iblogbetterthanyou asked: I rap and record my vocals from a home studio. However, the quality is not where I would like it. I use Ableton Live as my DAW, M-Audio Fastrack as my usb to xlr and I have it hooked up to a MXL CR-24 condenser. I have the mic about a couple feet from a wall. I placed egg crate foam behind the mic to try to suppress reverb, but it's not foolproof. Do you have any suggestion on how I can upgrade my vocals, equipment or placement wise?

Hey, thanks for the question.  

First thing you must come to terms with is that if you are trying to achieve a sound like you are hearing on a professional big budget record, you may be able to get kinda close but the time and $$ that goes into those records is a major part of why they sound like they do.  Not to mention the experience of the engineers working on them.

They are most likely in a very well treated room with a very good sounding (EXPENSIVE) microphone through a great pre amp, compression and eq.

That said, you can definitely achieve good results at home with what you have.   Bedroom vocals can be tough, you may want to more center yourself in the room and (if the room is reflective) hang some blankets on mic stands on all sides of you.  For hip hop vocals I usually use a bit of compression on the tracking side of things too, so I’d recommend getting a nice inexpensive compressor like an RNC http://www.fmraudio.com/rnc.htm or something.  Go from your pre amp to the comp. and then into the interface. 

Good compression is why most records sound good.

The other MAIN aspect is you.. Really listen to the results you are getting and be honest with yourself.  Are you in time? is the tone of your voice what’s bothering you? etc..

Once you get a good sounding vocal try adding a little eq in ableton around 7-10khz  that will help it come forward a bit and sound crisp.

Again, really try to dial in your performance first.  You’ll be amazed at what a difference it makes.  Way more than what mic or pre amp you are using ever will.

Hope this helps!

MQ

villainousthoughts:

The Horrors ‘Endless Blue’ (Live @ Black Box Studios)

This was fun…

I’d have to say that my favorite aspect of recording is listening back to a great sounding drum set played by a great drummer!

Never let yourself skimp on this part of the recording process!

As most of us know, drums are one of the most challenging instruments to deal with.   Even if all your other instruments are recorded well, bad drum sounds can cheapen and even ruin the record (in most rock music that is).

Unfortunately, it takes a good amount of trial and error to learn how to get what you want out of drum tracks, but if you take your time and check a few things before you sign off on the sounds you’ll at least have something workable.

I think one of the biggest misconceptions in recording live instruments is that you need the best mics and gear to get good results.  That’s the last thing you need to worry about!  As they say…shit in…shit out. Meaning if your drums sound like crap they will always sound like crap.  No matter how much you spent on that preamp/mic/compressor you read about on tapeop or gearslutz.com! 

Save your money and start learning how to make drums (ANY DRUMS) sound good, or at least close to good.  

You have to think of a drum set as a sandwich.  Imagine you have the tastiest sandwich ever but the bread is stale..the sandwich is no good! or, the lettuce is old and soggy…not a good sandwich! What I’m saying is every piece of the kit has to be good.  If your drums are all good but your cymbals are cheap and tinny sounding, it affects the sound of the whole kit.  This goes for all parts of the kit.

That said, there is a priority list you should keep in mind.

For me it goes like this -

1. SNARE DRUM

2. KICK DRUM

3. CRASH CYMBALS

4. TOMS

5. HI-HATS

6. RIDE CYMBAL (If different than crash)

If you go in this order and check your components you will end up with better results.  

Practice your drummer psychology!  Many drummers are very stubborn, and will not want to let you mess with their “sound”.  

Let’s say a drummer comes in and his/her kit sounds pretty good over all but his snare drum sounds like a wooden box covered in turds.  Have him/her play for you a little bit and mention the good points about the kit..”your toms sound great man!” or “wow that kick is boomin”  then say “the only thing that sounds a little off is the snare..”.  At this point, about 50% of drummers will say “I like how it sounds tho”, “I’m going for a raw sound” or “I like a tight snare sound”. most likely they will be attempting to tune it while they say this.  If you feel resistance just say “cool, well, let’s mic it up and see what we got!”.  Bring the band in the control room with you when you’re checking the drums.   Get your levels set and record him playing a bit (make a mental note of all weak point in the drum kit), then mention to the band..”the kit sounds good! but the snare sounds kinda dead huh?”.  Have the drummer come in and listen.  

