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  #31  
Old 11-20-2018, 02:18 AM
Larsis Larsis is offline
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Thank you Doug, I really appreciate it. Your mix sounds better than mine.

1) That's true, my levels are on 0 and raw tracks are just without life. Not bright, clear, but very muddy. I have to rise them up on 4 or even 6dB to get more alive sound..

2) Hm, I always check tuning before recording and seemed tuned :/ However, I don't think, the guitar is a problem here. It's Furch, new Yellow series, so it is really good sounding instrument on its own. Wood on the guitar produces more darker sound, that is true. It is not spruce, but red cedar and indian rosewood.

3) Well, the pick-up system is L.R. Baggs Anthem. So it has microphone + piezo. What you can hear, is about 30 (mic) / 70 (piezo). But I have to admit, the recorded track is just not good. Maybe I'll try rather piezo next time.

4) OK, I'll try it as you say, also in different room and let see, what will happen. I'll let you know as soon as I'll have time to record it.

One thing: I don't know, if it is just my feeling or what, but when I play before press the record button, the signal is strong and bright. But when I finish my recording and hear the results, the tracks are without life and very narrow and thin. Maybe is the problem with my software settings, I'm using Cubase.

5) Well, I play sort of style like that guy in the video. Sometimes percussion too, but mainly this style.
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  #32  
Old 11-20-2018, 02:33 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Larsis View Post
1) That's true, my levels are on 0 and raw tracks are just without life. Not bright, clear, but very muddy. I have to rise them up on 4 or even 6dB to get more alive sound..
levels should not affect the tone, it's just a signal to noise issue and having a decent signal to work with. With digital audio, being low isn't a deal-breaker, as I mentioned, but you just end up having to bring up the levels to normal listening levels anyway.

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2) Hm, I always check tuning before recording and seemed tuned
I'm especially reacting to one of the first low notes in your recording. You're tuned down low? You may just be bending the note out of tune - maybe it's even the effect you want. Intonation plays a role in our perception of sound, but again, this isn't your main issue.

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3) Well, the pick-up system is L.R. Baggs Anthem. So it has microphone + piezo. What you can hear, is about 30 (mic) / 70 (piezo). But I have to admit, the recorded track is just not good. Maybe I'll try rather piezo next time.
it sounds like you are overdriving something, nothing wrong with the pickup, but maybe you have some gain turned up too high. Again, tho, I'd skip the pickup entirely. Pickups don't generally add anything positive to a recording. The Anthem is great for live use.

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One thing: I don't know, if it is just my feeling or what, but when I play before press the record button, the signal is strong and bright. But when I finish my recording and hear the results, the tracks are without life and very narrow and thin. Maybe is the problem with my software settings, I'm using Cubase.
Hard to know what's going on. You're listening over headphones while recording? Maybe the gain structure when you're monitoring is different than playback. Or maybe you're hearing some of your acoustic guitar. Could be lots of things. All that matters is what gets actually capture in the recording, tho

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5) Well, I play sort of style like that guy in the video. Sometimes percussion too, but mainly this style.
The video you posted was somewhat percussive, "kick drum" effect, etc. I didn't hear any of that in your tune. If it was meant to be there, it's not coming thru. I'm just trying to point out that it's easiest to compare 2 recordings if they are very similar. If I hear a recording I like the sound of and want to try to match the tone, I often learn at least the first few measures of the piece so I can be playing the same thing. Otherwise, it's harder to compare. Not impossible, tho, and in this case the basic sound quality is obviously different, so it's not to the point of trying to dial in his precise sound anyway.

in any case, my guess is that you can improve by addressing room acoustics and mic placement. In cases where we can't control the room acoustics much, close micing can sometimes overcome the issue.
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  #33  
Old 11-20-2018, 03:49 AM
Larsis Larsis is offline
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2) The tuning is actually open G minor chord, so there are many open strings going on.

3) You're right. Pick-up can never beat a proper microphone, that is true. I bought it mainly for live playing.

4) Yes, I'm listening over my headphones. Mostly for being in right time and BMP in metronome. I'll take a look on settings in Cubase and see, if I can change it somehow.

