Hi generalspecific,
Sorry that this is going to be a long post-hope you can glean some good info from it though…I think you have received some very good advice above.
I too reviewed the equipment specs for your recorder, as well as listening to your tunes on your myspace (nice job btw); I think for what you have you’ve done a pretty decent job getting the recording out in spite of your technical challenges. Some notes and observations:
1. Regarding your concerns about the sound quality of your recording: I think for what equipment you’ve been given, it sounds okay for your first time out; The two areas to consider in your current setup are: the way you’re recording your guitar (see next comment below), and the way you are effecting your vocals (too much reverb); Keep in mind that the recordings musicians make are representative of their live performances. Think about it: if you were sending this to a record label, what would they think about the mix you’ve made compared to how you might sound live “in person”? If you were then asked to do a stage performance (a showcase for example), would the sound of that performance be the same? Unless you were making music in a genre like electronica, chances are, a live sound would vary from your studio sound; most musicians of quality strive to make that less distinguishable. In short, make the recordings sound true to your natural performance; most musicians make the majority of their living from live performances.
2. In general, musicians use the line output that comes direct from their guitar’s pickup, to go through some sort of processing pedals or other line-level processor first before going into a recorder; usually, this is done to alter the tone and effects of the guitar, so bearing that in mind, most line-level pickups on guitars sound pretty crappy on their own (unless you’re talking pro-level on Gibsons, etc., which can run into the thousands of dollars). If you’re trying to go for a “pure” guitar sound, you should consider using a microphone to capture the acoustic guitar’s natural acoustic resonance. In most studio recordings, acoustic guitars are mic’d by one or more microphones to pickup the natural resonance of the guitar’s body, strings, and strumming action.
3. Based on what we know about your current setup, if you really want to improve your overall recording experience, you are probably going to have to consider making some equipment changes or upgrades; if you choose to do this, then there will be a number of things to think about that relate to the entire “Signal Chain” (the link between each step in the signal path); in order from the start of the signal to the final output stage, here are things to consider:
-The quality of microphone (without stepping up to the XLR-inputs and Phantom Power as described above, you’re limited to dynamic (self-powered) type mics; some good value-to-dollar companies to check out would be Shure, Audio-Technica, or even BLUE mics);
-Quality of preamp (in your case the built-in preamps on your Tascam are pretty lo-fi, as usually 1/4” TRS line/mic combo plugs are the tell-tale sign of low quality preamp/signal chains; If you went with an external preamp, you can “enhance the incoming sound” in several ways (a deeper, clearer, more vibrant sound). Some “entry level” preamp companies are Presonus, dbx (although pricier), Behringer…
-Quality of the Analog-to-Digital conversion: your audio signals start out as an electric (Alternating) current, which is carried down the cables to the line/mic input on your Tascam; inside your Tascam, there is a unit that changes the current into a digital bitstream (think 1’s and 0’s) that is encoded into a digital file that becomes your digital audio track. The quality of the A-to-D converter in your Tascam again will limit the fidelity of your tracks, that is, every track you record into the unit. This problem will in effect be “multiplied” each time you add new tracks or layers. In your tunes, you have anywhere between 2–5 tracks (from what I can tell), so each time you are adding a new track you are adding that same “lo-fi” sound, up to 5 times!
-On the output stage (when you are blending the recorded tracks to make your final mixdown): The way you use the on-board effects will either clarify or “muddy up” the end product; usually the saying in the “industry” goes: “Garbage in, Garbage out.” Which means, if you are recording sub-par audio into the system, no amount of effects processing or mixing will hide that sound; in my audio classes, I coined the term “polishing a turd,” which has a lot of relevance, in that if a student of mine records a sound that starts off bad, chances are, they’ll just be polishing a turd to try to clean up what started off as garbage!...
3. Mixing advice: remember that when you mix, you are “recreating” the sound and ambiance of a live performance (in most cases); when you add effects or other elements to your recording, that will impact the way the listener perceives the recording and the space where the performance takes place. Most first-timers make the mistake of coloring elements of their mix too liberally as a way of masking or “hiding” blemishes in the performance; instead, concentrate on really grabbing that “perfect take”; in your case, the digital recorder (with some practice) can be a really helpful tool in editing, and replacing certain takes, lines, or other pieces of the track (called “overdubbing” in the “bizz”); If you practice that technique, you will be able to clean up a lot of blemishes or other elements (i.e. off-pitch or “pitchy-ness”), in your recordings. Remember your efforts should always be aimed at delivering a true, clear performance. Sometimes this also means practicing and “brushing up” on your musicianship.
4. Ultimately, your equipment and studio “rig” can actually harm your process of creativity, if it makes your sound less-than-true to the actual performance. No amount of reverb, EQ, or other processing on the mixdown will hide poor quality recording to begin with. Even in the multi-thousand dollar pro studios I’ve worked in, whenever someone brings in a lo-fi piece of gear into the recording, it instantly makes the recording process more tedious and time intensive to clean that up. In some cases, bands bring in really crappy drum sets, so we resorted to actually buying a “studio kit” that we break out in order to save time (sometimes just a snare drum or cymbal or two), but we find that it saves a TON of time and frustration down the line when mixing down recordings.
Again, any upgrades will help, but usually in such cases, once you upgrade one component, you will soon realize that another component in the signal chain will be to blame for some other problem…then you will have officially “joined the club!” – we all go through this, and it doesn’t stop! As BirdLegLeft put it, in some studios, just the microphone can cost as much as a small car! (<—-This one for example, hasn’t been made in over 50 years, but is considered priceless in the pro studio world-some say it would sell for $60,000 plus!)
I’m excited for you and your endeavors-whatever you do, keep at it-it’s a long and arduous road, but if you persist, the rewards are great and many, and makes for an exciting career! Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions or if you are thinking about a major upgrade (e.g. moving up to a computer-based Digital Audio Workstation system); may I also suggest doing some research using some bulletin boards for beginning producers; I found home recording to be a good one for first-timers.
Good luck!
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