I have a situation where I am not in the same location as my DA-88s, and much of my gear. While it has been ages since I have done much recording, I do have the need to record demos, or better, for myself.

I had been trying to get by with some software, and a CrystalFusion soundcard. This was effective, but not satisfying. The limitations were just too great.

Space being a concern, setting up my board,(M-520) and bringing a tape machine here is not an option. So, I have decided to have a go with my Cubase SX and A few pres, and mics I do have here.

What had kept me from using the Cubase was a myriad of issus with my soundcard. I am hoping that the installation of an M-Audio 1010LT will help me toward the following goals.

I am not looking for high minded, large productions. I would like to Voice and Guitar. Perhaps adding some other elements later.

I would like to end up with some good Folk recordings perhaps, for lack of a better term.

While writing this is helping me to understand what it is I am looking for, I would hope that any notes I may keep will allow me to go back, and follow the trip, to learn from it, to have a checkpoint, and perhaps a home base as it relates to the processes I am entering into.

As I have stated I have not recorded much in a few years. While I have said I prefer a tacilte environment, and gear, I feel that it is time to explore the DAW environment for what it may offer. To record with the tools at hand is far better than getting music to tape out of stubborness.

The tools at hand:

VAIO PC 2200 running XP Home
CubaseSX
M-Audio 1010LT

KRK Rokit5 active Monitors

JoeMeek VC1
tppro P3
FMR RNP

1-KSM27
1-MD421
2-Oktava MC-012 (w/matched Hyper Cardiod and Omni capsules. Cardiod capsules are unmatched.)

Gibson Skylark Amp (5 watts of Fury!)
BBE Sonic Maximizer pedal(Lends some bottom to the acoustic high strings)

Martin DM w/RareEarth Humbucker in soundhole
'62 Gibson Melody Maker Custom
'70(?) Harmony Rebel

I have other gear here, but for now am focussing in on re-aquainting myself with this as it will be used most as I see it.

What I hope to improve on is recordings such as these recorded live in a program called MultiTrack Studio lite. Not band recordings, but songs to bring to the band, or for other things.

quote:

Originally posted by j6p:
Gibson Skylark Amp (5 watts of Fury!)

I just got mine back from the shop, complete with new output tranny (as I'm pretty sure I whacked mine with the wrong tube. oops.). It's a little beast...I love it to death.

Which one do you have? I've heard there are like 4 versions of the little guy, all with different circuits and stuff. I've got the Skylark with Tremolo. I think it's a GA5-T, but don't quote me on that...it's been years since I've looked at the schematic for it.

quote:

Originally posted by i.Combs:

quote:

Originally posted by j6p:
Gibson Skylark Amp (5 watts of Fury!)

I just got mine back from the shop, complete with new output tranny (as I'm pretty sure I whacked mine with the wrong tube. oops.). It's a little beast...I love it to death.

Which one do you have? I've heard there are like 4 versions of the little guy, all with different circuits and stuff. I've got the Skylark with Tremolo. I think it's a GA5-T, but don't quote me on that...it's been years since I've looked at the schematic for it.

I believe I have the GA-5. two knobs...On the left is Loudness, on the right is on/off.

There are many versions, with Tone,Tremolo etc...Many different coverings as well. Mine is the gray Tolex. Like this.



I like it with a 421 at the edge of cone right up close.

Crackle, headaches and Bullshit...

I noticed some crackle in my monitors, while playing streams, files, and evrerything....Poked around, looked like a RAM issue. Think I squared that away.

Cubase was worst. Volume is now my enemy. The faders in the control panel don't seem to do dick...Hmmm. More reading and I will come back to that issue.

Driver update for 1010LT...Un-install, re-install...

I am running into many of the issues I had dreaded going in the box. No wires to track down, connections to check. Everything is hidden in some recess or corner of some other window...I think I have set a new record for the most I have had open at once, Not too proud of that. I feel blind. I come from a tangible world, this not seeing things as they are is gonna be a thousand new lessons.

Glad to have a bunch of troubleshooting actually. It will surely help me later if I know where to go. I know I am a Luddite. I am fine with that.

The demo discs that came with the soundcard will not be loaded until I know what I can and can't do for now.

These are, ProTools M-Powered7, G4 live lite, and ProSessions. Also I will not be using any of the freeware versions of Acid, Kristal, Traction, etc... that I think everyone downloaded about a year ago. Myself included.

Have figured out the buss assigns.(if that's the right term)Set up templates in both mono and Stereo, in Cubase. And tracked down sources of lots of noise.

Moved soundcard away from Wireless card. Will disable when recording. I exoect to get some ideas down on the 11th to see if it all works nice together.

May move some things around in the room for ease of use, though maybe not immediately.

Details as they unfold. Although I expect to track Acoustic guitar, and Vocals to begin.

Ok got tracks down, using CD recorder to monitor w/ headphones when tracking vocals. No latency issue I can hear.

Pres are patched in
monitoring sent to internal mixer for Monitors, and 3/4 for headphones.

These notes to self must seem inane to anyone reading. But the in the box is baffling to me. It is slowly becoming clearer, but I am missing The Physical. It is getting easier but...

Just got a call, a friend I haven't seen in a few years is coming by, for a day or 2. This will be good for me to be able to work out some things.


Very happy.

What is it about the best laid plans? Seemingly they change.

Note to self. Post what I have done not what is planned.

Moved computer and rack for better access. Orginized cables.

I have been trying to get a feel for some of the in the box effects, and EQs.

I took a mono recording I had, and tripled it. Panned 2 tracks, treated them the same, and the one in the center, I treated diffrently.

While the original wav was not created in CubaseSX, I feel it was a way to start learning what did what.

I attached it over in the Music section. Any comments would be appreciated.

Thanks

Third attempt to post. I was trying to put a clip here to sample some of the work of the last few days. I kept getting an FTP limit error. One file was only 2.35mb.

There was an FTP (file transfer) error. The detail is 'Upload to '/testdir/test.txt' failed. Detail: '552 Transfer aborted. Disk quota exceeded
''.

That is the error I recieve

Notes to self.

1) Take better notes.

If any my notes from the sessions are thin. And reconsructing is almost impossible. Luckily there was not a lot going on so the only questions may be whether the RNP or tfpro p3 was the pre at any given time, and their settings. A big deal. But not gonna lose sleep over it. I will take better notes in the future. Pad and Pen are at hand as I type.

2) Double check connections.

During the first take input 2 on the patchbay had an intermitant crackle. This was a shakedown recording anyway. But it may not have been.

Almost a month to the day after he was supposed to have come, my freind Russell Hallac arrived on Saturday. I looked forward to seeing him, but also was really into focusing on the recording side only. This was good.

He brought an SM-81. I liked it on acoustic. I wanted to compare it to the MK-012 and tfpro tf27. Never got around to it. That is a drag for me. But we just didn't.

We got 2 songs down and mixed in what was probably less than 12 hours. Not bad from where I sit. Very happy with the results.

We did many things and found they worked better than expected. Would I do them right if I could have? Absolutely. But these were good things to know in a pinch, for myself. Such as the Melody Maker direct into the VC1 can create a usable track! The Harmony Rebel can lay down a bassline that does not sound too unreasonable. It sounds good. Maybe not a bass, but a bassline that fit in the mixes we were working on.

I will try to post clips again to show how things progressed, in some sort of detail.