51m0n

Yeah keep the snares seperate for definite!

Well I reckon Sapere Aude at the moment, not too long, plenty going on, lots of dynamics and textures, and a fine vocal performance to boot, with just a hint of Mr Shout McShout, last years winner of the internationally recognised "I'm a shouty b****rd me" competition.

No I think its about time we had a go at something a little more heavy, we've done a reggae track and an indie-pop-rock track, both were great to mix with a bunch if nasty issues to get around. Something that needs to peel back peoples ears a bit would be cool, and next time hopefully we'll get something more dance orientated, or some electronica, or even some straight ahead jazz. Good mixers are good whatever the genre they are presented with....

ooooh shouty shouty angry angry, he needs to have a sit down and a cup of tea doesnt he

Thats my afternoon's listening sorted then

Its just good when the chemistry is there....

Cheers!

When they are available you could do a whole lot worse than one of these (warning you will need some solder skills) http://www.diyrecordingequipment.com/store/kits/ferrite-passive-di/

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1362495844' post='2000161'] Or get yourself a Line6 Pod or equivilent It won't sound the best but it will do most jobs slightly better than ok if you spend time with it and it won't annoy your parents [/quote] Spoil sport

The drums on these were recorded with just 4 mics:- https://soundcloud.com/lines-horizontal/the-individuils https://soundcloud.com/lines-horizontal/harvest

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1362450557' post='2000014'] You would record electric guitar in the same way, wouldn't you? [/quote] Thats not as simple question to answer as you might think. Are you looking to record a distorted/overdriven guitar sound? Then dont DI the guitar from the amp, it will sound like utter crud, that there speaker is a really nice low pass filter that adds some interesting resonance as well (ie just an eq wont match what its doing at all). The way to record an overdriven guitar is with one or two mics (hey that magic two again). Typically an SM57 and a ribbon mic of some kind (ribbons are fantastic, and probably not something you want to buy in the first year or two of your recording career - a Cascade Fathead II with Lundahl transformer will be more than adequate for your needs when you want one though). The placement of the microphones is ultra critical, moving them half an inch closer or further away from the cab can cause phase issues, moving them half an inch toward the center of the cone or the edge of the cone can dramatically change the timbre they pick up, changing the angle by even a few degrees can change how they sound hugely too. Huge amounts has been written on the subject of guitar cab micing! First things first, sm57 straight at the center of the cone as close as you can get without touching the speaker. This will be as bright a sound as you can get. As you move the mic further awway from the center of the cone it gets less brite sounding, if you turn it at an angle it gets less brite sounding. Experimetn, listen to the output, move the mic try again, rinse and repeat until its perfect. If you are recording yourself you have no excuse not to track the very best sounds you can, its lazyiness that stops people capturing great guitar sounds in the main - and neighbours who dont appreciate it of course. SM57s can sound pretty harsh. Thats where the ribbon comes in, typically backed of a little (3 or 4 inches, phase is a major issue with two mics so watch it!) from the cab, turned through 45 degress (ribbons dont like plosives and very very high signal levels, or phantom power, they are from a more delicate age generally - but sound incredible). The ribbon will seem dull - on its own you can eq in a lot of top end without it sounding harsh though, mixed in with a 57 it will add warmth and body to the sound without the need to resort to eq to get that from the 57. On the other hand if you are recording completely clean electric guitar (like Chic) then a DI is all you need ( or want), and a little chorus to taste... Example of guitar recorded with an SM57 and a Cascade Fathead II:- [url="https://soundcloud.com/51m0n-1/get-on-it/s-h2HsN"]https://soundcloud.c...t-on-it/s-h2HsN[/url] Full chain on the guitar was, modified US Tele -> Cornford -> SM57 -> API channel strip -> ALesis HD24 -> Fathead II -> Joe Meeq TwinQ -> ALesis HD24 Guitar is double and even triple tracked though... Oh the bass on that track was a Musicman StingRay into a decent DI to the mic input of the Joe Meeq TwinQ with the iron switch on (adds an extra transformer that was overloading slightly for some added harmonic texture) compressing quite hard and EQ'ed on with the TwinQ eq then straight into the HD24. Sounds awfully good to me that bass sound, only one channel to....

