Comments on: 10 hallmarks of amateur recordings http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/ Home recording and project studio blog Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:16:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: balls http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-48974 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:38:13 +0000 http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-48974 "If a song has lyrics, listeners should be able to hear those lyrics." Look up the genre "Shoegaze" Better yet, google "slowdive" and take a listen to one of their songs. Then rethink what you said about the use of covered vocal tracks and heavy reverb. "If a song has lyrics, listeners should be able to hear those lyrics."

Look up the genre "Shoegaze"
Better yet, google "slowdive" and take a listen to one of their songs.

Then rethink what you said about the use of covered vocal tracks and heavy reverb.

]]> by: balls http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-48973 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:38:03 +0000 http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-48973 "If a song has lyrics, listeners should be able to hear those lyrics." Look up the genre "Shoegaze" Better yet, google "slowdive" and take a listen to one of their songs. Then rethink what you said about the use of covered vocal tracks and heavy reverb. "If a song has lyrics, listeners should be able to hear those lyrics."

Look up the genre "Shoegaze"
Better yet, google "slowdive" and take a listen to one of their songs.

Then rethink what you said about the use of covered vocal tracks and heavy reverb.

]]> by: Adam McClure http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-36537 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 07:03:33 +0000 http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-36537 I should pass this along to a couple amateur bands I know. Maybe not so much the bands, but the engineers (probably band members). I'll keep these things in mind during my next recording session. I should pass this along to a couple amateur bands I know. Maybe not so much the bands, but the engineers (probably band members). I'll keep these things in mind during my next recording session.

]]> by: Podcast Freq » Blog Archive » Carnival of Podcasting Tips http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-5507 Fri, 07 Sep 2007 18:13:30 +0000 http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-5507 [...] Des presents 10 hallmarks of amateur recordings posted at Hometracked, saying, “Amateur recordings tend to share some key traits, telltale signs that the mixing and recording are the work of a novice.” [...] […] Des presents 10 hallmarks of amateur recordings posted at Hometracked, saying, “Amateur recordings tend to share some key traits, telltale signs that the mixing and recording are the work of a novice.” […]

]]> by: des http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-3012 Fri, 24 Aug 2007 01:58:59 +0000 http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-3012 > <em>to allow drum “machines” to vary the attack on pretty much every hit </em> > <em>so in essence eliminating the effect you speak of</em> There's also the SoundOnSound article I referenced above which gives some great thoughts on humanizing a rhythm, even on an older drum machine. I stand by my cheap reverb comment, though :-) The real issue with cheap reverb arises when you try to pass it off as a "real" space. You're right, even the cheapest verb can be pressed into service when you need a distinctive effect. But if you run all your instruments through it looking to add dimension or realism, your mix will suffer! > to allow drum “machines” to vary the attack on pretty much every hit
> so in essence eliminating the effect you speak of

There's also the SoundOnSound article I referenced above which gives some great thoughts on humanizing a rhythm, even on an older drum machine.

I stand by my cheap reverb comment, though :-)

The real issue with cheap reverb arises when you try to pass it off as a "real" space. You're right, even the cheapest verb can be pressed into service when you need a distinctive effect. But if you run all your instruments through it looking to add dimension or realism, your mix will suffer!

]]> by: K evans http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-2986 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:04:49 +0000 http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-2986 agree on everything except the Cheap reverbs they can be side chained with really good results, and also the ultimate cheap reverb "the spring" is actually hilariously a sort after sound now ...but having said that you were talking about a different thing, so I agree on that point anyhow. oh also new technology has arrived to allow drum "machines" to vary the attack on pretty much every hit so in essence eliminating the effect you speak of... also modern Drum software uses 24bit recorded samples of studio drums. This single development in technology (drum software generally) has had the most impact on the future music generation (that's us home recorders.) Then if one can just learn a little compression EQ and mix technique you are there. Me, I’m still learning like the rest of us. But making large inroads. Also remember keep the energy the drums are the energy. Also JY it's important to distinguish between what I call a "BOOM" and a "Punch" they are very different frequencies. agree on everything except the Cheap reverbs they can be side chained with really good results, and also the ultimate cheap reverb "the spring" is actually hilariously a sort after sound now …but having said that you were talking about a different thing, so I agree on that point anyhow.

