Live sound > Recording sound

Anand Mahangoe

Anand Mahangoe

Power User
I would very much like to know how you guys program your sounds :
- FRFR for live for example with a FBT 12ma / QSC : they are supposed to give you a great sound which translates well through the PA too.

- Will that also translate in a good recording sound for in the studio or do you have to re-tweak your live sounds in order to fit in the studio mix ?
So not only in the big studios but also just on your home recordings ?

At the moment my sound is good on the recordings and my soundguy does not have any complaints live either. I do program everything with a headphone and check it out on different systems while playing along with a backing track or cd......
I have a crappy Sennheiser HD 477 headphone (highs are to sharp) , KRK 6 monitors , the pc speakers and car audio systems......everywhere it sounds good and clear in the mix.

I just use the standard amp block , just edit the bass to 3.50 and low cut on 126-252hz....a marshall 1960 IR from the collection provided by Cliff..So NO eqs added , also the amp eq is all on 12 o clock except for teh bass.

Live i don`t use a FRFR monitor yet : thinking of getting myself the FBT12ma.....
Just would like to know how much that would give me a better programming possibility so that my live / recording sounds wuld become great :)

So right now I program my sounds to sound great on recordings and hopefully the same on live PA.....curious if you guys do it the other way : program for live sounds on your FRFR and sounds great on recordings or you have to tweak your live preset...

Thanks,
Anand

- check the 2 songs i recorded this way : Still Got The Blues ( Soundclick) , For The Love Of God (Myspace)
 
Hi,

nice clips.
Since you're from Holland, you might wanna check out the LEM T4-MA's.
I checked them out against the QSC's and some others.
They also have a coaxial speaker but are a lot cheaper than the FBT's.
 
I've found tones that sound good at bedroom level sound bassy and and harsh at live level. This is due to the way the ear works, I have to roll off quite a lot of highs and lows to get the bedroom tones to sound good.
 
even with a "real amp" i have a live tone and a recording tone... in recording, it should be about making the guitar fit the song....

but the entire approach to making guitar tones changes with your approach to making recorded music.
 
I've also found that fx levels are different for recorded vs. live. For recorded, you can have more pronounced levels to fit the recording and give it atmosphere. Live, you really need to pull back on the fx because they can really get you lost in a band mix. Gain/distortion usually needs to be dialed back a bit for live as well. Huge scooped distortion sounds great in the bedroom/recording, but magically disappears in a band mix.
 
I've found tones that sound good at bedroom level sound bassy and and harsh at live level. This is due to the way the ear works, I have to roll off quite a lot of highs and lows to get the bedroom tones to sound good.
Click to expand...

That's why, when making tones at hoe, I make them at quite a high level, not as high as live but nearly as high.
I'll have to check on the fx- settings.
But for delays I use a lot of duckers as not to drown he guitar sound.
A bit of reverb, depending on the venue.
 
My whole mind set on the Live vs. Recorded argument (being someone with both live and studio experience) is this

Live music is like going to see a play, where the performance is more important than the visual effects, because you are limited by the physics of the real world. For example: No CG explosions, and the Peter Pan's not going to fly on totally invisible wire. You going to have to use your imagination a bit, plus there's even a chance that people are going to flub lines, miss marks, etc.

Where recoded music is more like a movie. You get more realistic visuals (or as best as modern filmography can give us,) and the actors get the opportunity to give you dozens of takes so that they can edit it all together and give you the directors point of view of the vision.

As far as recorded-live music, I've always been opposed to it, unless it was a DVD or VHS, so i could actually see them working for it. Quite honestly, I don't go to see live music to hear the recordings played back to me anyway. I can do that at home, I go to see them perform. I want to see them, maybe rearrange a song, or even screw up a couple of time, even if it minor. I want to see a stage show, and I want it to be memorable.

But that's just how I wrap my mind around it.
 
