NWB - Community Blog

21 Sep 2009

Live Recording Advice

Filed Under : Music

Posted By : Scott - Metalleeka | Comments : 17

Any ideas?

Hey guys
Wonder if there is anyone who might be able to help?

I hauled me pc down to the sheaf on friday to see if I would be able to get a good live recording of Anthem.
I initially took the main output from the desk into the pc but the signal was far too loud and the wav table was just maxing out.
So for the second set I ran up to the house and got another cable and took the rec output. This was much better, but was still peaking and slightly distorting the sound.

I had taken all of the levels on the pc right down virtually to zero but it didn't make any difference, suggesting that it is purely the signal volume from the desk that the pc can't manage.

I'm thinking of taking my desk the next time, taking an output from each track into my desk, then taking the rec output from my desk into the pc. In theory, this would allow me to piss about with it as much as I want without touching the main desk or affecting the live sound.

What do you guys reckon?
Would this work?

cheers

Scott

Comments

# Posted by Bad Horsie (Mick) - 21/09/2009, 09:25 (GMT)

I've been thinking about this mate. My first point of diagnosis would be to see if the rec output from their desk is overloaded/tished. Plug headphones straight into it (yours have a level control don't they...)? If the signal is distorting from there there's not much chance of cleaning it up in my experience.

Doesn't your XTlive have a CD in also? Without looking I can't be 100% but I'd assume you could use it as a buffer. It has a DB pad switch like the X3, but I don't know if it controls the input gain.

# Posted by Scott - Metalleeka - 21/09/2009, 09:31 (GMT)

yeah I agree, if the vocal signal is distorting from the main desk itself, there's not much I can do, but, if, I can pull all the tracks into my desk, I can mute the other tracks and listen to the vocals and see if they are indeed distorting.

Was just wondering if anyone has tried taking output tracks from one desk into another?
Will be a major pain in the arse hauling my pc, my desk and a bucket load of cables just to find out that it wouldn't work in the first place.

However, like I said to the Anthem guys, this is all trial and error so we'll see how it goes, but the overall quality of the recording was excellent on friday, just need to get that level down a bit and we'll be reet, I hope lol

# Posted by Shyster - 21/09/2009, 09:33 (GMT)

Or you could set up a decent mic at the back of the room into a laptop and just record straight into the laptop's microphone pre-amp. I suppose it depends what you want to do with the recording. If you want access to mix each individual track then 1 mic is no good, but if you're just wanting to hear what you sound like live, then it's an easier way to go. Mixing each channel separately won't give you the 'live feel ambience' to the recording so you won't actually know what you sound like to the listening punter!

As long as you have a good FOH mix and a decent mic & pre-amp (we used an SM58) you'll be suprised at how much you can hear in the recording. Give it a try!

# Posted by Scott - Metalleeka - 21/09/2009, 09:41 (GMT)

Yeah that was always going to be the last resort with regards to just running a mic into the pc.

Until I shell out £200 for a multi input audio card (which I will be doing at some point lol), I'm limited to the single input.
So what I want to try and do, is get as near to a good balanced mix through the desk.
I'm not all that far away, just need to get them levels down.
I know I'm probably making a lot of extra work for myself that could be done a lot quicker and easier if I had the right equipment but I'm just using what I have at the moment.
This is a steep learning curve and I'm loving it lol

# Posted by Shyster - 21/09/2009, 10:25 (GMT)

Another option if you're wanting to mix individual channels- Mix your FOH sound as you would normally to practice with, but use your mixer's monitor or auxiliary channel mix to produce a second live mix but at lower levels which you would send via the monitor/auxiliary line level out socket into your computer. You would probably have to mix this using headphones from your computer, but you may run into latency doing this (delay in hearing sound from signal going in, computer processing speed, to signal coming out), but as you are all recording at once it probably won't matter in this case.

