I am hoping for some input into what software you are using Ben when you record your tracks. They are so amazingly clean not just with the playing but the sound of the track. Are you in a studio? Are you recording in stereo? I am trying to use reaper, because I am on a budget, but the sound of the tracks just seems to come out a bit muddy. I am using PreSonus AudioBox USB96 with an AT2020 Cardiod Condenser Microphone from audio-technica. I don’t think it is the mic. It may be my complete lack of ability in mastering the tracks using an equalizer and compressor. Any thoughts you might have would be helpful. I have posted tracks to the Video Swap in the past, but just listening to a backup guitar track you have posted to what I am doing just sounds like night and day with the noise and muddiness in my tracks. Just trying to improve the quality of what I am doing and I’m hoping to learn from someone that obviously has a handle on it.
Recording software question
Also, if you are using a condenser mic, how far are you recording from the mic?
Most of what Ben has recorded is just in the Cabin, using either a large diaphragm condenser (I believe it’s either the Aston Spirit or Orgin) or (prior to that) a Shure SM7B dynamic mic with a Cloudlifter preamp that makes it behave much more like a condenser.
I believe he uses Logic Pro X, but I don’t know how involved he goes with the mixing process for lesson tracks.
Thanks.
I suspect that your setup is quite capable of good sounding recordings. If you have noise and mud, two quick things may help. Generally, close micing helps eliminate extraneous noise (12" or less). Experiment with the location. I generally like many instruments with a mic pointed somewhere around the octave point (half way). Also, some basic EQ goes a very long way in getting a pleasing tone. You can fix much of that with mic location, but for what you can’t, EQ is very useful.
Great advice from Mike and Michael is correct!
I’m not recording stereo, at least not most of the time for rhythm tracks/lessons.
I don’t think I’m doing anything special, necessarily. I’m using Logic X Pro and recording through an Apollo interface.
Like Mike said, you should be getting some clean tracks. Feel free to post an example track here and maybe we can hear what’s going on.
Yep, I too would love to hear what you mean by “muddy”. Your setup should produce clear, clean tracks. I also use Reaper (for it’s simplicity) and there should not be a problem there. If you can post a track that shows what you are hearing (or a link to that track), then we might be able to give some suggestions about what might correct the situation.
Well, let me see what I can do… I’m about to head out west for 10 days with my youngest (age 23) to see a lot of the national parks that she has never seen. So I will be out of town for a bit. Hopefully, I can figure out how to post a link to an MP3 when I get back.