Topic: How much post production work does everyone do ?

[Josephine]

I'm a wannabe producer . . .  with much to learn.

[Chuck]

I just wrote a HUGE explaination on why I don't do anything more than add fades at the beginning and end of sets, but I somehow lost it before it got posted...

Anyway, I'm with Moke or Mr. French... (I loved Family Affair)

For those that do post-processing on their recordings I appreciate that some do actually note what was done in the source file.

[terrapinj]

whatver you gotta do to make it sound good to your ears.

for me that is usually nothing or very little. i will normalize on a rare ocassion the levels are way too low or uneven. in fact i don't think i've ever messed with the eq for any of the shows i've taped (except on my playback)...but then again i haven't had the time to give all my shows the proper attention they deserve. i don't  know what i'm doing well enough or have a good enough playback to mess with anything that's gonna get shared with others but mainly i've got too many shows i've taped and not enough time to do it right. plus it makes it easy for me to evaluate the variables when I listen to them (venue, location, config, rig etc)

my $ 2/100

[(((KB)))]

Overview docs are helpful, but there's LOTS of trial and error involved.  Read the Help file and experiment.  I'd say the most useful functions for minor editing :

• normalizing, or amplitude / gain adjustment (includes fades)
• high pass filter
• compression
• parametric EQ

A good rule of thumb as you experiment:  less is more.  It's real easy to over-do editing in post.  One way I experiment is by applying a function with a very high factor so it's very easy to hear the impact.  Knowing what the function does in the extreme helps understand how it will effect the recording when applied more subtly.

I'm reasonably comfortable with normalizing, HPF, and compression - all of which I use sparingly - but really haven't sorted out the parametric EQ yet.  I know how it works theoretically, but what frequencies to draw back, how much, and with what width still largely eludes me.

I totally agree. I try not to over do it, but sometimes I feel I should tweek it alittle.
Usually, all I do is even out the channels, a small 2db or so gain, 5 sec fade-ins/10 sec fade-outs at the beginning and end of each set. If I choose to tweek it, I subtly use an EQ with the Freq's that I felt was lacking (mostly w/ SBD's).
For the EQ'ing, I generally do it by ear and use this chart as a reference that I found in a book of mine.

Hope everone finds this useful.

(((KB)))

[halleyscomet8]

track it, flac it, upload. that is all

[carlmeanwell]

I'm guessing that the majority of people here who are currently tapers mostly tape for their own enjoyment.  Post-production is just a bonus of taping, I tend to enjoy the process of getting the best out of my recordings.  If you muck up a perfectly good recording by simply over producing then don't worry about it, so long as you've kept the original master.  Seed the altered version, and if you get some bad feedback just try try again.  At the end of the day you have recorded it in the first place so enjoy it as much as possible.  Of course, always let the people know whats been done in the text file.
My advice is just to keep an open mind and an open ear when post producing, just make sure you enjoy it at the same time.

[capnhook]

I'm guessing that the majority of people here who are currently tapers mostly tape for their own enjoyment.  Post-production is just a bonus of taping, I tend to enjoy the process of getting the best out of my recordings.  If you muck up a perfectly good recording by simply over producing then don't worry about it, so long as you've kept the original master.  Seed the altered version, and if you get some bad feedback just try try again.  At the end of the day you have recorded it in the first place so enjoy it as much as possible. 

+t

truer words never spoken...........................................prophet in our midst   

[BayTaynt3d]

I just wrote a HUGE explaination on why I don't do anything more than add fades at the beginning and end of sets, but I somehow lost it before it got posted...

Anyway, I'm with Moke or Mr. French... (I loved Family Affair)

For those that do post-processing on their recordings I appreciate that some do actually note what was done in the source file.

I've had this happen so many times over the past ten years (not just here, but everywhere), that I now have a routine I do before posting if it was a massive treatize that I wrote. I press CRTL-A, then CTRL-C, then post. It's only two keystrokes, and then I have a backup in the clipboard. Sometimes <BACK> works, but sometimes not. And like I said, I only do it for long posts, otherwise who cares...

[nihilistic0]

I almost always do a bit of post work

1st off, Ill usually sit on the recording for a day or 2, listening to it many times over, sometimes quiet, sometimes loud, sometimes on headphones, sometimes on speakers.  This helps me pinpoint what the flaws are

After this, Ill dump it into wavelab, and start tweaking a little bit.  Nomrally I have to remove a little of the bass so its not so boomy, and sometimes Ill boost some of the higher frequncies for added sound clarity

Ill then sit on this, and listen to it at mulitple volumes and on speakers and headphones.  This helps me to deicde if the changes I made were satisfactory.  Maybe I boosted the highs too much, and after a few days listening, things like that becomes apparent

With the right work, just about any recording can be made to sound better.  I never understand why, if someime tapes and it comes out all muddy, why they dont tweak the higher frequencies al ittle bit.  The audio is there, it just needs to be brought out

