Getting a quality keyboard recording

[Majoria]

Various recording forums haven't helped much so I thought I'd stop by here.

 

I have a home recording studio that I use as a hobby. I'm having trouble capturing a good keyboard sound from a Yamaha M08 keyboard. It sounds good in various settings (belongs to a bandmate of mine) but I can't get any real captivating sounds in the studio. I've imported various keyboard based songs into Pro Tools (then lowered their volume) to use as comparison files as many engineers do and try to get as good as I can. However, I'm still a long ways off. Pro recordings have way more 'sparkle' or whatever magical term you want to use, not just high frequency magic but all over the spectrum. After weeks of trial and error of both tracking and mixing methods and techniques, I still haven't made anything impressive.

 

Too much high end gives a bit of a 'springy' sound, as if something is really distorting. I've tried the volume at various levels, eq all over the board from straight up to various failed attempts. I've tried outboard compressors, equalizers, and effects units and still haven't come that close.

 

I'm going into an API A2D for pres and converters and then S/PDIF out to the 003R interface for Pro Tools. I use Adam A7 monitors.

 

I've gone both analog out of the M08 and S/PDIF out, no real difference.

 

I haven't tried micing speakers yet since I want to solve this issue first with direct recording.

 

Any thoughts?

[Darkstorm]

Are you able to get good satisfactory sound from your synth via headphones and your monitors? If so getting good recordings easy enough so long as you have decent recorder. Since your then just recording that ready for recording sound. Even the lower end range of tascom and fostex digital multitrack recorders do very good job for recordings.

[ChristianRock]

Maybe you're trying to compare a mastered recording with your unfinished product? That's unrealistic...

[shaft9000]

these things are so subjective - how are we to know what kind of 'great' sound you want?

 

post an example of what you've done, then post a link to a sound you want to approach the quality of.

[gdh]

A good friend of mine suggested that I have a good read through the link I will copy here. He has recorded some of the biggest bands in the biz and the comments from guys like Terry Manning are true pearls of wisdom.

http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/15038/0/

Anyway I found that recording at the -24db level really aided in sound quality whether it be a quick and cheap demo on a BR-600 or in the studio. Hope this helps.

[RPdigital]

 

"...Too much high end gives a bit of a 'springy' sound, as if something is really distorting. I've tried the volume at various levels, eq all over the board from straight up to various failed attempts. I've tried outboard compressors, equalizers, and effects units and still haven't come that close...."

 

What kind of "volume at various levels" did you try out? Did you mean the keyboard output volume? In most cases the recording input signal is over the peek and will produce the distortion. The signal input level should be -6...-9 dB, sometimes even lower. Also keep in mind that after mixing the recorded tracks, the signals at the same pitch and its integer frequency multiples will resonate and raise the amplitude level. So always keep in eye the output level of your mix. I hope my hints helped a little, in the other case let me know.

[Majoria]

I've been recording for a few years and am very familiar with input levels, I'm just new to keyboard based or solo keyboard music. I prefer to keep things at -10 to -12 when tracking. I mainly varied the output of the keyboard from wide open to way down. There is some small distortion at wide open with lots of highs that can be tamed by simply lowering the output volume and compensate by raising the pre a little but still some remains. I haven't tried as low as -24 as the link recommends but I can see what that does.

 

Contrary to a common belief, a well mixed recording will change very little after mastering in terms of sonic quality, the main difference is the volume (Recording Forum thread discussing this). So comparing to a mastered recording is a realistic comparison as long as the volume is lowered to compensate.

 

I'll try to get some clips online, the comparison clips are all copyrighted so I won't post them but songs include:

Do You Dream Of Me - Michael W Smith

Healing Rain - Michael W Smith

He's My Son - Mark Schultz (though this song's high's are a bit more than I'm after)

The Man Inside - Bebo Norman

Answer Me - Harvest (former local band that used a local studio, nothing pro but way still better than what I can get)

 

Sound is not ideal through monitors, headphones, and when reviewed on other systems such as another computer or in my truck. It's fine for live sound but apparently in the more critical environment of a studio some drawbacks are coming to light.

 

Just out of curiosity, has anyone used this keyboard in a studio?

[Gribs]

 

Just out of curiosity, has anyone used this keyboard in a studio?

 

 

 

No but there are quite a few songs posted by users on the Mo Songs forum on the forums at motifator.com; you might want to try giving those a listen. You will also find quite a lot of discussion on recording and mixing on the Mo Songs forum there.

 

I owned an Mo6 for a while and used it for playing/learning/noodling at home. It was my first workstation, but I never recorded it. I use an XS6 now as a hub but strangely never really record from that either.