Topic: Newbie to Post-Production---Checklist?

[Mr.Fantasy]

I have finally pulled the trigger and got some mics...

I made my first pull with my own pair of mics last night at Gov't Mule @ the Cain's Ballroom here in Tulsa.

I have been reading for some time and have slowly worked my way to a (undoubtedly small) understanding of the overall process of taping....

I have now ventured into post production.

I currently run this rig: Mod Nak 300 > PS2> R09

I also have these programs at my disposal, if that helps: CD Wave Editor, FLAC Frontend, Foobar2000, Winamp, MKW Audio Compression, Audacity, Exact Audio Copy, and Sound Forge 7.0.


I find myself wanting to explore common ways of "tweaking"/maybe improving/mainly experimenting with what I am currently capturing.

I, due to my lack of a preamp I assume, seem to have a little bit of a weak signal. I have tried to "boost" this using Audacity and Sound Forge (as of today). So that is a concern I have.

I also have head of some different processes like "normalizing" and so forth, and would like someone to tell me what that, and other similar processes, effect my quality.

That is a common concern I have. I think to myself "well I dont want to even try to normalize this because I don't want to screw up my stuff somehow" Maybe this concern could be summed up by a few things you DO NOT want to do in terms of post and editing and whatnot...

I know I just threw it all out there....if you think you could help with any part of my situation, any help would be much appreciated!

I thought one way to address all the things I need to know/explore/check out would be to see if anyone here has a set system for what they do with their music once it gets home.......

Thanks in advance. 

[spcyrfc]

my system is simple.  back up the files, twice. 

then if i am going to do anything to them, including tracking i will import a copy into x___ software and do whatever i am going to do to that leaving the original unmolested.

screw around with stuff.  go to the extremes so you can see how they sound then work your way back towards a better sound

[Mr.Fantasy]

Understood.

Do you save your final copies as FLAC?

Do you do any certain operation to every piece of music that comes through? (that you wish to retain and archive/spend the time on)

[Keyser Soze]

I think spcyrfc hit the nail on the head.  Back up, back up, back up!

I also make a copy of the file when I'm working on it, and then sometimes I even back that copy up. 

[Javier Cinakowski]

My post processing workflow:

01. Transfer via USB to HDD.
02. Do absolutly NO post processing.
03. CDwave: track and convert to flac...
04. Burn to DVD-r

[evilchris]

My post processing workflow:

01. Transfer via USB to HDD.
02. Do absolutly NO post processing.
03. CDwave: track and convert to flac...
04. Burn to DVD-r

this is mostly how i roll, except that i'll normalize, add fades to the front and back of each disc, and maybe do some minor EQ work.

beyond that, i leave it untouched.

[Javier Cinakowski]

My post processing workflow:

01. Transfer via USB to HDD.
02. Do absolutly NO post processing.
03. CDwave: track and convert to flac...
04. Burn to DVD-r

this is mostly how i roll, except that i'll normalize, add fades to the front and back of each disc, and maybe do some minor EQ work.

beyond that, i leave it untouched.

I did the same thing.  I then figured out that I could fade in and out before/after each set during the performnace.  I also learned to nail my levels so normailzing wasn't nessesary.  This came from lazyness as I hated the how slow my computer would normalize and save the new file...  In the end I feel very strongly about doing no post processing.  I never did EQ, if the show needs some minor EQ I'll do it on the playback equipment.  If the recording requireds major EQ, I consider the recording a failure and delete it...    I like pure stereo ambient recordings.  2 channels, no processing.

[Mr.Fantasy]

+T to everyone for their quick responses....

I think I agree with keeping my master completely unedited.

I know I do not know what normalizing does/is/is for...something to do with the peaks.

What is the difference between a peak and a clip?

Peaks are just the loud points and clips go past/to 0?

 

As far as EQ, unless there was just a little tweak I thought I could do to make a load of difference, I mainly just EQ on my playback...

Javier, thanks very much for your "processing workflow"... Do you keep any .WAV files?

I guess most people back up onto an external hard drive, as well as a DVD-A....does more fit on the DVD-A, or what is the advantage of that? I guess I would have to get a DVD-A player, or plug a mini from my laptop?

