51m0n

VLE is very like a passive tone control, it is a shelving eq with -NdB. In the off (fully anticlockwise position) the control is operating over 20KHz, so you cant hear it, as you turn the control clockwise the frequency drops - at full clockwise its way down at 250HZ. Sorry I cant remember exactly what N in -NdB is, but its around -9dB IIRC (ie plenty). VPF is a variable mid scoop type control, centered around about 380Hz. Again its off when fully anti-clockwise but as you turn this up the frequency doesn't shift, the amount of dB reduction does. As with any mid scooping the perception is more bass and treble. On its own this sounds great, the danger in a band mix, though, is that pulling out your mids too much makes it very hard to hear what you are doing. Personally turning either of these over 10 O'clock is way too much for me. The VLE is nice for curtailing the extra perceived top from the VPF if it gets too much. I prefer to use the more tunable sweepable mids off my sa450, since I can get them just how I want them. I can't imagine how many other people have been turned off Markbass amps because they didnt understand these two controls, surely a sign that the facia graphics are not clear enough...

ouch! Bet he rues the day that got out

I'd bet on the Roscoe Century Standard - my 5 is unbelievably light. Not ceap though, but light

Imagein a 7 string each string a different colour!

DO put new heads on the drums and tune them properly DO put fresh bass strings on (fresh by your standards) - you can always roll treble off, you cant put more harmonic content in.... If the guitarists amp is really noisey, record a track of the noise, then put it out of phase with the real take at mix down, the noise will large cancel out....

[quote name='cheddatom' post='1028051' date='Nov 18 2010, 03:34 PM']I'm using VSTs so it's pretty impossible to "print". Maybe that's one of the features of Reaper? Still not tried it at least it's because i'm too busy with music, rather than too busy with work![/quote] Even with a vst if you put it into an insert point can be recorded on a lot of DAWs - they even allow them to work out the delay of the extra processing in some of them. Sometimes its what you want to do, sometimes it isnt. If you arent sure, then dont!

+1 very good point!

Clipping is clipping is clipping. TE suggest you dont because it would sound less lovely (in their opinion). It wont damage the speakers (we are talking preamp clipping here), it will sound like plop in all probability. Damaging speakers comes from over excursion or too much heat, clipping a preamp, like clipping in a pedal does neither. Driving a speaker with too much juice so that it over excurts or overheats does. Not the same thing at all. Just my 0.02. And far too late I was with said 0.02!

I'm doing sound for a charideee gig in Selsey mate. Typical, all the best though, looks like a brilliant evening!

[quote name='jakesbass' post='1026823' date='Nov 17 2010, 12:58 PM']I'm also sorry to be pulling out of this as I now have to be in deepest darkest Wales on the day. Very sorry folks but the lesson in the raffle offer stands if anyone wants it... [/quote] Shame Jake, hope its good things (Wales though....). See you next year?

Really I've always wanted gold, but its not gold enough (think 1960's Brabham F1 cars), but yellow would work (Lotus 49, mmmmmmmyummmmyyyy)....

[quote name='clauster' post='1028015' date='Nov 18 2010, 03:11 PM']Hi Chris, Singer bod doesn't know where he's stored the pics, but here's a link to the studio's kit-list page - [url="http://www.brightonelectric.co.uk/techrecording.html"]Brighton Electric Studios - Kit List[/url] I'm certain last time we were there they had even more comps![/quote] Its their mic list that makes me moist though.... (sorry)

Errrrrr, never use fishing line, its too high an impedance (not thick enough). Old 70's string is usually OK as long as its not high in asbestos. It might be worth a bob or two even.

Sorry, I'll get me coat....

[quote name='DanOwens' post='1027968' date='Nov 18 2010, 02:40 PM']Hi Simon (sorry for the hijack). I've been developing my understanding of elitism in performance and subverting the supply/demand aspects of music recording. As such I'm employing a transient, dynamic process to the distance-listening experience that I see music recording as. I've developed a vocal-only system whereby the performance is only heard by one listener at a time and once the performance has been completed, it is destroyed (in truth, it was never truly recorded except by the listener's own consciousness). My signal path is this: Voice > cup > string > cup > ear. What is the best string to use in this setup? Dan [/quote] Good question. In the early days of recording it was often the case that engineers would have to make do with any old string for this purpose, ordinary post office grade packing string was popular, but when this wasnt available ther were many case of normal garden twine being taken off the bean poles in the allotment, often with excellent results. Once the colonies got involved though, notable engineers over this side of the pond noticed the increased level of detail in their recordings, which it soon became apparent was attributable in large part to the use of a higher quality military GI Issue string. Techology has improved throughout the last two decades, with higher and higher fibre level strings becoming common, and a general shift towards fatter corded strings. All of this was surpassed in the late nineties with the instroduction of hosepipe, a massive improvement in quality, not to mention significantly less skin irritaion and general itchiness from the fibres of twine based medium. Hosepipe is also said to improve your chances of finding a partner apparently, but needs to be very long and with a particularly high bandwidth (girth in modern parlance) and needs to be kept in the 'trouser department' to do so. I hope this helps!

