Originally Posted By: R & AM
Hi Floyd and Janice,
we are struck by the clarity and dynamics in both the vocals and the arrangements.
We're very interested in hearing more about your set up i.e. what brand and type of microphone, DAW and the export sample rate etc. (kHz, bitrate).

Rob and Anne-Marie


Rob and Ann-Marie - hi guys! back again... so, here are some details. If I'm not hitting on the right things, let me know...

I have been using Presonus Studio One Professional for about nine months now. I REALLY like it. The plugins that come with it are top-notch and for the most part very intuitive. I had used Sony Acid Pro prior to that (a good DAW), but it turns out that one of my neighbors is a "big-wig" at Presonus...

To tell you the truth, I have never really thought about sample rate. I am using 44.1 kHz - because that is the default in S1 (I had to go look). I now use 24bits because the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 that I use would not work at 16 - which is what I used to use on my old XP machine (Gina 20 interface). So, as you might guess, it's not something that I give a lot of thought to... when I create an mp3 to upload to my site, that is done at 256 Kbps.

When I export tracks out of BIAB, I always set the pan to 0 and the volume to max (127). I most often leave the reverb that is set when an instrument is loaded (although, lately I have turned it off on acoustic guitars and piano tracks to add my own later).

I do a quick mix in the DAW and copy that out to a hard disk recorder to do vocals there (a Roland VS-880EX - but the disk failed in that this past weekend - so I am in a panic about that!). I do that for 2 reasons. I like having old style buttons to push when I'm recording vocals. Record. Stop. Rewind. Record. etc... And I can record with reverb and no latency in my phones (I have not figure out if that is possible in a DAW). I use an AT 4033a condenser mic - into an Aphex 107 pre then through an Alesis 3630 compressor - those are all 20 years old. The combination gives a very warm sound... I transfer the vocals (dry) back to the DAW for mixing with the tracks...

Typical processing of tracks...
Drums - I use a Studio One preset FX Chain that includes the Pro EQ (their standard EQ - it ends up on everything) and a Multiband Dynamics (4 segment compressor). I often bump small bands of EQ to add snap to the snare or stick - I like a lot of snap to drums. I will often drop the highs some because I don't like a lot of hi-hat or ride. It is a trend in modern Country to really bury (or eliminate) the hi-hat - which I have always tried to do...

Bass - maybe a very slight compressor - often none - usually the EQ with a slight bump where it gives the bass some definition - I like to "hear" the bass playing - not a mushy bass. Often, I will drop the very low end out (EQ).


Most of the processing I do involves EQ and a lot of it is eliminating the low end (shelf) and adding a slight bump somewhere that brings out the definition of an instrument. If you pile on a bunch of RTs without removing the low EQ it can get muddy real fast.


Acoustic guitars - drop the low EQ a bunch and a wider bump of highs (so you can hear the strings)

Piano - Drop the low end out (EQ). Sometimes bump the mids, sometimes the high end. It depends on the RT. The pianos vary a lot. Some are dripping in reverb - even if you set the reverb to 0. (the older ones mostly). I have started using the MIDI SuperTracks more and more so I can control the piano sound more. I just used a TruePiano vst for a song and it was awesome!

electric guitars - often I add some hi EQ (drop some low) to get them to cut through.

I begin all mixes using headphones (ATH-M40fs). Then when I have a "finished" mix there, I listen through a pair of Yorkville YSM-1 (25 years old). They aren't well known, but were often compared to Yamaha NS-10's. They will often reveal that the headphone mix is a little muddy in some areas - so, back to the EQ setting for most of the tracks. Dropping some more lows, adding highs here and there... not always - sometimes the headphone mix sounds just right through the monitors - again, depends on the song and the combination of instruments. But a good "monitor mix" always sounds good in the phones (and elsewhere)....

I've probably left out a lot of stuff... but that's what I could think of for starters, regarding "clarity"...

Questions?

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