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  #31  
Old 05-08-2014, 08:58 AM
MikeBmusic MikeBmusic is offline
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Well I got cubase working and spent 3 hrs trying to get it recognize my irig pro. Just did a couple of 20sec clips to see how it sounds and if it will record. Finally got it to lay something down and wasn't impressed with the quality. Could be the mic or placement. Just not clean. Ill monkey with it more and see if I can't get anything better maybe I'll go back to mixcraft and have a reference of the familiar. Really not crazy about the immediate controls. Maybe the light version doesn't have the greatest plugins
I think your quality problem may be due to the iRig. Basically any DAW is just processing what comes into it and except for the actual FX (plug-ins), it should sound the same as any other DAW.
I assume you were using an XLR-connected mic and the problem may very well be the internal mic preamp in the IRig. If you were using a mic with a 1/4" plug, that could explain the sound quality issue, too.
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  #32  
Old 05-08-2014, 11:29 AM
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One comment I'd make about on-line shopping in general, I'd take ANY sales staff recommendation with a grain of salt. There's just no guarantee as to what the motivations are on the other end of the phone.

The best thing to do is research what you want and then go shopping. I love Sweetwater's service and have bought many things from them, about $4000 worth that I can think of right now. One of the critical things to remember is Sweetwater automatically extends factory warranties to a full two years, Yes, I've had occasion to use it after having a recorder develop problems 1-1/2 years after purchase.
I agree 100%, if I have no opportunity to buy locally and online is the only way, I spend a few days scouring the Internet.
That starts with Google which leads to Retailers with Customers giving their reviews and of course Forums. Since I have been a member of many forums I get a bit of the picture from more reliable posters opposed to trolls. This research I do involves many hours of my time and so far it has paid off. Yes Sweetwater does have a great warranty included with purchase and that is a good reason to deal with them. However like you say take a Sales representative's advice with a grain of salt.
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  #33  
Old 05-08-2014, 11:31 AM
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That's too info Rudy...

Well I thought I'd DL the trial for cubase 7 essentials to make sure it would work. It doesn't say anything about vista (my OS) do you suppose it won't work or that they maybe trying to phase out vista? Kinda wanted to try it before I purchase and interface or mics I feel doing some sound panels and researching software compatibility seems to come first. Anyone know what DAW works with vista? I absolutely hate windows 7 or 8 platform and would buy a Mac before I pay for the 7,8 nightmare.
I made a mistake regarding Cubase. I had Cubase Essentials 5, then bought Cubase Artist 7 not essentials.
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  #34  
Old 05-08-2014, 09:51 PM
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Well I did some a/band I can get both of the DAW software to sound about the same. Get it pretty clean but the mixcraft is so much easier to use. I did a little demo and it too me as long to get the irig configured into cubase as it it did to lay down 5 quick tracks in cubase (although I'm still learning)
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  #35  
Old 05-09-2014, 09:05 PM
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Been playing with cubase while the trial lasts. I've recorded windy and warm because I'm comfortable within and my tests were more about getting something down rather than playing mistake free.

I used my iRig pro HD and the AKG perception 120 and no room treatment. The mic was chest high about 6-8 from the sound hole at the 14th fret. I did 2 recordings. One with a little "room" effects, and one more "dry"

http://soundcloud.com/smokerblacker/windy/s-tMPek

http://soundcloud.com/smokerblacker/windy/s-tMPek

Just wondering if I could get some feedback. But be easy, this was only a few minutes of recording and mixing. After mix down the room effect seems a little more "roomy" then it did before mix down. No EQ, a little compressor is all.
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  #36  
Old 05-09-2014, 10:16 PM
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That sounds better than I'd expect in an untreated room. I'd lay off the compressor, I hear it pumping, unless you want that audible effect. The balance leans to the left - a meter designed to show you stereo balance can help during mic setup, and then you can fine tune it in the mix.

One thing about recording is that it shows us how we sound from the mic position. You're playing well, but the thumb is really loud. I know that thumb style calls for a big boom-chuck, but the melody's a bit swamped. It could be mic placement, it could be the compression, or it could be that you have to adjust your playing a bit for recording. What works live doesn't always translate to the mics.

I'm also confused, since I thought you were talking about one mic, but I hear a pretty dramatic stereo effect. Is one side a pickup? That's probably going to produce some rather funny phase/stereo image effects, and may be why it doesn't sound balanced to me. If you want to use a pickup, I'd play with blending it in differently - I'd probably try stereo micing, with a bit of pickup in the middle to add some "solid" sound. There are other techniques, but I'd shy away from fancy blending until you get a sound you like from mics alone.

