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GMC Forum _ Recording _ Recorded Sound Never Sounds Like What I Hear
Posted by: steve25 May 13 2008, 09:01 PM
As the title says, everything i record doesn't sound like what i'm hearing tone wise. I'm not talking about my playing i get the whole you record yorself and find out how you mean. No, i mean my actual guitar sound. It's more noticeable in the cleans really. The tone doesn't sound the same and on top of that it is always quieter. This is true of both Audacity and Cubase SX. I'm recording using a podxt connected to my computers USB port, that's it. How can i help this or am i just going to have to put up with sucky recorded tone?
Posted by: fatb0t May 13 2008, 09:07 PM
Just a suggestion, check the levels and make sure NONE of your equipment is clipping. Clipping with destroy your tone...
Posted by: steve25 May 13 2008, 09:08 PM
Yep checked that and there's no clipping. It kind of sounds like its muffled you know? It's hard to explain
Posted by: Hisham Al-Sanea May 13 2008, 09:17 PM
do you record and marked the phone in or the line in you have to mark at the line in
or the signal is too week
Posted by: steve25 May 13 2008, 09:19 PM
or the signal is too week
I'm afraid you've lost me there
Posted by: OrganisedConfusion May 13 2008, 09:22 PM
I have the same problem steve. I have to mess around for ages to get the right tone. What comes out isn't fully what you play so you need to change the settings on the PODXT so it sounds good on the PC and it wont necessarily sound good what your hearing until you play it back. It's strange. It takes me ages messing around. If you mic up an amp and record direct it always comes out more how you sound naturally. Digital recordings you have to mess around a bit. You'll get the hang of it 
Posted by: steve25 May 13 2008, 09:23 PM
Do a lesson on it
, i'll be your first student
Posted by: DeepRoots May 13 2008, 09:24 PM
Are you using the same monitors for you computer as for through your POD? just a thought. I'm not sure i have this issue with my pandora...but incase i find i do get it, i'll keep an eye out for this thread.
Posted by: steve25 May 13 2008, 09:27 PM
Yeah well i mean as the PODxt is connected to my computer anything that comes out of my computer i hear through my podxt. So for example i could listen to music through my podxt if i first connect it to my computer. This is how i'm monitoring everything.
Posted by: DeepRoots May 13 2008, 09:28 PM
Ahh okay, in that case, i haven't a clue 
Good luck though 
Posted by: OrganisedConfusion May 13 2008, 09:36 PM
, i'll be your first studentlol. It's a nightmare getting it right. I might make a lesson when I get a video camera but I might scare you if you see me on screen lol
Just have a play around with presets and keep recording and changing settings until you get something you're happy with. If it isn't loud enough up volume in whatever you are using (Sonar etc.) OR up the Output of the POD OR Line In or whatever it is on PC.
It took me a while to get a sound that I kind of liked
Posted by: steve25 May 13 2008, 09:39 PM
Dude, you don't have problems until you look like me . Yeah the problem is i'm not entirely sure what it needs, whether more bass more mid EQ tweaks etc i'm not very good at gear stuff i pretty much just plugin and go so i need to look into it i guess.
As for the volume, this isn't anything to do with the output level right on the podxt this has to do with the chan volume? That's the volume it's recorded at right?
Posted by: OrganisedConfusion May 13 2008, 09:42 PM
Output level of PODXT does impact on volume I'm sure. It does on my Toneport but I guess it is a different thing. Just try everything lol. I have my bass quite low on EQ. But it's all a personal thing. You just need to play around and try and record a song you like and get a sound you like for the song. I spent weeks learning how to get a signal to Sonar
Posted by: Sentenced May 13 2008, 09:54 PM
I have the same Problem with my G9.2tt. I often think: WoW thats some kickass tone, but then after recording its just ok.
You have really try out lot of things, the EQ is maybe the most important part of your tone ( at least thats my experience). A slight change there can change your tone completely. Try also to use some Reverb or Delay, different Cabinets. I hope that helps a little.
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic May 13 2008, 11:38 PM
This is because the DAW software doesn't hear the same signal that you hear. You hear direct monitoring from the POD, and input level is different for DAW. You should monitor the input level in DAW to see what kind of signal you will get.
Posted by: steve25 May 13 2008, 11:44 PM
How do i do that? I get what what you're saying about it hearing a different signal though. I'm not really sure what to do with it
Posted by: tonymiro May 14 2008, 12:01 AM
It's as Ivan says the DAW hears things dsomewhat different to what you hear from the original source - from the quality of the signal to the DAW through to the quality of the signal that you output to monitor all of these affect what the DAW hears. In brief you need to make sure that the signal i is as close to the original that you hear as possible. If this is changed in any way then the DAW hears something different to the original. As an extreme example of what may be an issue - add reverb to the mix and you can't expect the sound to be tonally the same as the original source, similarly if you use a mic preamp/soundcard/ ADC that 'adds' presence/eq/etc.
Cheers,
Tony
Posted by: UncleSkillet May 14 2008, 04:08 AM
I have this problem some as well. That is why I end up messing with things after the recording and add VST effects. But I hate that and it is very frustrating.
So for example, I am using Reaper. Would I want to turn "Record Monitoring" = on with the track I am recording? Then I will record the same thing I hear? Seems like the ambient effects get lost when you record. For example if it sounds like to much reverb before I record then it is probably good when I record and play it back. But this makes it difficult while playing when you record because your timing can sound off while recording a track but not when you play it back. Did that make since?
Posted by: steve25 May 14 2008, 11:18 AM
Cheers,
Tony
Ok i understand most of that but how do i make sure that the signal is the same? I'm guessing it's not possible to record exactly what i hear into the DAW if i'm recording directly?
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic May 15 2008, 12:14 AM
IT is possible to get a healthy signal by monitoring your audio meter on the input channel. However if you wanna do real time monitoring from the DAW, you will need a fast sound card that can provide you with the sound with minimum latency.
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