I installed a new video security system in my studio. The system records audio as well as video. I was reviewing the security recordings which included me recording some lead parts for a song. While listening, it dawned on me that the lead in the realtime recording session sounds better than the playback of the newly recorded part. The guitar tone sounds fuller and a bit louder. I didn't change anything between recording and playback. Keep in mind that the guitar lead is being recorded DIRECT from my Kemper. There are no mics involved. I'm monitoring the recording session and playback through the same exact setup. What I hear while recording should be the same as what I hear during playback...right???

If input monitoring, playback should be indistinguishable from recording except for the negligible contribution of the acoustic sound of the guitar in the room during recording. Any chance you had a second track echoing the input but not recording it? Louder almost always sounds 'better'.

brundlefly
If input monitoring, playback should be indistinguishable from recording except for the negligible contribution of the acoustic sound of the guitar in the room during recording. Any chance you had a second track echoing the input but not recording it? Louder almost always sounds 'better'.

I've accidentally had a second track echoing the input on occasion but that would jump right out at me and I most likely would know it right away. Still, I'll check it out the next time I record.

I'm recording direct, no mics, so there wouldn't be any room noise while monitoring the input. But, that may not be totally true. It just dawned on me that the guitar pickups act as a mic and would pick up some of the room acoustic. But if that's the case wouldn't that be recorded as well and be heard on playback?

I really would like to get to the bottom of this because I really like what I' hearing while monitoring the input better than what I hear during playback.

So are you saying your security camera picked up the audio of your guitar via your studio monitors or guitar cabinet?
 

KingsMix
So are you saying your security camera picked up the audio of your guitar via your studio monitors or guitar cabinet?
 

I'm going DIRECT into the DAW.  No mics...No cabs.

amiller
Keep in mind that the guitar lead is being recorded DIRECT from my Kemper. There are no mics involved. I'm monitoring the recording session and playback through the same exact setup. 

Ah but there IS a mic involved. Speaker cabinets too.


You're listening to the sound recorded by your security system. How did the security system record that sound? With a mic, correct? And how was the sound being produced in order for that mic to pick the sound up? It was playing through your reference monitors, correct?

If so, then there you go. It is almost inevitable that the audio you hear from your security system will sound different than it will when it comes right from the computer to your reference monitors. The fact that is sounds better on the security system makes the situation worth looking into.

So now you must determine what the combination of reference monitors and security mic as well as security mic placement might be doing to the audio. Is the security system mic in a corner of the room? A corner where standing low frequency waves might live? Standing low frequency waves that might make a guitar sound fuller perhaps?

Sounds like its time for experiments to me.

I think he's saying that the security system captured the sound of the monitoring system during both recording and playback, and the audio on the security system sounds better when SONAR was recording. That should not happen.
 
Other than the added acoustic sound from the DI guitar and possibly sympathetic resonance on playback if input echo was left enabled, the only think I can think is that maybe the Track Gain is not 0dB. Gain doesn't affect live input so if the gain is set to attenuate, playback will be quieter than live input monitoring.

I'd check for something that causes phase cancelling in Sonar, thus thinning out the sound (bus routing? plugins? even odd things like e.g. AD2 causing unexplainable phasing when using parallel compression via Sonar buses ... yeah had that happen, still don't why ...)

Did the position of the person change from recording to playback? I know that when I record guitar, I'm never in the same position as when I'm editing/listening to playback. Either I'm standing up. Or I'm seated, but the chair is moved either back or to the side or both so as to allow more room for the guitar and access to my rig kontrol pedal if I need it.


I know it sounds like a stretch but changing your position in the room might effect the sound that reaches the security mic. I think anyone who has done FOH engineering has had at least one of those nights where you've got to keep a hand stationed on the vocal fader all night ready to bring it down at any moment in order to keep the drum metal from getting ungodly loud anytime the singer moves from behind his mic.

Stick a mike in the room or right at the monitors, turn off input echo, and record it to second track next time and see what that sounds like.. I myself like a speaker in the signal path of my guitar.. not a big fan of direct and this might be what your hearing, boring old direct tone. The speakers are adding something good, in a way your studio monitors are now your amp cabinet.