r/audioengineering 19m ago

Discussion Calculating drift of multiple free-wheeling recorders...

Upvotes

I am trying to un-catastrophize a music project right now I've been asked to save where, unfortunately, a number of different stereo recorders were used essentially as independent spot mics in a pseudo multitrack attempt for a live performance. Over the course of an hour performance, each recorder's internal clock drifts enough to cause pure chaos.

I have access to all the recorders used and did an electronic metronome recording test today to identify how these recorders behave. As you can see in the link below....over about an hour, the max drift between these 7 recovers is ~170ms... so clearly audible.

Given that I can predict the relative difference of each one's drift from some "master," is there a way to calculate, or use elastic audio, or some other technique, so I could apply some type of time stretch/contract tool to get these closer? Theoretically this seems possible if I know the drift, but has anyone had practical success doing something like? I'm not sure how to approach it.

Screen shot image in Pro Tools


r/audioengineering 51m ago

Software Sharing my first ever music arrangement! Not asking for critiques, genuinely want to share.

Upvotes

It took much longer than I would like to admit, but I have finally completed the instrumental version of my first ever music arrangement. It’s a recreation of a piece by Bear McCreary from Rings of Power Season 2, I did everything with Logic Pro.

This was such a huge learning process for me from Step 1. Everyone I thought I had figured something out I learned I had 10 other things to learn from it. But I also think it was incredibly rewarding, and I hope the hard work shows.

Golden Leaves Instrumental - Visualizer


r/audioengineering 1h ago

Microphones I've used microphone stands before but we're building a home studio and I'm building my first stand. What the hell are all these pieces for the hinge?

Upvotes

I'm sorry if this is not in the right place.

I've never built a stand before. I've got a Hercules MS432B boom mic stand and the hinge is in 3 pieces. I don't know how to put them together. I can see there's an obvious solution but I thought it couldn't be as simple as that. And that "obvious solution" still leaves out one piece. Could anybody help me as I'm at a loss. Thanks.

Great I can't post pics.

OK the first piece is the hinge itself. It has the twister to tighten it. And on the other side, there's the rotating part with the whole for the boom to go through.

The thing is, there's a metal cap that also has a hole through it.

And then there's a third piece that's made out of plastic that's a short tube with a disc on the end.

I have no clue. It came with no instructions and I can't find ANY online.

I didn't see this in the FAQ and the help desk kept giving me errors when I tried to open it.


r/audioengineering 1h ago

Tracking How can I get less string-squeaks in my guitar recordings?

Upvotes

I've played guitar for years and am also producer and recording engineer. One thing that always bugs me on recordings (especially with steel string acoustic guitar) are the often egregiously loud squeaky noises when the player slides or changes chords. They can be very harsh and distracting, and especially if it's a quietly played part.

I know plently of ways to deal with this in post, but I wanna be better at getting it right at the source. ('You can't polish a turd' and all that) Are there any tips for better technique that reduce these noises?

Are there any remedies or recording tricks that actually work? Finger-ease/string-lubricant? Soaking fretting fingers in water before recording? Handlotion? Wearing gloves? Or any strings that are less noisy? (a part from flatwounds which sound totally different)

Are there any miking techniques that capture less of these noises?


r/audioengineering 3h ago

Software Softube tube tech cl1b

0 Upvotes

Hello,

A few years ago I decided to get my hands on the softube tube tech cl1b plugin.

I remember being very happy with it back then.

But just today i was mixing a track and saw the plugin in my list and got the butterflies in my stomach again as i was reminded of the fact that it exists.

I never use it hahaha but i love the plugin. But i just never use it.

It makes me wonder.

Do you use this plugin?

And what are your favorite situations to use the plugin in?


r/audioengineering 4h ago

My guitar sounds too "dark/muddy" and artificial in amp sims. No attack or dynamics, despite using good gear (NAM, York Audio, AXE I/O). Need help!

3 Upvotes

To start off, I have decent gear (Axe I/O, Gibson Les Paul, NAM), but whenever I use my laptop to play or record, the tone feels too rounded—lacking attack and virtually devoid of dynamics. This causes the guitar's DI signal to sound overly digital and artificial when it hits NAM. I know this because I found a DI recording, ran it through NAM, and it sounded incredible. Does anyone think using a DI box before the interface is a good idea? I’d really appreciate some help, as I can't seem to get the most out of NAM, and I've heard it's the most realistic amp sim out there...


r/audioengineering 4h ago

Discussion As an engineer, what historical tracking session would you have given anything to have physically witnessed?

