Audio Engineering's topics - tribe.net

Textbook for Audio Engineering or Electronic Music

Andy — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:32:50 GMT

Can anyone recommend a technical book on electronic mixing or audio engineering?

posted in Audio Engineering - 3 replies

Dual boot on non-intel mac?

adam — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:33:28 GMT

Is it possible to run windows on a g4 laptop? My wife's is atleast 5 years old, and we need to run a PC only software on it. Any possibilities?

posted in Audio Engineering - 1 reply

Why Pro Tools ???

James — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:51:52 GMT

I am just wondering why in today's day in age Pro Tools is still considered the standard for DAW recording??? With so much other cool software and hardware why do people continue to spend the extra cash?? Just looking to see what other people think on this that' all....

posted in Audio Engineering - 38 replies

Mobile sound system

DirtyDiablo — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 05:40:12 GMT

Not sure if this is the right Tribe but has anyone here had any experience building a Mobile sound system to pull behind a bike?

posted in Audio Engineering - 4 replies

Recording Connection

smeeed — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:27:30 GMT

Hi all,

I'm an amateur ProTools user. I've taken what classes the local community college offers and I've mixed a few demo discs for friends. Since my professional life is at a stand-still (unemployed), I'm now thinking about making a career change and following my passions. So I started looking into getting further education and I'm having trouble figuring out how to approach it. Ex'pression and other such schools are way too expensive for me, so I'm seeking other options.

I found a thing online called the Recording Connection. They basically put you in a studio as an intern and build in some structured lessons. But that still costs almost $8000. I know that's now too bad, but I feel like there's got to be a better way. This is a good idea, but I wonder if I can find a way to do it without paying so much for it.

I like the idea of just doing an internship. I feel like I may have enough of the basic knowledge to start. Does anybody out there know of a good way to get an internship in the SF area? Are there forums where I might find out at least where the local studios are?

posted in Audio Engineering - 4 replies

Is My Studio Too Hot?

JessetheVessel — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:48:58 GMT

I'm hoping to do some recording in our attic, but in the summer months it gets moderately hot and humid up there.

I want to avoid damaging my recording gear.

At what temperature does a room become dangerous/unsuitable for gear?

Thanks in advance for helping me out.
:)

posted in Audio Engineering - 4 replies

Transferring to a new hard drive. help needed...

adam — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:39:35 GMT

I recently purchased a 320 gb 7200 rpm hard drive to instal in my macbook pro. I know it's a tricky physical replacement, but I know I am up for it. Here's what I need help with:

What is the best way for me to transfer my current hard drive contents onto the new drive, including OS and applications. i have a ton of plug ins, and REALLY want to avoid having to reinstall / authorize all of them. Do I need an external hard drive enclosure? Any transfer software needed?

>Adam

posted in Audio Engineering - 7 replies

Ex'pressions College- Any Opinions?

banzai — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:01:19 GMT

Is it a waste of money or really good training?
Do people in the industry just laugh at this degree and think stupid rich kid?
Would it open doors beyond internships or entry level jobs I could find on my own?
Is it really that much better than City College's audio program?
Opinions anyone?

posted in Audio Engineering - 13 replies

Audio Engineering - education?

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:59:54 GMT

Alot of people on this tribe seem to know alot about audioengineering. How did you learn all this stuff? Did you get an education in this field?

posted in Audio Engineering - 3 replies

Ideas on Compressing bass and kick together

squee-isme — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:19:10 GMT

It is rare that i use compression on my bass and kick at all, but i am wondering what your thoughts are. i make fast electronic music with a 4/4 beat.

in general, i avoid compression, maybe because i don't use it enough to fully understand, but more i think because i like the dynamics of the sound without compression. if any of you respond and feel like giving some ideas on settings that you use for this purpose as well, it would be much appreciated.

thanks to all, i would love to hear your feedback...

squee

posted in Audio Engineering - 28 replies

Best head phones for the $

Dematerialize — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:29:28 GMT

Hi i am looking for good headphones for the studio something on the lower end of the economic scale but worth every penny!!!
Any suggestions? Thanks alot!

posted in Audio Engineering - 12 replies

Best Vocal Mic for the $$

wonderbreadsoul — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 23:46:00 GMT

Hello Everybody~

Wondering what vocal mics people are into. I am not really an engineer per se, just a songwriter doing some home recordings. Can anyone recommend good vocal mics that go for around $500 or so? Thankya~

Moons**

posted in Audio Engineering - 39 replies

White Noise

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:38:37 GMT

Hey tribe...

I was wondering what you knew about white noise.
Do you think it can have a negative affect on us?

I listen to it while I sleep because I am so sensitive to sound...any sound...I will wake up if I hear anything and the white noise diffuses all the sounds and helps me sleep

but I'm wondering if this could be bad for me.

What do you think?

posted in Audio Engineering - 6 replies

Waldorf AFB16

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:54:14 GMT

AFB16 = The same filters as in Q+ controlled by USB
http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAMM03/Content/Waldorf/PR/AFB16.html
Anyone got it? Any luck getting it to work? It has been a nightmare for me!
I made a tribe for it http://tribes.tribe.net/afb16 which will be probably empty for some time but I'm going to post the newest drivers etc.
Looking for help or some rich collector wishing to buy it from me:)

posted in Audio Engineering - 2 replies

Audio/Video MIDI Project: AMV2: Naruto Featuring the Legendary DJ Quest

joel — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:19:28 GMT

Scratch Video soundtrack with Live performance!!!

http://www.theoppositeoffaith.com/Press_release_DSI_001_01_full.htm

This is likely the last AMV video project Opposite of Faith will do. It is meant to be a demo of the advanced MIDI set up and creative application of the tools we are capable of. We remixed the song ‘Phaseshift’ and created the sound track to it. It feature the combination of the Legendary DJ Quest-one of the founders of modern turntablism, inventor of ‘Hamster Style’ and ‘Power Scratching’

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Quest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyaSiUSR8j4

Once again this is a scratch soundtrack-all sound effects were created through DJ performance and/or sound design. Video cuts were done with Serato and any edits or warping were done in Ableton Live and After Effects.

The Dave Smith Instruments Evolver is the master sequencer and controller in this set up. You can see how it works especially during the end solo. Its sequencer sends out MIDI notes to control both Turntables-which are slaved via MIDI-changing their pitch which alters the speed of the turntable platter, This process alters the sound of what ever the turntables are playing and creating a melody matching the Evolvers sequence. The audio signal is also processed on a separate chanels which is brought in through the effects loop. The Ecler Nuo 4 and the Behringer FCB 1010 control parameter (MIDI Control Changes) to give Quest additional control options.

DJ Quest Set up 1:

Video:

Vestax Controller One Turntable
Rane/Serato Video SL
TTM 57
Mixer Video Cuts were done mostly in a separate pass using Serato Video SL

Audio 1:

Vestax Controller One Turntable
Numark CDX CD Turntable
Ableton Live
TTM 57 Mixer

Various samples and sounds that need to be cut in a particular way were burned to CD and the Numark CD was used

Audio 2:

Dave Smith Instrument Evoler
Vestax Controller One Turntable
Numark CDX CD Turntable
Rane/Serato TTM 57 Mixer
Ecler Nuo 4 MIDI Mixer
Behringer FCB 1010

The Koass Pad was used as a MIDI controller and the Evolver was used as a MIDI slave and sound processor

J from the Opposite of Faith’s set up:

KP 3 Kaoss Pad
Dave Smith Instruments Evolver
Ecler Nuo 4 MIDI Mixer

The Video can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJhsh9sIyRk

The Legendary DJ Quest MIDI solo can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2Zl3qsL9-0

The songs, updates and all video projects for the Opposite of Faith can be seen here:

http://www.reverbnation.com/oppositeoffaith

WE ARE TRYING TO PUSH THE CREATIVE EDGE AND NEED YOUR SUPPORT-PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE IT!!!

