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Old 12-11-2009, 03:39 PM   #35
Fiddlinmike
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Abingdon, Virginia
Posts: 382
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Yep, For three days I've spent every spare minute reading this thread from the PDF file (300 freakin' pages). I've got 10 pages of notes and a new enthusiasm for continuing my recordings. Thanks.

I record our all-acoustic blugrass-ish, band which consists of upright bass, guitar, dobro, mandolin, fiddle and female vocalist w/harmonies. I couldn't agree more that the quality of the "final" mixes I've done is exponentially improved by well-adjusted, well-tuned instruments, attention to mic placement, and rehersal to the "stage 3" level. And, to me, nothing is more important than having musicians with good timing. I think the next thousand dollars most folks need to spend is on lessons and a metronome - they can find the time for this by cutting down on web-surfing for the world's best equipment.

Anyway, our music, it seems to me, calls for minimal "effects", and more focus on "clean space" for each instrument. I've already screwed around with EQ filters based on your advice, and you've got me smiling (because it sounds better and I know why). I'd like to hear your thoughts on placing instruments in "space" - front to back and right and left (I don't think I missed that earlier, but maybe so).

Also, I've had the experience of putting together a mix that sounds good on the monitors and "like ass" in the car - muddy, with, I suspect, the acoustic guitar and bass stepping all over each other in the lower frequency ranges (maybe dobro as well) - also no-"thump" in the bass. Part of this might be what I'm hearing in the mixing room (I'm ordering bass traps next). The EQ tips should help here, but this brings me to the whole acoustic bass/rhythm issue -

Our music has no drum (sorry to sidetrack the recent drum posts). Our rhythm section consists of an upright bass note on the downbeat and a mandolin "chop" on the off-beat. Being "Reaper specific", have you got some ideas how I can draw out the thump on the bass with a tight percussive "chop" from the Mandolin and not have it all become muddy when I stick an acoustic guitar in there? I'm going to play with the compression now that I understand it better, and as noted, the EQ (specifically high-pass and mud-zone) tips have already helped. I know, the first rule is to use my ears - and I'm trying.

Thanks.







I could screw with tracks for months
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