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I have to say I'm extremely frustrated/disappointed with the audio quality of what I'm doing. :mad:
I'm reading, re-reading, trying different technique's etc. and seemingly getting no where fast!
couple of things I'd like to ask: 
I've been reading it is better to record in mono; some say to control phase cancellation, if you have two or more sounds at the same freq you can always pan a little to separate them when all else fails. Others say you can get everything to sit in the mix much better. Also almost all sound systems run mono anyway.
-sidebar- If I'm doing MIDI, when i export it to an audio file change it to mono. Got that part but wasn't it created in stereo? :confused:-end of sidebar-
Ok, no problem, can do, BUT aren't most effects in stereo? Reverb, delay, all the cool audio damage stuff, the PSP Nitro, etc.... so, if they are, what issues, if any, are going to arise applying a stereo effect to a mono track (that tie right back into the afore mentioned reason to run mono)?
Another thing, compression. Do it this way, do it that way??? So, do you just put a light compression on the master (which I thought was a no-no until the pre-mastering phase), do you set up a group - run all the percussion to it and run it thru the same compressor setting and do the same with all your back ground keyboard lines, etc. (a different group channel of course), do you brickwall it or just lightly limit it, should every channel be compressed whether heavy or light?
EQ'ing, so if really, below 30-50 Hz and above 20-25 kHz is in audible, shouldn't we just put a HP and LP filter on and null anything below and above (respectively) so energy isn't sent thru the speaker system and eating up the movement it could better allocate to bandwidth/freq's we can hear? And WHY do I seem to suck so badly at EQ'ing???? Hell I've been making one form or another of music since childhood not including listening to it every damn day! You'd think I'd at least be able to pick the right kick sample and EQ it just the way I like. Alas, this is not so.
I mean for fuks' sake! I A/B what I'm working on with another track and it's just night and day. The production quality, the stereo imaging, the sound stage - it has this dry yet airy quality to it. Still, you can ever so lightly hear the reverb; WHICH seems to be sitting on top and in the back of the sound, line, riff, whatever it's on. Not to mention, I'm using basically the same kick yet, it no where near has the same mid bitch-slap punch and the subtle sub that seems to be floating just beneath and behind. On mine it is kinda lacking, almost "tubular". I've only spent 15 of the last 48 hours re-doing the sample, re-EQ'ing, re-compressing, blah, blah, blah THE KICK. And seriously, if i read or hear one more time that "....well, you're comparing a mastered track to an unmastered track so it'll never sound the same...." I may just hang up the gloves for good. That is such bollocks! We're supposed to get it sounding that good BEFORE it hits the pre-mastering phase, so the ME has to do as little as possible! Just FINITE touches, polish, whatever you want to call it.
Anti-Phase, this one I just discovered on my own, joy! So i insert the PAZ Analyzer on the master buss; just for my own curiosity as to what the stereo image looks like and the overall EQ. Well, surprisingly the EQ (imaging mind you) looks pretty good, consistent, even, with peaks where you'd expect them, etc. (although still I think it sounds like a bag of cats beat with a 2x4...)
Come now the stereo image. Well, looks pretty good, POW! BLAM! KAZOWEE! I've got a spike here, a spike there, everywhere a spike spike, WHAT THE DEUCE!! What the hell is anti-phase, how do i figure out which channel is causing it (if what's on the channel is the cause), and if/when i do how do i fix it?
.......sigh..... maybe I should try writting/recording ThrashGospelPolka instead.....
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