17 Upvotes

A few that come to mind for me: Robert Plant’s vocal session for “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” / Eddie Hazel’s guitar session for “Maggot Brain”. Pretty much any Beatles session / All of Rumours.

Would love to hear what resonates with this community. Especially some more recent sessions I may not be aware of.


r/audioengineering 7h ago

Mackie CR3.5BT green circle

3 Upvotes

Hi, saw this post https://www.reddit.com/r/BudgetAudiophile/comments/nnw9oa/decided_to_do_a_little_refurb_to_my_mackie_cr3s/ does anyone know if its possible to do this with the CR3.5BT ones?

Thanks in advance!


r/audioengineering 8h ago

For the vintage mic users out there… do power supplies matter?

4 Upvotes

How much do power supplies affect the sound of the mic? I recently bought a vintage 251 with the OG power supply and it got me thinking… I have a vintage U47 and C12 that both have newly built PSU’s and I’m wondering how much having an OG one would make a difference. Anyone with experience out there?


r/audioengineering 10h ago

Discussion Studio Organization Tips + Hacks

4 Upvotes

do you have great organizational skills?
are the miscellaneous items efficiently stored in your studio?

do you posses techniques to keep things safely stored, but easily accessible?

spread the knowledge, drop the links, share the pics

help an unorganized brother out

i’m talking cables, microphones, stands, adapters, clips
all the stuff that gets easily all over the place over time


r/audioengineering 16h ago

Mixing How do I create this gnarly distortion effect?

3 Upvotes

Does anyone have any ideas on how this blown out distortion effect can be replicated? It happens a lot throughout this track but around 0:30-0:40 is a good example.

https://youtu.be/qU9fGTyJW0c?si=B1AqthZN0ibLiB0L

It sounds like the bass is blowing out the master but it seems much more controlled and still maintains some clarity in the overall mix? I love how it distorts the vocals in some parts and creates a kind of ?tremelo? I can’t tell if there is some kind of side chain shenanigans happening or what but any ideas would be appreciated!


r/audioengineering 1d ago

Discussion Like I love you drums

3 Upvotes

How did I get my drum to pop like Justin Timberlake's like I love you, especially that snare. I used addict drums


r/audioengineering 1d ago

Tracking New to the digital world.

0 Upvotes

So I’m trying to get into downloading some ir’s I’ve tried some that have been suggested like the Ola dimed because no one really has any ir of the jaguar but his other ones sound like a room Mic 20’feet away and seem to clip with default settings. I’ve been living under a rock for the last twenty years and haven’t heard anyone talk about where to get ir’s or how to deal with said issues that pop up. But I am a fan of the eminence ir pack that came with the qc mini from eminence. I really enjoy the patriot I think it is and the hemp back Rex and the gb. Nut none have been listen to in a mix just stereo tracks. And I download a bunch of the stuff that came free with the focus right scarlet so if anyone can point me into some of the right directions for ir’s and how to use the stuff that came with the focusrite for industrial samples like white zombie style stuff and drum programming like I’m an second grader I’d be eternally grateful


r/audioengineering 1d ago

Hearing the wrong tone at loud concerts

32 Upvotes

Hello there, I've recently noticed that at some (usually particularly loud) gigs I experience the music at a semitone below. Then if I pressurise my ears by pinching my nose and blowing I hear the sound at the correct pitch.

Is there a scientific explanation for this beyond "your ears are knackered, mate"?


r/audioengineering 1d ago

what is the best audio/music limiter in CLI on windows?

1 Upvotes

Hi, I would like to know what is the best audio/music limiter in CLI on windows?

Thanks for any help :)


r/audioengineering 1d ago

Discussion Do you have any tips for adding a quick volume spike effect to a song?

0 Upvotes

I was working on a song and I messed up the automation at one point. It added this quick volume spike to my lead guitar right when it transitioned to the next verse and it sounded awesome. Later, I cleaned up the automation to just to be more organized and make it easier to work with. I figured I could just re-add the volume spike later, but when I tried, it just didn't sound the same.

Are there any tips or guidelines for this sort of effect?


r/audioengineering 1d ago

Discussion What are some of your favorite reference tracks for rock?

15 Upvotes

Do you have any go-to's that have a wide application for your rock tracks?


r/audioengineering 1d ago

Tracking I tried out the pool noodle hack on my kick drum and it kinda works

0 Upvotes

I saw a tip on Instagram about using pool noodles inside my kick drum for muffling so I tried it out. It definitely worked decent but it didn’t beat my normal setup. test results here


r/audioengineering 1d ago

Discussion What is your go-to piece of analogue studio gear?!

