plumptone
, gotcha!
you know, gear is always one thing...
and knowing how to record, is another.
being in pro studios is one thing, and actually knowing what to do at the board, is another.
people think it's so easy.
it takes years to get good at it tho.
i never wanted to be a 'sound engineer'....
i'm a writer.
but, out of necessity, i've learned how to engineer my own tracks.
now, on drums:
in the case of my "
Trouble" album, that was done for a small independent label, and i
hired a studio pro drummer.
those tracks all absolutely kicked ***.
on most of the rest of my songs, i've used a combination of a drum machine (
zoom123), software (
ACID) and sequencers triggering samples
(that i get from.....everywhere!)
on the
bad moon rising cover, i used the cheap little zoom machine!!
for certain things, it works fine.
on the
highway star song, the keyboardist painstakingly programmed each beat, beat for beat, step by step, by overlaying the original drum track into sonar, then triggering samples from EZDrummer to along with the sequenced beats. he also went to the trouble to put in velocity changes and everything else you could imagine would make a drum track more 'human'... even still, you can tell it's programmed, but trying to copy someone as unique as Ian Paice on drums, would be quite a challenge...and was.
now, on recorders:
well, the
Roalnd VS is a standalone product, with everything all in the box... effects, mix buss, mastering tools, everything except the means to burn the cd.
there is a standalone SCSI cd burner, that lets you create backups, and write redbook standard cd's to, but it's cumbersome and very slow.
thing is, the VS line has been ended, and you can find killer deals on used VS gear now.
totally worth it, if you don't want to dick with all the PC issues (hardware, software, updates, compatability, etc,etc)
my current system is SONAR.
much more powerful than the VS setup, it can be run on a standard PC, but really shines when married with a lot of ram, fast CPU speeds, and a decent Soundcard (soundblaster need not apply).
my minimum acceptable card, is a
Maudio 24/96, which is what i use.
having a decent DAW is one thing...
having good quality Mics, Mic pres, outboard gear... is almost more important.
moreso than any other element of recording, the '
ARRANGEMENTS' are the most key item.
and that's got nothing to do with what gear you have.
but having a decent mic pre doesn't hurt!!!
there's more to be said, for spending more money on a good mic.... and then a good mic preamp... than on the actual recording platform.
the common thread gear, in all the tracks on all of my songs, is my
A Designs Audio MP-1.
here's the current version:
http://www.adesignsaudio.com/mp2a.html
here's my version..... the earliest, first version:
http://www.studioreviews.com/mp-1.htm
it's an original mono model, and sounds wonderful.
and i'm very aggressive with the signals on it, sometimes well into the red......
the output typically goes to a cheap little table top
DBX compressor (MC-6)......
and that, goes to the digital convertor side of a cheap
ART DPS, directly to a
M-Audio 24/96 card via the coax, and into
Sonar.
everything mixed in the box.
mics are
AT4033, SM57, ADK Hamburg.
on vox, i typically just give myself a foot of distance from the AT4033 or Hamburg, and use a Pop filter to set the distance.
i sing hard, tho not that loud, so the distance helps with levels.
on guitars, i use all the mics as well, at different times, but mostly the 57.... same chain.......recorded dry.
close miced, with effects added at mixdown.
Bass is typically same chain as well, tho i use a
sansamp bass di with the blend about 50%, but i drive it with a barber direct drive and tone press compressor.
