leoroberts
C.O.G. 
Posts: 26,113 
My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on May 12, 2020 16:42:34 GMT
Well, it’s taken 15 years or so but I’ve just changed my recording position and am amazed at the difference it has made!
Usually, I just have my Zoom thingy on my desk, with the lyrics on the screen, and just press ‘record’.
Over the weekend I was asked* to write and record a song about Pentecost for an online worship thing some of my colleagues are doing. I sent the recording off to the collator to check it was one message’ and he contacted me to say it was decent words but, and I quote, “a shite recording”.
So yesterday I ordered a mic stand, put the zoom thingy in that, closed the curtains in my office, placed the Zoom watchamacallit in front of the curtains and re-recorded it (with lyrics sellotaped you the curtains)
Even with my ears the improvement was clear.
The collator was suitably impressed too, and is now happy to use the recording.
So it seems that I’ve set myself a new standard. Bugger.
*told
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on May 12, 2020 17:32:40 GMT
What colour are the curtains?
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andrewjw
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Post by andrewjw on May 12, 2020 18:09:51 GMT
What colour are the curtains? Hopefully they match the carpets...  |
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Post by robmc on May 12, 2020 18:19:19 GMT
I thought you'd got a hair transplant... In any case I had you down as a venetian blind man, quite shocked all things told.
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leoroberts
C.O.G.
Posts: 26,113
My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on May 12, 2020 19:09:43 GMT
I thought you'd got a hair transplant... In any case I had you down as a venetian blind man, quite shocked all things told. None of that Johnny Foreigner rubbish for me. Good old British curtains in, to answer ocarolan 's question (though I think it has no bearing on the sound) what I would describe as 'mild diarrhoea' colour. Venetian blinds... FFS! I'd have proper blackout curtains if I could. We won the war, you know, what, what  |
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Post by lavaman on May 12, 2020 21:41:37 GMT
Hi leoroberts , Just making small changes can improve your recordings. Moving the microphone to a different place in the room can make a big difference. I'm guessing the curtains have absorbed sound reflections behind the microphone and attenuated the higher frequencies. Have a look at this video. (the interesting bit is at the end) |
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Post by Matt Milton on May 28, 2020 15:44:06 GMT
Thanks for sharing that video. I've been toying with the idea of ordering some bass traps from Thomann (their in-house brand, T-acustik or something, is reasonably priced) and they have a no-quibbles returns policy. So I figured I could order some, do an A/B comparison and if it made negligible difference I could always return them. Pointless right now as I have no time for music and a noisy house with an increasingly hyperactive 7-year-old, but maybe when schools reopen, kids' clubs open or grandparents are again allowed to look after children...
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Post by andyhowell on Jun 4, 2020 10:19:39 GMT
Thanks for sharing that video. I've been toying with the idea of ordering some bass traps from Thomann (their in-house brand, T-acustik or something, is reasonably priced) and they have a no-quibbles returns policy. So I figured I could order some, do an A/B comparison and if it made negligible difference I could always return them. Pointless right now as I have no time for music and a noisy house with an increasingly hyperactive 7-year-old, but maybe when schools reopen, kids' clubs open or grandparents are again allowed to look after children... I'd be a bit careful with bass traps. My advice would be to phone of the Acoustic Treatment sellers. They offer a consultancy advice service but I found they are more than happy to talk to ordinary folks about home use. They told me bass traps would be overkill and that I would get what I wanted using standard tiles.
My room was literally un-useable. It is an attic space, an oblong with standing room only in the middle. It was very resonant. Following their advice I bought two backs of simple tiles. I created a dead space against an outside wall where my desk is. And then as I moved back in the room I laid the tiles out more sparingly. You can be conservative at first and add more as you experience the change in sound. for acoustic or gentle recording you are not likely to get a build up of bass signals in the corners. I used Advanced Acoustics.
You can send plans of your room in but i found they can help with you just describing it over the phone. You don't need to spend a great deal, particularly if this is not a space used by anybody else !!! I described the lack of height in my room and they correctly suggested I concentrate on the ceiling as well as the walls.
Here is a recording made in my space. I have removed all of the reverb (though there is a tiny bit of delay on the vocal) — literally I couldn't have recorded anything in here before!
Feel free to give me a ring — arrage by private message. Happy to share my experience and thoughts.
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Post by Cams on Jun 4, 2020 20:44:06 GMT
I had a moment only a few days ago when I ventured into the back porch, a part of the house I rarely enter. It's where my good lady keeps her horse rugs, waterproofs, horse feed and I honestly don't know what else. I was singing to myself and thought - 'whoa, this would be a fantastic place to record'. Except that there's room for a guitar or a person, not both!
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Post by andyhowell on Jun 5, 2020 9:02:56 GMT
I had a moment only a few days ago when I ventured into the back porch, a part of the house I rarely enter. It's where my good lady keeps her horse rugs, waterproofs, horse feed and I honestly don't know what else. I was singing to myself and thought - 'whoa, this would be a fantastic place to record'. Except that there's room for a guitar or a person, not both! Record the vocals and guitar seperately ;-) |
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Jo whoever he is.
