Recording great tracks in a bedroom

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munmun
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2013/06/14 12:59:17 (permalink)

Recording great tracks in a bedroom

Hey folks.  Starting to realize that I need to improve the quality of my recorded tracks.  I have a bedroom with some treatment, a large bed, a condenser mic and one of those SE electronic isolation booth things.  There is much room for improvement when I listen to professionally recorded tracks.  I don't pretend that mine can ever sound like their's but there is room for improvement.  So my question is how do you handle the following issues in bedroom recordings:
 
- room reflections
- computer hum
 
Anything else that needs to be controlled?
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    spacealf
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    Re: Recording great tracks in a bedroom 2013/06/14 14:19:30 (permalink)
    There are reflexion filters for mics. I do things electronically. That means that the new guitar amp I bought has a headphone output that simulates the cabinet sound and can be used to record with (without micing the amp and all of that).
     
    Then there are channel strips and EQ and stuff such as that.
     

     
     
    #2
    Bristol_Jonesey
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    Re: Recording great tracks in a bedroom 2013/06/14 18:43:13 (permalink)
    Everything depends on the size & layout of your room, and also what you've done by way of treatment so far.
     
    What's on the floor/walls?
     
    It's impossible to give any sort of advice without that information.

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    munmun
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    Re: Recording great tracks in a bedroom 2013/06/14 18:45:32 (permalink)
    Hardwood floors but the room is so small that the majority is bed.  Foam on ceiling and walls except one.  Feeling that I have crappy resonances happening.  If you listen to this track I finished yesterday, you can hear awful noise on the mandolin and in parts the vox show crappy frequencies.  Trying to clean this up tonight.
     
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    Chrome98
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    Re: Recording great tracks in a bedroom 2013/06/26 02:41:01 (permalink)
    I also use a bedroom for my studio,(less the bed), with hardwood floors. I put down carpet on 95% of the floor, I also have 5x7 area carpets on the two main walls, the outside wall has a window and the interior wall has the door, so those are as is. I live in a rental, so I cant do anything permanent. It works well, but I am going to invest in a reflection filter to do the vocals, due to the computer running in the background. I have a 3 foot circle in the middle if the room that the floor doesn't squeak, that I sing from. It's a " adapt and over come" deal.

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    Bristol_Jonesey
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    Re: Recording great tracks in a bedroom 2013/06/26 06:43:34 (permalink)
    We record vocals in the corner of our small studio, with a king sized duvet hung on the wall right in the corner (singer faces OUT). This helps to prevent reflections bouncing off the walls and into the mic.
     
    We also use a Reflexion filter in front of the mic to cut out computer noises etc.

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    AT
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    Re: Recording great tracks in a bedroom 2013/06/26 10:09:12 (permalink)
    You'll have to experiment.  Bristol's is the usual advice.  Find a corner, if you can, and work from there.  The center of the room is usually the wrong place.  Some stuff on the walls helps, usually.  And don't forget over the head of the recording position you choose.  Sometimes that makes a world of difference.  If nothing else see if you can put a beach towel there.
     
    I use my bedroom and the wife sings.  Off center in the room - the bed takes up most of one side.  She faces the computer.  She likes that better in than the small sunroom I've now got for isolation and our latest project has been recorded from that position, so I haven't changed it.
     
    The better you can get the room to sound the more you can practice good mic techniques.  But if if it is a used room your sig other might have something to say!
     
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    #7
    Guitarhacker
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    Re: Recording great tracks in a bedroom 2013/06/26 10:14:58 (permalink)
    I also work in an untreated room. I can set here and hear dogs barking, traffic on the road, the air conditioner, the vibration of the attic ventilation fans, and all sorts of sound that I don't want on my tracks.  The 2 things you mentioned are not even, nor have they ever been, on my list of concerns when recording to get good tracks.
     
    Here in the studio, I just record and listen to the tracks..... if I hear the truck or the dog, I will record it again. I have one song where you can hear my wife down stairs in the room below laying out a sheet of plastic she was working with. It's barely noticeable..... but I hear it in that song. Essentially, I don't worry too much about the computer fans and the dogs.... if I did, I'd never get a thing done.
     
    The example song you gave was kinda thin sounding. I know it sounds kinda cliche, but you should keep working at perfecting the sound and recording techniques in the space you have to work with. It takes time to get things sounding good. It took me quite some time to be happy...or at least satisfied with my vocal recording and acoustic guitar & mandolin. I still have more to work on, but it took some time, experimentation, and patience to get to here.
     
    You write good songs..... I generally like to hear your songs..... and it will take time, focused time and study and work to get the process of recording to the point you start to become satisfied with your efforts. You are far from beginner so don't misunderstand me.... you need consistency and that will come by doing.
     
    just because you may have a nice mic, doesn't automatically mean you will capture superb tracks..... it's about learning HOW to work with the gear.  Focus more on mic placement in relation to the instrument or vocal....Obviously, you don't want to stand facing a corner, but really, I don't even consider reflections in this room when recording.  When I first plugged in my Rode NT2-A and recorded the first track..... to say I was disappointed would be an understatement.  A $400 mic is supposed to sound good...right? At least better than the $99 SM-58....But...It sounded about like the old SM-58 I had used previously. With time, and experimenting, and study, and patience, I have learned a few things that now.... I seem to automatically get a much better take first time through.... And it sounds like a totally different mic now. It's still the same, but I have learned a few things on how to use it.
     
    Realizing that you need to have better tracks is actually the first step in getting to that place where better tracks come naturally. Keep working and recording and writing and it will happen. A man much wiser than I said..... "Seek and you will find, Knock and it will be opened to you"

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    #8
    batsbrew
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    Re: Recording great tracks in a bedroom 2013/06/26 10:46:35 (permalink)
    ALL I NEED...
     
    to make great GUITAR   tracks..
     
    is a high quality, low watt tube amp..
     
    a few good pedals....
     
     
    and a palmer PDI-09 to capture line level signals off of the speaker out of the amp.
     
     
    sounds just like a miced up amp, except super dry, which makes it super easy to eq, add effects, and mix,
     
    i have found no other measure that is superior to this in 30 years of recording.
     
    not as good as a loud amp in a killer room, but perfect for your situation.
     
     bass:
    sansamp bass di
     
     
    FOR VOX,
    add a SE reflection filter at the mic...
     
     
    for all other sources,
    build yourself some gobos, and string some high tension wires that you can hang sound blankets off of.
     
    i use these for room treatments:
    http://www.audimutesoundproofing.com/audimute-sound-absorption-sheets-materials-that-absorb-sound-soundproofing-blankets.aspx
    post edited by batsbrew - 2013/06/26 10:49:41

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