View Single Post
  #28  
Old 04-18-2011, 03:19 PM
Fran Guidry Fran Guidry is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Walnut Creek, CA
Posts: 3,712
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldenbird View Post
Well I got my JBL LSP2325P speakers. Got my ZoomH4. Got my Oktava MK-012 mic modded for Neumann KM-84 tone and plan to get another for stereo recording. Got a couple of Shure SM-57's and a couple of SM-58's. Got a computer. Got a nice quiet room to record in and have started putting together baffles and go-bo's and sound deadening stuff.

And I've got a jillion or two solo guitar pieces that I've composed over the last twenty years.

What else do I need? I'm only interested in recording acoustic guitar, some percussion and some vocals.
Experience and an understanding of recording levels. Of all the things I needed to learn the hardest but most useful was convincing myself that the recorded signal level _should_ be ridiculously low.

In analog recording, the standard level was called "0 dBVU" and every part of the chain was optimized to work with that level. It was possible to go over that level with transients, so "hitting the red" on the meter was a good thing, you were optimizing signal to noise without adding substantial distortion.

Digital recording is scaled to "0 dBFS" and FS means Full Scale or all bits on. This is an absolute limit in digital recording and it's roughly 18 dB hotter than the old 0 dBVU. Trying to hit 0 dBFS is equivalent to pinning the old VU meter deep in the red and keeping it there, and the result is not good. The analog electronics in the chain are being driven beyond their sweet spot, and any overs result in nasty digital clipping.

A much more accurate and pleasant recording results from aiming for an average (RMS) level down around -18 dBFS, with peaks never exceeding -6 dBFS or so. This will sound very quiet compared to a commercial recording, but that's fine. The overall level is set in the mastering stage, just before the final output is produced.

Fran
__________________
E ho`okani pila kakou ma Kaleponi
Slack Key in California - www.kaleponi.com
My YouTube clips
The Homebrewed Music Blog
Reply With Quote