Hopefully he/she will then agree that the snare is not up to par and you can say “hey do you mind if I mess with the snare a bit to get it sounding better?” or “hey, i have a snare that will match the sound of your kit perfectly”.  Most likely the band will back you up on this and BOOM! you can get behind the kit!  then you can tune away on all the drums until you have the kit sounding good all around. 

In a previous post I have some info on tuning drums…

So, let’s say you have the whole band tracking and it’s a big heave rock sound but the drums aren’t sounding “big” enough.

If you have the luck of being in a big/good sounding room you can start exploring your room micing to get bigger sounds.  I LOVE big roomy drums!!   I also like to experiment a lot.. but there are some go-to’s that usually give me pretty solid results.

What mics I use and where I put them will depend on the band/drummer and way that he hits his drums and cymbals.

If a drummer is very cymbal heavy and/or plays the hi-hat open really loud I’ll use a darker mic like a ribbon or dynamic mic and place it lower to the ground. Sometimes i’ll use a stereo pair in front of the kit, sometimes just one in front and one behind the drummer, sometimes I’ll put an sm 57 in a corner far away from the drums for a distant sound.  It always depends on what/who I’m recording.  Don’t be afraid to go out in the room and move the mics around if you don’t like what your hearing.  It will save you time in the future.  One technique that i like for a smaller room or if the room is kind of dead is use a condenser in cardioid but aim it in the opposite direction of the drums.  Again listen to your drummer if his snare and kick sound real big already you can try micing the kit far above the drummers head or behind the floor tom side of the drummer. Just try stuff!

If you don’t have the pleasure of a big room and you’re in your soundboard covered garage or bedroom or whatever..  You really have to work your drums.  Meaning make you actual drum pieces resonate a lot so they sound bigger.  An example would be using a snare with more resonance or “ring” to it but be careful cause that can become a problem real quick!

What I do is work with the snares on the drum.  Loosening the strainer on the drum can give you a more explosive sound.  Try to get that PSHHHHHHHHH sound!  

For your kick drum you can try loosening/tuning the front head so it has some decay to it.  I’d still try to get a tight kick sound on the inside mic with a towel or something pushed up against the beater head then put a mic a few inches away from the outside head.   

You can tune your toms to have more decay as well.  Sometimes a happy “mistake” can come from a low tuned floor tom resonating every time the kick drum gets hit.  This will give you the impression of reverb without reverb! But again, be careful..

Use a room mic facing the farthest corner of the room and compress the crap out of it. It might sound crushed and distorted on it’s own but when you blend it in you will like it!

Speaking of comression…

You can get some great results for bigger sounds using compression on snares, toms, etc.. but be aware that the more you compress that snare the louder that hi-hat will be in that mic.  You can try a gate first and then compression to help this issue.  

As with everything, just listen, take a deep breath and adjust if necessary.  But always start at the source.  Don’t worry about changing the mics out or using a different pre amp until you are already super happy with the sounds.

Thanks for reading! 

Visit my studio’s website!! 

Speaking of big roomy drums! listen to this!

If you are looking for a great cheap compressor, you have to try these on for size..

our studio partner Greg Gerardi scored a couple of them for about 200 bucks!!

super smooth compression and great, crystal clear tube tone!!

So far I’ve used them on Mix buss, vocal tracking, drum buss and guitars.  100% of the time it worked every time..

Skyline Union record is Mastered and ready to go! 

Finishing mixing on The Beautiful View’s record next week! This record needs to be heard by all!!   

Started tracking for Bella Novela’s new record last weekend… Holy Crap is this gonna be AWESOME! It’s a rock opera about the Zombie/Vampire Apocalypse! and they are 3 of the most talented people I’ve had the pleasure of working with.  We have 10 more tracking days to go in July and I can’t wait! You can help fund this record HERE!

Also producing a great Hip Hop record with Brian Millar for our new friend Lance. It’s cinematic Hip Hop at it’s best. And, I’m getting better at working on Logic! although it still makes me want to eat glass much of the time..

Good times!

It may sound like I’m being redundant about tuning in my posts, but the truth is I don’t care..

Being in tune is probably the second most important thing in music next to learning how to play the instrument.

As a producer/engineer or musician you should know how to tune your instrument, and strive to learn how to tune other instruments as well.  Obviously it’s gonna take some serious training to learn how to tune some instruments such as piano, bag pipes, organs etc.. But if you play any of these, I’d suggest you start doing some research…cause..why the hell not?!