Thanks and hit us up!!!

posted in Audio Engineering - 1 reply

The information

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:21:28 GMT

Beck's album. Ever heard it?

He uses a reverb on this album that sounds SUPERB!

So much space.....
so rich, and vivid

does anyone know what reverb this is?

posted in Audio Engineering - 0 replies

Midi Syncing 6 Laptops

squee-isme — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:48:01 GMT

I am planning an event in early September in which we will have some 6 or more laptops setup for constant live performance.

I am looking for some tips as to the best ways to do this... All of the computers will be running Ableton, which is great at syncing up, and all the computers are Macintosh's.

The best thing i can think to save processor and save on latency would be to get some kind of midi clock that can send signal to all of the computers at the same time, instead of a chain of midi signal.

any thoughts?

squee

posted in Audio Engineering - 15 replies

firewire rig size?

John Michael — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:28:11 GMT

Hello, all ...

I recently changed my music production rig somewhat -- it's now laptop-based, even at home. Things are generally good, but i've a few concerns, mainly having to do with my usage of the firewire bus for more things now. I used to run everything off of a G5 with 2 TC|PowerCore cards installed, now I run everything from a 2.4ghz Core2 Duo MacBook (running OSX Leopard) with the firewire version of the PowerCore. I also have a MOTU Traveler and Motif ES6 (via mLAN) connected to the same 400mbit firewire bus. Does anyone else here run a laptop-based firewire rig with 3 or more devices on the same firewire bus? What are your experiences?

I'm basically wondering if I should run the audio interface off of USB2, leaving the firewire bus for the PowerCore and Motif ES, or maybe get a MacBook Pro instead and run some things off of its' extra firewire bus (with an 800mbit -> 400mbit adapter, if that will work). I'd really be interested in discussing some of this with others who run lots of firewire stuff simultaneously ...

Regards,

John

Falling You - exploring the beauty of voice and sound
http://www.fallingyou.com

posted in Audio Engineering - 11 replies

mLAN + OSX, at last it works :-)

John Michael — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:11:04 GMT

Hello, all ...

I'm likely way behind, but I only just today decided to try mLAN again with my Motif ES6. The last time I tried was over a year ago, and things ... did ... not ... go ... well. Fast forward a year, and several things have changed -- G5 replaced by MacBook, Tiger replaced with Leopard, and Yamaha released a newer version of the mLAN OSX drivers this past December.

So far, things are good -- audio and MIDI are seen by my DAW (DP 5.13 currently, though I just ordered the DP6 upgrade) and the CPU usage doesn't go nutso like it did before. I even have it working with my MOTU Traveler (which remains important to me -- the ES6 is the only mLAN device I have, and i've a bunch of other stuff that demands high-quality audio inputs) in that I can record the ES6 across mLAN and monitor in real-time via the Traveler's outputs.

I still need to get the control surface working, but things are generally _so_ much better than they were a year ago, when I pretty much left mLAN for dead on OSX, relinquishing myself to staring at the firewire ports on the ES6 with dashed hopes of ever being able to use them. Alas, now I am, and i'm pretty jazzed :-)

Regards,

John

Falling You - exploring the beauty of voice and sound
http://www.fallingyou.com

posted in Audio Engineering - 0 replies

pro tools and bootcamp (cross post)

JessetheVessel — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 06:30:12 GMT

needing to work in windows, i can either trade in my macbook for a pc, or upgrade my mac os to leopard and run pro tools in windows using bootcamp.

my question: is anyone currently running pro tools in windows, on a mac using bootcamp?

if so, is it working perfectly?

i ask because it *wasn't* working very well when i tried on the beta version of bootcamp many months ago (all kinds of buffer errors).

whichever i choose, i will be spending lots of non-reclaimable cash, so i very much appreciate any comments about the pro tools + bootcamp combo.

thanks!
: )

posted in Audio Engineering - 2 replies

Small Summing Shootout = Analog Disappointment.

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:40:35 GMT

So over this past weekend i did a little summing experiment. I've been mixing with digital gear for years now. Out of my own curiosity i wanted to see if good ole analog summing ALONE could really improve my mix. I did 3 tests with.
1. AMS Neve DFC Digital console.
2. ITB.
3. OOB into a Analog summing matrix.

Some pre test info.
As i said i wanted to see if analog summing alone could help a mix. Not the analog EQ's, colored channels, or buss compressors. The benefit of those qualities is not in question. Just the summing.
For my test i rendered out 12 channels, 6 Stereo stems of a track i'm working on.
I made a ITB, DFC, & OOB mix.
The 2 digital mixes sounded identical. I was excited to hear the analog summed mix, but when i did i was really disappointed. I summed the channels through 2 oxmoor RMX-62's (12 channels total). It's a great little analog mixing matrix. When i A/B the 2 the stereo image was so narrow compared to the digital. This was a surprise.
Well atleast i have piece of mind once more. Unless you have some great colored gear you gain nothing from the summing alone. I'll keep my analog investments for the input stage.

posted in Audio Engineering - 7 replies

Internet audio recorder 4 Mac?

lukesolman — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:08:57 GMT

anyone know of a good free download for a streaming recorder that works with a powerbook?

posted in Audio Engineering - 10 replies

Computer Space Sauce

bassobese — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:23:23 GMT

Hey friends! It's xjordanary here with some free fresh new jams for your eager ears! I feel it's high time to quit being such a perfectionist hoarder of the music I create, and give as much back to all my beautiful friends and family as I can. This is the culmination of the last few creative months in one 34 minute mix of all original tunes composed by yours truly.
I hope you all enjoy, and have a hot n sunny fun summer!
Mucho Amor,
xjordanary
aka Bassobese

Click here to check out Bassobese-Computer Space Sauce:

http://www.bassobese.dj/index.php?&page=beats

posted in Audio Engineering - 0 replies

Listen to this Song I just Completed

Cervantes — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:43:51 GMT

O.k So I started my own tribe yesterday and here is a song I posted please help by giving your ideas on how I can make it better.

http://senduit.com/fca832
personally I like the drums a lot but I feel that one of the sounds is two forward so This other version is my rendition.

http://senduit.com/9d9e9e

Check out my tribe at Dream in Stereo

posted in Audio Engineering - 2 replies

Apogee Ensemble and Rosetta

Brian — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:03:47 GMT

Anyone using either of these converters with Logic?

Ensemble is supposedly integrated with Logic, but I am curious how well this actually works in practice.

I currently use an Ultralite, but am considering a move to Apogee.

Cheers.

posted in Audio Engineering - 4 replies

Want a transparent frequency divider for your DAW?

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:28:24 GMT

I was recently asked how to divide an audio signal into freq band's without causing phase problems. So i made a little signal flow chart. Some of you might find this useful. Great for creating frequency dependent FX & mastering.
http://www.rhythminmind.net/temp/Random%20Pics/Freq%20Split.png

posted in Audio Engineering - 10 replies

Mixing Feedback

Jascha — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 07:18:29 GMT

Hey, pretty old to recording, but new to mixing and mastering.
Some input/feedback would be awesome.

http://www.audioredhanded.com/tracks.htm

peace!
-Jascha

posted in Audio Engineering - 5 replies

What's your favoritely produced album recent and all time?

Jascha — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 01:14:52 GMT

Recent
Amy Winehouse Back to Black. Salaam Remi worked on a few tracks and I think the sounds are Amazing!

All time
The Pharcyde Bizzare Ride II. It's completely full of the best sounds ever.

And I know favoritely is not really an adverb, but it felt right.

posted in Audio Engineering - 10 replies

Mackie D8B

patrick — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 09:26:14 GMT

Does anyone here use the Mackie D8B and or a combination of the D8B and a Mackie HDR hard disk recorder. I acquired both units last year and am finding some difficulty getting it to do what it should do every time. In other words, some days it works, some days it does not. Right now I am experiencing the problem of arming a track on the HDR 24/96 from the D8B. I have a signal, I can hear it and I can see it on the board, but the record, select is still not engaging the track. I am here asking because Mackie tends to take too long if not at all to get back to me.

