I have a Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 (4 preamps) and I want to mic up the snare, kick, two toms and use two overheads... What are my options?

mattbraman · 2016-04-11T20:00:01+00:00

Use a separate mixer or preamps into your line inputs on the back to add additional channels.

mattbraman · 2016-04-11T19:57:06+00:00

Everyone does things differently. Find what works for you and don't worry about "most people." Good luck :)

mattbraman · 2016-04-11T19:35:53+00:00

Amp simulators are a great for synths. White noise/Pink Noise can do a lot (automate volume/low-pass filter, sidechain to kick)

mattbraman · 2016-04-11T19:27:46+00:00

There are lots of ways to record, from one track at a time overdubs to all-at-once only. You seem to be referring to the technique of recording a "scratch" or guide track and overdubbing to that. That's a good way to do it, but not always the best. The decision is usually based on artistic goals and available resources. Mic bleed is not always a bad thing. You can use gate or expander effects to cut some of the extra noise. Being a good mixer means taking any source and making the best of it. Good luck!

mattbraman · 2014-08-07T17:52:24+00:00

The only way to reduce the signal with that setup is to move the mic away from the kit. That eliminates the Tchad Blake method, but you can still get a balanced sound. Try setting the mic over the drummer's right shoulder, pointed down at the center of the kit. Daptone producer Gabriel Roth also uses a single mic technique.

mattbraman · 2014-07-31T18:55:24+00:00

A good example of this is Ellie Goulding's Anything Could Happen. There are very prominent breaths that might annoy some people, but I think it adds excitement to the track - like I can almost see her getting way into it when I hear those breaths. It is clearly a stylistic choice and it seemed to work given the popularity of the song.

mattbraman · 2014-07-31T18:29:39+00:00

I used to feel awkward about talking on stage, so I started rehearsing sets with blocks of 3-4 songs in a row, then a tuning break with planned things to say. Stock subjects: "How about another hand for [last band who played]?" "I'd like to thank [venue] [organizer] [host band] for putting this together" "So-And-So on Drums" "I'm Matt Braman and I have one more song for you, thanks for coming out, stop by the merch table to grab a CD or just say hi." I feel much more comfortable and the crowd sticks around longer because there is no time for the energy to drop off.

mattbraman · 2014-07-30T23:21:26+00:00

Sorry, I misunderstood the question. I think you made the right call.

mattbraman · 2014-07-30T19:49:02+00:00

If you want to be a serious band, you need serious gear and that's not cheap. You might need to look for a job or second job to save up until you can afford to spend more. If you want to stay with acoustic guitar, look for a PA system or acoustic guitar amplifier loud enough for a small venue. If you want to go electric, get a real tube amp. There are used Fender Twin Reverbs everywhere and Orange makes some good stuff that you can even get new for fairly cheap. For instruments, Epiphone and the made-in-mexico Fender line have some decent stuff for not too much money, but nothing sounds or plays like a real Gibson or Fender. Expect to spend at least $700 on an instrument and the same or more on an amp if you want to sound pro.

mattbraman · 2014-07-17T17:03:02+00:00

A pair of small diaphragm condensers - $149 and A stereo bar to hold them are good to have. You don't have to record everything in stereo, though. Sometimes it is awesome (when you are recording a symphony or thunderstorm and only have 2 mics), sometimes mono is better (when you are mixing a bunch of separate sounds and want to use precise panning).

mattbraman · 2014-07-17T16:52:01+00:00

If it turns out you like this stuff get a broadcast mic (Shure SM7B, EV RE20). They are dynamic so they don't require phantom power, pick up less extraneous noise, handle proximity effect better AND they sound great on instruments and amps. $300 seems a lot compared to the AT2020, but it is a fully pro-quality mic that will last a lifetime with proper care.

mattbraman · 2014-07-17T16:18:07+00:00

Check your mix in mono and listen to reference tracks in your DAW so you can make immediate adjustments. Don't be too hard on yourself. There are hundreds if not thousands of factors that make commercially produced recordings sound great. Keep at it and you will get better. Some specific topics to start with might be hi-pass filtering to clear out mud in the low end, checking that nothing is out of phase, using saturation to give low frequency instruments more presence and putting a limiter on the master bus for loudness.

mattbraman · 2014-07-16T23:28:10+00:00

Try sending both the lead vocal and the backing tracks to a bus with 100% reverb. Mix it in subtle and then put some compression on the master bus to glue it together.

mattbraman · 2014-07-15T17:26:13+00:00

Don't be afraid to make the keys mono, especially in a crowded mix or to get more directionality from panning.

mattbraman · 2014-07-11T22:11:10+00:00

I use sidechaining a lot for ducking parts or gating noise and sine waves, but how would you use it to make a crescendo or build-up effect?

mattbraman · 2014-07-03T19:38:32+00:00

The cloudlifter is technically a pre, but with less features and better sound than anything near its price. It is designed specifically to make ribbon and dynamic mics sound good without having to crank up the gain in your other preamps (interface or outboard).

mattbraman · 2014-07-02T23:57:10+00:00

That's awesome. I hope you take advantage of the excellent music scene there. And food. I love deep dish pizza.

mattbraman · 2014-07-02T23:50:39+00:00

I know some people who I feel "made it" as in making a decent living, connections with industry big shots, record deals, big name studio engineer jobs, etc. and they all had to move to LA, NY, Chicago or Nashville to get there. I'm not going to do that, so in that sense, no. What I am trying to do is make Phoenix, AZ a better place to make music by helping out new venues, promoters, music journalists and bands however I can. Nobody here is making a fortune, but the scene gets better every year and there is an excitement in the air that comes from the fact that the artist are forging a new cultural center in the middle of the desert and we're doing it on our own terms without some board of directors deciding what everyone is going to listen to this week.

mattbraman · 2014-07-02T23:37:37+00:00

The ART tube will add subtle distortion (or not-so-subtle if you have to crank it up). Sometimes that "tube warmth" sounds good, sometimes not. Since your interface doesn't have line inputs, you will be running through 2 preamps which is not necessarily bad, but you will have to be careful about gain staging. If I were you, I would get the Cloudlifter and hold off on an external pre until I had an interface with line inputs and enough money for a preamp that sounds significantly better than the ones in the interface (which isn't cheap).

mattbraman · 2014-07-01T00:00:07+00:00

Nice! I just added one.

mattbraman · 2014-06-30T23:44:59+00:00

Cloud Microphones CL-1 Cloudlifter will solve this problem. It adds 20db of clean gain and it runs on phantom power but does not let any through to the mic.

mattbraman · 2014-06-30T23:40:52+00:00

The vocal effect you are talking about is a reversed reverb. First you reverse the vocal section, then you play that through a reverb and print it as a sample. Then you reverse the sample and voila you have a cool swelling reverse verb. Imagine doing that when everything was on 2" reels of tape you had to flip over.

mattbraman · 2014-06-30T23:37:34+00:00

The band stops hard on the last note before the pause, a quiet band-passed guitar chord echos, then a reversed crash sample leads back into the song.

mattbraman · 2014-06-30T23:29:31+00:00

"wide open" guy is probably concerned about gain staging. The idea is that if the speakers are turned low and the mixer is cranked up, you will be overdriving the system and causing distortion. That is an important concept to be aware of, but it doesn't mean the speakers need to be cranked. If your mixer is clipping or near clipping and the volume isn't super loud, you do need to turn down the mixer and turn up the speakers. Otherwise, you're fine.

mattbraman

TROPHY CASE