Keeping to the basic rhythm section (bass, guitar,drums) here is how to tune up!

Guitar/Bass - 

 If you can afford it and even if you can’t buy/borrow some sort of tuner.  For acoustic guitar, make sure you have one with a built in mic. For electric guitar, make sure you can plug into it and hopefully stay plugged in if it has an output as well. Don’t use one of those clip on tuners on an electric guitar!!

If you own one of these tuners, you’re in luck, cause they are super easy to use and usually very reliable.   If you don’t have one I will give you some tips on how to get in tune or at least very close.

Before digging in you should know this-

- The low/thickest string on a guitar or bass it called the BOTTOM or 6th string and it is tuned to E (when open in standard tuning).  Next is the 5th and it’s tuned to A, next is D then G then B and finally the smallest sting on the guitar is called the TOP or 1st string and it too is tuned to E.

BASS - E,A,D,G (G is the top string on a bass)

GUITAR - E,A,D,G,B,E

1. So if you are at home, the studio or on stage, plug in to that tuner!  Make sure the volume and tone knobs on your guitar are all the way up. Start with the low E string, pick it once and let it ring while you adjust the tuning peg.  Don’t keep picking it over and over and don’t pick it too hard. Pick once adjust pick again adjust etc.. 

Make sure to go through all the strings at least twice as some of the strings may loosen up when others are tightened.

If you have brand new strings on, make sure you tug on them up and down the body of the guitar so they stretch, play them vigorously and tune again.

2. If you don’t own or have a tuner available you can still tune up!

One of the best ways to make sure you’re close to standard tuning is to pick up a land line telephone (I know these are rare these days) and listen for the high note of the 2 notes that make up a dial tone.  That note is an A! so tune your 5th or A string to that. This technique requires a good relative pitch.

OR!..Look what I found! (this is way easier)

http://www.onlinetuningfork.com/

When you have this one string in tune you can match the others to it in this way.

The 5th fret of your low E string is the same as your OPEN A (5th) string.  So hold your finger on the 5th fret of the E string and play the open A at the same time.  Adjust the open A to match the E and BOOM! repeat this for the D and G strings. 

To tune the B or 2nd string hold your finger on the 4th fret of the G string and play the B string OPEN. and..BOOM!! now go back to holding the 5th fret on the B string to tune the open high E string, and you’re done! 

There are other ways to tune such as using harmonics but let’s keep it simple..

If you master this you are on your way to knowing how to tune most string instruments like violins, mandolin, cello etc.. Just make sure you know the specific sting tunings for each instrument and using this logic you can figure it out.

DRUMS Oh boy!…

Hey drummers! don’t feel bad, most of you don’t know what the hell you’re doing when you’re cranking on that fancy drum key.

I’d say I’ve mic’ed and recorded over 300 drum sets in my life and every time I’ve learned something new.  I know I say this all the time but, EVERY sound, drum, room and drummer are different. Even the same drum with the same drummer on a different day can be very different. 

Out of laziness, here is a link to a very basic and simple technique to get you in the ball park but remember you have to listen especially with drums!

http://www.drumnetwork.com/howto/tuning.htm

I know it says that tuning drums is totally different from tuning a guitar but I’ve found it’s very similar to tuning using harmonics.  Thinking of each lug as a string, and your tension rods as the tuning pegs.

Oh by the way these are the basic parts of a drum - 

I still think of my self as an amateur at drum set tuning but I’ve learned a lot and only because of experience. You just can’t learn this out of a book.  Through trial and error I have learned how to get the sounds I like out of most drums.  

I usually begin by having the drummer play the entire kit for me like he would play with his band.  I don’t like listening to drums one at a time cause that’s not what happens is real life.  Drummers will always hit their drums differently when they are rocking out than when they are checking each drum one by one. 

Once I have an idea of how hard they hit and how they hit I’ll sit at the kit and start tuning.  

side note - if you’re an engineer, you will have to practice you’re psychological skills to convince the drummer to let you tune his/her drums.  Ego’s can be very interesting sometimes.

Anyways.. I usually make sure my kick drum is sounding good.  A basic rock kick can usually be achieved by having moderate, even tension on the beater head and putting a blanket or pillow just up against the beater head. Some kick’s may not need this but it’s an easy fix for most. If your front head is closed with no air hole, you can take the front head off.