Thanks in advance.

posted in Audio Engineering - 0 replies

Massey Tape Head and other plug ins

paul — Tue, 08 May 2007 19:08:03 GMT

Massey Tape Head and other plug ins

http://www.masseyplugins.com/th.html

I read the Massey free demos topic and decided to download them. I am very interested in any opinion on TAPE/HEAD and the 'SATURATION' idea for digital recording. I believe that analog/tape recording has life in it that digital may lack and would like to get that life through a plug in like tape/head.

Does anyone have any experience or comments good or bad?

Also, does anyone have any comments on the Massey Compressor, limiter, or vt3 EQ?

thanks,
Paul

posted in Audio Engineering - 8 replies

Studio Wiring

bobbywasabi — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:34:21 GMT

I'm looking for someone who's REALLY good at wiring up a studio to come up and do some work for my boss. We want to re-arrange our room and need someone who can wire up our patch bay and plot out whatever we need to get to make this happen.

If you know anyone who qualifies and can come up to the North Bay to work, let me know ASAP.

Thanks!

posted in Audio Engineering - 2 replies

crosspost: logic pro 8's plugs?

JessetheVessel — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:17:42 GMT

i was considering investing in some high end plugins (compressor/reverb/limiter) to use in my pro tools setup, but i've been hearing a lot about the new logic studio's array of plugins.

the entire DAW costs less than i was planning on spending on plugins, plus it seems to offer more than pro tools as a workstation.

does anyone have any experience with the new plugins for logic? can you vouch for their quality?

(thinking of just moving over to logic and calling it a day)

posted in Audio Engineering - 6 replies

Something very different…The KARAS AMV by the Opposite of Faith featuring DJ Quest

joel — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:13:25 GMT

What you are about to see is an evolution in film sound design far different from anything you‘ve heard before…

The Karas AMV

Anime Music Videos (AMV) are created by hobbyist who take a popular song and add it on top of existing Japanese Animation footage to give the Video a new and more exciting feel. The Karas AMV was created around the idea of taking found sources and samples from existing Japanese Animation titles and combining it with performances highly skilled musicians and Turntablist to recreate the film sound effect work creating a frenetic, hyper real approach to sound design. After the original sound track was removed, the music (Bass performance and Ableton sounds by J of The Opposite of Faith) was written and recorded into Ableton Live- every other voice, movement, moment and mood was created on Turntables and through Turntable mixing techniques (cutting, scratching, transforming) while performing to the video. The approach was expanded by having the Turntablist (DJ Quest and DJ Cplus) manipulating the Dave Smith Evolver and the Korg Kaoss Pad through the DJ mixers and MIDI control. Performances (Bass, Turntables) were record through the EMU 1616 into Ableton Live and warped, edited and combined there. The final mixdown was performed in Ableton Live and Mastered using Summit Audio Tube EQs.

This is the first in series of creative Music/Video/Art Projects by the Opposite of Faith-creativity without compromise…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P6unZCvFCs

…Tell your Peeps…make this bitch viral…

Contact:

Info@theoppositeoffaith.com

DJQuest@DJQuest.net

Tools Used:

Ableton Live 7-Editing, recording, sound design, video sync
Warwick Bass-Performance
Vestax Controller 1-Performance
Rane TTM 56 Performance Mixer-Performance
Numark CDX-MIDI control, Performance
Ecler Nuo 4-MIDI control, Performance
Dave Smith Evolver-sound design
Korg Kaoss KP 3-sound design and manipulation
Summit Audio Tube EQs-recording and Mixdown
Emu 1616 -recording

posted in Audio Engineering - 3 replies

Noisy output on hardware synth

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:22:33 GMT

Hello.
I bought an access virus C used. I hadn't used one before. Is anyone here familiar with this hardware synth?

The output seems to be really noisy.
I run 2 1/4 cables to my digi002 preamps and it hisses so loud.
I've tried using noise reduction plug-ins but that just destroys the high fidelity sound of the virus itself.

When I'm playing with it live really loud I can't notice the hiss with all the other instruments playing (even though I'm sure it's there)
It's kind of a drag when I record it how noisy it is.

My question is:

Is my Virus screwed up? Are they all like this? Any tips on reducing the hiss without reducing the over all quality of the tone?

Thank you everyone in advance, I really appreciate your insight here.

posted in Audio Engineering - 22 replies

... looking to get that Portishead vocal effect

John Michael — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:16:34 GMT

Hello, all ...

I'm working on a track that demands (_demands_, I say) that really overly-compressed-and-slightly-damaged vocal effect that is commonly associated with Portishead ("Dummy" especially). I use Digital Performer 5.12 on a Mac, and I also have 2 PowerCore DSP boards. I've tried compressing the vocal a lot (putting the threshold way low and the ratio way high using DPs Dynamics plugin), but it doesn't quite do it, and I don't quite grok the compressor on the PowerCore, so I figure maybe i'm not understanding that vocal effect well enough.

Has anyone here done that sort of thing to vocals, and if so, how?

Regards,

John

Falling You - exploring the beauty of voice and sound
http://www.fallingyou.com

posted in Audio Engineering - 7 replies

Room Correction

MrOneness — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:28:10 GMT

Having an accurate listening environment is crucial to any production. I've always used TEF analysis and acoustic treatment etc. but I'd like to hear some thoughts on this product from IK mutlimedia. It seems like a pretty reasonable solution to me for home studios.

http://www.kvraudio.com/news/8202.html

posted in Audio Engineering - 4 replies

Sick of Digi LE limitations?

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:10:07 GMT

At home I use Live for about 90% of my content. As amazingly powerful Live is it falls short in the mixing dept. So for the last few years i have been exporting individual tracks and mixing in Protools. I have been wanting to take advantage of the 32bit/88.2 or 96K capabilities of Live & my TC electronic interface. So this is where Protools LE fell short. No 32bit or 96k support with my current digi interface. I was also sick of having to mix with a different interface just for protools as well. But the audio editing features of Protools were worth the hassles. But now it can handle my needs so it's time for protools to go bye bye.
This started my search for a new Mixing solution. I am also an familiar cubase/nuendo & samplitude user. But do to Live 7s new 64bit architecture i didnt want to deal with anything less. So this left Sonar & Reaper.
I was thinking i know Sonar is a mature app but i bet reapers going to suck.
I downloaded both demos and Sonar was nice. Way more bloated then i need. & i don't really care for the interface. I really only want a powerful, customizable mixing engine that supports my Remote Zero SL & Faderport.
So i figure what the hell i'll try Reaper.
WOW.
After i realized i don't have to use that horrid looking default theme. This is one of the most flexible Mixing engines i have ever used. Unlimited routing capabilities, Fully customizable interface, 64bit audio path, with real time bounce for my external dsp.
I can't tell how pleasantly surprised i am.
If you are in similar shoes i really recommend checking out Reaper.
This i a screen shot of my export from Live & Mix in reaper template.
http://www.rhythminmind.net/images/reaper%20screenshot.jpg

FYI- info about the benefits for 64bit mixing engines.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9EeW9WhNWA

posted in Audio Engineering - 3 replies

Tube (explosion)

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 00:38:50 GMT

Question...
Have tubes been known to spontaneously explode?

I just went to turn on my fender hotrod deluxe, and it wouldn't!
no juice! wtf!
I looked in the back and found one of the ecc 83 tubes totally broken and shattered, mangled.
It's up in the back behind my amp....
there's no way I could have smashed it.

