Audio Fidelity -ACID Product Family - MAGIX Community Forums Archive

Subject:Audio Fidelity Posted by: FlashGordon Date:2/9/2011 9:18:42 AM I just finished a 5 song project with my band. The finished songs are slightly muddy and lower in volume than "professionally" recorded and produced discs. I need some help figuring out how to improve the end product's audio fidelity. I used various high quality microphones for all the instruments. Basic tracks (4 drum tracks and bass) were recorded using my Akai DPS-16 and then I flew those audio tracks into ACID via CD. Then overdubs were done directly into ACID through my PreSonus Fire Wire. I'm happy with the end product but it seems like it could be better. Any advice out there? Does a program ike Sound Forge take a final ACID project and make it sound better? Message last edited on2/9/2011 9:20:34 AM byFlashGordon.
Subject:RE: Audio Fidelity Reply by: ZombieSlugs Date:2/9/2011 12:28:22 PM You need more information on the mixing and mastering/finalization process. There are a lot of Web resources, here are a few to get you started: http://homerecording.about.com/od/mixingyourmusic/a/mixing_basics.htm Dig around here: http://homerecording.about.com/lr/studio_basics/547726/1/ Read some of the articles here: http://www.soundonsound.com The trick is, there IS no simple answer as what you'll need to do will depend on what the song needs. Read up on EQ and compression as those will be fairly critical for you. Acid comes with a decent pile of effects plugins so you should, with a modest amount of work, be able to get good results out of it. Don't be surprised if it takes time and a lot of work - people spend years learning how to mix and master! You can use Sound Forge as well, but it's a "destructive" editor so it'll change the actual final song file.. with Acid you have a lot more flexibility. I mainly use Sound Forge for turning final high-quality songs into MP3s.
Subject:RE: Audio Fidelity Reply by: FlashGordon Date:2/9/2011 1:38:57 PM I'll begin my reading tonight. Can I send you a disc so you can hear what I'm talking about? Do you have any music you've made with ACID that you'd want to swap so I could hear what you've achieved with ACID? That is if you have recorded bands in a similar way.
Subject:RE: Audio Fidelity Reply by: ZombieSlugs Date:2/10/2011 7:27:42 AM I used to do some recording, but currently I mostly compose/produce with Acid. I have a few tunes out there but they range from dance/club to thrash/industrial and dark ambient/twisted soundscape and experimental. Do you have any of the songs online? That's the quickest way for me to listen. Some of my music is here: http://zombieslugs.blogspot.com/p/my-music.html - every last one made with Acid Pro 7.

Subject:Audio Fidelity

Posted by: FlashGordon

Date:2/9/2011 9:18:42 AM

I just finished a 5 song project with my band. The finished songs are slightly muddy and lower in volume than "professionally" recorded and produced discs. I need some help figuring out how to improve the end product's audio fidelity. I used various high quality microphones for all the instruments. Basic tracks (4 drum tracks and bass) were recorded using my Akai DPS-16 and then I flew those audio tracks into ACID via CD. Then overdubs were done directly into ACID through my PreSonus Fire Wire. I'm happy with the end product but it seems like it could be better. Any advice out there? Does a program ike Sound Forge take a final ACID project and make it sound better?

Message last edited on2/9/2011 9:20:34 AM byFlashGordon.

Subject:RE: Audio Fidelity

Reply by: ZombieSlugs

Date:2/9/2011 12:28:22 PM

You need more information on the mixing and mastering/finalization process. There are a lot of Web resources, here are a few to get you started:

http://homerecording.about.com/od/mixingyourmusic/a/mixing_basics.htm

Dig around here:

http://homerecording.about.com/lr/studio_basics/547726/1/

Read some of the articles here:

http://www.soundonsound.com

The trick is, there IS no simple answer as what you'll need to do will depend on what the song needs. Read up on EQ and compression as those will be fairly critical for you.

Acid comes with a decent pile of effects plugins so you should, with a modest amount of work, be able to get good results out of it.

Don't be surprised if it takes time and a lot of work - people spend years learning how to mix and master!

You can use Sound Forge as well, but it's a "destructive" editor so it'll change the actual final song file.. with Acid you have a lot more flexibility. I mainly use Sound Forge for turning final high-quality songs into MP3s.

Subject:RE: Audio Fidelity

Reply by: FlashGordon

Date:2/9/2011 1:38:57 PM

I'll begin my reading tonight. Can I send you a disc so you can hear what I'm talking about? Do you have any music you've made with ACID that you'd want to swap so I could hear what you've achieved with ACID? That is if you have recorded bands in a similar way.

Subject:RE: Audio Fidelity

Reply by: ZombieSlugs

Date:2/10/2011 7:27:42 AM

I used to do some recording, but currently I mostly compose/produce with Acid. I have a few tunes out there but they range from dance/club to thrash/industrial and dark ambient/twisted soundscape and experimental.

Do you have any of the songs online? That's the quickest way for me to listen.

Some of my music is here: http://zombieslugs.blogspot.com/p/my-music.html - every last one made with Acid Pro 7.