Gonna get back into recording

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by TheGITM

Thanks, all. I've discovered a fella named Ethan Davis who has some excellent online content on how to use Ableton and I'm learning as fast as I can... but this is going to be process, so I'm tempering my expectations. Start small, and build on it.

The FetHead preamp arrived and it's about as simple a device as you can get. Pop it in-line and hit the phantom 48v button on the Volt and gain is boosted with no discernable added noise. That is so much more simple (and cleaner!) than the old tube preamps I used to use.

This is my starting point... just a nice comfortable corner of the bedroom. Hopefully in the coming weeks I'll have some content to share and get feedback on... good have you folks around to help if/when I need it!

Corner desks of any kind are so rare to see!

Since I'm doing all of my editing using headphones I wanted to do a VERY minimalist corner desk for video editing, CAD drawing, etc.

I drew this one up and made it from surplus live edge walnut that I had slabbed out from a neighbor's walnut that was cut down.

I have larger monitors and multi-track recorders in another area of the house, so this one doesn't need to be big.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Joseph Hanna

Yep, as most here I'm a big proponent of templates. Even a simple one can be a powerful tool in keeping things organized. I would offer this. If by chance the OP chooses Pro Tools, the program is frustrating beyond belief in its ability to randomly discard i/o tables and well as playback engines info. Gone, gone in the deep cold ether. Save i/o structures to the i/o page every day, heck every hour. Do not bother to name the inputs and outputs. Pro Tools will spit them out into nowhere land and you just wind up re-naming every day. For saving legit templates Pro Tools requires enormous attention to not take 6 steps backward on the daily. I've never once had Studio One or Logic behave like this. In Logic and S1 set your template with the correct playback engine and i/o table and it'll stay virtually forever. Rock solid. But not Pro Tools....beware.

Appears the OP is using Abelton so a non issue ..
Joseph please note not debating you because if you have had those issues then you have....
And I do not work in commercial facility
Soooo- I can only only speak from my personal experience But thru 21 years of home recording with PT ---honestly I have not had any thing even close to the issues you are describing ??

I can count on one hand the number of times I have had to address or reset I/0 and maybe 10 time in 21 years where I have to reset the playback engine (and that was almost always from closing PT when it was set to something else like my Mac internal spks and mic for a quick screen recording or something)

And I honestly can not remember PT ever loosing my custom input and output naming ? But then I am never importing or exporting I/O settings or importing any session I did not create

So for me custom naming tracks, sends, busses, inputs and outputs has worked great through PT LE/ Digi 002 --PTHDN / HD Omni --PT Ultimate w/Carbon

Honestly I have had more routing issues with Studio One in the 4 years I have played with it than in 21 years in PT
If you remember the issue I had was with outboard Hardware routing for use as inserts,,, which I finally after almost a year and 1/2, figured out on my own, and Presounus Support never did figure out . Which was in the S1 I/O set up matrix the output channel numbers for the Hardware units had to offset two numbers higher than the input channel numbers

Here you can see I custom name everything and every time I open a template it is always the same with the names intact
For example :On audio tracks inputs --I use the mic name ( N22 left and N22 right) for my pair of AEA N22 ribbons, and on the vocal tracks ADK 251 for my vocal mic.
Now I have changed the naming a few times but PT has always kept track of the new names and the old . So even when I open an old session with the old names it has kept that old naming and then I change if necessary

[b1j]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Absolutely can DIY pretty easy with wood shop tools. 2 ft by 4 ft is the standard size Basically 1x4 pine frame with some fabric cover and either Owens Corning 703 or RockWool Safe N Sound

The mounted black panels behind my recording desk (photo in post above) are 703 with black heavy cotton
These are my portable gobo style on some scrap Alder stands I made


You can see them used behind me in this video (I am facing my recording desk)

+1 on this. I made 8 panels, and they have transformed my acoustic guitar recordings.

I didn’t love the pine I bought, however. I needed to go to great lengths to mill it straight and make it pretty. If I had it to do over, I’d use 3/4 Baltic birch. But I put the pine outside the fabric, so I cared about the look. If you’re planning to cover the entire outside with fabric, the appearance of the wood won’t matter.

I saved on cost by using muslin fabric on sale at Joann Fabric on the front and weed cloth on the back. The muslin is not as scuff resistant as Guilford of Maine, but equally audibly transparent. And on mine it’s inside the frames, so it’s protected.

Inside I used Rockwool Safe n Sound 2’ x 4’ x 3”. It was more trouble than I expected just to find a supplier. I finally found a lumber company, of all things, that kind of hoards it in my area and had mountains of it.

Mine came in at about $42 per panel. A large chunk of that was the pine.

[TheGITM]

What is the best way to share audio? I have a 15 second WAV file I was going to share just for kicks... I've been immersing myself in this Ableton stuff and feel pretty good about my 15 seconds of output... after probably 3 hours of learning and tweaking...