How could this happen????

posted in Audio Engineering - 4 replies

Hello! from San Antonio!

inka — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 16:29:12 GMT

Hello everyone I'm Roland and do my own thing with Logic Audio Pro...
Just trying to learn the ropes..get into the BIZ!

posted in Audio Engineering - 2 replies

Why did my harmonica blow my amp?

robert — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:53:52 GMT

I played a harmonica through a green bullet mic and it blew my DA-5 vox amp? why?

posted in Audio Engineering - 5 replies

Question from an Amatuer: Raising the volume of a bass guitar

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:39:44 GMT

Hi folks,

I recorded some duets between a guitarist and bassist live to CD and blew it. The bass is too low in the mix. I will never have the chance to redo this session. The guitar and bass are in both tracks, so a simple remix isn't possible.

Is there anything in the digital realm I can do to bring the bass up without screwing up the tone of the guitar and the vocals? I'm suspecting the answer is "no, not really," but thought it couldn't hurt to ask. I use Cool Edit but have limited experience with it beyond putting some simple compression on tracks.

Thanks in advance for any ideas you might have.

posted in Audio Engineering - 7 replies

Reference mic, double check positioning

mikejuarez — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:10:19 GMT

I wanted to double check on reference mic usage. I'm pretty sure that I've been using it correctly. Pointing the "tip" towards the source you are referencing versus aiming it straight up. I was in a bit of a small argument with a friend over the proper usage, and he kept insisting that you aim this mic straight up to calibrate a source since it was an omnidirectional polar pattern. Specifically I'm using the dbx rta-m.

posted in Audio Engineering - 3 replies

feeback problems!

akash — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 06:17:51 GMT

I play an indian classical instrument with several live groups. The problem is that I often run into feedback once i get on stage.

I am basically using a transducer type pickup fit near the bridge of my instrument but set on to the goat skin (which the bridge sits on).

Once I start amping up the volume, then I start getting feedback. The other issue is that when I'm playing live, my pickups seem to be picking up other sounds like the drums.

What are some ways I can try to get the feedback in check?

Thanks!
-chendo

posted in Audio Engineering - 6 replies

Acoustics Consulting

bobbywasabi — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:38:15 GMT

I'm looking for someone based in the North Bay who can come up to the studio where I work and help us get the room balanced. We re-did a whole slew of things here a while back, and really need to get the room tuned. Anyone know anyone?

Thanks in advance,

-B

posted in Audio Engineering - 1 reply

harmonic exciters

akash — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 22:51:30 GMT

hi,

i've recently started playing with the ozone harmonic exciter with my mixes. It seems to help bring out the mids in muddy sounding tracks (electronic music).

My question is, what do people think these things are good for (if anything)? And, am i crazy to be using this thing this way?

Thanks!
-chendo
www.guerrillasoul.com

posted in Audio Engineering - 3 replies

Pyramind

solarlab — Thu, 13 Oct 2005 23:17:36 GMT

http://www.pyramind.com/

it is a media and music production school in SF.
i know someone who runs it but i was curious to get any feedback from people. anyone heard of it? studied there? taught there?

any info is much appreciated.

posted in Audio Engineering - 5 replies

weird problem

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:09:55 GMT

I've had the weirdest problem for over a year and I've just dealt with it but now it's driving me mad so .. I seek help.

I have these alesis mk1 monitors. they work fine with a 1/4 cable into my digi002 (stereo)
when I plug a stereo 1/4 to single 1/8 (for laptop sound or ipod etc) it will only work sometimes.
I have to balance the cable in this really weird spot inside the input of the monitor. and then it can't be touched.
only the left one is working now, and I don't even bother. it's this strange complex game that I can't figure out.
(but then I can replug the two 1/4 cables straight into the speakers no problem with pro tools works perfect.)

is there some kind of box I can get to plug the monitors into and then be able to connect them to the digi002 and/or a laptop source //etc. ?
would that be the solution?

posted in Audio Engineering - 6 replies

New Track Up...

orbiculus — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 00:37:26 GMT

it's called "13 feet below" :

http://www.myspace.com/orbiculus

posted in Audio Engineering - 0 replies

DAW and the Internet

earthhandle — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:17:21 GMT

Hi, I am trolling for more experienced opinions on an old topic, mixing DAWs with the internet. Work is purchasing a MacBook Pro for audio and video purposes (ProTools and Final Cut) but they are also expecting me to use it for apps like WebEx, Articulate and Dreamweaver which all require heavy internet usage. Not to mention the crap I view and download for giggles. I am supper paranoid about letting a DAW soak on the internet even if it is a Mac. My home studio Mac has never touched the web and ideally that’s the way I want to treat anything I’m using for recording. In theory everything should be ok and but my personal experience observes computers getting bogged down, applications acting quirky and other various problems surface over time and I think internet usage plays a roll. I don’t want the laptop to give me any hiccups when recording important meetings and seminars that run hours with out breaks. I may have to drop some money into fixing the Toshiba laptop for things like WebEx and personal use…

Some people say I have nothing to worry about. Others feel like I do. Is it a crap shoot?

Thanks a lot!

posted in Audio Engineering - 3 replies

Recording electric guitar

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 17:30:58 GMT

I've never been able to get a good electric guitar tone into pro tools.
Even when I was working with an HD3 a few years back.
That said, I was wondering if you guys would like to chat about recording electric guitar?

I have a shure sm57 and a rode NTK. supposedly the 57 is good for recording amps but....
I beg to differ.

I've tried pointing it down on the cone, sticking it in the back of the amp, directly in front, etc....

I know there are many factors that I am unaware of and would love to learn some more about this art. thank you.

posted in Audio Engineering - 16 replies

NAMM anyone?

Crystal — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 03:15:06 GMT

is anybody (preferably from the north sf bay) going to NAMM in anaheim?
it's like a kid in a candy store for gearheads.

posted in Audio Engineering - 2 replies

In the loudness wars, there can be only one!

j3r3myc — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 21:26:13 GMT

Well, not really, but I thought it would make a good, nerdy Audiophile/Highlander reference...

I figure the death of the mp3 is only a few years off anyway. With broadband download speeds increasing and storage capacity following Moore's Law, we already have 160GB iPods which could hold my entire CD collection at full quality, no compression.
I want to make my next release available for download at 44.1/16 and I plan to not master it at full throttle, hopefully people interested in my music will appreciate that, I think there's going to be a sea change in the way music is being mixed and compressed... I hope.

http://austinvegas.com/2007/12/16/the-death-of-high-fidelity/

The Death of High Fidelity

Appeared on Rolling Stone issue 1042/1043 (Dec. 27, 2007 - Jan. 10, 2008), the following is an article I agree with completely…however, it dosen’t alleviate the 50+ lbs of vinyl I had to haul around to gigs.

The Death of High Fidelity
In the age of MP3s, sound quality is worse than ever
By Robert Levine

David Bendeth, a producer who works with rock bands like Hawthorne Heights and Paramore, knows that the albums he makes are often played through tiny computer speakers by fans who are busy surfing the Internet. So he’s not surprised when record labels ask the mastering engineers who work on his CDs to crank up the sound levels so high that even the soft parts sound loud.

Over the past decade and a half, a revolution in recording technology has changed the way albums are produced, mixed and mastered -almost always for the worse. “They make it loud to get [listeners’] attention,” Bendeth says. Engineers do that by applying dynamic range compression, which reduces the difference between the loudest and softest sounds in a song. Like many of his peers, Bendeth believes that relying too much on this effect can obscure sonic detail, rob music of its emotional power and leave listeners with what engineers call ear fatigue.

“I think most everything is mastered a little too loud,” Bendeth says. “The industry decided that it’s a volume contest.” Producers and engineers call this “the loudness war,” and it has changed the way almost every new pop and rock album sounds. But volume isn’t the only issue. Computer programs like Pro Tools, which let audio engineers manipulate sound the way a word processor edits text, make musicians sound unnaturally perfect. And today’s listeners consume an increasing amount of music on MP3, which eliminates much of the data from the original CD file and can leave music sounding tinny or hollow. “With all the technical innovation, music sounds worse,” says Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen, who has made what are considered some of the best-sounding records of all time. “God is in the details. But there are no details anymore.”