[Javier Cinakowski]

you got the idea regarding peaks and clip. 

I do not keep any wav files.  I convert to flac and burn those files to a data DVD disc.  If I want to listen to the show I put the DVD into my computers drive and listen with Windows Media Player (I installed the flac codec patch).

I don't know any tapers that use DVD-A to put their shows on.

[Mr.Fantasy]

Hmm, yes, no one even posted DVD-A.

I wonder where I got that from...

[easy jim]

Most everything has already been well said.  Since I do a lot of matrix and 4track ambient stuff, I have a different approach than folks inclined to do no post processing.  See this thread for a good discussion hashing out that debate: http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,100697.0/all.html

Here's my workflow:

raw back-up
-create .md5 and text files for each raw file set
-2 back-up copies of the raw files with .md5 and text files (one on data DVD, the other on an external HD)

if 2 track ambient
-EQ (rarely, and generally only a high pass filter)
-peak normalize (no reason not to maximize the headroom on your ultimate playback device/media)

if 4 tracks or more
-EQ as needed to my taste
-light compression and limiting
-peak normalize (again no reason not to maximize the headroom on your ultimate playback device/media)

post back-up
-split tracks and create a 16bit/44.1khz file set (I mostly record @ 24/48) of the final tracks
-make .flac files of the 24bit and 16/44 final tracks, as well as .ffp and .md5 files for each file set
-2 back-up copies of the processed .flac files (one on data DVD, the other on an external HD)
-burn listening copies

Edit to add - good discussion of EQing in this thread: http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,101688.0/all.html

[RebelRebel]

First of all, regarding EQ and whatnot, there is no formula. It is generally better to subtract frequencies than to add, but EQ can make a mess of something really quickly if not used sparingly(and correctly!)
check this thread out for a lot of information regarding recording/post, etc..

http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,58384.0.html

+T to everyone for their quick responses....

I think I agree with keeping my master completely unedited.

I know I do not know what normalizing does/is/is for...something to do with the peaks.

What is the difference between a peak and a clip?

Peaks are just the loud points and clips go past/to 0?

 

As far as EQ, unless there was just a little tweak I thought I could do to make a load of difference, I mainly just EQ on my playback...

Javier, thanks very much for your "processing workflow"... Do you keep any .WAV files?

I guess most people back up onto an external hard drive, as well as a DVD-A....does more fit on the DVD-A, or what is the advantage of that? I guess I would have to get a DVD-A player, or plug a mini from my laptop?

[Mr.Fantasy]

Thanks Teddy...

Thank one link sent me on a few hours worth of wondering around the internet link to link....

+T for the intimidating amount of info....

I am trying to digest....

But in the mean time, I am trying to troubleshoot what is wrong with my dads old Pioneer SX-840 Receiver....

I remember we had some weird problem with it, then today I set it up on a whim......it worked great for awhile, then all of the sudden, I am listening to what I am doing in CD Wave Editor through the mini on my laptop and....SCRAASSSHHHHHHHHHHH....

I quickly paused what I was playing and turned the receiver off....waited and then tried it again, and once I turned it on this time, it was just loud and overdrove my speakers really hard until I could kill it again.....


 

Fun fun...

[Mr.Fantasy]

*Off-Topic Update*

I switched to a different input and it is working....knock on panels...I mean wood! 

[Mr.Fantasy]

Bass boost, eh? I recorded Grace Potter and Govt'. Mule at the Cains with the Modded 300's and I found the result to be rather bass(y?) not really what I would call "boomy" or "muddy" but more of an "in your face" kind of bass.

Much more/better than the original for sure in my opinion. Even with the good Mercury Duracell 9v.



I have run into another problem.

I have started to develop an organizational system that will work for me (including an external hard drive for my 21st birthday on Tuesday )....

....but I cannot figure out how to FLAC 24/48 files....

Can anyone point me to a somewhat simple explanation?

It seems like I have done this before, but it seems like simply adding a 24/48 file into FLAC Frontend did not work properly.....