[jimihendrix]

hey there...i'm still trying to learn how to mix properly...i recorded rhythm guitar and drums on track one...and a lead on track two...i've provided a screen shot...are the tracks recorded too "hot" or loud...???...did they turn out in stereo...or is track one on one side and track two on the other side...???...any tips/advice would be appreciated..thanks - paul

 

[MattM]

hmm...sounds like you have way to much gain on the guitar. go to edit that waveform by itself, and go to amplify, then do like a 6db cut. that will bring it down. may have to do a 10 db cut. you may have to adjust that particular track's volume too on the mixer.
you see how huge the wave is in the track. it needs to be smaller....you normally dont want guitars to have that much gain, cause when you really turn it up, they will drown everything out.
also you can try panning that guitar left or to the right to see how that sounds, then put a lead part straight up the center.

 

[ksdb]

The levels on Take 1 are way too hot. Take 2 looks about right. Are the takes always color-coded or do they change from blue to red when the wave form is clipping? Instead of using the Amplify command to downsize that wave form, it's will ultimately be better to go back and rerecord that part at a lower input level. Anytime a recorded wave file clips or distorts, the degradation will still be there, even after it's deamplified. Sound recording is almost always a case of garbage in and garbage out, so it's really best to capture the best levels and tone while recording rather than trying to fix it during playback or postproduction. All your wave forms should look similar to the blue wave form. You can adjust volume levels later with your mixer or the channel sliders. The mixed down wave should also be much like the blue wave form in your example too. HTH.

 

[nroberts]

The levels on Take 1 are way too hot. Take 2 looks about right. Are the takes always color-coded or do they change from blue to red when the wave form is clipping? Instead of using the Amplify command to downsize that wave form, it's will ultimately be better to go back and rerecord that part at a lower input level. Anytime a recorded wave file clips or distorts, the degradation will still be there, even after it's deamplified. Sound recording is almost always a case of garbage in and garbage out, so it's really best to capture the best levels and tone while recording rather than trying to fix it during playback or postproduction. All your wave forms should look similar to the blue wave form. You can adjust volume levels later with your mixer or the channel sliders. The mixed down wave should also be much like the blue wave form in your example too. HTH.

I even go for less than the blue when I do it. If you target the blue then you might hit something that gets a little louder and then you clip. I record lower and then normalize to get the blue.

I would also add that you would do better by recording each instrument in its own track at the least. So drums on one, guitar on another, lead in a third. That way you can change the balance between the guitar and drums. If you record them in one track you are stuck with the mix as is. You can even go as far as reacording each drum in its own track and then you can pan and adjust all individual drums instead of the whole set as one; I don't go to that extreem myself...I record drums in two tracks for stereo.

Good song though. You just need to learn recording so you don't clip and it should get pretty good.

 

[jimihendrix]

thanks for the awesome tips guys...i really appreciate them...i'll put them to good use...i see that the screen shot was a valuable key to showing where my problems begin...now...if i could only learn how to play guitar and *cough* sing...i'll be on my way to making sweet music...thanks again... :woot: