Why most recordings sound like crap....

[mikee12345]

Why spend all that money when we can have synths do the sounds-making job -- AND record direct in glorious digital.

mmm glorious digital

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/qua...c/mymusic.html - :-P

my samples-smal file size,and Ogg format-winamp 2.8 or higher.

i have mucked around with Fruity loops 3.0,it makes ts404 and other synth noises its fun

some how i just love (for a few minutes haha)the hard dance regular quick beat with high speed chords from 'strings'.

cant beat the real thing(music that actualy is good)..its like an asymptote,u get closer and closer ,but never quite get there..cant recreate real music with fake synths.

im gona go to cheap store and grab some various cheap old cds to broaden my perception.

have you heard some latest pop- like on 'top of the poops'

(oops thats a typo but il leave it)

-its funyn when they are live,but u stil get the same voice when u get the main singer overdubbed chorused,+ digital steppign frequency effect,some how they must think it sounds good,i hate it.

i like some 3dness to the sound.but not stupid voice/vocoder combos..

try cher-'do u beleive in life after love''- corny cheese with vocodeyy voice

ugh overdone.

[mrfeedback]

A lot of recordings sound rough because the microphones sound rough.
Many mic preamps sound rough too, hence the reputation of Manley and Avalon studio mic preamps.
I have done some experimenting and the results will be used in some upcoming recording projects.
The mods changed the rec/pb sound of a Rode tube mic from ok, ho hum, not all that flash to gee-whizz.
Upon playback the female vocalist commented - "Great, Cool, that makes my voice sound sexy !", and it did.
With the suitable improvements, her recorded sound changed from not fully extended, grainyish, and some zedding and hardness in the mids, to capturing and portraying the finest little nuances and sexy lispy details in her nicely sweet voice.
I (and a sound engineer friend) put my ear at the microphone position and asked her to sing the passage again, and the 'through the sytem' playback was quite amazingly and remarkably close to her original natural sound.
My friend also used a modified mic on a documentary shoot, and he remarked that the recorded sound sounded 'just right' and did not need any post production eq or effects.

So the conclusion is - the originally captured sound is mission critical to the final result.
Effects and eq will obscure the originally captured sound, but will never fully hide the nature of the original mic/preamp combination.
Outstandingly good recordings come about because the original equipment sounded good.

As regards synthesised sounds, do not forget that the sounds are sampled, and the original recording character is apparent - witness that 'damm' Yamaha cymbal sound that used to be the norm on a million recordings.

Eric.

[peranders]

Originally posted by mrfeedback
A lot of recordings sound rough because the microphones sound rough.
Many mic preamps sound rough too,...

I don't think this is the real reason! The real reason are the recording engineers!

[mrfeedback]

In the live mixing world, there is a saying 'if it's crap coming off stage, then there is squat that can be done about it'.
Sure a lot of recording/production engineers overly effect what they have, but if it is not good to start with, then it ain't never gunna be good.
I have heard exceptionally good sound captured to hard drive (AUS$6000 Outboard AD/DA).
If the initial capture is good, then there is at least a chance that what comes out of the studio is good.
The next problem is the record company mastering studio, and this is where a lot of damage gets done too.

Eric.

[till]

i don´t say it sound like crap, but does anybody have this Anyone Gardiner Beethovens Symphonies? CD and a good system who could tell me what is this noise?

[mrfeedback]

there is a lot of noise. F.E. at Track 5, 3:40 to 3:50 but at other too.

Can you email me that 10 second grab ?.

Eric.

[till]

I hope the email from your www is ok to use for this.

[fdegrove]

Till,

I hope the email from your www is ok to use for this.

I know it to work, so you can try that one.

Cheers,

[mrfeedback]

I have the wav file, and later today I will dump it to cdr and have a listen on my main system.
So far I hear a clicking sound, but am unable to identify what it is on my pc speakers or headphones.

Eric.

[Da5id4Vz]

Mr Feedback,

Have you tried the API, GML or Focusright Mic Pre's?
Just curious how youd rate them.