Once the kick is good, I hit my snare a few times and different ways.  Dead center and rim shots meaning the stick hits the head and rim at the same time. This is a good way to hear the note of the drum.

Turn the snares to the “off” position and go around the drum very lightly listening for differences.  If you hear that hitting nest to a lug sounds higher than the next turn that tension rod the slightest bit. Then go to the adjacent one and do the same. Work with those in very small movements hitting the drum lightly and listen for wobbles in the tone, try to get it to stop wobbling. Then hit the drum hard and listen.  Continue that with all the lugs until you’re liking the sound of the drum.  With some snare drums you may want to put a moon gel http://www.rtom.com/moongel.htm or tape a small piece of napkin on the top head to deaden the ring a bit.

I use this same basic technique with the rest of the drums.  Making sure that I do the same to the bottom heads.  Then, depending on the sound I want I’ll tune the bottom heads down or up to affect the decay of the drum.   Remember…Small turns!!

Again this is just what I do. I don’t know how but it works!!

Well, I will continue this topic pertaining to other instruments soon but now I’m off to record a drum set!!

Thanks for reading!! 

Visit my studio’s website http://www.blackboxrecordingstudios.com/

I’m amazed sometimes at the sounds that people think are okay…

In today’s over saturated “engineer/producer” world there is a whole lot of ”I know how to record and mix cause I watched a video on youtube about it” or “I’m an engineer/producer cause I got a macbook or mbox and know how to pull up a preset on my plugin” going on.

Sure, some people who are talented do get good results in the bedroom setting, and we’ve all got to start somewhere, but what I’m getting at is people aren’t listening as much these days!! 

There is no magic preset or process to recording an instrument or mixing a record.

Every sound is different and every player, instrument and room is different from the next.

 Just because you heard or read that this is how “that one guy” supposedly records his drums, doesn’t mean that your drums will sound like that.  

Just cause you’ve heard the term “side-chain compression” being tossed around like a hot potato doesn’t mean you have to use it! 

Of course there are some basics that will get you in the ballpark, like putting a 57(or so many other mics that do a better job in my opinion) pointing at the edge of the dust cap on the cone of the speaker.

(Incase you don’t know where that is, here is a diagram of a speaker)

Or putting your top snare mic here-

but this doesn’t mean you’re good to go.

That snare might be out of tune, you might be picking up the ride cymbal in your snare mic cause the drummer has it placed right above his floor tom (I hate when drummers do this by the way), the guitar tone might suck, the speaker that you are micing might not be working (I’ve experienced this at least 5 times before) etc..

So go in the control room or corner of your garage, listen to the play back and really listen to each sound and combination of sounds.   

Do you need to flip phase on anything? do you NOT need to flip phase on anything?(sometimes cause the book says so doesn’t mean you have to), do you need to put a pillow in the crappy sounding bass drum to make it sound good? do you need to use a different mic/amp/drum/drummer?  all this listening will save you so much time in your mix! and save us all from more half assed recordings!  

Now, I’m by no means a “Purist” about recording.  I LOVE computers and technology! But I do think that when your eyes are locked on a screen, you tend to stop using your ears to their fullest potential.  Try to sit back and listen, walk around the room a bit, close your eyes, put on some headphones and listen.  

When it comes to mixing, this becomes even more important.  Remember, there is no special recipe for a good mix, and definitely not for mastering.  Use those ears!

I could blab on forever about this, but take this bit of info to your next session and I promise you a better result!

Thanks for reading!

Visit my studio’s website at www.blackboxrecordingstudios.com

thismusicdoesntsuck:

***PREMIERE***

D/Wolves

“Tell Me Why”

I got a call a week or so ago from Producer/Engineer Mario Quintero over at Blackbox Recording in San Diego.  He tells me he just finished an EP with a young band named D/Wolves and I should hear it.  I was blown away.  The melodies were so immediate.  Sounded kinda like Smith Westerns meets early Weezer.  D/Wovles pull of a really impressive mix of indie pop, grunge intensity, and experimentation.  Turns out the young lead singer/guitarist is Joel Williams who not only plays in TV Girl, but is also the younger brother of Nathan Williams of Wavves. That’s probably not gonna hurt.

The EP is not available yet but you can check the more sprawling previous record Freak Of Nature at bandcamp.