5) Sorry for mistunderstanding. I posted his video because of clarity and brightness of the sound. In the description he says, that he use Rodes NT5, which is not so far from my Rodes M5. That's why I wonder about his sound.

Honestly, my problem with recording is a long run. I'll try that position, you're talking about and take an inspiration from your photo. Then I'll let you know, what I've got.

And two questions:

1) If I pan AKG and Lewitt to L and R, shouldn't be there something in C? I always though, that usually is it L, C and R. Just curious.

2) Maybe stupid question, but maybe I could try to crank up gain on the audio interface (Steinberg UR44). I usually stop with turning the knob, when I hear noise and humming. So all knobs are set to position, when I hear almost nothing or very minimum of noise and humming in my headphones. I know, the more right, the more gain, but I also know, that noise can be very disturbing element, especially, when I play slow parts of parts with long breaks.

Last edited by Larsis; 11-20-2018 at 10:47 PM.
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  #34  
Old 11-20-2018, 09:39 AM
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1) If I pan AKG and Lewitt to L and R, shouldn't be there something in C? I always though, that usually is it L, C and R. Just curious.
We have two ears, not three. More natural with two mikes. You would only get "a hole in the middle" if the mikes are excessively far apart. I often have used mikes three feet + apart without an issue.


I really think you have software setting issues that are creating the mono sound. Check each setting carefully. Listen to the raw recording first checking for stereo before adding post recording tweaks to it.
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Last edited by rick-slo; 11-20-2018 at 12:25 PM. Reason: typo
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  #35  
Old 11-20-2018, 11:57 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Larsis View Post
2)
1) If I pan AKG and Lewitt to L and R, shouldn't be there something in C? I always though, that usually is it L, C and R. Just curious.
Are you thinking of surround sound? In stereo, there is no "C". Just left and right.

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2) Maybe stupid question, but maybe I could try to crank up gain on the audio interface (Cubase UR44). I usually stop with turning the knob, when I hear noise and humming. So all knobs are set to position, when I hear almost nothing or very minimum of noise and humming in my headphones. I know, the more right, the more gain, but I also know, that noise can be very disturbing element, especially, when I play slow parts of parts with long breaks.
Gain and noise issues are complicated. Your interface may get noisier as it's turned up, in which case, don't do that. Or you simply be amplifying noise that is already there. In that case, by not turning up, you would be recording more quietly, and the noise will be quieter, but so will the guitar. When you turn up the track later to bring it up to normal levels, the guitar will get louder, but so will the noise. But many inexpensive preamps are noisy at higher gain levels, so you may be right in not turning it up past a certain point. One way to get more guitar sound without more noise is to place the mic closer to the guitar (and/or play louder).
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  #36  
Old 11-25-2018, 02:03 PM
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So I recorded new materials today and here are the results: New room, new mic placement and distance + there is a blanket behind me (someone told me, it helps). Raw tracks without any effects.

Now I know, where the problem was. When I choose multitrack recording, then all tracks are in mono. Now I set a different setup from menu. So now it is Stereo Rode L and Rode R and Lewitt in C (mono).

https://soundcloud.com/luk-leng-l/new-record/s-odptR



And here is my previous record (the one, we're discussing about). I left AKG and Line and now it is the same. Stereo Rode L and R and Lewitt in C (mono).

https://soundcloud.com/luk-leng-l/old-record/s-uVNKR

It definitely sounds more alive than before.
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  #37  
Old 11-25-2018, 09:48 PM
runamuck runamuck is offline
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A couple things:

-try to set up your mics so they're as far from a wall behind them as possible - unless the wall is acoustically treated

- a blanket, or a few of them, would do better behind the mics than behind you.

- I doubt you need a mic in the center. all the best recordings I''ve heard use just two, one panned hard left and the other hard right.
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  #38  
Old 11-25-2018, 10:17 PM
sdelsolray sdelsolray is offline
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So I recorded new materials today...
After you record, how do you listen to your recordings, e.g., what monitors or headphones, etc.?
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  #39  
Old 11-25-2018, 11:24 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Larsis View Post
So I recorded new materials today and here are the results: New room, new mic placement and distance + there is a blanket behind me (someone told me, it helps). Raw tracks without any effects.