Something I have just recently discovered. I was trying for that VH I sound. I finally dialed it in pretty close with the mix, however, playing it by itself without the rest of the band and man was it bright and thin to what I would normally would want to hear. However, when I added the backing tracks, it was spot on. In how this relates to recording vs live is that the recorded brighter sound is amazing however if not done right with the PA it could be deadly harsh. I would say start with the recorded sound and EQ as necessary per the variables of each live environment.
 
gittarzann said:
To each their own, but some of my favorite albums are live.
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I must concur. :twisted:
 
gittarzann said:
To each their own, but some of my favorite albums are live.
Click to expand...

Exactly.

The only "live" albums ever I really liked where the Mtv unplugged albums (especially the Alice in Chains, and Nirvana ones) but acoustic cut's are different, and even then I preferred the DVD's if available. I have some other live albums, from various bands, but those where bought mostly because I had every one of the particular bands CD's accept the live ones, so I felt I might as well finish out the collection. I have lots of Live Rush. :roll: I've seen them live twice, and it's just not the same.
 
InsideOut said:
I've also found that fx levels are different for recorded vs. live. For recorded, you can have more pronounced levels to fit the recording and give it atmosphere. Live, you really need to pull back on the fx because they can really get you lost in a band mix. Gain/distortion usually needs to be dialed back a bit for live as well. Huge scooped distortion sounds great in the bedroom/recording, but magically disappears in a band mix.
Click to expand...

That all depends on the size of the band, the room, and what your trying to do. I normally play in very large room with lots of reflections. If I want a delay line to really stand out, I have to up the levels on that for it to be heard. Reverb on the other hand, way down.
 
gittarzann said:
To each their own, but some of my favorite albums are live.
Click to expand...
In a way, I wonder if this is part of sidivan's original point.
[edit] Wow... okay... there's two threads on this sort of topic going at once... didn't realize I was replying to the second one! :? :oops: [/edit]

How were those particular live albums that are your favorites recorded?
I'm guessing that in most cases these days, there are separate mics just for the audience.
And how many of the tracks are still recorded direct from the board, as opposed to being more ambiently mic'd?
 
godprobe said:
gittarzann said:
To each their own, but some of my favorite albums are live.
Click to expand...
In a way, I wonder if this is part of sidivan's original point.
[edit] Wow... okay... there's two threads on this sort of topic going at once... didn't realize I was replying to the second one! :? :oops: [/edit]

How were those particular live albums that are your favorites recorded?
I'm guessing that in most cases these days, there are separate mics just for the audience.
And how many of the tracks are still recorded direct from the board, as opposed to being more ambiently mic'd?
Click to expand...

That's a good point.
 
godprobe said:
How were those particular live albums that are your favorites recorded?
I'm guessing that in most cases these days, there are separate mics just for the audience.
And how many of the tracks are still recorded direct from the board, as opposed to being more ambiently mic'd?
Click to expand...

I think both (direct from the board and amb. mics).
If you ask me, most live recordings have massive overdubs done in the studio.

My fave: Supertramp - Paris

Regards,
Marco
 
MarcoB said:
If you ask me, most live recordings have massive overdubs done in the studio.
Click to expand...

Probably.

Kind of makes you wonder what the point of a live album is, don't it though?
 
Thanks for your response guys :

I have visited today the local music store with lots of PA and monitors, brought along my home recorded sounds / songs on a usb memorycard.
We put the eq straight everywhere , started the usb , man it sounded great .....!!!
I had a huge smile on my face...even on loud volumes , my guitar did not loose body or become muddy or sharp highs.....after plugged in the Axe just to do a little testing , and it sounded great....so just the basic amp settings (lowcut on 126-252hz) a single cab impulse (marshall 1960a).

That means : I can use the same presets I program at home on my crappy headphone sennheizer hd477 / KRK6 monitors ....for live too

It sounded so cool and natural , stereo reverb , chorusing , phasing and I can go on for ever....made me another happy man again !

Tried out some monitors : the best was a db monitor , costs 1200 euros.....the behringer 300 euros almost beat it hahaha

If I decide to go ever for my own stage monitor , It will be the FBT12ma.....for now just playing on everthing available on stage....as long as I know that my FOH sound is the way I programmed at home ...

Thanks,
Anand
 
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