# Posted by Scott - Metalleeka - 21/09/2009, 10:33 (GMT)

yep that might work, depending on how many monitor channels Anthem's desk has.
As far as latency goes, I've filled my pc with more steroids than Ben Johnson and I've got the latency set to 8ms in Cakewalk, and 6ms in guitar rig, so that shouldn't be a problem.

# Posted by 45's - 21/09/2009, 10:45 (GMT)

Hi Scott, Stuart Thornley who is recording our band would give you some free advice. His mobile is 07725 87 50 15,

Cheers,

Rick.

# Posted by Scott - Metalleeka - 21/09/2009, 10:48 (GMT)

cheers Rick

# Posted by Anthem - 21/09/2009, 11:28 (GMT)

many many thanks for all your efforts involved in this mate

# Posted by Scott - Metalleeka - 21/09/2009, 11:31 (GMT)

ha ha no worries dude, loved it.
Totally obsessed with getting it right. It's all I've been thinking about all weekend, what could I have done differently, did I try this, did I try that etc.

Where you gigging this weekend?

# Posted by Anthem - 21/09/2009, 11:38 (GMT)

we are at Duke of York in Chorley on Friday and Ridgeway in Adlington on saturday mate. I can give you a lift if you fancy a pint mate

# Posted by Scott - Metalleeka - 21/09/2009, 11:42 (GMT)

let me check with the boss and see what she's says.
she won't get home til 9 on fri so it's either get a babysitter for fri, or hope that she gives me a leave permit for sat night :-D

# Posted by Willow (of somebig™Fish) (Reti... - 21/09/2009, 12:13 (GMT)

you're taking a PC to The Ridgeway????? ooooooooooh!!

I've always found (ahem ... i've tried it about 3 or 4 times) that (in small venues) taking a line from the master FOH out doesn't always give you the right sound, as it doesn't take into account what the backline is contributing to the FOH. I think the best way forward for a single feed is to tie up a spare monitor (aux) channel as suggested above - this can then be mixed at the source desk.
Good luck tho boys
Willow

# Posted by NIGHT TRAIN - 21/09/2009, 12:18 (GMT)

Posted by Scott - Metalleeka - 21/09/2009, 09:41 (GMT)

Yeah that was always going to be the last resort with regards to just running a mic into the pc.

Until I shell out £200 for a multi input audio card (which I

Why dont you just shell out £250 for my highly portable Roland 18 track recorder, use that as a mixer and record at same time? There's even a flightcase for it!

# Posted by Scott - Metalleeka - 21/09/2009, 12:31 (GMT)

yeah I thought about it Alec when you originally posted it, but until I either sell my Ibanez or start pulling some money in from gigs, the only things I'll be buying in the next few months is fecking christmas presents.....but don't get me started on that lol

# Posted by James - Metalleeka - 21/09/2009, 18:45 (GMT)

dude, after your ESP purchase i'm surprised you didnt just borrow a ghetto blaster and some C90's ;-)

# Posted by Scott - Metalleeka - 21/09/2009, 19:11 (GMT)

ha ha thought about it lol

You need to be Logged in | Registered to add a comment

Blog Search

Follow NWB on Facebook and Twitter

Help Support NWB - Find out how.

Shopping online? - Select your stores, enter search text, and click go!

Cottam Guitars

10% Discount for NWB members, email max@cottamguitars.co.uk

Bakehouse Studio

Accrington's cosy project studio. Book online 24/7. Use code NWB20bc110301 for NWB members special 20% discount.

Pinned Posts

Who's On?

Latest Comments

Hot Posts

Community Blog Guidelines

Be nice: Even if you disagree with someone, you need to keep your tone civil and reasonable.
Keep on topic: Please keep discussions relevant to each topic and avoid multiple topic posts.
Don't Spam: Show restraint with your posting frequency. We're all doing cool stuff on NWB, but if we post about it too much, it can be distracting.
Respect the Moderators: The entire Community Staff were users once, just like you. We try very hard to answer everyone's questions, so please be cool.