Now I know, where the problem was. When I choose multitrack recording, then all tracks are in mono. Now I set a different setup from menu. So now it is Stereo Rode L and Rode R and Lewitt in C (mono).

https://soundcloud.com/luk-leng-l/new-record/s-odptR



And here is my previous record (the one, we're discussing about). I left AKG and Line and now it is the same. Stereo Rode L and R and Lewitt in C (mono).

https://soundcloud.com/luk-leng-l/old-record/s-uVNKR

It definitely sounds more alive than before.
Keep checking your settings. It's all still mono.
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  #40  
Old 11-26-2018, 02:44 PM
Larsis Larsis is offline
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Originally Posted by runamuck View Post
A couple things:

-try to set up your mics so they're as far from a wall behind them as possible - unless the wall is acoustically treated

- a blanket, or a few of them, would do better behind the mics than behind you.

- I doubt you need a mic in the center. all the best recordings I''ve heard use just two, one panned hard left and the other hard right.
Thank you, I'll try it next time.
Quote:
After you record, how do you listen to your recordings, e.g., what monitors or headphones, etc
It is better then before.
Quote:
Keep checking your settings. It's all still mono.
It's stereo setup, so I don't know :/ Maybe it's because of the mono Lewitt in C.
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  #41  
Old 11-26-2018, 09:52 PM
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It's stereo setup, so I don't know :/ Maybe it's because of the mono Lewitt in C.
Mono issue not due to the Lewitt though I suggest again you just record with two Rode mikes. Setting(s) incorrect somewhere. Still a mono sound. Not good.

Here is a bit of waveform from your track. Note R and L (top and bottom) tracks are the same which = mono.

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  #42  
Old 11-28-2018, 02:28 AM
Larsis Larsis is offline
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Hm, I don't know then. I think, I have to figure it out by myself. Trying different mic positions, room and settings till I get the right sound for my ears. However, thanks a lot for all advices and help guys, I really appreciate it, especially to Doug. Three pages of this topic gave me more information than a half a year of searching on the internet.
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  #43  
Old 11-28-2018, 03:12 AM
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Larsis, even if you set up your Rødes stereo you still have to pan the left track sharp left and the right track sharp right to achieve the stereo image. At least that is how I dow it.
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  #44  
Old 11-28-2018, 05:37 AM
Larsis Larsis is offline
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Quote:
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Larsis, even if you set up your Rødes stereo you still have to pan the left track sharp left and the right track sharp right to achieve the stereo image. At least that is how I dow it.
I know, it should be panned, but here's the thing. I choosed stereo setup and Rode L set to Stereo Left (it really comes from the left on my headphones) and Rode R to Stereo Right (the same, from the right). I didn't pan it manually. So it seems, it should be in stereo.
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  #45  
Old 11-28-2018, 08:41 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Larsis View Post
I know, it should be panned, but here's the thing. I choosed stereo setup and Rode L set to Stereo Left (it really comes from the left on my headphones) and Rode R to Stereo Right (the same, from the right). I didn't pan it manually. So it seems, it should be in stereo.
If rick-slo 's post is an accurate representation of your recording (regardless of how you are setting up your recording) you are outputting two mono signals from one source . Two tracks outputting the exact same signal (even panned hard left and right) is still going to produce a mono signal , just louder ......So my guess is something is wrong in your setup routing This is just speculation but if you are using two different mics it would seem you are only actually recording (inputting ) from one of the two mics ..Can you show a screen shot of your cubase mix/edit window/s ?

Just for basic knowledge in order to get true stereo output (obviously you have to have two different sources (mics or picup and mic etc.) and you have to make certain your inputting two different signals from the two sources into either a stereo track that (has two inputs) and is panned hard left and hard right.... or...... input each of the two mics/sources, each into it own mono track and pan them hard left and right
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