Appreciate some feedback on recording

ChuckS · #1 10-11-2015, 06:51 PM

I did a home recording with a different setup than I used to use. Hoping some of you could give a listen and provide some feedback. This was recorded in stereo, spaced pair, omni mics, tracks panned hard left and hard right. No E/Q and no effects added.

I just did a single take, and did not correct any playing flubs. I realize I've got plenty to work on as far as playing goes. What I'm hoping for as far as feedback is to get a sense of what you think about EQ, stereo field, recording space, phasing, etc. Basically, I'm looking for recording tips and post processing tips.

In the short term, I won't be able to try other mics/placement/etc. I'm out of commission for a bit due to shoulder surgery, which is also my excuse for some of the poor playing, but I thought I should post this recording I did recently in an attempt to learn something while I'm waiting to get back to playing.

Thanks

https://soundcloud.com/chuck_s/st-petes-blues-2

coopman · #2 10-11-2015, 07:34 PM

Hey Chuck, I think it sounds pretty good. Granted, I'm only on my computer speakers - but they are decent. Overall, you have achieved a pretty good balance across all the strings.

Here are a couple of ideas to experiment with:

- The bass is just slightly overpowering the other notes. You could perhaps move back from the mic's just a little bit - a few inches. Make sure none of them are pointed right at the sound hole.

- moving back might also open up the sound just a little to hear "the room" ... letting the sound breath a bit more

- otherwise, you could add just a hint of reverb or delay to open it up a little. It sounds like a fairly small and closed space you are in - guitar is close mic'ed and a bit in your face. Not necessarily a bad thing, I just prefer a bit more open. Which I suspect you were after using stereo mic's. Your recording does not sound boxy at all, which is a good thing!

Also, I'd maybe not pan hard right and left ... try 70% or so and see how it sounds.

If your pointing one of the mikes at the neck joint (14th fret?) ... you could try to angle it a bit towards the sound hole. This could create a bit of isolation from string squeaks ... I realize that you weren't after perfection this go round

Good job overall - keep at it.

John

rick-slo · #3 10-11-2015, 10:23 PM

Sounds good overall. So you don't have to far to go. It does seem a little close with the mikes. You can equalize that out to a degree post recording however...
A little more distance (if the room acoustics allow it) and the guitar will record with a more natural balance and clearer note separation.

ChuckS · #4 10-12-2015, 04:38 PM

Hi John and Derek,
Thanks for taking time to listen and provide some feedback. It was nice to get a response on what the recording sounded like, but since I didn't provide all the setup information in my original post I will describe more now.

The left channel mic was pointing at the 15th fret, it was about 46" off the floor and about 26" from the guitar. The right channel mic was pointing at the bridge, it was about 43" off the floor and about 25" from the guitar. Spacing between the mics was about 19". Mics are 3 Zigma CHI (small diameter condenser).

The recording space was a large rec room (20' by 35') with a low ceiling and carpeted floors. The mics were surrounded by a gobo (Four 2' x 5' panels arranged in a U shape with a 5th panel over the top). Panels are 4" thick, Roxul rockboard 80. The mics were kept about a foot away from panels.

Comments included being a bit heavy on the bass and "a bit in your face"; I think that may be somewhat from how I played this song and the nature of this guitar (The guitar is my Poling Sierra.)

Seems the impression of the recording was the guitar was close mic'd. The mics were quite far back, and since they were omnis it wasn't caused by proximity effect. Mics weren't pointing at the soundhole either. Any ideas why?

My goal of the gobos was to minimize the effect of the room. I don't have a dedicated recording space. I would imagine adding some reverb and EQ of the bass would be a next step. Also, I have another song or two with the same setup; maybe they will be less bassy and in your face.

Based on the additional info I've supplied, comments would be very welcome.

Thanks!

Halcyon/Tinker · #5 10-12-2015, 05:03 PM

If you're trying to minimize room sound, are omni mics your best bet?

ChuckS · #6 10-12-2015, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halcyon/Tinker

If you're trying to minimize room sound, are omni mics your best bet?

I'm hoping for the gobos to minimize the room sound, allowing me to use omnis.

rick-slo · #7 10-12-2015, 06:00 PM

Low frequencies are bouncing right back off the gobos. You are likely getting a proximity effect from that. Move the gobos away from the mikes - preferably three feet + away.

ChuckS · #8 10-15-2015, 07:05 AM

Derek,
Thanks for the suggestion. Once I get back to playing/recording I'll try that. Will also do some experiments with other playing styles and another guitar to see if some of the excessive bass may subside.

Chuck

stevecuss · #9 10-22-2015, 09:12 AM

This is a great recording! My only 2 cents to add what is already suggested is to roll off the high end a little.

Someone suggested you add reverb. A couple of db reduction in the high end/presence range of eq and some mid range reverb with slow attack might really make it sit nice!

Also, how comfortable are you with multi band compression? That can go a long way to help with your bass.

nice playing and nice emotion in your playing!

