Participating here pays off.

rick-slo · #1 05-21-2021, 04:24 PM

I have noticed various participants in the "Record" part of the forum have over time markedly improved the sound of their recordings. Congrats!

Captain Jim · #2 05-22-2021, 06:23 AM

Mine were so bad when I first tried recording, they had nowhere to go but up.

After playing for 50+ years, my wife asked me to record something for her so she could listen to it on her phone. Using just the mic on an iPad Mini (first gen) was really awful. Using a Zoom H4n Pro, then onto a Spire Studio, helped me learn a lot about mic placement, tone, separation.

I added a bass, electronic drum set, and several mics... buying more equipment - what's not to like about that? With a bit more experience, I'm shooting for "moderately OK"... it is important to have goals.

phcorrigan · #3 05-22-2021, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

I'm shooting for "moderately OK"...

You're aiming much higher than I am. I'm still going for "It doesn't completely suck!"

jim1960 · #4 05-22-2021, 04:24 PM

There's really no right or wrong way to record music since what's better is so subjective. But it's always interesting to hear what others are doing and how because it opens the door to something you might like better than what you're usually doing.

runamuck · #5 05-22-2021, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim1960

There's really no right or wrong way to record music since what's better is so subjective. But it's always interesting to hear what others are doing and how because it opens the door to something you might like better than what you're usually doing.

"Better", is not entirely subjective. Opinions will converge on what has been well recorded much more often than what hasn't.

Glennwillow · #6 05-23-2021, 12:14 AM

I think we learn by doing. We also push ourselves to improve when we see what others are doing, especially if we like the results.

The AGF provides a way for us to showcase what we are doing and we certainly get a chance to learn from others.

And from what I have observed, people are very gentle and encouraging around here as a rule.

- Glenn

Wrighty · #7 05-23-2021, 02:16 AM

The record forum offer a huge wealth of knowledge and experience along with a real willingness to help. With that on offer, anybody with a real desire to improve their recorded tone will always benefit. It’s truly a fantastic resource, which I’m certainly very grateful for.

jim1960 · #8 05-23-2021, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by runamuck

"Better", is not entirely subjective. Opinions will converge on what has been well recorded much more often than what hasn't.

Would most people call this a great painting? Probably not, yet it sold privately for more than $200 million. Most people would find that absurd but if abstract expressionism is your thing, you may think it perfectly reasonable.

I'm not trying to throw shade at Jackson Pollock's work. I could have used any of a thousand paintings to make the point that what we consider good or bad is often dependent on our individual preferences. The "Show and Tell" forum here is a good example of that. I won't reference any particular piece as an example (because it isn't my intention to embarrass anyone) but there have been numerous times I've seen praise being heaped on pieces I thought were both poorly recorded and poorly played. I tend to chalk that up to human nature. We are drawn to the music and art we prefer and we are more forgiving in our judgements when assessing those things that more closely align with our personal tastes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

And from what I have observed, people are very gentle and encouraging around here as a rule.

I agree, Glenn, and I think that's a good thing even it if's not always the most truthful. In any form of art, discouragement is the enemy of progress and development. I'm reminded of the time my nephew was excited to let me listen to a recording he made with his band. I'd never heard them play and didn't even know the genre of music they were performing. My nephew was the lead singer but to my ears, it wasn't singing so much as some kind of throaty shouting. Thrash metal isn't my thing but I didn't want to discourage him so I became an actor worthy of an Oscar that day.

Mr. Paul · #9 05-23-2021, 06:41 AM

Doug Young's explanation of the mid side recording technique was a game changer for me. Thanks Doug!

FrankHudson · #10 05-23-2021, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Paul

Doug Young's explanation of the mid side recording technique was a game changer for me. Thanks Doug!

Yeah, Doug is one of those great resources here! And of course there are others.

I dunno with my stuff. I have learned things over the years, but my results are still inconsistent and subject to things that I can hear as imperfections from my aggressive recording schedule during most of my project that is now made difficult by aging and the changes in my life due to the pandemic.

In some ways I'd summarize that knowledge gained here and elsewhere leads me to hear more issues, correct some of those effectively, and makes me wince more at those that I didn't sufficiently deal with. It may be a process of making better or more advanced mistakes (cf. "You're making the wrong mistakes." - Yogi Berra)

Speaking of old recordings and Jackson Pollock paintings here's a short acoustic piece from the early exploratory days of my Parlando Project that features a Frank O'Hara poem about a Pollock painting. I can hear some improvements/differences with things I recorded this spring, but I'm not sure they are significant to most of my listeners.

Digression on no. 1 1948

The above is on Soundclick and lower res (128) MP3 which may degrade it a bit.

Now here's something I recorded this month, equally short but with better equipment and years more experience. I wouldn't have had access to the synth that plays a background line in this piece back when I did the earlier one, but it's not that critical to the piece. Words here from Emily Dickinson.

How Many Flowers

"How Many More Flowers" will will open a player for a higher res (256) MP3.

TBman · #11 05-23-2021, 10:16 AM

I'm still a "work in progress", but with my new mic placement things do sound a bit better. This part of the forum is a gold mine of information. My most recent recording is in my signature (County Cork).

Glennwillow · #12 05-23-2021, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim1960

Would most people call this a great painting? ...

...

I apologize for taking this thread off track, but I can't help noting that I really like that painting!

I would not have thought of myself as someone who enjoys modern art, but I find the textures in that painting very appealing.

$200 million??!! Well, that's a little beyond my pay grade.

- Glenn

Glennwillow · #13 05-23-2021, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Paul

Doug Young's explanation of the mid side recording technique was a game changer for me. Thanks Doug!

Doug is a great resource for this forum and so are the guys with pro-level recording experience, such as Bob Womack, DupleMeter, and Brent Hahn. Jim1960 is a great resource.

I enjoy reading what these folks have to say.

- Glenn

jim1960 · #14 05-23-2021, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

$200 million??!! Well, that's a little beyond my pay grade.

If I only had to pay the sales tax, it would still be beyond my pay grade.

For what it's worth, I like Pollock too but, like Tom Waits, he's an acquired taste.

sdelsolray · #15 05-23-2021, 12:12 PM

One aspect of the AGF Recording forum that makes it effective is that it is primarily focused on recording and mixing acoustic guitar with a decent focus on VOX. Most of the other recording forums out there cover many more sources. What applies to recording bands, drums, MIDI, etc. can often not apply or is not relevant to recording acoustic guitar and it's a lesson in itself to figure out those details.