Oh, and I found my old Behringer B2031 studio monitors in storage... if I can find the power cables, I get to see if they still work (I'll be amazed if they do!)...

[TBman]

Originally Posted by TheGITM

What is the best way to share audio? I have a 15 second WAV file I was going to share just for kicks... I've been immersing myself in this Ableton stuff and feel pretty good about my 15 seconds of output... after probably 3 hours of learning and tweaking...

Oh, and I found my old Behringer B2031 studio monitors in storage... if I can find the power cables, I get to see if they still work (I'll be amazed if they do!)...

I use Soundcloud.

[TheGITM]

SoundCloud it is... Thanks!

Day 1 with Ableton Live... and I have so much to learn.

https://soundcloud.com/matt-manning-...social_sharing

[TheGITM]

This is now my 'learning thread'... I'll confine myself here for the foreseeable future...

I did just figure out I can add a video to Ableton... that's pretty cool!




EDIT: And I found the power cables to my old studio monitors. They were actually still connected to an old effects rack that I had buried.

[keith.rogers]

Originally Posted by TheGITM

SoundCloud it is... Thanks!

Day 1 with Ableton Live... and I have so much to learn.

If you just put the SoundCloud "Sharing" HTML in your post, then select that and click the SoundCloud icon right above the text edit box, you'll get the embedded player. I fished out the URL and made the change in your quoted post, above. (The generated HTML in your post didn't work on my Mac w/Safari browser.)

Good first recording. Keep it up.

[TheGITM]

Originally Posted by keith.rogers

If you just put the SoundCloud "Sharing" HTML in your post, then select that and click the SoundCloud icon right above the text edit box, you'll get the embedded player. I fished out the URL and made the change in your quoted post, above. (The generated HTML in your post didn't work on my Mac w/Safari browser.)

Good first recording. Keep it up.

Thanks for that, Keith! I didn't notice the SoundCloud button (because I've never used it until now). Very familiar with the YouTube embedding, though. So I'm sure it's the same kind of thing

I'm having fun with this. There is a lot to learn just to get the navigation down, but thankfully there is a ton of content online to use for reference. And I know if I get stuck someone around here will get me pointed in the right direction.

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by TheGITM

TLooking at those panels, I'm wondering if I can fabricate them myself... I have access to a shop so it would just be a matter of getting the right materials and mapping out the dimensions.

Yep, lots of us have built our own, and you can find numerous videos online of various construction techniques.

The hardest thing to source is the fill, as the stuff you want for broadband panels (Owens Corning 703 or Rockwool 60 or 80) is only available from supply houses, not big-box hardware stores. But often you can find a place that will sell retail if you order a minimum quantity. You can also purchase from acoustics suppliers like ATS, GIK or Acoustimac but shipping will cost you.

If you want nicer fabric than muslin, you can also purchase that separately from the acoustics places. I made panels and covered them with Acoustimac DMD fabric and they look sharp.

[b1j]

Studio One has a direct upload-to-SoundCloud feature.

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Appears the OP is using Abelton so a non issue ..
Joseph please note not debating you because if you have had those issues then you have....
And I do not work in commercial facility
Soooo- I can only only speak from my personal experience But thru 21 years of home recording with PT ---honestly I have not had any thing even close to the issues you are describing ??

I can count on one hand the number of times I have had to address or reset I/0 and maybe 10 time in 21 years where I have to reset the playback engine (and that was almost always from closing PT when it was set to something else like my Mac internal spks and mic for a quick screen recording or something)

And I honestly can not remember PT ever loosing my custom input and output naming ? But then I am never importing or exporting I/O settings or importing any session I did not create

So for me custom naming tracks, sends, busses, inputs and outputs has worked great through PT LE/ Digi 002 --PTHDN / HD Omni --PT Ultimate w/Carbon

Honestly I have had more routing issues with Studio One in the 4 years I have played with it than in 21 years in PT
If you remember the issue I had was with outboard Hardware routing for use as inserts,,, which I finally after almost a year and 1/2, figured out on my own, and Presounus Support never did figure out . Which was in the S1 I/O set up matrix the output channel numbers for the Hardware units had to offset two numbers higher than the input channel numbers

Here you can see I custom name everything and every time I open a template it is always the same with the names intact
For example :On audio tracks inputs --I use the mic name ( N22 left and N22 right) for my pair of AEA N22 ribbons, and on the vocal tracks ADK 251 for my vocal mic.
Now I have changed the naming a few times but PT has always kept track of the new names and the old . So even when I open an old session with the old names it has kept that old naming and then I change if necessary

Yes Kev my work Pro Tools template (I/O) section now has been in place for 18 years. I can't say I've ever had an opportunity or need to even look at it. Rock solid.

However, getting into multiple Templates I/O settings to meet other needs and or projects has driven that into a chaotic, miserable mess with all the previous mentions above and more. I've gone over this multiple, multiple times with Sweetwater Tech support with no clue ending scenarios. It just simply, at random, loses I/O routing settings EVEN if there currently in use AND backed up. Reimporting back ups reimports lost data.The only solution Sweetwater has was DON'T label your I/O and make a screenshot library to retain some degree of reference.

