Why do my recordings sound like this??

[sam-v]

I'm pretty sure I'm going to sell my Fast Track Pro interface and buy a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2--it seems like a simpler, better quality interface, and even if audio interfaces really have nothing to do with how your clean your recordings sound, I suspect that the poor recordings have something to do with this interface, since I have used it for years with multiple microphones and they have all sounded the same. I feel like I'll get much more utility out of an interface that has more-than-adequately functioning preamps built into it so I can actually, you know, hear what I'm recording without going into my DAW software and boosting the output levels literally all the way.

I'm still considering what options I have for DIY room treatment since so many of you swear by it... I'm thinking about just building a makeshift reflexion filter out of a foam mattress topper, and hanging blankets or towels around the walls while recording to absorb unwanted noise. Has anyone else tried this and gotten some good results?

[Doug Young]

Sam, I'd do a bit more reading about recording. Buying new gear is always fun, and if you like the Scarlett, that's cool, go with your gut and try anything that makes sense to you. But moving from one low end interface to another seems somewhat unlikely to produce any dramatic change. You say your recordings all sound the same, and you've always used the same interface. That's reasonable, but what else has stayed the same? Your room, your guitar, your micing technique, your mixing technique? The key to getting better sound is to identify what the problem is and fix it (or them). Trying other gear is one way to do that, but I'm not sure cycling through different $100 preamps is going be enough of a change to matter.

One good way to invest $100 in improving would be to go record a tune or two in a local studio. That should buy you anywhere from an hour or two to an afternoon, depending on the studio. You'll probably learn a lot, just by seeing how an experienced engineer records, seeing what kind of sound you can get with good gear and good acoustics. Treat it like taking a class on recording (which is also an idea, check your local junior college). Then take what you've learned and see what you'd have to do to mimic that at home.

As far as room treatment - it's not the treatment that matters, it's the sound of the room. The sound of your guitar is greatly affected by the room - strap on the guitar and walk around while you play - you'll probably hear big differences as you go from room to room, unless your rooms are all identically shaped and furnished. Most rooms need to be "tuned" to sound good. That's what acoustic treatment is for. What the sound is that you're recording is the biggest factor. A good sounding guitar, played well, in a great sounding room will be easy to record. You could record to your phone and it will sound pretty good.

Putting up a mattress or towels won't do anything to block noise out. Eliminating external noises is very hard. You don't "absorb" unwanted noise. What you absorb is echo, mostly from the sound of your guitar. Towels and mattresses also aren't likely to do much there either. There is tons of info on this on web. It does take time to read (and probably some money to actually create a good sounding space). I think it's been recommended before, but I'd start by checking out Fran Guidry's Homebrew Music site and Ethan Winer's Real Traps site (not for products, for all the educational stuff he has)

[rick-slo]

I thought the OP recordings sounded pretty decent except for low frequency smudge - especially decent for a single mike and a noticeable level of background noise.

For further suggestions to the OP it would likely be helpful to know exactly what sound the OP thinks is good by him providing an example or two (links).

[MikeBmusic]

I have heard the M Audio preamps were not very good compared to other low budget interfaces.
I'd recommend the 2i4 over the 2i2 though, for the extra features it has - an extras set of output jacks (unbalanced, software controlled to set up a different monitor mix), switchable pads on both inputs, and a front panel knob to set up the monitor balance between direct input and playback tracks (software only for the 2i2)

[sam-v]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Sam, I'd do a bit more reading about recording. Buying new gear is always fun, and if you like the Scarlett, that's cool, go with your gut and try anything that makes sense to you. But moving from one low end interface to another seems somewhat unlikely to produce any dramatic change. You say your recordings all sound the same, and you've always used the same interface. That's reasonable, but what else has stayed the same? Your room, your guitar, your micing technique, your mixing technique? The key to getting better sound is to identify what the problem is and fix it (or them). Trying other gear is one way to do that, but I'm not sure cycling through different $100 preamps is going be enough of a change to matter.

One good way to invest $100 in improving would be to go record a tune or two in a local studio. That should buy you anywhere from an hour or two to an afternoon, depending on the studio. You'll probably learn a lot, just by seeing how an experienced engineer records, seeing what kind of sound you can get with good gear and good acoustics. Treat it like taking a class on recording (which is also an idea, check your local junior college). Then take what you've learned and see what you'd have to do to mimic that at home.