[quote name='Zenitram' timestamp='1362440220' post='1999958'] The mixer has four subgroups that can be used as direct outs, and it does indeed have tape in. Edit: though it doesn't have tape ins, in the plural. [/quote] I stand by what I said then, its really not suitable for a studio desk, you really need either 8 groups with outs or direct outs on every channel, plus a tape in on every channel and a tape return monitor level on every channel. Otherwise its a live desk, and wont achieve what you need it to to use it as a recording desk.

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1362439715' post='1999951'] I'm sorry? what advice am i fighting? i'm getting the DI box, as you recommended. I'm micing the bass cab as you suggested. I don't understand what advice i'm fighting. I know you have an absolute ton of experience, and that is why i asked, and i had hoped from a response from you in particular when i posted, Simon. (not that i don't value the advice from others, i do). I'm an absolute novice remember. [/quote] I think the best advice given here so far is keep it simple. For example one of the most enlightening moments I had when recording was realising that two mics on a drum kit in the right place sound better than ten mics that arent absolutely perfect. Four mics is now my personal favourite if I can. It makes the kit sound incredibly real, and still really powerful. More mics tend to dilute that reality, and more oftne than not introduce phase issues that are very hard if not impossible to sort out. Dont go for more than a DI and a mic on the bass, do get a 2 channel reasonable (ie the very best you can afford) 2 channel interface. WIth which you will be able to record you bass and make it sound great. You dont need a mixer, and a decent recording mixer is going to stretch your budget to breaking point (because they cost stupid money). Spend the money on the interface instead. You really only need two channels, the best of which are the Babyface or the Apogee Duet, MOTU are good (next tier down lets say), M-Audio have done usable interfaces (nothing spectacular). If you can the [url="http://www.dv247.com/computer-hardware/steinberg-ur824-usb-audio-interface--89987?gclid=CKy357yr5LUCFUbKtAodNWoA6A"]Steinberg UR824[/url] is good enough to record a live album with according to [url="http://www.michaelwagener.com/html/ww.html"]Michael Wagner from Wireworld studios[/url] ( and he is extremely well regarded in the industry) - actually he used 3 of them but the point is they are good enough, it will give you 8 channels off the bat and you could go mad as a duck thinkin up complicated ways to record your bass . If you got one of those you would be able to ditch the DI too as it has instrument level inputs. Its overkill in a lot of ways for what you need, but its stupidly good kit for the cash. A lot of ways to skin this particular cat, mixers arent in any of them that are worth while in my opinion....

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1362301096' post='1998011'] Would this mixer that Zenitram is selling do? http://basschat.co.uk/topic/199943-for-sale-yamaha-mx124-mixer/ [/quote] In short no. It's a live mixer by the look of it. No direct outs, no tape ins, not suitable for recording properly. Why are you determined to fight the advice of the people on here so hard? It's good advice from experienced people who have been there and done that and are entitled yo the T-shirt.

[quote name='JakeBrownBass' timestamp='1362418180' post='1999397'] I've some stems if people want them. It's a cover song and theres percussions & horn sections in there. If you want them, let me know as i'll have to bounce them as they're currently just sat in a protools session. [/quote] Can you put a link to it in this thread:- http://basschat.co.uk/topic/201341-we-need-a-track-to-mix-for-march/ And we can choose in there. Just to try and keep it al together in one place, please. It would be really helpful!

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1362403585' post='1999187'] Only just seen this thread.....would've liked to give it a go...is this something that happens every month? [/quote] Thats the plan There will be a new March competition thread as soon as we have chosen a track

People of basschat, your mix competition entrants need your recorded songs! We need a selection of recorded songs to choose from for the March mix competition. Please put forward a song if:- [list] [*]You would like us to have a crack at mixing it (well duh!) [*]You have the full set of stems (ie each individual track as recorded, not a project file but a full length wav of the kick, and another of the hihat and another of the snare, and another of the bass etc etc etc for the song - people are all using different DAWs and this is the only guaranteed way of importing them) [*]You have the ownership of the track, or permission to put it forward (we dont want to be accused of any kind of naughtiness) [*]You can put the stems up on Soundcloud or some other equivalent for the entrants to download them from [/list] We will do our best to produce a really great mix of the song for you, you are invited to register your vote on the poll at the end of the month

You dont have to provide the rtack at all, just choose one from peoples suggestions/offers. If anyone has a track they'd like to submit (we need the full set of stems) then now is the time to put forward your suggestions....