SO yea, with the recent addition of some pretty decent headphones, post work has become even easier.  I can make out subtlties much easier, and adjust accordingly.  I go back and forth on hte headphones and speakers, searching for a good balance that will sound good on both.  I love post processing, and always like to get the most out of my recordings

[Sparge Master]

I feel editing a recording is a tricky thing. Fade-In Fade-Outs are fine because theyt dont really change the recording

EQing (Bass roll off aka High Pass Filter) changes the whole recording. Every instrament sits on a range of frequencies and because of this if you want a guitar to stand out you are going to change another instrament. I stay clear of eqing for this very reason unless I have a multitrack of the recording and can change each instrament individually.

Compression can be used but you only want it to affect the noise like clapping and not the rest of the music. Compression ruins the dynamics of a recoring the loudness and quietness of a music.

When I do edit my recording I always leave the original on my computer till I have listened to the edited version in a variety of places. Each system will have its flaws in the reproduction of the sound.

[midside]

Compression can be used but you only want it to affect the noise like clapping and not the rest of the music. Compression ruins the dynamics of a recoring the loudness and quietness of a music.

Actually, compression is a very generic word and there are sooooo many ways to go about using a compressor.  So, I would have to say that this is not always the case.  Plus, you can use 'multi-band' dynamics, a compressor that you can set to specific frequency ranges.  There are tons of ways to use today's tools and I would stay away from generalizing.

[Sparge Master]

Compression can be used but you only want it to affect the noise like clapping and not the rest of the music. Compression ruins the dynamics of a recoring the loudness and quietness of a music.

Actually, compression is a very generic word and there are sooooo many ways to go about using a compressor.  So, I would have to say that this is not always the case.  Plus, you can use 'multi-band' dynamics, a compressor that you can set to specific frequency ranges.  There are tons of ways to use today's tools and I would stay away from generalizing.

You are right that compression can be used a varity of ways to improve the overall sound but when playing with just two tracks it can be very difficult to use correctly since you have everything combined into one. I have used compression in a tape of mine to help improve the untalented asshat singing since he could not seem to sing.

[CHURCH-AUDIO]

( always keep a copy of the orginal file untouched ) That is the tip of the day. I use a good set of reference monitors that I know very well, and do a little eq here and there nothing major. I first run it thru winaudiomls and take a look at the wave file see if there are any peeks that run thought the whole show, if there are I remove them gently,
With a parametric eq plugin with in Nuendo. Then after I have removed any peeks that run thru out the show, that I don’t like the sound of. The last thing I do is normalize, that’s it. I also make sure left is left and right is right by switching them and listing. A big time mistake is getting your left and right mixed up, that can cause you to think you have a bad recording. It has happened to me lots of times. But in the end I also as the last- stage use my ears and listen to the final product, and go back to the original. If I feel I have done more harm then good I will start over. Sometimes I use a graphic eq plugin, sometimes a notch filter plugin sometimes, a parametric. like I mentioned before, It all depends on how fine of a detail I want to repair. Some people the "purists" do not like to touch the recording at all,  I agree if you have a great venue, with a great mixer, and great mics / recording gear, that should be possible. But if not and I would say 70% of the time a recording can be improved IMO.

Chris Church

4474#msg794474 date=1140716588]
I would do whatever editing you feel makes it sound good to your ears.  Then seed whichever you prefer - the master, or the edited version.  Just remember, if you do edit - always keep your unedited master!
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[jdawg]

I'm guessing that the majority of people here who are currently tapers mostly tape for their own enjoyment.  Post-production is just a bonus of taping, I tend to enjoy the process of getting the best out of my recordings.  If you muck up a perfectly good recording by simply over producing then don't worry about it, so long as you've kept the original master.  Seed the altered version, and if you get some bad feedback just try try again.  At the end of the day you have recorded it in the first place so enjoy it as much as possible.  Of course, always let the people know whats been done in the text file.
My advice is just to keep an open mind and an open ear when post producing, just make sure you enjoy it at the same time.

Well said!  And for those quieter shows, especially bluegrass, I usually lower the appluase levels. Like someone else mentioned above, no one listens to my recordings more than me, so why not make it as enjoyable as possible. I've never "normalized" a recording though. Hell, I don't even know what does   For shows that I think my wife might enjoy, I simply remove all the space between songs, add fades if necessary, and make it more like a studio cd. On another note, there have plenty of shows where I just track & flac!

 




 
 

[Chrisedge]

I'd really like a tutoral on compression. I have Audition, and have "fooled around" with some of my recordings, but when I listen to a "normal" cd, then mine, I would just like the volume in the same neighborhood, without having to normalize to 200%

There was a very good overview on STG a long time ago, but obiviously is no longer there.

Any step by step help on compression around?