The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > RECORD

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #16  
Old 10-04-2010, 09:39 AM
Ty Ford Ty Ford is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 1,357
Default

Kev,

I started my Pro Tools Career with the 001. Preamps and A/D conversion were not great, but at $750 for an entire system, that's really a great deal.

I opted for better preamps and better A/D conversion. GML pres and RME conversion made a world of difference. People were amazed by the quality I was getting out of a "cheap PTLE system."

Per sarnz's comment. There's a difference between "dead" and quiet. There are two entirely different things to consider; external noise and acoustics.

If you can't keep external noise out of your recording area, no amount of acoustical treatment will fix that. So first you need a very quiet space.

Then you can address the specific acoustical problems. You do that with the proper balance of absorption and diffusion. Yes, too much foam (or any absorptive material) can result in an overly dead room. Foam absorbs a disproportionate amount of high frequencies resulting in a muddy sound.

You also need to diffuse the sound fields; break them up to reduce standing waves and slap echo. Book cases, furniture and other things can be used to do that, but you have to understand what you're doing or you can create other problems that are as bad or worse.

Regards,

Ty Ford
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 10-04-2010, 10:55 AM
KevWind's Avatar
KevWind KevWind is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Edge of Wilderness Wyoming
Posts: 19,884
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ty Ford View Post
Kev,


If you can't keep external noise out of your recording area, no amount of acoustical treatment will fix that. So first you need a very quiet space.




Regards,

Ty Ford
Oh I agree with you the better the room the better the sound no question.

Since the OP was talking white noise I took him to mean pre self noise.

So I was just relating my experience involving my Digi 002 which even when paired with a Focusrite ISA 220, there seemed some inherent pre noise.
However I did find that while it was fairly noticeable in record mode especially at higher gain , the recorded signal to noise seemed to be at least adequate.
__________________
Enjoy the Journey.... Kev...

KevWind at Soundcloud

KevWind at YouYube
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...EZxkPKyieOTgRD

System :
Studio system Avid Carbon interface , PT Ultimate 2023.12 -Mid 2020 iMac 27" 3.8GHz 8-core i7 10th Gen ,, Ventura 13.2.1

Mobile MBP M1 Pro , PT Ultimate 2023.12 Ventura 12.2.1
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 10-04-2010, 11:04 AM
Ty Ford Ty Ford is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 1,357
Default

Kev,

Just to be clear. I wasn't taking issue with anything you said. Just trying to expand on it. And, yes, if it's just hiss with an NT5, it's probably low quality mic pre or the mic's too far away.

Ty
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 10-04-2010, 08:49 PM
Fran Guidry Fran Guidry is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Walnut Creek, CA
Posts: 3,712
Default

I'd bet a bunch it's simply room tone. It took me a fair amount of experimenting and observing to learn that my room has a lot more ambient noise than either my preamps or mics generate, even when I record at 12:00 midnight. And that's with no air conditioning, computer in the next room, fridge down the stairs and the door closed.

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
  #20  
Old 10-06-2010, 08:23 AM
KevWind's Avatar
KevWind KevWind is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Edge of Wilderness Wyoming
Posts: 19,884
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ty Ford View Post
Kev,

Just to be clear. I wasn't taking issue with anything you said. Just trying to expand on it. And, yes, if it's just hiss with an NT5, it's probably low quality mic pre or the mic's too far away.

Ty
No I didn't think you were, And I concur room noise and good acoustic treatment is the 800 lb. gorilla . Which is often overlooked.
__________________
Enjoy the Journey.... Kev...

KevWind at Soundcloud

KevWind at YouYube
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...EZxkPKyieOTgRD

System :
Studio system Avid Carbon interface , PT Ultimate 2023.12 -Mid 2020 iMac 27" 3.8GHz 8-core i7 10th Gen ,, Ventura 13.2.1

Mobile MBP M1 Pro , PT Ultimate 2023.12 Ventura 12.2.1
Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 10-06-2010, 08:47 AM
Ty Ford Ty Ford is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 1,357
Default

We spent about a year looking for the house we now live in because I needed space for the studio. In addition to location, the basement of this rancher (where the studio is) was exceedingly quiet. Quiet enough to make my ears wig out a bit.

I still had to deal with the fridge upstairs. It's on four pucks of Sorbothane and the wall behind it is treated to reduce sound transfer.

Right now the studio is a little different because I wrapped a corner with charcoal muslin backdrop so I could shoot video. The muslin is clipped to the ceiling grid and creates a fabric cyc wall as the bottom curves out over the floor.

The muslin does tighten the sound of the room a little; a few less reflections than the foam panel I placed strategically on the walls, but it works just fine.

Don't let anyone tell you that a sheet of muslin doesn't have any effect on acoustics. It's a different approach than a wall of egg cartons, although egg cartons do diffuse a sound field due to the irregularity of their surface.

Regards,

Ty Ford
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > RECORD

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:32 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=