I'd also suggest skipping *all* effects on the mix until you get a sound you like just from mic placement. At that point, *tiny* amounts of EQ, compression (maybe), and reverb can add the final gloss.
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  #37  
Old 05-09-2014, 10:37 PM
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Well it's one take doubled on 2 tracks. Each track have there own character and the one is 180 outta phase... Good ear Doug. Ill monkey with the mix tomoro a bit more
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  #38  
Old 05-09-2014, 11:05 PM
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Well it's one take doubled on 2 tracks. Each track have there own character and the one is 180 outta phase... Good ear Doug. Ill monkey with the mix tomoro a bit more

Oh, that'll do it. I wouldn't do that :-) It's an exaggerated wide sound that will completely disappear in mono - and even sound funny from a distance where the 2 out-of-phase signals start to cancel out.
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  #39  
Old 05-10-2014, 08:08 AM
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Oh, that'll do it. I wouldn't do that :-) It's an exaggerated wide sound that will completely disappear in mono - and even sound funny from a distance where the 2 out-of-phase signals start to cancel out.
Rather than simulate stereo, record in stereo.
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  #40  
Old 05-10-2014, 08:34 AM
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Rather than simulate stereo, record in stereo.
Indeed, one thing at a time friend. Only got one mic for the time being.

I took the phase back to normal. Removed the room sound and the other thing that cubase starts a new song with for no reason that messes with you for hours. Laid off the compressor some, cut the lows and that brought up the melody. I tried to even both sides out. Basically had this thing copped to pieces, by accidentally moving stuff and trying to learn the controls.

http://soundcloud.com/smokerblacker/...n-warm/s-RYPXA

See if this one sounds better
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  #41  
Old 05-10-2014, 01:43 PM
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Sounds much better to me. So this way, you're really just mono - no need to duplicate the track. If you just have one mic and are just getting started, I'd just focus on getting the best mono recording you can - play with different mic positions, etc.

One issue for people just getting started is that it's hard to have a realistic reference that hasn't been mixed and mastered. Scott Whigam organized a project a while back to create some raw files, as demos of what pre-mixed and pre-mastered might sound like. The tracks include some mono examples. You might find them useful: http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=289290

And of course, since you seem to be interested in simulating stereo, hopefully you've already seen the "one mic concept" thread: http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=333743
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  #42  
Old 05-10-2014, 03:20 PM
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I'll go over that thread, also listen to those pre mix samples.

Couple quick questions.
Was I able to get the thumb sitting back in the mix and the melody more to the front? Any excessive tones or annoyances left?

Without two separate images mono tracks get mixed down stereo, but it's just copies of the mono. Much like duplicating the track and mixing 2 tracks. I was attempting to use effects to make different (2 separate different sounding) tracks to give a stereo image.
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  #43  
Old 05-10-2014, 04:08 PM
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Originally Posted by Luke_ View Post
I'll go over that thread, also listen to those pre mix samples.

Couple quick questions.
Was I able to get the thumb sitting back in the mix and the melody more to the front? Any excessive tones or annoyances left?

Without two separate images mono tracks get mixed down stereo, but it's just copies of the mono. Much like duplicating the track and mixing 2 tracks. I was attempting to use effects to make different (2 separate different sounding) tracks to give a stereo image.
To me, the thumb is still too heavy, but that may just be my taste - not a big boom-chuck fan :-) I like to hear the melody most. But what matters is how you like it. If it sounds like you want/expect, then all is well. I just brought it up because I've had the experience myself of recording something and realizing I was/was not bringing out some parts the tune the way I thought I was.

But from a recording perspective it sounds pretty good to me, given what you're working with (room, etc)

There's really no difference between copying a mono track onto two, or just letting your DAW play a mono track, routed to both speakers. Just more work for you! You can get a bit of stereo effect into the mono track by using a bit of reverb, or there are lots of processing tricks, some of which are discussed in that thread. But as Rick suggests, most attempts to fake it sound fake. There are even advocates of recording in mono, so if you only have one mic, I'd go with it, and learn how to create a good mono recording. Mono can have some nice characteristics. A mono track with a bit of room reverb should be able to sound quite good.
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  #44  
Old 05-11-2014, 08:27 PM
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Maybe a dumb question but why is one side of the mic crisp and the other boomy. It's like it has a bass and a treble side?

My iRig had one phantom powered XLR plug. Any thoughts in running the 1/4 output outta my mixer into the iRig? It would allow me to multi track (one mic and the aura) and also use the wall outlet to power the mic... Not the battery in the iRig.
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  #45  
Old 05-11-2014, 08:57 PM
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Maybe a dumb question but why is one side of the mic crisp and the other boomy. It's like it has a bass and a treble side?

...
Try to find a polar diagram for your mic. You're experiencing the cardioid polar pattern at work.

If you use a 1 khz test tone you'll find that one side of the mic picks up a lot more signal than the other. But listening to broad band sound you hear more bass from the back side because it's harder to reduce low frequencies and because those frequencies are less directional and less likely to be attenuated by their trip through the air.

It's common to think that a mic is like a flashlight, so you point it at the source you want to capture. But to some extent every mic is omni-directional. Directional mics are just less sensitive in some directions than others, and this variation in sensitivity varies with the frequency.

So one characteristic that makes them some mics very desirable is a very even attenuation of off-axis sounds. This usually makes a mic very expensive as well.

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