REDDI is one of the best DIs you can get full stop.

Plux's LH500 is in the Gator shallow 2u case - fits like a glove....

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1362131000' post='1996088'] If it's on soundcloud you can still tell who's it is [/quote] Heh, no re-read what I said again mate. 1. Entrant sends me a PM with the link to their mix (could be soundcloud, could be box.net, could be dropbox.com, who cares) 2. I download the track, and rename it to say, A.wav (keeping a note of whom A.wav was sent to me by) 3. I upload A.wav to a new Soundcloud account 4. I link to the new soundcloud account with the obfuscated wavs in for people to vote on I know which mix came from whom, no one else does. I don't vote, anyone else who wants to can, without having a username to suggest to them a mix maybe should be good. That way I can enter too. That way even the entrants may not be entirely sure (althoug I think they will be pretty positive normally) which is theirs....

So sonce we are now in March I declare the Feb competition closed, the results are in:- [list=1] [*]51m0n: https://soundcloud.com/51m0n-1/mission-ray/s-xnnqG (5 votes [45.45%]) [*]Chrismanbass: https://soundcloud.com/chris-hallam-1/mission-ray-final (0 votes [0.00%]) [*]lurksalot: https://soundcloud.com/lurksalot/mission-ray-v2 (1 votes [9.09%]) [*]butlerk02: https://soundcloud.com/butlerk02/mr-basschat (1 votes [9.09%]) [*]moonbass: https://soundcloud.com/makossaband/mission-ray-4 (2 votes [18.18%]) [*]OldG: http://soundcloud.com/mickhastings/mission-ray-final (0 votes [0.00%]) [*]VasDim: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/70048273/Basschat.co.uk/Mission%20Ray%20-%20VasDim%60s%20Mix.mp3 (1 votes [9.09%]) [*]skol303: https://soundcloud.com/skol-mixes/mission-ray-by-dientes (1 votes [9.09%]) [/list] Hmmm. Right I suggest Moonbass chooses the next track to mix. Do we have any suggestions or does anyoine have a track they would like us to have a crack at?? Next time I think we should go for a blind vote. So if people PM me the links to their mixes I will associate each with a letter and download them and then upload them in a soundcloud account precisely for the purpose of the poll which will be in a completely random order (naturally). I wont vote, since I may well be highly biased knowing who is doing what. Does that sound reasonable?

[quote name='lurksalot' timestamp='1362085609' post='1995670'] Cheers Si I am getting a better feel for the sound now , though sometimes I know something isn't right but am not sure what treatment it needs , [/quote] Its like anything mate, the more you work at it the more you find out you dont know until at some point you start to feel like you are really getting to grips with it, then someone will come along who is so far ahead of you that you realise that everything you learnt so far is still just the tip of the iceberg . I love it!

[quote name='Chrismanbass' timestamp='1362079470' post='1995536'] cheers mate the reason the snare sounds snappy is cos its a sample snare i've hardly got any compression on the snare at all but besides that thanks for the advice [/quote] Thats either a really compressed snare sample, or its being compressed in a buss further down the chain then, its got all the hallmarks of a very fast attack compression setting on it, with quite a low threshold and a medium ratio (ie somewhere between 2:1 and 4:1). [quote name='Chrismanbass' timestamp='1362079470' post='1995536'] simon where are you thinking theres slapback on the vocal? i've run the effects track through a phaser might be what your hearing? [/quote] Its the reverb on the vocal, it either has some predelay set, or a predelay built in before a fairly hefty whack of early reflections comes back, which is exactly what a slapback delay is supposed to be mimicking. Early reflection ratios (ie how loud they are compared to the main body of a reverb) are super important to get to grips with in this stuff.

Heh, you should see the back of some of the rack sin the data center where my work runs it 'heavy machinery' Bet you'll have a lovely time snorting solder fumes on the patchbays though ("I love the smell of solder early in the morning")