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Post by sleepyhead on Nov 13, 2004 0:49:22 GMT -5
i just want some tips on recording distortion because it's really holding me back not being able to get that full sound. whenever i record it it sounds... shallow, i guess is the word. it doesn't sound like it does live.
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niko
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Post by niko on Nov 13, 2004 16:07:22 GMT -5
my advice dont listen to what your amp sounds like listen to what it records like and adjust it there bass, is much needed becuase our mics dont pick upk bass all that well so crank up the bass and on your board, use a little high and no mids
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cifirrekcuT
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Post by cifirrekcuT on Nov 15, 2004 1:23:46 GMT -5
make sure you're using the right kind of mic. do you know about the proximity effect? The closer you place your mic, the more low-end it gets. do not use a condensor mic for this though because you could ruin it (i don't know how much you know about your mics, but dynamics are for the loud stuff, condensors are for distant micing or vocals or acoustics. Very pressure sensitive). if you're still not getting the beef you want, you might have to get a different mic. I don't know how much they cost, but something like either an AKGD112 for more low end at maybe 4 or 5 inches away (experiment) or a Sennheiser 421 for closer micing. I think these mics are pretty expensive though... but hey, something similar. Your SM90 should work pretty well though. Get right up in the amp's face and point it at the cone, not the center of the speaker.
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Post by sleepyhead on Nov 15, 2004 1:26:16 GMT -5
yeah i keep think sm90 because that's what i was looking at getting, but i got the 57 instead.
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cifirrekcuT
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Post by cifirrekcuT on Nov 15, 2004 2:10:48 GMT -5
the 57 has a great crispness, fantastic mid to low mid, and a decent enough low end, but it does lack a little bit in that higher mid-range, quite possibly the characteristic frequencies of your distortion. EQ and experimentation. There is a way to record and recover your full live sound. EQ rule of thumb: cut to fix, boost to change, you can't cut or boost something that's not there
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alfonso
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Post by alfonso on Nov 15, 2004 14:11:07 GMT -5
the 57 has a great crispness, fantastic mid to low mid, and a decent enough low end, but it does lack a little bit in that higher mid-range, quite possibly the characteristic frequencies of your distortion. EQ and experimentation. There is a way to record and recover your full live sound. EQ rule of thumb: cut to fix, boost to change, you can't cut or boost something that's not there THese are some great tips, thanks Tucker.
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cifirrekcuT
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Post by cifirrekcuT on Nov 15, 2004 14:37:25 GMT -5
audio recording is a crazy complex world. i had no idea before i got here, now it's consuming my life
if you have a cover or a topper on your 57, you can take it off for a more responsive high end if necessary. try everything. there aren't any hard and fast rules. you probably knew that
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niko
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Post by niko on Nov 15, 2004 15:29:18 GMT -5
my 57 has the cover that came on it...but im not taking it off.
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cifirrekcuT
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Post by cifirrekcuT on Nov 15, 2004 15:40:22 GMT -5
the 57 is one of the most durable mics you can get your hands on. Just don't hit the uncovered end when it's uncovered. And don't saw any wood or sheetrock in the same room. Other than that, if you don't need more high end, don't worry about it anyway. It's much easier with other mics though, so don't go breaking your 57. goodness no
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alfonso
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Post by alfonso on Nov 15, 2004 16:25:06 GMT -5
the 57 is one of the most durable mics you can get your hands on. Just don't hit the uncovered end when it's uncovered. And don't saw any wood or sheetrock in the same room. Other than that, if you don't need more high end, don't worry about it anyway. It's much easier with other mics though, so don't go breaking your 57. goodness no Im an idiot...last week...I was messing with recording guitar through the condensor i have....and after what you said...Im afraid that I might have done something bad to it, I had it a little close for comfort. DAMN. Im going to check it out tonight, any tips on making sure its NOT damaged??
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niko
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Post by niko on Nov 16, 2004 1:31:27 GMT -5
are you talking about when you dropped it chris?
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Post by sleepyhead on Nov 16, 2004 1:36:39 GMT -5
thanks tucker for your expertice. it's good to have you 'round these here parts.
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cifirrekcuT
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Post by cifirrekcuT on Nov 16, 2004 3:24:08 GMT -5
i don't know about expertise, ande. i'm still just dabbling. avidly, but still just a toddler.
chris, as long as the mic still picks up an undistorted signal, you're golden. Those condensors just have such a small diaphram, they can't handle too much pressure difference like that D112 or Shure Beta 52, etc. The diaphram movement is directly related to volume and frequency (differences in amplitude of the sound wave). If you were recording quietly and unaggressively, you might be ok. But hey, even if the response is distorted, by all means, don't throw the mic out, use it to your advantage in some other way when you're not looking for a clean sound, huh? What kind of mic is it, by the way? Just curious
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alfonso
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Post by alfonso on Nov 16, 2004 12:45:32 GMT -5
i don't know about expertise, ande. i'm still just dabbling. avidly, but still just a toddler. chris, as long as the mic still picks up an undistorted signal, you're golden. Those condensors just have such a small diaphram, they can't handle too much pressure difference like that D112 or Shure Beta 52, etc. The diaphram movement is directly related to volume and frequency (differences in amplitude of the sound wave). If you were recording quietly and unaggressively, you might be ok. But hey, even if the response is distorted, by all means, don't throw the mic out, use it to your advantage in some other way when you're not looking for a clean sound, huh? What kind of mic is it, by the way? Just curious Its just an MXL 2001 I believe. I got it as a two-pack from Guitar Center about one month ago.
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cifirrekcuT
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Post by cifirrekcuT on Nov 16, 2004 16:34:47 GMT -5
that pair would be great for a pair of drum overheads. stereo imaging yah. roll off that low end for some sweet cymbals
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cifirrekcuT
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Post by cifirrekcuT on Nov 16, 2004 16:41:50 GMT -5
but that's not very conventional... great for vocals with a windscreen and acoustics (guitar, violin, NOT upright bass... i wouldn't anyway). I think it can handle your guitar amp too. It has a relatively large diaphram compared to some other condensors.
it's a good mic. about the same as the more expensive counterpart Pacific LD-1. even better that you got a pair.
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Justin Leedy
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Post by Justin Leedy on Nov 21, 2004 21:07:37 GMT -5
THe problem might not be the mics. It might be that you don't have your amp up loud enough. The harmonics of the amp will come out more with more volume and that could help your sound. I almost never record with my Marshall below "5" and I just push a dynamic up against the grill a little off-center of the upper-right speaker in my cab
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cifirrekcuT
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Post by cifirrekcuT on Nov 23, 2004 18:14:49 GMT -5
you don't want your mic touching the grill. if it is, i'll bet some of the distortion is from the grill vibrating. If it's not the sound YOU created, then you don't want it on tape, isn't that right? I think you said that yourself in not so many words in a different forum...
getting it closer will add low end, not the higher harmonics. i'd back the mic off a centimeter and turn the amp up to 7.
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niko
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Post by niko on Nov 24, 2004 0:56:06 GMT -5
i run mine right up to the cloth, gives it the bass i need, and the harmonics i recorded in bam were done in the same mic placing.
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cifirrekcuT
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Post by cifirrekcuT on Nov 24, 2004 3:56:27 GMT -5
i see cloth and grill as two different things
i'd still be weary of the contact though. cloth vibrates too and tapping a mic could cause unwanted effects. but seems like it works fine and that's all that matters
don't feel like i'm shooting down, i'm just coupling my opinion with what I've been taught and studied up on so far
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