Help making better sounding recoirdings

I do a bit of home recording with my son. The other day he was telling me that one of his friends was recording on his Mac and it sounded way clearer and cleaner than what we have been doing. I took a quick listen to what they had did and it sounded fuller and more like a professional recording where ours sounds a bit muffled.  I have no idea what he was using other then it was a Mac laptop with some type of breakout box that converted the mic’s to USB or firewire. I don’t think the mics were that much better then what we were using.
I hoping to step up the quality of the sound we’re recording, so I will list what I’m using. I do realize that there are many parts to creating a good quality recording including microphone placement. I’m just hoping for some suggestions to get me on the right track.
 
Thanks
Mark
Along with my setup under my signature here are a few other things I use:
1.      Audio-technica AT3035 (mostly for vocals)
2.      Drum Mics: 1 Audix D6 (kick), 3 Audix f10 (Snare & toms), 1 Audix f12 (Floor Tom), 2 Audix f15 (Cymbals and High hat)  
3.      Shure Beta 58 for guitar
4.      Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Guitar amp

The gear you have looks quite capable. 

I'm guessing it is likely a matter of experience (not knowing of course the actual length of time you have been doing this).

Over the period of 4 to 5 years I have been recording I have seen a pretty significant increase in the quality of the work I do, and while some of it is gear & software related, most of it is not. It's a matter of learning, often by doing it constantly for that time that I have learned how to improve the recording. 

I suggest posting some of your songs on the songs forum. It doesn't matter how good they sound, or how bad..... you are asking for advice and the best way to get it is to show us where you are in the process, by letting us hear what you're getting for results. we can then listen and make suggestions and give the advice to move you in the right direction toward more professional sounding mixes. 

Over the years, I have gotten some really helpful advice from some very knowledgeable folks in the songs forum. 

Knowing nothing about your workflow, my guess is the muffledness could be decreased significantly by setting a Hi-pass EQ for guitars at 150-180 Hz and in master bus at around 50 Hz. Recording a live amp and live drums in a less than good room with not much experience produces almost inevitably low echoes and rumbles that are hard to control.

Is your sons friend also recording live drums or is he using VSTs? Is he recording the miced guitar amp or using software?

Knowing nothing about your workflow, my guess is the muffledness could be decreased significantly by setting a Hi-pass EQ for guitars at 150-180 Hz and in master bus at around 50 Hz. Recording a live amp and live drums in a less than good room with not much experience produces almost inevitably low echoes and rumbles that are hard to control.

 
I found out more info on my son’s friend. Apparently, it’s his father doing most of the work and has been doing sound recording for years. He’s using Pro Tools and tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of mics and outboard compressor and other stuff, so there’s no surprise that his product sounds professionally produced.
 
My work flow:
I lay down a scratch track with my son playing guitar and singing to some type of click track. Next, I mic the drums in my living room (vaulted ceiling) with seven different mic’s run through a mixing board down to four channels and then straight to my Delta 44. When I recording the guitar, I mic the Hot Rod Deluxe with one Beta 58. Bass is done direct to a mixing board then to the Delta 44.
 
I can post one of his songs if someone can tell me how. I’m beginning to suspect that like most things in life, if I want a better result, I’m going to need to put in more effort.
 

I would agree with most of what Herb (Guitarhacker) said, but would offer that moving from 16 bit to 24 bit will give a far better headroom, and there for less chance to introduce clipping and noise. However he is right that it is experience that make a lot of difference. I do not care for 48,000 sample rate, as you really can not hear the difference over 44,100, and that is where you will take the song in the end. 24 bit is going to help to get a better end result. In one program i use i record in 32 bit fixed point and it is very clean and clear. 

Some of the biggest jumps in the process come from having a quiet place to record, and having good room treatments. Bass traps to stop or soften room noise, and quiet fans on the computer. Also record at less that almost in the red levels to keep noise down, and get clean recordings. You can always boost volume later, but you will struggle to remove recorded noise from the mix.

lastly learning to carve the mud out of a recording take time and hard work. panning, EQing, and such will keep the tracks from stepping all over each other. The fact that it is pro tools or a Mac makes no difference, Digital audio is all the same 1s and 0s. He most likely has really good plugins, and also knows how to use them. Do a ton of reading. Listen to where the pros pan and mix stuff. Slowly it will come together.

I am stunned when i go back and listen to older work i did.

Mark
 
Your equipment is up to the task.  It isn't about MACs or PT.  Just out of curiosity, how are you listening to things while you are mixing?  Are you using quality headphones or good speeakers?  Louder is usually better at this (mixing) point.  It is pretty hard to listen carefully for things if you don't have a clean signal to listen to.  PC speakers don't work very well.

Mark Viera

gcolbert


Mark
 
Your equipment is up to the task.  It isn't about MACs or PT.  Just out of curiosity, how are you listening to things while you are mixing?  Are you using quality headphones or good speeakers?  Louder is usually better at this (mixing) point.  It is pretty hard to listen carefully for things if you don't have a clean signal to listen to.  PC speakers don't work very well.

I have a pair of Mackie MR5 monitors

I have a pair of the MR5's as well. I added a Polk 10" 100w sub that really kicks the bottom end. 

And yeah.... Sonar is just as good as Pro Tools or any other DAW software platform. Each DAW has certain things it does better but that deals with workflow more than the capabilities. Knowing what you're doing and how to get the best out of the specific DAW and the gear you have is the important part.

Recording lots and lots of music, posting it for feedback and learning from that is what makes the difference. 

The important thing is keep studying and keep reading and keep recording and learning. Then.....about a year from now, listen to the stuff you are recording now and compare it to then....... and do that a year later...... you will see and hear the improvement over time.