Recording levels ?

[Mondy]

Hi there,

I'm using Adobe Audition to record my stuff. I use the PODxt directly into the PC via USB.

What I've noticed is that my posts always sound quieter than everyone else#s on the site. I don't know what I am doing. However, when recording, I have to turn everything down, otherwise the PODxt flashes up the CLIP when I am recording.

So I guess this is why my recordings always sound so quiet. I'm turning the Chan volume down on my PODxt as reducing the volume levels in Adobe Audition so they are usually negative values.

Any advice as to how I can keep the levels up (insert jokes about me not being able to keep it up here) without experiencing clipping ?

[Rythameen]

Originally Posted by mondola

Hi there,

I'm using Adobe Audition to record my stuff. I use the PODxt directly into the PC via USB.

What I've noticed is that my posts always sound quieter than everyone else#s on the site. I don't know what I am doing. However, when recording, I have to turn everything down, otherwise the PODxt flashes up the CLIP when I am recording.

So I guess this is why my recordings always sound so quiet. I'm turning the Chan volume down on my PODxt as reducing the volume levels in Adobe Audition so they are usually negative values.

Any advice as to how I can keep the levels up (insert jokes about me not being able to keep it up here) without experiencing clipping ?

I've got some emails I can send you Mondy that will help with keeping your level up, and supposedly give you a much bigger level too!!!!!


Ahem................From my experience, I try to keep the output volume as high as I can from the Pod, then try to get a decent level in the software without clipping it. I don't understand though why you would end up with negative levels in Audition I just tried it here, going through USB, and I don't have to use negative levels, very strange. As for your posts sounding quieter, I think most folks around here use something like Ozone for final mastering. I've found that a little compression and EQ work wonders on recorded tracks too. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

[willywonka1972]

i saw something in these forums about using the normalize feature that a lot of recording programs have try doing that after you have mixed it the way you want it if your software has that capability I use normalize to boost my tracks volume without getting the distortion that occurs with clipping hope this helps...

[Rythameen]

Originally Posted by willywonka1972

i saw something in these forums about using the normalize feature that a lot of recording programs have try doing that after you have mixed it the way you want it if your software has that capability I use normalize to boost my tracks volume without getting the distortion that occurs with clipping hope this helps...

I don't remember where I got this from, but it has helped me.


All normalizing does is raise the recording levels to their maximum, the same way you would raise the gain or trim. It takes the whole wave and raises the recorded volume until the highest peak in the recording reaches 0dbfs. Some people, depending on the software they are using, have noticed that doing this however can sometimes depreciate the actual sound quality, particularly at lower bit rates (16 and below.

Also, most mastering guys (if you don't master your own work) don't like it if you hand them something fully normalised because it doesn't give them much headroom to work with. And if you normalize every track in a mix separately, you're going to get an awfully messy sound/distortion once you build up a fair few in number.

As for compression, this is completely different. Whilst normalising raises the whole recording so the loudest part is 0dbfs, compression takes the loudest parts and reduces their levels to more evenly match the rest. This is not the same as normalizing as you will, effectively, be reducing your dynamic range. Rock songs tend to be heavily compressed (amongst oher things) so the guitars and overall sound is tighter.

With anything that controls volume/peaks though, unless there are noticeable differences in the consistency of an instrument recording (which if you got your levels right shouldn't happen to a large degree - although vocals can be the exception), I'd recomend doing anything like nomalizing or compression to the mix as a whole, or at least listen to the results with all or most tracks playing simultaneously, because if you do it on an individual track-by-track basis, you can end up with a really messy mix.

[rjfoster]

Rhythameen seems to have covered the technical aspects quite well - in fact I think I learned something too! However, youmight want to check your audio levels in Windows. (you know - the little speaker icon down there by the time on the start bar.....) You may have something in there a bit whacky. Just a thought.

Sometimes it helps to make a diagram of your signal path so that you can visualize where / to your audio signals are going / coming from. (Nothin fancy - just scribble it out on paper.)

Hope this helps!

Rj

[Mondy]

Cheers guys,

I think I'm more confused than ever. But I will have a play...

