Recording Tips

[Lloyd Christmas]

I'm working on recording a few song ideas, and I'm just wondering if anybody here has any tips for getting the best sound quality possible with limited equipment. Here's what I'm using (not too pretty).

Software - Cool Edit Pro

Drums - LeafDrums software using random samples I've found on the net.

Guitar - My friend's BC Rich Warlock Bronze Series with G100R Marshall amp plugged directly into my computer (not ideal I know, but it is all I have to work with right now)

Bass - Cheapo GSR200 with Yorkville 400B amp, again plugged into the computer.

I'll typically add some delay to the guitar track and some reverb to the drums, both of which definitely improve the sound. However, I'm having quite a difficult time getting a nice bass sound (partly because I'm more picky about this than anything else). What would you do to get the best tone possible with this limited recording equipment?

I'm working on something right now that sounds pretty good with a nice slap bass line I came up with, but this is very difficult to record. It sounds fine when I play it through my amp, but on the recording all of the slaps are very quiet and the pops are super loud. Is there anything I can do within Cool Edit Pro to remedy this?

Thanks for any replies.

 

[Big Benner]

Not too familiar with Cool Edit Pro, but can you put a compressor on the bass track?

I'm using Cubase and each track has it's own compressor, works for me.

 

[Joe P]

...each track has it's own compressor, works for me.

Oh yeah: compression's the trick.

If you ask me - cheap compression, over compression, whatever... as long as it doesn't have a slow release, it's WAY-better than nothing!

Joe