oh also new technology has arrived to allow drum "machines" to vary the attack on pretty much every hit so in essence eliminating the effect you speak of… also modern Drum software uses 24bit recorded samples of studio drums.
This single development in technology (drum software generally) has had the most impact on the future music generation (that's us home recorders.)

Then if one can just learn a little compression EQ and mix technique you are there.
Me, I’m still learning like the rest of us.

But making large inroads.

Also remember keep the energy the drums are the energy.

Also JY it's important to distinguish between what I call a "BOOM" and a "Punch" they are very different frequencies.

]]> by: JY http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-2110 Tue, 17 Jul 2007 20:50:49 +0000 http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-2110 These days, it seems that commercial releases can indeed have very boomy bottom end. For example, I'm listening to a track from Hott Fuss by The Killers, which is around 3 years old. The song has a boomy bottom end but a lot of high end too. Seems mixed and mastered to "sound as full as possible" (plenty treble and bass) and also to "sound very loud" (plenty of limiting I presume) I guess the key is that as boomy as the bass sounds on some of these modern commercial releases, it still sounds professional because you can still hear the vocals. It doesn't sound ameturish...but sounds intentionally and agressively mixed and mastered and on very expensive equipment I think. But I agree that a booming bass that overpowers everything else (so you can't hardly hear the vocals for example) sounds amateurish. JY These days, it seems that commercial releases can indeed have very boomy bottom end. For example, I'm listening to a track from Hott Fuss by The Killers, which is around 3 years old. The song has a boomy bottom end but a lot of high end too. Seems mixed and mastered to "sound as full as possible" (plenty treble and bass) and also to "sound very loud" (plenty of limiting I presume)

I guess the key is that as boomy as the bass sounds on some of these modern commercial releases, it still sounds professional because you can still hear the vocals. It doesn't sound ameturish…but sounds intentionally and agressively mixed and mastered and on very expensive equipment I think.

But I agree that a booming bass that overpowers everything else (so you can't hardly hear the vocals for example) sounds amateurish.

JY

]]> by: Ian http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-779 Wed, 13 Jun 2007 19:33:05 +0000 http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-779 Good article, these are all essential heads up items when starting out. I definitely agree that many home recording suffer from a boomy bottom end and very splashy reverb (especially on the top end). I would add that filtering and EQing the signal sent to the reverb can help a great deal in getting the reverb to sound natural. Sound behaves very differently in the natural world than inside electronics. Ian www.themixbus.com Good article, these are all essential heads up items when starting out. I definitely agree that many home recording suffer from a boomy bottom end and very splashy reverb (especially on the top end). I would add that filtering and EQing the signal sent to the reverb can help a great deal in getting the reverb to sound natural. Sound behaves very differently in the natural world than inside electronics.

Ian
www.themixbus.com

]]> by: c http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-352 Thu, 05 Apr 2007 16:17:27 +0000 http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-352 I took a long break from recording because of (some of) these very mistakes. I would get too fustrated because I didn't know what was wrong. This succinct list is dead on. Thanks. I took a long break from recording because of (some of) these very mistakes. I would get too fustrated because I didn't know what was wrong. This succinct list is dead on.

Thanks.

]]> by: des http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-288 Fri, 16 Mar 2007 17:18:12 +0000 http://www.hometracked.com/2006/12/22/10-hallmarks-of-amateur-recordings/#comment-288 I don't mind at all, Kat. That's a good site you've got there! I don't mind at all, Kat. That's a good site you've got there!

]]>