensitive for what I need and for the room I'm recording in ( 8x10 feet). I've gone back to using my older condensor mics. Some mics have a db button on the side that will cut back on its sensitivity.

3. Turn off the a/c. You'll get that hum in the back ground even if you're in another room. We live in a cape cod style home with the washing machine and dryer in the basement. I record and play in the room directly above the wash room. Guess what you can hear in my recordings when we're doing laundry.

4. Keep the mic(s) back at least 2 feet from the guitar. Have it on the side of the lower bout, not the fret board side or in front of the sound hole.

I record with an older Tascam US-122 usb device with a Presonus BlueTube preamp and two mics in xy config. I also have a small "sound box" that is lined with padding that I put the mics in to cut down on reflections getting picked up. It helps. I plan on replacing the US-122 with a Zoom H5. The H5 has 2 external inputs as well as two built in mics, which I think will be perfect for me. As it is now I am chained to my computer to record. Using the Zoom I will be able to move to a larger room with an environment better for recording quietly.
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Last edited by TBman; 08-27-2017 at 09:47 PM.
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Old 08-28-2017, 07:12 AM
MikeBmusic MikeBmusic is offline
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And believe it or not, the more you do recording and listening to it critically, the more imperfections you'll hear! The occasional pick-to-soundboard sound; the note just a little off-time; breathing(!).
But also look at how you are miking the guitar - if they are 24" apart, you probably have the gain cranked up, which will pick up those extraneous noises more.
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Old 08-28-2017, 08:07 AM
jim1960 jim1960 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TBman View Post
2. Some mics are more sensitive than others. I have a Rodes NT5 that my wife bought me as a gift. It is way too sensitive for what I need and for the room I'm recording in ( 8x10 feet). I've gone back to using my older condensor mics. Some mics have a db button on the side that will cut back on its sensitivity.
What you're calling a "db button" is more often called a pad switch. It lowers the output of the microphone so that loud sounds don't overdrive your recording chain. It's useful for things like kick drums and guitar amps. Acoustic guitars don't put out a lot of volume. I suppose it could be useful in some close mic situations where someone was strumming an acoustic especially loudly but I don't see its usefulness for fingerpicking.


Quote:
Originally Posted by TBman View Post
4. Keep the mic(s) back at least 2 feet from the guitar. Have it on the side of the lower bout, not the fret board side or in front of the sound hole.
Pointing two mics at the lower bout defeats the purpose of using two mics, no? More commonly, one would point one mic at the lower bout and another at the fretboard near the 12th-14th fret. This produces stereo width that would be nearly gone if one pointed both mics at the lower bout.
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Old 08-28-2017, 08:15 AM
Ty Ford Ty Ford is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shades of Blue View Post
So, what I'm finding is that I'm hearing every single little imperfection. I'm catching my arm moving on the guitar, the squeaking of the chair, and even the air condition when it kicks on. It's distracting, and the room is actually VERY quiet or so I thought.
The zoom would give you portability. Everything else would probably remain the same.

Now you see why there's a good argument for having a recording studio industry.

Regards,

Ty Ford
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Old 08-28-2017, 09:48 AM
lfoo6952 lfoo6952 is offline
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Shades of Blue:

I too recently purchased the Blue Yeti, and experienced the same issue you described. You probably have the gain set too high. Just back off on the gain, and you should get better results.
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Old 08-28-2017, 10:26 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jim1960 View Post


Pointing two mics at the lower bout defeats the purpose of using two mics, no? More commonly, one would point one mic at the lower bout and another at the fretboard near the 12th-14th fret. This produces stereo width that would be nearly gone if one pointed both mics at the lower bout.
You're probably right, but for what I do (hobby only) CD stereo quality isn't as important to me as much as not picking up as much left hand on the back of the neck movement noises and other annoying string noises. I've used those annoying noises to help motivate me to better my playing technique and it has gotten better, but moving the mics to the lower bout has enabled me to "put my head in the sand" on the matter a bit, lol.

Btw, using a low pass filter in eq post recording does help get rid of some of that "ambient" room noise. Too much of it is no good though...
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