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As with any other task on the planet, if the source sucks, then the final product will also inhale. You can't take a horrid guitar tone, record it and expect to fix it with your computer. Here is a list of things I have witnessed people doing over the years that just don't work. Along with some tips.
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Don't run 473 effect units on your guitar, it will hisssssss like a !#$%$#. Run your guitar to your amp to your cabinet. That's it. No noise to attempt cleaning up later.
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Tune your instruments and use new strings/skins. Out of tune is just bad recording, you must tune and record again, there is no "well it's not that bad". Same goes for drums, put new heads on them and tune them correctly. Nobody ever got a great drum sound from heads that have been beaten to the point of sounding like loose posterboard layed over coffee cans.
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Don't blast your amp at 11 into the mic, there is no need. Just play at a normal stage volume.
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Warm your bass/guitar neck up before starting your session. If you are recording several songs, chances are that song 4 will be tuned differently than song one if you do not warm up the neck first. Why? Wood expands when it gets warm, and by you playing it, it is getting warm. Therefore, song one is in 440 and song 4 ends up about 442. Do not warm it up with a hair dryer, just run your hand up and down the neck as if your were playing, and let it sit in the room for at least 30 minutes before recording.
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Guitar technique - Record electric guitars using mics, not lined in. A lined in guitar loses everything an electric guitar is supposed to have, and it will be very buzzy sounding.
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Acoustic guitars - Whenever possible, record acoustic instruments with a line in directly to the board or soundcard, you can run them through a compressor or whatever else first if you like. I have recorded using a microphone and also a line in, the line in of course has a stronger signal and less noice, but the mic gives more of a live feel. Try them both, maybe use a mix of both, and if your acoustic does not have a pickup, go buy one to put in it.
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Bass - I like to record bass lined in, or lined in AND mic'd. Bass generally is more controllable when lined in.
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Drums, skip the triggers, they sound like crap. Use mics on drums, unless of course you are using Beatcraft, then all your problems are already solved.
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Wind Instruments - I have had limited experience with these types, but from what I have gathered it is best to place two or more mics surrounding the musician, mix them evenly with a mixing board into one output that goes to your computers input. Since wind instruments can be very directional, surrounding mics will pick up any movement or fluctuation in direction.
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