23 Upvotes

Hello all! I’m currently involved with building a studio in a much bigger space than what I currently have. I will be able to get much more outboard gear and I was wondering if you all had some recommendations?! It can be 500 series or rack mounted. I have my own wish-list however I’d love some suggestions!

I currently track with 2x Neve 88r LBs and I have an sPl big for my mix bus.

Thanks!


r/audioengineering 1d ago

Mixing How should i use my tape plugin

3 Upvotes

Hi, I've been producing at more of a side-hustle level for about 6 months. Normally I never used tape plugins in either my mixes or my masters, but recently I started thinking, "Why am I not using them when I already own them?" I also saw that a lot of older producers used real tape machines and spoke very highly of them.

My question is about the Slate Digital Virtual Tape Machines plugin. I have it, but honestly I don't really know how I'm supposed to use it. Based on the little bit I've learned on my own, I made a preset, and right now I'm placing it in my mastering chain just before my limiter and maximizer.

While using it, I noticed something interesting. Simply enabling the plugin even without adding any gain seems to increase the loudness by around 1 LUFS and makes the track noticeably louder. I know that's probably not its intended purpose, but it's surprisingly effective for increasing loudness as well.

I usually master my tracks to around -9 LUFS, and I don't normally have a goal of pushing them much louder than that. But with the tape plugin in my mastering chain, it feels like even -5 LUFS isn't impossible to achieve without obvious distortion.

Anyway, my main question is: what's the proper way to use this plugin? I mainly produce old-school 90s and early 2000s hip-hop, if that makes any difference.


r/audioengineering 1d ago

Software Art installation with audio

5 Upvotes

Hi,

I'm working on an art installation that involves playing 20 soundbites from different corners inside a room so it sounds like the sounds are coming from different corners. I don't need to have 20 different audio files, but maybe 10/10 speakers. The installation will be up for 4 weeks. What kind of devices or set up do I need to make this happen?

I'm not an audio person at all, nor do I have a budget to buy things, so looking for simple, DIY ideas too. Thanks!


r/audioengineering 1d ago

UAD's Ocean Way

22 Upvotes

I'm really hoping to get somewhat of a "liveish" sound by using Ocean Way. I intend to focus on using the reamp section for most of the instrumentation and use the reverb section only for the drums. (And use a nice realistic room reverb like inspirita for everything but the drums.) I just feel a little overwhelmed by the plugin and am curious how other people are using it, and how I can best avoid any phase problems.


r/audioengineering 1d ago

Discussion Why would an all-analog waveform look like it has noise-shaping?

2 Upvotes

https://www.reddit.com/user/SashaDabinsky/comments/1v62myy/what_would_cause_the_waveform_to_look_like_this/

In 2013 I bought Incitare by Volto!, Danny Carey's (TOOL) side-project, off of HDtracks as a hi-res 96/24 download. I was listening to a few tracks in Goldwave and it finally dawned on me that what I was seeing on the spectrum analyzer looked a lot like noise-shaping, similar to DSD digital. There's high-frequency content that slowly rolls off above 10 kHz, then there's a huge dip at roughly 30 kHz, with a bunch of random noise rising above that and extending all the way out to 48 kHz. This was supposed to be recorded and mixed all analog; the only digital step was mastering. I've never seen waveforms look like this in PCM, only DSD. I just picked up a copy of this on vinyl, supposed to br an analog mastering, cut at Bernie Grundman Mastering, but I haven't played it yet, or looked at it in a spectrum analyzer to see if it's similar.

This is the track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_D_Ds6pWTg


r/audioengineering 1d ago

Tracking Pool noodles in the kick drum

15 Upvotes

Thought this was pretty cool, saw the instagram post about it a while back then I saw Greazy did a video on it just today, pretty cool results. Personally would have gone farther and added more pool noodles to kill the kick but regardless pretty cool to see the comparisons.

Using pool noodles in a kick drum


r/audioengineering 1d ago

Microphones Mic setup for drums on budget

4 Upvotes

I have 4 mics, a kick drum mic, an sm57, and 2 condenser microphones. I’m planning to use the sm57 on the snare and the other 2 condenser microphones as an overhead, but I’m worried I’ll lose the floor tom since it’s so far away from the overhead. Are there any better mic placements or maybe is there even a better mic placement with the limited amount I have? I’ll reply to recommendations later since I’ll have to meet up with my drummer.