The problem I have is my Focusrite interfaces use a piece of uber-sophisticated software called "Control" and maintaining i/o settings is simply a mandatory starting point. Otherwise, I/O is ALL OVER THE PLACE and unmanageable.

Studio One and Logic lock things firmly in place including renaming the i/o to something more recognizable. BTW and as a side note, although I was certified in Logic way back when I'm growing like this Logic workflow more and more each day I've recently brought it back to life. Neck and neck with Studio One, and in truth, it kinda comes down to fairly small workflow differences. Both slick, intuitive DAWS

I no longer trust Pro Tools' handling of the i/o. Perhaps it's a bug. But as I've mentioned many times before Studio One feels like a fresh, well-maintained DAW, and I'm beginning to believe Logic is right up there. Sweetwater and I have set up some tests to see what we can find but until the, then, particularly with collaborative sessions, Pro Tools is out of the picture.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Joseph Hanna

Yes Kev my work Pro Tools template (I/O) section now has been in place for 18 years. I can't say I've ever had an opportunity or need to even look at it. Rock solid.

However, getting into multiple Templates I/O settings to meet other needs and or projects has driven that into a chaotic, miserable mess with all the previous mentions above and more. I've gone over this multiple, multiple times with Sweetwater Tech support with no clue ending scenarios. It just simply, at random, loses I/O routing settings EVEN if there currently in use AND backed up. Reimporting back ups reimports lost data.The only solution Sweetwater has was DON'T label your I/O and make a screenshot library to retain some degree of reference.

The problem I have is my Focusrite interfaces use a piece of uber-sophisticated software called "Control" and maintaining i/o settings is simply a mandatory starting point. Otherwise, I/O is ALL OVER THE PLACE and unmanageable.

Studio One and Logic lock things firmly in place including renaming the i/o to something more recognizable. BTW and as a side note, although I was certified in Logic way back when I'm growing like this Logic workflow more and more each day I've recently brought it back to life. Neck and neck with Studio One, and in truth, it kinda comes down to fairly small workflow differences. Both slick, intuitive DAWS

I no longer trust Pro Tools' handling of the i/o. Perhaps it's a bug. But as I've mentioned many times before Studio One feels like a fresh, well-maintained DAW, and I'm beginning to believe Logic is right up there. Sweetwater and I have set up some tests to see what we can find but until the, then, particularly with collaborative sessions, Pro Tools is out of the picture.

Interesting I have only ever use Avid interfaces. So can we assume it is the combo of the Focusrite "Control" software and PT that is the issue ?

Just went thru another little thingy with Studio One regarding Templates with Folder tracks (which is what use in both PT and S1 in lieu of sub busses )

Not a bug but apparently "by design" according to Presounus Support
So I discovered that for my S1 templates that include Instrument tracks , while I can get the Audio tracks to mirror opening and closing in both the Edit/Arrange window and the Mixer You cannot do that with blank instrument tracks (until you load an instrument on to the track)
Support gave some lame (I thought) explanation that you had to have a VI on the track so it has "the potential for audio" for it to show int the mixer ?? Which I thought was odd given a loaded instrument is not necessary in PT for the instrument tracks to show/mirror in the mixer

Not a big deal but a bit odd I thought

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

Yes, everything can be done with a PC or laptop now....

I was super thrilled when software started coming out that turned my desktop into a recording studio, and that was, what, roughly 20 years ago? Even so, like b1j, I don't figure I'm much past the level of a "Fledgling Beginner Amateur" lol. Most of my recording has been multitracking a synth (like this) plugged straight into an audio interface. Now using a Scarlett and Cubase Elements for a DAW. I'm playing guitar a lot more now and not using that setup or recording much, but I really ought to get back into it!

[TheGITM]

Just a quick update... I have been focusing on extending my project out to full song length while learning as may shortcut keys as I can. Ableton is great, but there are so many key combos to get what you want quickly... it's like back in the early days of word processors on the PC. Anyone remember WordPro?

Anyway, I've also been going through all of the effects and other options to add to tracks... and tweaking the settings to get a feel for what each is capable of adding to the mix.

I've taken mono tracked audio and split it to 'dual mono' so I can work with L/R channels, and I've been playing with adding automation to track segments so I can tweak stuff in very specific spots... this is a great example of where shortcuts are important! Shortcut to pop into automation, shortcut to zoom in, tweak what needs tweaking, shortcut to zoom back out. Once I got the sequence down it's pretty darn easy to edit on the fly when I notice something isn't quite where it needs to be.

Thankfully, there are so many good YouTube vids on just about everything, and often very specific videos that are only a couple of minutes long and demonstrate the very thing I was looking for. I'm sure that's true for pretty much all of the popular DAWs, but I'm just happy to see much content on Ableton...