Dissertation Recording... Opinions needed...

[skinnyl]

Hi all,

As I'm an Audio tech student my dissertation is to record 6 songs. But to make things interesting I decided to do it in Linux using only free plug-ins etc etc. I cheated slightly and bought Studio To Go! Which is a bootable Linux CD with all the music application setup for use, the project doesn't include the setting up of Linux. So it all works out of the box and one can install it to their hard drive to make it permanent. It will record to FAT32 so its all win win!

It's suffering a little from pretty bad EQ plug-ins so bare that in mind.

For those who are interested I used-

Delta 1010lt
Soundcraft Spirit SX Mixer
AMD 2600+ 512 DDR
AKG D112 on Kick + Bass
SM57 for snare, vocals + guitar
And some pants drums mics.

any how here they are http://www.skinnylincoln.co.uk/temp/1stDissMasters.zip

Aint No Sunshine
Can't Stop Rockin
All Right Now
Hey Joe
Mississippi Queen
Sweet Home Alabama

It's just the first proper mix and i have heard them so many times i can't count. so i need other peeps to point out things that might need remixing/tweaking. re-recording isn't an option so don't go there .

Enjoy

Jack

 

[skinnyl]

Thanks Chief!

I'm trying to get the mastering tool working in Linux, it's being a **** at the moment so that may breath some life into it.

Yeah the vocals have been a bit of trouble..i'll see what i can do with some echo, thanks for the tip!

anything else you suggest?

more opinions more than welcome..

Jack

 

[skinnyl]

Sorry to say this, but the vocals sound awful without any effects on them. Try using a chorus&reverb effect.

Without effects you sound like the guy singing the London Underground song.

I send myself nuts trying to decide on the amount of reverb for different songs.

thankfully i'm only the guitarist

my brother the bassist is the singer. there are effects on the voice (compression + a slight EQ to eliminate plosive noises) but i think its in need of a tad more reverb within the mix and maybe better compression. i shall experiment in a few days when i regain the will.

on a general note, are you all finding its the vocals needing work? are the drums sounding ok? bass etc etc. It's just that personally i can see the vocal problem but i feel that everything else has a good place in the mix. So says the Alesis Monitors and AKG K240 headphones anyhow..

Tata!

Jack

 

[skinnyl]

Nizlopi abomination

Love Nizlopi, straight out of my home town and my bros other band supported them once or twice.

Esp good at glasto..but i'm aware it a marmite situation with them

edit- there is reverb on the tracks btw, just not done well enough it seems.

 

[skinnyl]

Hey thanks for taking the time to write all the tips. ill be trying them out at the weekend when no ones on the house! and then ill post up the results..

i noticed you typed
**
All Right Now:

and then all the tips.
**

Are they aimed at all the songs or just all right now?

Ta!

edit - ill see how i get on with the guitar myself first and if im still strugging then i might take you up on it thanks..

 

[skinnyl]

Hey all,

i've been experimenting with the tips you gave me Gordy and i have come up with this.

http://www.skinnylincoln.co.uk/temp/AllRightNow.wma

I have quaded the guitars up and put them out enough to give them more beef. Which i think has done it the world of good.

I put a stereo echo on the vocals which i think has improved it a little.

I compressed the drums a little more to make them punch through better.

I haven't really touched the backing vocals yet.

Urgh it was a pain. i never thought i'd want to go back to Cubase but this Linux lark is testing my head esp some of the plugins. each time i want to open a project i have to go through all the EQ plugins, cut + paste them and then turn them on. the reverbs are almost offensive if you turn em up too much almost like the old reverb32 from cubase VST back in the day.

Still it will make for a good log book i can tell you!

Jack