The idea that engineers make albums louder might seem strange: Isn’t volume controlled by that knob on the stereo? Yes, but every setting on that dial delivers a range of loudness, from a hushed vocal to a kick drum - and pushing sounds toward the top of that range makes music seem louder. It’s the same technique used to make television commercials stand out from shows. And it does grab listeners’ attention - but at a price. Last year, Bob Dylan told ROLLING STONE that modern albums “have sound all over them. There’s no definition of nothing, no vocal, no nothing, just like - static.” In 2004, Jeff Buckley’s mom, Mary Guibert, listened to the original 3/4″ tape of her son’s recordings as she was preparing the tenth-anniversary reissue of Grace. “We were hearing instruments you’ve never heard on that album, like finger cymbals and the sound of viola strings being plucked,” she remembers. “It blew me away because it was exactly what he heard in the studio.”

To Guibert’s disappointment, the remastered 2004 version failed to capture these details. So last year, when Guibert assembled the best-of collection So Real: Songs From Jeff Buckley, she insisted on an independent A&R consultant to oversee the reissue process and a mastering engineer who would reproduce the sound Buckley made in the studio. “You can hear the distinct instruments and the sound of the room,” she says of the new release. “Compression smudges things together.” Too much compression can be heard as musical clutter; on the Arctic Monkeys’ debut, the band never seems to pause to catch its breath. By maintaining constant intensity, the album flattens out the emotional peaks that usually stand out in a song. “You lose the power of the chorus, because it’s not louder than the verses,” Bendeth says. “You lose emotion.” The inner ear automatically compresses blasts of high volume to protect itself, so we associate compression with loudness, says Daniel Levitin, a professor of music and neuroscience at McGill University and author of ‘This Is Your Brain on Music: ‘The Science of a Human Obsession. Human brains have evolved to pay particular attention to loud nQises, so compressed sounds initially seem more exciting. But the effect doesn’t last. “The excitement in music comes from variation in rhythm, timbre, pitch and loudness,” Levitin says. “If you hold one of those constant, it can seem monotonous.” After a few minutes, research shows, constant loudness grows fatiguing to the brain. Though few listeners realize this consciously, many feel an urge to skip to another song. “If you limit range, it’s just an assault on the body,” says Tom Coyne, a mastering engineer who has worked with Mary J. Blige and Nas. “When you’re fifteen, it’s the greatest thing - you’re being hammered. But do you want that on a whole album?”
To an average listener, a wide dynamic range creates a sense of spaciousness and makes it easier to pick out individual instruments - as you can hear on recent albums such as Dylan’s Modern Times and Norah Jones’ Not Too Late. “When people have the courage and the vision to do a record that way, it sets them apart,” says Joe Boyd, who produced albums by Richard Thompson and R.E.M.’s Fables of the Reconstruction. “It sounds warm, it sounds three-dimensional, it sounds different. Analog sound to me is more emotionally affecting.”

Rock and Pop producers have always used compression to balance the sounds of different instruments and to make music sound more exciting, and radio stations apply compression for technical reasons. In the days of vinyl records, there was a physical limit to how high the bass levels could go before the needle skipped a groove. CDs can handle higher levels of loudness, although they, too, have a limit that engineers call “digital zero dB,” above which sounds begin to distort. Pop albums rarely got close to the zero-dB mark until the mid- 1990’s, when digital compressors and limiters, which cut off the peaks of sound waves, made it easier to manipulate loudness levels. Intensely compressed albums like Oasis’ 1995 (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? set a new bar for loudness; the songs were well-suited for bars, cars and other noisy environments. “In the Seventies and Eighties, you were expected to pay attention,” says Matt Serletic, the former chief executive of Virgin Records USA, who also produced albums by Matchbox Twenty and Collective Soul. “Modern music should be able to get your attention.” Adds Rob Cavallo, who produced Green Day’s American Idiot and My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade, “It’s a style that started post-grunge, to get that intensity. The idea was to slam someone’s face against the wall. You can set your CD to stun.” It’s not just new music that’s too loud. Many remastered recordings suffer the same problem as engineers apply compression to bring them into line with modern tastes. The new Led Zeppelin collection, Mothership, is louder than the band’s original albums, and Bendeth, who mixed Elvis Presley’s 30 #1 Hits, says that the album was mastered too loud for his taste. “A lot of audiophiles hate that record,” he says, “but people can play it in the car and it’s competitive with the new Foo Fighters record.”
Just as CDs supplanted vinyl and cassettes, MP3 and other digital music formats are quickly replacing CDs as the most popular way to listen to music. That means more convenience but worse sound. To create an MP3, a computer samples the music on a CD and compresses it into a smaller file by excluding the musical information that the human ear is less likely to notice.

Much of the information left out is at the very high and low ends, which is why some MP3s sound flat. Cavallo says that MP3s don’t reproduce reverb well, and the lack of high-end detail makes them sound brittle. Without enough low end, he says, “you don’t get the punch anymore. It decreases the punch of the kick drum and how the speaker gets pushed when the guitarist plays a power chord.” But not all digital music files are created equal. Levitin says that most people find MP3s ripped at a rate above 224 kbps virtually indistinguishable from CDs. (iTunes sells music as either 128 or 256 kbps AAC files -AAC is slightly superior to MP3 at an equivalent bit rate. Amazon sells MP3s at 256 kbps.) Still, “it’s like going to the Louvre and instead of the Mona Lisa there’s a 10 megapixel image of it,” he says. “I always want to listen to music the way the artists wanted me to hear it. I wouldn’t look at a Kandinsky painting with sunglasses on.” Producers also now alter the way they mix albums to compensate for the limitations of MP3 sound. “You have to be aware of how people will hear music, and pretty much everyone is listening to MP3,” says producer Butch Vig, a member of Garbage and the producer of Nirvana’s Nevermind. “Some of the effects get lost. So you sometimes have to over-exaggerate things.”
Other producers believe that intensely compressed CDs make for better MP3s, since the loudness of the music will compensate for the flatness of the digital format. As technological shifts have changed the way sounds are recorded, they have encouraged an artificial perfection in music itself. Analog tape has been replaced in most studios by Pro Tools, making edits that once required splicing tape together easily done with the click of a mouse. Programs like Auto-Tune can make weak singers sound pitch-perfect, and Beat Detective does the same thing for wobbly drummers. “You can make anyone sound professional,” says Mitchell Froom, a producer who’s worked with Elvis Costello and Los Lobos, among others. “But the problem is that you have something that’s professional, but it’s not distinctive. I was talking to a session drummer, and I said, ‘When’s the last time you could tell who the drummer is?’ You can tell Keith Moon or John Bonham, but now they all sound the same.”

So is music doomed to keep sounding worse? Awareness of the problem is growing. The South by Southwest music festival recently featured a panel titled “Why Does Today’s Music Sound Like Shit?” In August, a group of producers and engineers founded an organization called Turn Me Up!, which proposes to put stickers on CDs that meet high sonic standards. But even most CD listeners have lost interest in high-end stereos as surround-sound home theater systems have become more popular, and superior-quality disc formats like DVD-Audio and SACD flopped. Bendeth and other producers worry that young listeners have grown so used to dynamically compressed music and the thin sound of MP3s that the battle has already been lost. “CDs sound better, but no one’s buying them,” he says. “The age of the audiophile is over.”

Get the Most of your iPod.

1. Increase the bit rate: Higher bit rates = better sound. Set your iTunes to rip at 192 kbps, or better - we recommend jacking it all the way to 320. (AustinVegas recommends always 320 for MP3 but you can always rip straight to WMA)
2. Ditch the white earbuds: For an upgrade. try higher-end earphones from Shure. Ultimate Ears or Etymotic. Bonus; fewer muggings! (AV says true that on the muggings!)
3. Don’t re-rip!!! Morality aside, it’s a bad idea to re-rip a CD burned from MP3s - the sound will be noticeably worse. (AV says: Did you ever make a copy of someone elses copy of a cassette tape? Yeah with this is the same concept)
4. Upgrade from MP3: Use iTunes’ AAC format or windows Media Audio . (AV says SKIP! the AAC, it’s proprietary and if you don’t plan on using iPod for life, don’t get stuck with this format, use WMA instead).

