Newbie to recording has some questions

[thisSNsucks]

Hey guys. I just bought a Tascam Mutlitrack recorder and I am looking to do some recording with my band. I have a few questions that I'm hoping you guys can help me with. I already read the FAQ's and I didnt see these questions covered in there so I figured I'd ask a few of them here.

I see with passive instruments you need a D.I. but what about active instruments? If you dont need one, what would happen if you used one?

Do you guys like to use alot of EQ and effects while recording so theres less to do in the final mixdown or do you shoot for just a clean flat signal first and do all the EQ adjustments in final mix?

I think those are it for now, but I'll probably be posting some more as I work on the recordings. thanks alot in advance!

 

[driver800]

D.I. is just an alternative to mic'ing a cabinet, it doesn't matter that much if it's a passive or active instrument. Actives just a send a "hotter" signal when plugging directly to an input.

My advice regarding EQ is to concentrate on getting appropriate levels - enough input gain so you capture the signal as loudly as possible, but not too much to overdrive it on the louder parts. I always get each person to play "the loudest thing you play" and set the input gain so it's just below clipping or only barely clips. If you get a decently balanced recording of an instrument, you can EQ and add effects later. If it's not loud enough or too loud, you can't do anything with it.

 

[Dave Martin]

Personally, I don't eq much going to tape - specifically, I'll use a little on kick and snare, but none on anything else...

 

[eb76]

My advice regarding EQ is to concentrate on getting appropriate levels - enough input gain so you capture the signal as loudly as possible, but not too much to overdrive it on the louder parts. I always get each person to play "the loudest thing you play" and set the input gain so it's just below clipping or only barely clips. If you get a decently balanced recording of an instrument, you can EQ and add effects later. If it's not loud enough or too loud, you can't do anything with it.

This method could make it very difficult to add any kind of EQ that is additive (boosting any frequency). Recording as hot as possible sounds like a great idea, but it's far more destructive than being a little conservative. In the digital realm, ANY clipping is degradation of the signal. Optimal levels for digital at the recording stage are around -18dB. This leaves you plenty of headroom to add EQ, compression, and any other effects that might add incremental bumps in gain. Plus, leaving headroom will make it easier for the mastering engineer to increase the volume without causing distortion. When recording analog, then you can record as hot as poosible without causing clipping, because hot analog signals have an inherent warmth that is pleasing to the ear. Digital, not so much.

I don't EQ during recording, mainly because it can't be undone. If you make a misstep, it's stuck like that.

 

[thisSNsucks]

Thanks alot guys. I'm still getting the hang of this but I expected it to be a learning process. The step by step guide with the recorder shows to add the included effects and EQ before you record. I dont know if I'll do that or not, maybel I'll try both ways. Anyway 2morrow I'll be recording some stuff with my band so we'll see how it goes. Thanks again, keep the advice coming!

 

[GoesThump]

Hi,

I teach recording for a living, maybe I can shed some light on this.

I see with passive instruments you need a D.I. but what about active instruments? If you dont need one, what would happen if you used one?

The purpose of the DI is to match the impedance of the signal to the input you're plugging into, generally speaking a mic level signal (somewhere between 50 and 250 ohms in most cases.)

Are you plugging into an XLR (mic plug)? If so, yes, use the DI.

Do you guys like to use alot of EQ and effects while recording so theres less to do in the final mixdown or do you shoot for just a clean flat signal first and do all the EQ adjustments in final mix?

No, definitely not. A recorded sound in a multitrack recording doesn't exist in a vacuum - it has to live with all the other tracks. Problem is, when laying down bass, you might not know what those tracks are going to sound like yet.

So, that said, try to get a relatively clean flat signal, and add later if needed.

One of the hard things about mixing for the beginner is that an individual signal may sound quite odd by itself when the engineer is done EQing, but it fits in fine w/the recording. This is counterintuitive to a lot of musicians who generally try to get a "perfect" sounds in isolation out of their rig.

Good luck & let me know how it goes.

GT

 

[thisSNsucks]

Hey goesthump, thanks for the advice. The multitrack recorder I have has 4xlr and 4 mic inputs so I can use either or.

I really just want to have the bass come through and be as punchy as possible. Last time my band and I recorded a CD in 2 days at a small studio. The sound quality was good but it was rushed and my bass is really non existant in the mix so I'm trying to get a nice cutting tone on these new recordings. Thanks again guys!