Feb 19, 2009 12:11 pm If you can keep wind out of the mics, I think it'd be kewl. But, I have no experience. Heh.
I read that the most ideal place for recording is outdoors but, I don't know how true that is.
Would recording outside be horrible?
Posted on Feb 19, 2009 12:02 pm
CptTripps
Czar of Turd Polish
Member Since: Jun 20, 2006
Just a wild hair really, I was curious if recording outdoors (some drums even) would be better than recording in a tiny room with no treatment.
I plan on video taping some outdoor performances for a DVD. I also want to tape some studio performances with the headphones on and all that good stuff cause it would look cool. We have a sweet spot at a cabin by a lake with a nice big flat lawn.
I think it would be awesome to have the outdoor footage and studio footage be the same :)
So... would it sound like butt?
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Feb 19, 2009 12:11 pm If you can keep wind out of the mics, I think it'd be kewl. But, I have no experience. Heh.
I read that the most ideal place for recording is outdoors but, I don't know how true that is.
Feb 19, 2009 12:13 pm if you're doing separate tracks (mics), and close miking, i can't see why it would be a problem.
my exp of recording outside is 2 mic, 2 channel, so it is what it is. But, some of the material came out very nice, so I would think yours would too.
eesh, isn't it cold outside up there ?
Feb 19, 2009 01:54 pm Not in the summer, which is when we plan on starting.
I will be close micing all drums, probably under and over. The overheads, weather(wind, rain) is a concern for sure. We will have to pick the perfect weekends and tell the drummer to be perfect as well due to time limits :)
So, would the wind screens used for SDC's block my higher freq's causing loss of sizzle from my cymbals?
Any other words of wisdom? I want to do this badly, but don't want to waste time if it won't work well.
Feb 19, 2009 02:26 pm I did a little bit of reading since your question got me curious. I didn't find a whole lot, but the consensus seems to be that it can be a good thing. The best suggestion I saw was to set up in a corner of some sort. Like on a patio where you have a solid surface underfoot, and a couple of solid surfaces behind you. This way, the floor provides an early reflection, as do the 2 walls behind. Standing waves aren't a concern like they would be in a corner indoors, but with no solid surfaces around the recording would tend to come out dead sounding.
I think that your main enemy (especially next to a lake) would be birds, frogs, crickets, cicada, lawn mowers, wave runners, airplanes, children, etc. Not to mention wind, humidity, rain, thunder and lightning.
Feb 19, 2009 03:20 pm Roger that, as far as the lake is concerned, there is maybe two houses on it, it's not in a rural area, more of a vacation spot far far out of the way.
Frogs, crickets, we don't worry about that up here. Worst I would think is airplanes and Loons, although Loons tend to be noisy at night. Will definitely take the walls\flooring into consideration as I don't want 100% dead, just not 100% reflection like my current room :)
I'm hoping we can get 5 minutes of peace here and there during a take :)
Feb 19, 2009 09:57 pm No walls = Perfect acoustics.
Granted, there's the ambient noise... But there's absolutely no low end buildup and comb filtering is impossible except from the ground to the source.
(Ahhhh... Loons... My favorite bird ever. Solid bones - Deep divers - Very pretty and acoustically challenging to record)
Feb 20, 2009 11:48 am We had loons out on lake huron. I'd go down to the beach early sunday mornings just to hear them conversate.
Lovely.
If you're close miking, then you won't hear any background noise, until you stop, of course, which can be edited out (or not).
Coincidentally, I was just last night standing on the ice on lake huron, in hammond bay. Nice and windy, around 5 degrees. Sadly, no loons to be heard =).
Feb 20, 2009 11:52 am Looking back at Tads' post, we don't worry much about lightning, thunder, or humidity either. The rain and wind is another story.
Another thought, with our tunes dipping into a slow melodic\hypnotic feeling at times, we are almost thinking some loons and other ambience might be cool.
So... no walls in the middle of the lawn would produce a good sound you think MM?
With the overheads placed nicely that would add some space, last but not least I can still stick a condensor 20' out for a "room" mic. Not sure if I would use it, but I will record it :)
Thanks for the responses guys, it's good to get some feedback so we don't go out and waste our time tracking crap. Still a few months out songwriting wise, but I can't wait to try this.
Oh, and talking to my drummer last night. There cabin is on "Crystal Lake".... There is more than two houses I learned, but most are empty and owned by older neighbors as getaways. There is only one other active family which are long time friends of my drummer. Hopefully no probs there.
Crystal Lake, looks pretty...
Feb 20, 2009 02:50 pm Ok, who told you about my secret singing spot?
Feb 20, 2009 02:51 pm Nice! Beautiful guitar there pjk. What is that, a Stick Paul? Or a Stickocaster?
Feb 20, 2009 05:13 pm Tripps, I have recorded outdoors on many occasion's. Even here you simply need to find the quiet times.
I do however recommend setting up with a gate just in case. I believe if your going to use your UX you can set up the software gate and you might be good. Set properly they won't offend the recorded track. So be careful. But if its quiet as you say there then you will probly not be needing them.
Mar 19, 2009 04:04 pm Sounds fun. :)
I've always thought it would be neat to have a "cricket track" in a song. Kinda faking like it was recorded outdoors in the wilds. Wouldn't sound very cool with like heavy metal or anything, but a boppy little acoustic number...
Maybe I shouldn't give away my ideas!
Generally, anything to differentiate one song from another... Not that all my stuff sounds the same (or maybe it does!)...
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