Posted on Sunday, December 16th, 2007 at 9:46 pm.

posted in Audio Engineering - 19 replies

Survival Strategies and the Real Value of Music

MrOneness — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 07:58:00 GMT

David Byrne and Thom Yorke on the Real Value of Music

http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/magazine/16-01/ff_yorke

http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/magazine/16-01/ff_byrne?currentPage=1#

posted in Audio Engineering - 6 replies

this is a riot

j3r3myc — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 20:20:10 GMT

http://www.expertvillage.com/videos/recording-studio-pro-tools.htm
a little sound mixer humor to lighten up the work day.
this guy makes an argument for (or against, I can't tell) ProTools LE, he also makes a good argument for not showing up to work drunk...

Get a load of those "Niv" and SSL preamps too...

enjoy!

posted in Audio Engineering - 5 replies

what sound card should i get? 200$-300$

squee-isme — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 23:47:09 GMT

Hey everyone!

my mom, being the supportive and loving lady that she is, tends to get me something that i want for christmas. for the last 6 years or so, she has been slowly helping me to build my meager music studio.

i am looking to get a sound card in the 200-300$ range. i have a mac mini, firewire port. I produce psychedelic trance and will use a microphone, but it isn't the biggest selling point for me. I am looking for quality engineering and durability most of all.

i would love to hear your thoughts!

squee

posted in Audio Engineering - 7 replies

Sub in the studio

Brian — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 19:24:28 GMT

Sorry for any cross posting.

I was wondering if anyone has experience for integrating a sub into their studio environment. I use Mackie 824 monitors and am considering getting an hrs120.

When producing bass heavy dance music, I am sometimes having trouble tweaking the bass just right. The studio space is approx. 12X18X8 and is fairly well treated acoustically with bass traps in all corners and auralex / fiberglass pads to the front sides and top of the mixing position.

Any feedback would be appreciated. My concerns are that the 400W hrs120 might be too strong, issues with standing waves, etc. I have also heard that it makes it too easy to tweak really low bass and thus makes mixes less translatable on other systems.

Thanks for the feedback.

~Brian

www.circusofmind.com

posted in Audio Engineering - 15 replies

reducing mp3 size

Eoth-born-of-the-one-eyed-jackal — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 22:24:43 GMT

ok, here's a totally novice question, how do i convert a 9MB MP3 to a 6MB MP3, cus Myspace only allows 6MB per song.
i have Audacity and Cubase and can't find a way to do this with them is there some sort of MP3 conversion program i can download or something.....as always i much appreciate any help i can get with this.

posted in Audio Engineering - 7 replies

Maven3d

Bassmechanix — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 21:14:22 GMT

Has anyone played with this yet?pro's/cons?is it stand alone software or is it something i can link to reason 4?thinking about jumping into the world of surround sound.
Appreciate your advise,thanks ahead of time!
~Jason

posted in Audio Engineering - 0 replies

logic's 'ultrabeat' vs fruity loops

JessetheVessel — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 22:14:37 GMT

i'm looking for someone with experience using both of these programs who can tell me how they differ.

i'm familiar with fruity loops as a sample-based drum sequencer and i'm looking for something similar on mac.

is ultrabeat the same in that i can sequence patterns using samples (that i've recorded) to make the rhythm track for an entire song (i.e. not just individual patterns that can be pasted into a track, but a long sequence of patterns to make a whole rhythm line from start to finish?).

thanks!
: )

posted in Audio Engineering - 0 replies

send/return on a Digi002R?

JessetheVessel — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:21:35 GMT

If I want to process a whole mix through a piece of outboard gear, what is the best way (using a Digi002R)?

Is there some way to send/return loop all the tracks through the outboard equipment while it is bouncing to disc?

thanks!
: )

posted in Audio Engineering - 2 replies

Using a mic pre on stage

andymouse — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:10:29 GMT

I see lots of people use their own pres and mixers on stage - how do they do it?

Sometimes when performing I use a small mixer on-stage which has a regular balanced line-level output. House snakes often don't seem to have line inputs (although I guess that would solve the problem when they're available), so I'm wondering if it's ok to connect the stage mixer to a regular 'mic' channel on the snake? This seems incorrect since line level is hotter than a mic would be, but I know it will work to some degree so maybe it's ok? The goal is to keep the setup as simple as possible but not compromise the sound either. thanks...

posted in Audio Engineering - 10 replies

Using a Mic with stompbox pedals?

andymouse — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 14:03:12 GMT

I have a number of stompbox effects pedals (delay, etc) which would be nice to use in live shows for mic'd instruments (e.g. flute). Currently, if I try a setup like:

mic -> preamp -> pedal (either by inserting it or from the direct out) -> mixer

it works to some degree but not very well, I'm guessing due to impedance mismatches between the various devices and perhaps other issues since this is not the intended use. So I'm wondering if this would work better:

mic -> preamp -> reamp -> pedal -> DI -> mixer

Kludgy - yes, but I'd rather buy one reamp than loads of effects racks. I don't have a reamp (so can't try this) and have never used one before. Keep in mind that this is not for recording purposes, but rather for live shows where it's ok if the sound isn't pristine. But the sound shouldn't suck either, have lots of buzz, etc. Basically, is there any merit to this idea, or anyone have other ideas how to accomplish the same thing?

Also, I imagine that these stompbox pedals are really optimized for guitar, but suspect some of them could sound good used otherwise. thanks for any input.

posted in Audio Engineering - 7 replies

warmth outside of tubes?

JessetheVessel — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:45:24 GMT

for the past few years i've been relying on tube preamps to warm up my recordings, but i've decided to venture into the world of class A solid state, and i'm left wondering what i can do to keep that signal warm.

am i mistaken in thinking that solid states (in this case, a vintage replica of the quad 8 pres) are colder?

what are the various remedies to a cold signal?

thank you!
: )

posted in Audio Engineering - 3 replies

recording sets from mixer to laptop

kinwah — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 23:04:35 GMT

i have cdj 100's connected to a Numark DXM mixer with an rca to headphone jack going into my laptop (acer).

i tried recording it through audicity and it didn't work. i also have ableton that i could record it through but i don't know how.

i have it plugged in through the line in and not the headphone. also i've made sure that the line in is on in the volluum options.

what am i doing wrong? or what would be easier?

posted in Audio Engineering - 10 replies

Audio Engineering courses online?

nico — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 20:25:58 GMT

Hello everyone,

I am currently looking for an Audio Engineering course that can be taken online. I have found a few beginner courses but I'm looking for a formal and complete diploma.

The reason I'm looking for this to be an online course is there are no schools in Costa Rica that carry this career. Unfortunately, I cannot travel to a different country to enroll in a formal career, but I could travel for certification purposes.

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated :)

Peace!

posted in Audio Engineering - 2 replies

need some advice on pricing...

Bassmechanix — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 23:04:56 GMT

Hey guys.
i want to sell my dennon dn-d4000.its mounted in an skb mounting rack with a vestax pmc-250 2channel mixer mounted under it.the rack comes with a soft cover.its really nice and in great shape,i just have other things to play with right now.what would be a good asking price on craigslist?if you know of any other sites i could use to move it quickly,let me know.

posted in Audio Engineering - 1 reply

processing on the way in?