Ooooh wonder how the orange ones would look on my green bass - damnably funky I would imagine!

If I might add one last teensy bit of advice:- DO make sure the band know the material, exactly how they are going to play it, before they walk into the studio.... And DONT let them chnage the plan!

Do absolutely anything you like to the signal to the cans by all means! But note that at some point you will get that wrong and print it (see the point about the big swooshy reverb I accidently tracked ))

If you really do not want to go the software route for a kind of mastered feel, then I think you would be looking a t getting a TC Finaliser (secondhand) - they work to a point, and are quite old so a cheap 2nd hand one may be the way forward for you. It wont get the same result as doing it with plugsins, and you wont learn as much or have the same control, but it will get you some of the way there....

Funny you should say that Chris, my partner in the studio is a full on ProTools nut. He loves it. I always want to be able to work OTB (out of the box) all the way. We have a compromise, in that we track to two HD24s, and transfer to the mac for mix down. Its slow but it means he can work his way and I can work mine when I''m there. In fact the desk is really just a big monitor mixer to be honest, hardly anything goes via the desk to the HD24s, its all seperate mic-pres and channels. Shorter signal path, better results you see! I love working off a desk, far more than a mouse and keyboard. However with the right DAW, a nice controller and the right key strokes set up (and macros if they are supported) not to mention track templates and so on, you can work faster in a DAW than with a desk (it takes some practice). Not to mention the use of instant recall of mixes and so on, the use of as many instances of any vst you need (with todays powerful machines), the nearly unlimited routing capabilites of Reaper. So why do I want to use a desk? EQ mainly, nothing beats a real physical paramteric eq, its way easer (for me) to find the sweet spot with a physical control than dicking around with a mouse. There is no lag at all either. I started on a desk (a 24:16:2 studiomaster IIRC) and tape (Fostex G16 I think), so my mind is there when I'm doing this stuff. Having said that my day job is all about software and user interfaces, so I am reasonably at home with computers and DAWS. I just dont have enough time to learn 300 keystrokes for Reaper (not without unlearning 500 for vi!), and set up every kind of track template I may need.... There is nothing wrong with trying that compressor on the 2-buss, that particular compressor has a valve preamp (running at a full150VDC I think) as well as a valve in the gain control element (so its a 'real' tube comp), which means even if the compressor is not actually running you are still going to be running signal through a tube, which will do its 'thing' to the audio anyway. I just wouldnt see this as a mastering step at all, its part of the mix process still. On another note - you're making me blush chaps, thanks for the kind words! Oh and it wasnt a wet fish facial slap, just a little reality check...

Crikey, I'm on fire today aren't I

[quote name='Beedster' post='1027761' date='Nov 18 2010, 11:25 AM']LOL, our singer bought his vocal mic in the other day, claimed he knew how to set it up and did exactly the same thing! He sounded about a mile away whilst the guitarist's breathing and muttering under his breath was loud and clear. C[/quote] Oh forgot this one, classic, seen variations on this with AKG 414s, Neumans, and my favourite a Heil PR40 - its an end address mic (ie like an SM58) but looks like a big side address valve mic, so people sing into the side of them - oh how we laugh....

[quote name='Beedster' post='1027754' date='Nov 18 2010, 11:22 AM']There have been some great posts in this thread and many thanks to you all for them. The post above however will be printed and is going on to the studio wall just to the left of my computer! Thanks once again folks C[/quote] Awww shucks

I would take a moment to get realistic about your ability to master your own mixes right now. Really. 'Proper' mastering is a massive step up in terms of room treatment, monitoring, outboard gear from where you are now. But this doesnt mean I think you cant get some great results - just remain a bit realistic. However I would suggest doing it mainly with plugins. Thats not to say that that TL Audio compressor isnt a nice bit of kit (Ivory I would guess, we have one, good kit, can be a wee tad noisey, but thats usual with valve compressors). I would hesitate to use more than a dab of it on a mix buss, can sound really nice on the drum buss though... I would really recommend the Bootsy/'Variety of Sound' plugs for mastering:- BootEq - for general eq'ing, very musical eq this, not a scalpel though! Density II - is a blindingly good 2-buss compressor, really brilliant, and opens up options for M/S processing too Rescue AE - nice processor for manipulating stereo spread And dont forget his FerricTDS tape emulation, which is nothing if not subtle, but does a definite 'something' nice. As for a limiter, as long as you arent looking to go mad (why would you - it sounds rubbish) something like GMax is fine. Just use it to take the very top of the peaks off, just a couple or three dB. Alongside these I use ReaXComp (Reaper's mulitband compressor, excellent interface, as many bands as you want) and ReaComp (Reaper's compressor, very very very good, immensely configurable compressor). Oh, and the best bit, all the Variety of Sound plugs are free, as is GMax, and you already know about Reaper (best £25 I've ever spent on software). I've used the above and got really credible mastering results. However I have also compared my best efforts with those of a pro mastering studio, with all the real gear, and they win (naturally), they get a bit more level, and can achieve certain things that I cant, without going back to the original mix. Nevertheless the results I've got sound great to my ears, and well worth the cost, and have never disappointed anyone listening.