As far as room treatment - it's not the treatment that matters, it's the sound of the room. The sound of your guitar is greatly affected by the room - strap on the guitar and walk around while you play - you'll probably hear big differences as you go from room to room, unless your rooms are all identically shaped and furnished. Most rooms need to be "tuned" to sound good. That's what acoustic treatment is for. What the sound is that you're recording is the biggest factor. A good sounding guitar, played well, in a great sounding room will be easy to record. You could record to your phone and it will sound pretty good.

Putting up a mattress or towels won't do anything to block noise out. Eliminating external noises is very hard. You don't "absorb" unwanted noise. What you absorb is echo, mostly from the sound of your guitar. Towels and mattresses also aren't likely to do much there either. There is tons of info on this on web. It does take time to read (and probably some money to actually create a good sounding space). I think it's been recommended before, but I'd start by checking out Fran Guidry's Homebrew Music site and Ethan Winer's Real Traps site (not for products, for all the educational stuff he has)

Thanks Doug, but in this case it isn't really a matter of trying to "upgrade" necessarily to something in the same price range, but more of switching to something that is more suitable for me and what I'm trying to do. The M-Audio Fast Track Pro was just what I bought when I had no clue what I needed, it has lots of features, and that's great for someone who would actually use them, but the preamps are so bad that I can't even properly monitor how my recordings are sounding. Not even sure you could use this interface for serious recordings without first buying a separate preamp to use with it, which I could do but I'd rather not spend an additional $50-$100 to use this crappy interface that already cost me a lot of money, with no guarantee that I'll even get a better sound anyway lol. The Scarlett 2i2 just seems like a simpler, better option. Simple controls, high-quality (the best in the price range apparently) preamps built into it, and that's exactly what I need for what I'm recording.

Still not sure exactly what to do about the room treatment, especially since my current living situation isn't permanent so I don't want to buy all this gear and then set up shop so to speak only to have it taken all down and moved somewhere else in 4-5 months. Not to mention yet again, I just don't have the money.

I know a lot of you have said the recordings actually sounded decent so maybe it's just me, but I've tried pretty much everything I can with what I have and still haven't been satisfied with anything.

And Rick, here's just something I found on Youtube for an example of what I'm kind of trying to get here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTSy...A0yq-IzFOWjTAQ

This guy has the same microphone I have (and uses a Scarlett 2i2 interface). That's all he uses for his recordings, and he even states that this particular recording was poorly mixed, but it still sounds way better (to me) than anything I've recorded. It's at a good volume level and there's basically no background noise at all, it sounds really professional and as you can probably tell in the video it doesn't look like there's any room treatment or anything. All my recordings sound so boomy and unclear with lots of background noise in my opinion, even though I record in the smallest, quietest room in the house.

[rick-slo]

sam-v,
Different guitar, different (less busy, less low notes, less open string ringing) song selection, less computer background noise, not recorded too hot, guitar surrounded by a big fat couch, a bit of post recording processing. I thought it lacked detail and transient clarity.

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by sam-v

The M-Audio Fast Track Pro was just what I bought when I had no clue what I needed, it has lots of features, and that's great for someone who would actually use them, but the preamps are so bad that I can't even properly monitor how my recordings are sounding.

I'm all for buying based on the features you need. That varies a lot more than sound quality, so you should definitely choose gear that has the features that match your needs. I'm unclear on why you think the preamps are bad, tho, and why a different unit in the same price range will be better. I don't know either of these systems, so you could well be correct. But am I recalling right that you're monitoring on ipod earbuds? I don't know how you can assess the quality one way or the other. You have to have a system that allows you to hear what's being recorded to be able to make any decisions. That may be even more important than room treatment. Imagine trying to paint a picture in the dark...

Still not sure exactly what to do about the room treatment, especially since my current living situation isn't permanent so I don't want to buy all this gear and then set up shop so to speak only to have it taken all down and moved somewhere else in 4-5 months. Not to mention yet again, I just don't have the money.

Take a look at Fran Guidry's site. He demos the impact of just two homemade panels, that can be stuffed in a closet when you're not using them, or moved to your next apartment. Probably around $20-30 each to build, depending on how nice you want them to look. But, as people keep saying, your recordings aren't all that bad, so maybe you don't even need that. Maybe you need a decent set of earphones, and more time experimenting with mic placement.

And Rick, here's just something I found on Youtube for an example of what I'm kind of trying to get here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTSy...A0yq-IzFOWjTAQ

Rick's dead on about having a reference. And what matters is what you think, but to me, your recording sounded *way* better than this. This may be related to what you're listening on. Over studio monitors, this is not an impressive example of a guitar sound, at least to me. I'd take your recording any day, especially after Rick tweaked it.