JessetheVessel — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:41:10 GMT

i'd like to hear some thoughts on how/if people are processing their signal on the way in, ie: gear besides a mic and a preamp.

i've had some tell me they keep it all dry and add things like compression, eq, and limiting later, while others suggest adding this stuff to the input signal chain.

i'm particularly curious about the distressor (http://www.empiricallabs.com/distdes.html). anyone using one of these things?

thoughts, theories, philosophies, gear?

thanks.
: )

posted in Audio Engineering - 3 replies

Sample rate question

boipeba — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 08:40:56 GMT

Hi...
If I did a whole project in 44.1, does it make sense to bounce it out to 48 or 96 in the mix process? Since it's going to end up 44.1 in the end anyway, is there any advantage or disadvantage to doing so? I do have some reverbs and fx and stuff running...
Thanks in advance.

posted in Audio Engineering - 5 replies

dub

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:09:49 GMT

ahoy.
who knows how to get that dub piano sound?
what chord is it that they always use?

I'm a guitar player. help please.

posted in Audio Engineering - 1 reply

Lag problems with USB midi controller into Cubase

bifurcation — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 18:32:48 GMT

Hey all,

Another problem, whew!

I use a novation ReMOTE 25 LE USB midi keyboard controller, primarily with Cubase SX 3.

All well and good, but i get a pretty significant lag between hitting a note and hearing the sound from the VST plug in it's connected too (in Cubase). Makes it impossible to play anything live.

Bleh, Any suggestions?

My setup:
Box: Dell Dimension 8300 - 2.6 Gighz
Video Card: Nvidia GeForce FX 5200
Monitor: SyncMaster 941bw
Audio Card: SoundBlaster Live!
External Audio Device: Tascam US-122

posted in Audio Engineering - 2 replies

A word from your Moderator...

jory — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 20:59:37 GMT

Hi all,

Just wanted to mention that I am leaving tomorrow for a tradeshow and then vacation. I will be checking in when i can, but just don't get discouraged if I'm not around to take part in discussions until late October.

Oh, and if there are any members here who are in Norway, I'd love to meet up, if possible.

Jory

posted in Audio Engineering - 1 reply

Direct Box Ins & Outs

paul — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:49:50 GMT

One thing I am confused about is why use a DI, when plugging my acoustic gtr, bass or keys works fine into my Pro Tools console? I just control the input with my instrument knob or the PT gain? please forgive my ignorance on the subject.......

I have a RMS passive DI. I am wondering if it is working correctly? The Att has 3 choices 0 20 and 40 db. I don't notice a volume difference when switching them?

I plug my 1/4 inch acoustic gtr cord into the input (50k ohms) and I have a 1/4 coming out of the Para Out (50k ohms) into my Pro Tools console.

I also am wondering if you could tell me the best uses for the on/off Ground switch and when to Have it on. And when to use the XLR Balance IN/OUT (600 ohms)?

thank you in advance,
paul

posted in Audio Engineering - 2 replies

Direct Box

paul — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 15:34:56 GMT

What are the best applications for a passive DI? I record bass, acoustic gtr, keys, etc, into a Pro Tools console. Do you use the DI if you have a lengthy cord or do you use it regardless of cord length? How would the instrument sound not using a DI and going straight to the console?

Also, how is it used best for vocals?

thanks,
paul

posted in Audio Engineering - 3 replies

Tube mic

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 03:57:12 GMT

hello, would you happen to know what kind of tube is in my rode mtk microphone?
It's much smaller than my guitar amp tubes, and has a nipple at the top.
say's 95-4 on the side.
any ideas? I've had it for about 3 years and I definitely think it needs to be replaced.

posted in Audio Engineering - 3 replies

Computer Recording - Hum related to LCD monitor

bifurcation — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 05:32:37 GMT

Hey all,

I'm having an annoying hum problem with my computer recording setup. I notice it goes away when i turn off my monitor. Weird.

I moved the PCI card away from my video card, but no dice. Weird.

Any suggestions?

My setup:
Box: Dell Dimension 8300 - 2.6 Gighz
Video Card: Nvidia GeForce FX 5200
Monitor: SyncMaster 941bw
Audio Card: SoundBlaster Live!

Audio output run through a mini-to-RCA cable to an Alesis RA150 connected a pair of Tannoy passive speakers.

posted in Audio Engineering - 7 replies

DIGI002R pres

JessetheVessel — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:58:45 GMT

For those working with the Digi002R, what is your opinion of the mic preamps it comes with?

Are you using external pres, and if so which ones?

posted in Audio Engineering - 5 replies

analyze this

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:06:07 GMT

here's a short experimental groove I'd like you guys to analyze if you've got a couple minutes

http://jlowe.gavestudio.com/uploads/gnometrudgethrumurklove-2.mp3

posted in Audio Engineering - 2 replies

professional difference

JessetheVessel — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 01:46:01 GMT

for a long time i've been trying to put my finger on the fundamental difference i hear between professional and home recordings.

the sounds on a professional recording seem to somehow not "touch" or "penetrate" the ears to any abrasive degree, while home recordings often hit the ear harshly.

using eq i have tried to achieve this smooth, unabrasive lustre, but there always comes a point when the frequency chopping sacrifices the natural sound of the recording.

how is this "extremely listenable" quality achieved, generally speaking? is this a compression thing? just a matter of expensive gear?

learning here...

thanks.
: )

posted in Audio Engineering - 4 replies

dealing with the 'boom'

JessetheVessel — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:30:13 GMT

I'm almost ready to submit my mixes for mastering, but have run into a snag.

I'm mixing on $1200 monitors, but I have no sub-woofer, so can't monitor the lower end. My mixes sound great on small systems and in headphones, but on a car stereo that has a sub, all sorts of low 'boomy' artifacts become apparent.

I'm assuming this is something to fix with EQ, but since I can't monitor what I'm doing to that lower range while mixing, I'm not sure what to do about this boominess.

Would cutting the bass off completely at a certain frequency (say 60Hz) be a wreckless solution?

Any ideas?

Thanks.

posted in Audio Engineering - 16 replies

More ins for Pro Tools

bobbywasabi — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:55:19 GMT

I've had someone ask me to recommend a unit that will give another 8 channels to Pro Tools LE in addition to their 002. I use the Focusrite Octopre, which is pretty good. But I'm hoping to find some other units out there that people have experience with just to see what's out there.

Thanks!

B

posted in Audio Engineering - 0 replies

Good schools?

still_shiney — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 21:48:16 GMT

I'm looking for a good sound production school. Don't care where. The more I have to choose from the better though. Please help.

posted in Audio Engineering - 6 replies

q'n re: outboard preamps

JessetheVessel — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 22:24:11 GMT

forgive my novice status, but when i'm using an external preamp (eg. a tube preamp to warm up the signal), should i be bypassing the preamp in my digi002R unit, or does it not make any difference? in other words, is it silly or perhaps self-defeating to run my signal through the tube preamp, and then through the digi rack's preamp? should i be routing the signal into a non-preamp'd channel on the digi rack?

thanks.

posted in Audio Engineering - 5 replies

rehearsal speakers?

akash — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 17:12:46 GMT

hi,

Hopefully this question isn't too far off topic.

i'm wondering what everyone would recommend for rehearsal speakers. Our old one's have passed on and we'd lke to save our nice Mackies for gigs.

Basically we're looking for something durable, decent sounding, and inexpensive.

Thanks,
chendo
www.guerrillasoul.com

posted in Audio Engineering - 1 reply

Monitor question

Oogie — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 05:35:21 GMT

Howdy. I just came into at least temporary posession of some CSI MDM-ta3 monitors, and I was wondering if anybody would have any information about these things or could suggest a place to start looking. Please don't say "google", cuz I already tried and got nothing. Thanks for any info you might provide.

O

posted in Audio Engineering - 5 replies

Small plea for a school

mikejuarez — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 07:21:00 GMT

I've been a student at CSU Monterey Bay for awhile, and have been very involved in their music department, and currently helping with some decisions to purchase a new console for the recording department. Our recording technology department has recently been growing, and we are hoping to offer better resources for students. We are trying to find a somewhat modern console, which has some sort of automation capabilities or ability to interface with computer DAWs (mainly ProTools) to replace our rather noisy and useless Mackie 32-8. We have been given a grant that offers us a flexibility between $20-25k at this point. We've been looking at a Euphonix CS2000, Neve VR, and Soundcraft DC. It is pretty hard to track down other options without prices firmly listed online, or people open to negotiation for a school.