[stingx]

Originally Posted by mondola

Cheers guys,

I think I'm more confused than ever. But I will have a play...

Mondy I turn my XT all the way til just before it reaches clipping, in software as high as it can go without clipping. Viola! Sprinkle on some Ozone and all done.

Cheers.

[Rythameen]

Originally Posted by mondola

Cheers guys,

I think I'm more confused than ever. But I will have a play...

Well then, here is some more. On my Pod, I turn up the channel volume until I get the clip signal, and then back it off till it goes away when I am hitting the strings hard. I try to run the output control as close to 10 as I can, only then do I adjust the levels on whatever I am recording on. After you get things recorded, here are some tips on EQ and how to use it.


FREQUENCY:
USES:

50Hz
1. Increase to add more fullness to lowest frequency instruments like kick, toms, and the bass.
2. Reduce to decrease the "boom" of the bass and will increase overtones and the recognition of bass line in the mix. This is most often used on loud bass lines like rock.

100Hz
1. Increase to add a harder bass sound to lowest frequency instruments.
2. Increase to add fullness to guitars, snare.
3. Increase to add warmth to piano and horns.
4. Reduce to remove boom on guitars & increase clarity.

200Hz
1. Increase to add fullness to vocals.
2. Increase to add fullness to snare and guitar ( harder sound ).
3. Reduce to decrease muddiness of vocals or mid-range instruments.
4. Reduce to decrease gong sound of cymbals.

400Hz
1. Increase to add clarity to bass lines especially when speakers are at low volume.
2. Reduce to decrease "cardboard" sound of lower drums (foot and toms).
3. Reduce to decrease ambiance on cymbals.

800Hz
1. Increase for clarity and "punch" of bass.
2. Reduce to remove "cheap" sound of guitars.

1.5KHz
1. Increase for "clarity" and "pluck" of bass.
2. Reduce to remove dullness of guitars.

3KHz
1. Increase for more "pluck" of bass.
2. Increase for more attack of electric / acoustic guitar.
3. Increase for more attack on low piano parts.
4. Increase for more clarity / hardness on voice.
5. Reduce to increase breathy, soft sound on background vocals.
6. Reduce to disguise out-of-tune vocals / guitars.

5KHz
1. Increase for vocal presence.
2. Increase low frequency drum attack ( foot / toms).
3. Increase for more "finger sound" on bass.
4. Increase attack of piano, acoustic guitar and brightness on guitars (especially rock guitars).
5. Reduce to make background parts more distant.
6. Reduce to soften "thin" guitar.

7KHz
1. Increase to add attack on low frequency drums ( more metallic sound ).
2. Increase to add attack to percussion instruments.
3. Increase on dull singer.
4. Increase for more "finger sound" on acoustic bass.
5. Reduce to decrease "s" sound on singers.
6. Increase to add sharpness to synthesizers, rock guitars, acoustic guitar and piano.

10KHz
1. Increase to brighten vocals.
2. Increase for "light brightness" in acoustic guitar and piano.
3. Increase for hardness on cymbals.
4. Reduce to decrease "s" sound on singers.

15KHz
1. Increase to brighten vocals (breath sound).
2. Increase to brighten cymbals, string instruments and flutes.
3. Increase to make sampled synthesizer sound more real.

[Goport]

fucking excellent! Many thanks.

[rjfoster]

Originally Posted by Rythameen

FREQUENCY:
USES:

This should be stickied in the recording section!!!!!!!! You rock Rythameen!!!!

Rj

[nroberts]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Rythameen again.

Bummer, I can't give it to Rythameen again. Guess I was too much the first time around Hmmm...who else should I love...

[rjfoster]

Originally Posted by nroberts

Bummer, I can't give it to Rythameen again. Guess I was too much the first time around Hmmm...who else should I love...

Dood - you're ate up man!

Rj

[Rythameen]

Hey Porty, RJ, and NRoberts.........you're welcome, I realized I have these little things tucked all over my hard drives. I find them here and there, tuck em away after I read em, and forget that they're there. I'll poke around and see what else I have.