ChuckS · #10 10-25-2015, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevecuss

This is a great recording! My only 2 cents to add what is already suggested is to roll off the high end a little.

Someone suggested you add reverb. A couple of db reduction in the high end/presence range of eq and some mid range reverb with slow attack might really make it sit nice!

Also, how comfortable are you with multi band compression? That can go a long way to help with your bass.

nice playing and nice emotion in your playing!

Thanks for the feedback. Home recording is a secondary interest for me, after playing and the guitars themselves. So, things like compression and reverb are new to me. Basically, I'm just using what's available in reaper. Based on your suggestion, I did try using using compression on the bass, instead of E/Q, to limit the bass' dynamics; that was interesting and might be good because I didn't quite like what simply using EQ on the bass was doing. I'm also fooling around with the reverb; I hadn't considered applying it only to a portion of the freq spectrum before your suggestion.

KevWind · #11 10-25-2015, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChuckS

Thanks for the feedback. Home recording is a secondary interest for me, after playing and the guitars themselves. So, things like compression and reverb are new to me. Basically, I'm just using what's available in reaper. Based on your suggestion, I did try using using compression on the bass, instead of E/Q, to limit the bass' dynamics; that was interesting and might be good because I didn't quite like what simply using EQ on the bass was doing. I'm also fooling around with the reverb; I hadn't considered applying it only to a portion of the freq spectrum before your suggestion.

I check it out later on my studio monitors but with laptop ear buds

First what exactly where you doing with the EQ on the low end? Can quick explain what you didn't like about it? Or you do a screen shot of the EQ plug in self in the setting you did not like ?

H165 · #12 10-25-2015, 12:13 PM

This is a good recording. Easy to hear; and your playing is very good. Nice dynamics.

Quote:

Seems the impression of the recording was the guitar was close mic'd. The mics were quite far back, and since they were omnis it wasn't caused by proximity effect. Mics weren't pointing at the soundhole either. Any ideas why?

I second the idea that the room setup is making things sound "close".

Sounds like you have portable stuff - As noted above, move it around or change the angles.

ChuckS · #13 10-25-2015, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChuckS

Thanks for the feedback. Home recording is a secondary interest for me, after playing and the guitars themselves. So, things like compression and reverb are new to me. Basically, I'm just using what's available in reaper. Based on your suggestion, I did try using using compression on the bass, instead of E/Q, to limit the bass' dynamics; that was interesting and might be good because I didn't quite like what simply using EQ on the bass was doing. I'm also fooling around with the reverb; I hadn't considered applying it only to a portion of the freq spectrum before your suggestion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevWind

I check it out later on my studio monitors but with laptop ear buds

First what exactly where you doing with the EQ on the low end? Can quick explain what you didn't like about it? Or you do a screen shot of the EQ plug in self in the setting you did not like ?

With the EQ I had it down about 1dB at 100Hz, -2dB at 50Hz. While it took care of some overly high peaks around 100Hz I didn't like that the low end was reduced at other times during the song. With the compression it seemed I could reduce the dynamic low peaks without affecting it during less dynamic parts. This song has a lot of open A string bass notes (110Hz), the guitars air resonance is around the open A, and I played ithat string a bit aggressively.
Then again, I don't know what I'm doing and maybe I'm just hearing what I want to hear.
Thanks for checking it out and giving feedback.

ChuckS · #14 10-25-2015, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H165

This is a good recording. Easy to hear; and your playing is very good. Nice dynamics.

I second the idea that the room setup is making things sound "close".

Sounds like you have portable stuff - As noted above, move it around or change the angles.

If it sounds close mic'd due to the lack of hearing the room in the recording I'm good with that; my goal was to get rid of the sound of my untreated space. Also, this guitar, song, and playing could give an "in your face" impression; if that's what is giving a close mic'd sound I guess I'm ok with that that for this particular song. But if it sounds close mic'd because it lacks in clarity/definition/note separation or doesn't present a fullness in the guitar's sound then that's something I feel I should do something about. To me, the recording does sound close to what the song sounds like in person.

I am using portable stuff. Gobos as described above. Goal was to get a dead space and add effects later.

Thanks for checking it out and giving feedback.

KevWind · #15 10-25-2015, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChuckS

With the EQ I had it down about 1dB at 100Hz, -2dB at 50Hz. While it took care of some overly high peaks around 100Hz I didn't like that the low end was reduced at other times during the song. With the compression it seemed I could reduce the dynamic low peaks without affecting it during less dynamic parts. This song has a lot of open A string bass notes (110Hz), the guitars air resonance is around the open A, and I played ithat string a bit aggressively.
Then again, I don't know what I'm doing and maybe I'm just hearing what I want to hear.
Thanks for checking it out and giving feedback.

If it were me I might try setting your lowest EQ band to its High Pass Filter setting, and use pretty big drop ( say 10 or 15 db) of everything from 75 or even 80 Hz down that's below your low E and is basically just boomy mush and then try the compression.