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Author Topic: Suggestions on a technique?  (Read 7496 times)

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Offline Gutbucket

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Re: Suggestions on a technique?
« Reply #15 on: January 18, 2016, 12:54:40 PM »
Well, my goal is to have a recording that I don't have to crank it up to hear the songs, then crank it down because the applause is so loud, etc. Should I maybe record with the applause peaking at 0, and then apply some sort of compression in post?

That's the path to "as good as you can make it sound", making those dynamics adjustments afterwards which allows you to check by ear to determine what works and what doesn't, how much of what to apply, and where to use what.  It also allows you to use several methods in combination to better optimize the dynamic range of the recording without introducing audible artifacts.  It's far more nuanced and allows for the ability to undo things and start over if you run astray, rather than using the blunt bludgeon of reducing the dynamics by using the limiter on the recorder. Those other dynamics techniques can also help avoid the need to constantly adjust the playback volume, even though they aren't working on the applause portions at all- they may be raising the level of the quiet stuff and bringing out the previous unheard details (see the parallel compression thread), or just reducing the loudness range of the musical portions between the applause sections (check out other compression and post-production sound editor technique threads here at TS).

It's not "wrong" to use the limiter on the recorder to squash the level of the applause down.  If not having to take time to do the processing later is more important to you, heavy limiting of loud applause levels while recording will achieve the goal of reducing the overall dynamic range so you won't need to reach for the volume knob between each song.  However, that won't lead to a recording which sounds as good as doing it the otherway.  The limiter on a recorder is not intended to compress the overall dynamics of the recording, it is only meant as a safely device to prevent occasional "overs", softening the clip of the peaks instead of hard-clipping them.   

A common recorder feature which is intended to reduce the entire resulting dynamic range while recording is Auto-record-gain, but that doesn't work very well for music and I don't think anyone here would recommend using it for the kind of recording we are doing. It's mostly intended for recording conversation and lectures.  It's adjusting level "all the time" rather than just during peaks above a threshold level, so it's going to screw up the music parts along with the applause parts.  If set appropriately, at least a limiter is only going to screw with the applause parts, even if it isn't really the most appropriate tool for the job.
« Last Edit: January 18, 2016, 12:58:08 PM by Gutbucket »
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Offline lsd2525

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Re: Suggestions on a technique?
« Reply #16 on: January 21, 2016, 12:29:52 PM »
Well this sucks. Show is tomorrow and it's in Asheville NC. I'm in Charlotte. Supposed to be a huge winter storm hit tonight/tomorrow. Almost hoping it gets postponed so I don't have to risk my life driving through a blizzard to get to the mountains.
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Re: Suggestions on a technique?
« Reply #17 on: January 21, 2016, 12:45:55 PM »
Well, my goal is to have a recording that I don't have to crank it up to hear the songs, then crank it down because the applause is so loud, etc. Should I maybe record with the applause peaking at 0, and then apply some sort of compression in post? 

exactly, IMO

Offline nulldogmas

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Re: Suggestions on a technique?
« Reply #18 on: January 21, 2016, 05:10:51 PM »
Well, my goal is to have a recording that I don't have to crank it up to hear the songs, then crank it down because the applause is so loud, etc. Should I maybe record with the applause peaking at 0, and then apply some sort of compression in post?

That's exactly what I do: Record so that nothing clips, then look at where the music peaks in post, and if it's, say, -12dB, then dynamically compress the hell (4:1 ratio, usually) out of everything above that. Then normalize so everything is at a reasonable volume for playback.

I started doing this back in my 16-bit iRiver days, but having 24 bits of data available on the M10 means I can set levels as low as necessary without worrying about losing important data.

Offline Gutbucket

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Re: Suggestions on a technique?
« Reply #19 on: January 21, 2016, 05:24:49 PM »
 :coolguy:
musical volition > vibrations > voltages > numeric values > voltages > vibrations> virtual teleportation time-machine experience
Better recording made easy - >>Improved PAS table<< | Made excellent- >>click here to download the Oddball Microphone Technique illustrated PDF booklet<< (note: This is a 1st draft, now several years old and in need of revision!  Stay tuned)

Offline acidjack

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Re: Suggestions on a technique?
« Reply #20 on: January 21, 2016, 11:31:38 PM »
Well, my goal is to have a recording that I don't have to crank it up to hear the songs, then crank it down because the applause is so loud, etc. Should I maybe record with the applause peaking at 0, and then apply some sort of compression in post?

That's exactly what I do: Record so that nothing clips, then look at where the music peaks in post, and if it's, say, -12dB, then dynamically compress the hell (4:1 ratio, usually) out of everything above that. Then normalize so everything is at a reasonable volume for playback.

I started doing this back in my 16-bit iRiver days, but having 24 bits of data available on the M10 means I can set levels as low as necessary without worrying about losing important data.

A nice and cleanly stated summary of a good way to do things. Fear of compression is a baffling notion.
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Offline gewwang

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Re: Suggestions on a technique?
« Reply #21 on: January 22, 2016, 02:25:52 AM »
Well this sucks. Show is tomorrow and it's in Asheville NC. I'm in Charlotte. Supposed to be a huge winter storm hit tonight/tomorrow. Almost hoping it gets postponed so I don't have to risk my life driving through a blizzard to get to the mountains.

The show was postponed.

Offline lsd2525

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Re: Suggestions on a technique?
« Reply #22 on: January 22, 2016, 12:49:13 PM »
Well this sucks. Show is tomorrow and it's in Asheville NC. I'm in Charlotte. Supposed to be a huge winter storm hit tonight/tomorrow. Almost hoping it gets postponed so I don't have to risk my life driving through a blizzard to get to the mountains.

The show was postponed.

Yep. Here's hoping they don't reschedule on a Tuesday lol. You going?
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Offline gewwang

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Re: Suggestions on a technique?
« Reply #23 on: January 22, 2016, 03:01:37 PM »
Well this sucks. Show is tomorrow and it's in Asheville NC. I'm in Charlotte. Supposed to be a huge winter storm hit tonight/tomorrow. Almost hoping it gets postponed so I don't have to risk my life driving through a blizzard to get to the mountains.

The show was postponed.

Yep. Here's hoping they don't reschedule on a Tuesday lol. You going?

They rescheduled his Columbia show for late May and I had tickets for both. If they reschedule Asheville around that same week, then I should be able to go to both.

Offline lsd2525

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Re: Suggestions on a technique?
« Reply #24 on: January 23, 2016, 09:47:09 AM »
Well this sucks. Show is tomorrow and it's in Asheville NC. I'm in Charlotte. Supposed to be a huge winter storm hit tonight/tomorrow. Almost hoping it gets postponed so I don't have to risk my life driving through a blizzard to get to the mountains.

The show was postponed.

Yep. Here's hoping they don't reschedule on a Tuesday lol. You going?

They rescheduled his Columbia show for late May and I had tickets for both. If they reschedule Asheville around that same week, then I should be able to go to both.

I didn't know Columbia had been canceled. Was thinking about going to that tomorrow since they cancelled Asheville. Oh well.....
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Offline Scooter123

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Re: Suggestions on a technique?
« Reply #25 on: January 23, 2016, 11:54:22 AM »
Interesting thread

I usually record so nothing clips, and deal with everything post. 
Regards,
Scooter123

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