Taperssection.com
Gear / Technical Help => Post-Processing, Computer / Streaming / Internet Devices & Related Activity => Topic started by: Sterling on December 17, 2005, 10:08:59 AM
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After reading a bunch of threads about tracking and normalizing, I realized that alot of my recordings could be better if I actually used a fraction of the resources that wavelab has. My questions are these:
- My recordings, being oktava's, tend to be a bit sloppy on the low end, even witht he dorsey mod as well as with most concert recordings the bass just isn't...crisp?
- What settings should I use at with the EQ-1? Or should I just do it to "ear"?
- When I do a globle analysis, I don't even know what I'm looking at?
Just a little help with how best to utilize wavelab would be great!
Someone on here said it best that "anyone with a CC can buy taping gear, go to a show and hit record. Its takes (something, I forget) to really mast a recording that represents the original show" - this is all I want.
As usual I know you guys will steer me int he riight direction.
Sterling
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Since source material varies so much, you need to use your ears. There are no preset answers. You'll need decent monitoring ablities too. Practice, practice, practice.
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No offense, but with a few possible exceptions, tapers are not the people to be asking about properly mastering a recording.
If you don't own this (and everyone who records and works with music in any way should!), you need to go out and buy it today.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240805453/qid=1134838881/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-8287327-2455853?n=507846&s=books&v=glance
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240805453/qid=1134838881/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-8287327-2455853?n=507846&s=books&v=glance)
All the answers to the secrets of the universe are contained within these pages.
Dirk
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No offense, but with a few possible exceptions, tapers are not the people to be asking about properly mastering a recording.
If you don't own this (and everyone who records and works with music in any way should!), you need to go out and buy it today.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240805453/qid=1134838881/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-8287327-2455853?n=507846&s=books&v=glance
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240805453/qid=1134838881/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-8287327-2455853?n=507846&s=books&v=glance)
All the answers to the secrets of the universe are contained within these pages.
Dirk
None taken...
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i usually do ZERO mastering to my stuff
I want to walk away from any show w/ a good/raw representation of what went down
id say upgrade your mics but YMMV
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I'm with Bean on this - I prefer a raw representation of the show in my 2 track recordings. Incidentally, I still classify myself as a taper as well and I wouldn't want to give advice on mastering techniques either, except to point people to the people who really know this stuff (like the aforementioned Mr. Katz).
It's definitely the one area of recording and mixing that I know the least about!
Seriously, if you haven't read this book then you should. It hasn't made me grow mastering ears, but it has certainly helped me make better recordings in general.
Dirk
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I agree that we should walk away froma show witht he raw representation of the show, but never ever does any artist of any kind put out anything that has not been remastered in some way. I'm not saying that its necassary, only that IMO, it can only improve what is already a "good" representation of the show.
new mics would be nice to though... ;D
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Audio Schizophrenia (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/chris.burmajster/audio_schitzophrenia.htm)
knob twiddling (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/chris.burmajster/If.htm)
both of these say it better than i ever could
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Here is what you can do to get the best representation of the concert you have recorded.
1) Get the best seat you can to record from.
a) If it is intrumenetal try recording from the stage
b) If it is a vocal group you will need to be a few rows back to get the P.A. in the mix for vocals. However, I have also had good results placing my mics above the monitor on stage to fill in the vocals.
2) Try running an audience and soundboard mix, which means that you will need to buy a 4 track, 2 channel mixer.
3) Run Split Omni's and ORTF's and mix.
4) Get a 16 track, multi track recorder and use 14 channels for direct intruments and 2 channels for your stereo Audience blend. Back home mix everything to your ear is content. (I know this is not feasable but it is a great one of the better ways to get the recording you want.)
After the show listen back on a very good full range system that gets down to at least 25-30 hrtz and 18 to 20 khrtz. that is set up properly in a good listening room. I would not use headphones to master since they have limitations that are only apparent when listening back over speakers. If you feel that there are some short comings with your recording then by all means try to fix or improve your recording by mastering it. BTW, Mastering usually means preparing the raw tracks for final replication. In some cases it may be just editing, fading in/out and in others it means expanding the soundstage via M/S or an expander, noise reduction, EQing, fixing balance, compression, adding reverb, etc, etc..
Remember though, that there is no free lunch. Anything you add will take away something from the recording. In the ends it up being a compromise of gives and takes. When mastering the final product it is about how it sounds to you via your ears. That is what give some engineers a great reputation, their ears and their final product.
Always save a copy of the original tracks for archival use and future re-mastering.