Topic: Basic workflow after recording is done

[percoplus]

Okay, I have been fumbling around in Audition and having fun with effects and whatnot. However, I have no idea what I am doing. I would like to know what is the normal workflow for editing my recordings. I am a videographer and recording 4 channels onto my new Edirol R-44 - two from a set of mics in the room and two from the soundboard. Doing a lot of band videos in live performances in clubs, etc.

I am more or less familiar with Audition. I just don't know what to do and in what order - EQ, compression, reverb, noise reduction, etc. Please explain what "mastering" is. Maybe direct me to a good book or article. Is there a guide that tells which frequencies affect specific instruments and what EQ settings should be?

In a typical recording studio, each instrument is treated separately. I am recording the whole band. Do different rules apply?

This question should be in the FAQ section.

[Chris 91]

Try:

http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm
http://www.recordingwebsite.com/articles/eqprimer.php
http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/ozone/guides.html (still useful even if you dont have the software)
http://www.mpc-tutor.com/article/4/creating-the-perfect-stereo-mix/

Google as always, although there's a lot of outdated stuff out there...

[admkrk]

In a typical recording studio, each instrument is treated separately. I am recording the whole band. Do different rules apply?

in the studio most instruments have their own track. drums can take up several and things like vocals can sometimes share a track. the same basics apply to soundboards. each track is then panned left and right into 2 channels.

you say you're recording 4 channels. even if you meant 4 tracks, you still only have the 2 right and left channels.

obviously that's a completely different ballgame.

<cynical old fart rant>
there is only so much you can do with it. imo, making more than slight changes on any one point, messes up several others. with my crap playback, it's not worth the time to make all the minor changes before it starts to sound horrible so i pretty leave it as it is.

eq can help sometimes, but again anything more then minor changes can change the whole feel of a show. plus it biases the sound to your preferences at the time of doing it, as someone said elsewhere, your hearing changes over time.

personally i dislike compression and refuse to use it. i'm not in a loudness war after all.

reverb? why? it should have been added at the desk, if not, you will be adding it to everything.

noise reduction, use it all the time on vinyl transfers.

most books/articles about mastering concern multi tracks and not the 2 channel stuff we do. sbds are still 2 channels unless you did more then plug into the right and left channels. read 2 channels as one stereo track. 

by all means experiment away, but don't expect to tone down that snare without toning down everything else around it.

</cynical old fart rant>   

[percoplus]

Yeah, thanks for the input. Good thing about musicians is that some of them are into audio post and don't seem to mind working on the files themselves. I just like to know what I'm talking about.

[admkrk]

lol, musicians are never happy with their sound and any little improvement, no matter what the cost or how minor the change, makes them happy as shit.