I'm asking some of the tribe members who have are involved in the music industry and/or have connections to possibly help get us in touch with people who are currently selling their consoles. Feel free to get in touch with me through tribe or email either mikejuarez@gmail.com or, contact my instructor, Paul Contos at Paul_Contos@csumb.edu.

posted in Audio Engineering - 2 replies

problem: greyed out track in logic pro 7

blabla — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:25:50 GMT

well here we go...I have no problem using logic normally, however in this case I simply have no idea what is going on and am not sure what to search for in the reference manual.

here is the issue... I've got a song with about 40 tracks running and one of them has turned grey and it wont play any audio, yet I haven't muted it , soloed, or frozen the track. I can't, for the life of me, get it to play midi data ... it's an instrument track by the way. any insight would be much appreciated. I've never come across this in logic before

thanks in advance , peaz

posted in Audio Engineering - 5 replies

compressing acoustic guitar

JessetheVessel — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 18:51:53 GMT

ok, so i think i've got a basic understanding of all the settings when applying compression, however...

when i try to compress my acoustic guitar track with the following settings (using the Waves C1)

attack/release: fastest (lowest) setting possible
ratio: 7:1

i end up with a little bit of distortion, unless i put the threshold all the way up to 0db, which then hardly applies any processing (even at threshold -0.5 i am getting some distortion on the louder notes)

any suggestions/comments would be warmly received
: )

posted in Audio Engineering - 5 replies

master fader necessary?

JessetheVessel — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:25:51 GMT

I've read in a couple of different places that mixing down with a master fader in pro tools has a negative affect on the audio.

my question is, if no inserts are being placed on the master fader, and all levels have been checked, is there any issue with simply deleting the master fader and bouncing to disk without it? Does the master fader serve a purpose that I should know about?

Thanks.
: )

posted in Audio Engineering - 6 replies

What is this noise?

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 03:44:43 GMT

So i have a new noise i can't pin down.. Whenever i plug in my basses i get this chirping glitch.
I've rewired everything. Everything in balanced (but the basses). Unplugged one piece of gear at a time to check for interference. My guitar with humbuckers is fine. But my jazz bass & active SDgr get this noise. I have all my gear powered from one conditioned online UPS.

Check it out..I have cranked up the gain so you can hear it clearly. & i'm not talking about the buzz i'm talking about the glitches. http://www.rhythminmind.net/temp/Random%20Audio/noize.mp3 Any ideas?

posted in Audio Engineering - 3 replies

normalizing

JessetheVessel — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:33:37 GMT

is it necessary to normalize audio tracks? i've read conflicting words on this topic. any important things to keep in mind here?

thanks.
: )

posted in Audio Engineering - 10 replies

Please help im new at this

Ian — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 21:00:35 GMT

I just bought a new apple mac book 2.16 GHz and 2 Gigs of Ram. i got protools set up and i was doing some scratch tracks for a project i am starting on and i got this weird error message saying that i had maxed out my proccesser and that i need to disable some tracks and take off some plugins. taking into the fact that i only had a click track and one active track that i was recording this is crazy. Im confused and kind of new to this stuff so please help

posted in Audio Engineering - 7 replies

squealing speakers?

JessetheVessel — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 05:32:32 GMT

so i just hooked up my new monitor speakers today, and i can hear some faint static coupled with an equally faint high pitched whine which the speakers seem to be picking up from my laptop (i conclude this because, when i shut the laptop off, the noise stops).

i tried moving the laptop a few feet back, but it's still there.

is this some kind of grounding issue?
any suggestions?

thanks!

posted in Audio Engineering - 14 replies

your recommendation: mastering

JessetheVessel — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 16:31:04 GMT

so i've got a few children's books coming out in the fall, each with its own cd of music, and i need to have all the audio mastered by the end of august. i am toying with the idea of buying something like izotope ozone and doing it myself (i've been recording music for about 15 years as an amateur), however the releases are official, commercial, professional, so i am also considering seeking out an affordable mastering solution.

i would love to get some recommendations on who i should contact to get this audio up to red book standard, on a starving artist's budget. thanks!

posted in Audio Engineering - 10 replies

any audio jobs in SF / start a studio?

neurovurt — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:22:54 GMT

Hey all,
I'm in DC now, but I'm really trying to get out to SF and having a hell of a time at it.
So I wanted to inquire here, does anyone know of any music audio jobs, perhaps at your workplace, that are available?

Or, alternatively, does anyone in SF have a dying urge to start a professional recording studio?

Please let me know!

posted in Audio Engineering - 0 replies

Snake Question: Whirlwind v. Hosa

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 15:50:35 GMT

Hi folks, I'm wondering if anyone has any opinions about Whirlwind v. Hosa 6 channel snakes.

The Hosa has the features I'm looking for. It's 30' and has two 1/4" returns.
http://www.zzounds.com/item--HOSSH62

The Whirlwind is 25' (the extra 5' of the Hosa would be helpful for my venue) and has no returns.
http://www.zzounds.com/item--WHRMS6

That said, I really like Whirlwind cables and have no experience with the Hosa brand. The Hosa is about 50 bucks cheaper for some reason, and I'd rather spend the 50 bucks if the Whirlwind snake is going to last longer or is better quality. On the other hand, if Hosa is as good as Whirlwind, I'll get the length I want, and the returns too.

Any thoughts / experience would be helpful... Thanks!

posted in Audio Engineering - 18 replies

does anyone know a good firewire mixer for macintosh/garageband/protools???

Kristina — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 18:39:22 GMT

I've recently bought an alesis multi-mix firewire 12... it worked on and off - the audio midi setup wouldn't see it unless i re-installed the drivers... once it did it would work fine, except sometimes it would not get any signal from the mixer... then when i turned the computer off and back on again, the audio midi setup would'nt see it...and after a week didnt work at all no matter what i did, i tried it both on my 17' imac and MacBook Pro... i sent it back....

now i'm looking for a firewire mixer compatible with mac and garageband/pro tools... i heard pro-tools doesn't accept 3rd parties, so if that's true it's not that neccessary because i have an m-box...

any help is very appreciated... trying to record but have been stuck with this mixer problem and need to get back to work ASAP...

i've read at some blog about the 'phonic" mixer... but i dont want to buy anything again without being 100% sure this time.

posted in Audio Engineering - 9 replies

this may be a blast from the past but...

mikejuarez — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:54:03 GMT

I was curious, what was the typical setup from back in the day to get MIDI going on a Mac Plus. What hardware and software was used?

posted in Audio Engineering - 6 replies

New Tribe: Columbia Digital Arts Coalition

Third Eye Recording — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 01:27:26 GMT

For ALL things relating to Digital Art.
www.tribes.tribe.net/columbiadigitalartscoalition

Peace!

posted in Audio Engineering - 0 replies

need help with korg oasys, hollywood....

missbrenda — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 16:26:34 GMT

seeking some help with a korg oasys. learning how to record, sample etc. if you know this keyboard and want to earn some extra cash, give me a call. hollywood area. michael 818-481-6300 cell

posted in Audio Engineering - 0 replies

Any one here using Digital Performer?

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 22:13:23 GMT

So I'm having a Hell of a time trying to rewire Live into Digital Performer. Lives Rewire inputs just are not there in DP's input dropdown menus. Nor are they In the audio bundles section under instruments.
Ive read on a seperate forum "bigblueLounge" about a similar problem where they mentioned trashing Macs application data rewire Library files and then re-install each app. Tried it. Still no luck. Any ideas?
Also does anyone know if there's a Digital Performer Tribe on here? I searched but couldn't find.
Thanks in Advance.

posted in Audio Engineering - 2 replies