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Arlen brought up a good point. is this for music specifically or general audio? – quack quixote May 27 '10 at 19:17

@herzmeister: Perhaps the title should be " Audio recording and production "? – raven May 28 '10 at 13:46

+1 for title change. Audio production for video seems to be getting unanimous support (see gunshot / explosion questions, both +6 -0 right now) – Chris Lawlor May 28 '10 at 13:56

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merged with Video and Film Production Jul 6 '11 at 0:27

117 Example Questions (14 closed)

active newest votes

up vote 22 down vote

added by Chris Lawlor May 27 '10 at 14:06

	It's a good question, but if you know what "latency" means, you probably already know the answer. – Robert Harvey Jun 1 '10 at 21:49
	@Robert not necessarily. This is a pretty big deal when you're doing sound production. Anybody who connects a keyboard or other instrument to a computer will have to deal with it. I'd vote 'great on-topic' if I had any more remotes. Note: the answer in windows is using Asio4All ;) – Evan Plaice Jun 17 '10 at 8:11
	@Evan - if you're hardware doesn't have dedicated ASIO drivers, you're using the wrong hardware. (or at least I think that's the case) – Bribles Jun 23 '10 at 19:23
	@Bribles: If latency is 200ms+ and doesn't come with dedicated ASIO drivers, the interface isn't fit for recording. – Vortico Jun 23 '10 at 20:11

up vote 21 down vote

added by herzmeister May 24 '10 at 20:02

"Anyway you want to EQ them. Just be careful that the studs on your wristband don't disturb any nearby knobs or faders." – Bribles Jun 23 '10 at 21:08

But seriously, I feel the question is too broad, vague, and ambiguous. Is the guitar being used for rhythm or lead? And there's been 4+ decades of people playing metal. It's kinda like asking, "How do you speak like a Brit?" When and where? – Bribles Jun 24 '10 at 14:37

lolz, alright, +1 for the wristbands. This was one of the first example questions here on area51. The trend has surely become to specify more detailed example questions than to roughly outline what the proposal is about. However, imagine there will be more details in the question text if it's about euro-metal or nu-metal and if it's about filigree soli or tons-heavy riffs. It'll prolly be a community wiki too. – herzmeister Jun 24 '10 at 18:44

@herz You could edit the question to have specificity. And you get 2 rep for every umlaut used. – Bribles Jun 24 '10 at 22:59

Question titles here are often too short to put enough detail in. Some explanation could go into the comments. But you have taken those over now. :-> – herzmeister Jun 25 '10 at 22:11

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up vote 20 down vote

added by Jon Seigel May 28 '10 at 0:38

I've been there before. Makes me wish I had a faq site to help. – Evan Plaice Jun 17 '10 at 4:09

up vote 20 down vote

added by Good Person May 29 '10 at 17:43

	If the purpose of this site is to attract experts, this type of question should not be asked IMO. An expert would know that the purpose of recording is not to copy methods and sound used in other records but to record the talent using decisions that will make the record sound unique, true, and fitting to the style of playing. – Vortico Jun 13 '10 at 3:39
	@Vortico, you're forgetting that the site is about production, not just recording. Experts may not want to spoon-feed every beginner asking how to copy a sound, but synthesis is an important topic and these questions - if answered correctly and in reasonable detail - can teach a lot about it. – Aaronaught Jun 15 '10 at 18:40
	Hmm, you have a point. However, amateurs have asked me this exact question more times than I can remember, so it seemed not to fit the bill for an "expert audience." I still think this is off-topic, and I definitely wouldn't want this question in the top 10. – Vortico Jun 16 '10 at 0:59

up vote 19 down vote

added by Chris Lawlor May 28 '10 at 14:22

	Sound-proofing is something done to houses with noisy neighbors and interrogation rooms. The correct term here would be "acoustic treatment", and to better fit the site to its potential expert audience, questions like the following should be asked: "What are the primary and secondary reflection points of my 11'x14' room while my monitors are placed [X]? [diagram included]" "I have a noticable resonant frequency at roughly 80 and 106 Hz in my control room with drywall and wood flooring. What thickness and type of rockwool (or other material) should look for in order to reduce this effect?" – Vortico Jun 13 '10 at 3:58
	Good question, provided that it is community wiki – Nik Reiman Jun 15 '10 at 8:05
	"I have a home studio that is acoustically treated and sounding great. However I live in the suburbs and some of my neighbors are annoyed. How can I sound proof my studio?" – Bribles Jun 23 '10 at 19:21
	@Bribles: In that case I would consider it off-topic, as your neighbors could be annoyed by any noise at your house. Home theater, drumset, chainsaw, etc. – Vortico Jun 23 '10 at 20:14
	Hmmm....how about "Sound from my drum room is bleeding into my vocal booth, how can I sound proof one or more of them." I don't consider it a great on-topic example. But I would let it stay on the site as on-topic. – Bribles Jun 23 '10 at 21:12

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up vote 16 down vote

added by Aaronaught Jun 3 '10 at 3:02

up vote 11 down vote

added by herzmeister May 24 '10 at 20:08

	I'm unsure why'd you have 2 laptops doing playback during production. And the use of the word "tempo" seems strange. Are 2 laptops playing back midi? If not then one should be concerned more with drift and jitter in the clock. And if it is midi, why are 2 laptops involved? – Bribles Jun 23 '10 at 20:31
	Very true. If two laptops are being used for playback to reduce the load of one of them, why not sync samples? (Also, if this was truly a professional question, syncing two or more Mac Pros would be more common.) – Vortico Jun 24 '10 at 4:13

up vote 8 down vote

added by herzmeister May 24 '10 at 20:09

Your ear... o.O How is this an expert question? "Ask real, expert questions." - from the FAQ. – Vortico Jun 13 '10 at 3:30

up vote 7 down vote

added by Chris Lawlor May 27 '10 at 14:01

A bit subjective, but oh well... On a site like this, users must be given opportunities to exchange experiences beyond the strict Q/A scheme. Probably community wiki. – herzmeister Jun 13 '10 at 11:43

Answer: "A Neumann U87." Well, since there aren't many good questions in audio production that have definitely answers, I would consider this a good on-topic example. (Or better yet, a good on-topic community wiki.) – Vortico Jun 24 '10 at 21:28

Yes, maybe subjective, but I would love to know what experts have to say about this. – harpo Jun 26 '10 at 8:17

up vote 7 down vote

added by quack quixote May 27 '10 at 19:21

up vote 7 down vote

added by Jon Seigel May 28 '10 at 0:34

up vote 7 down vote

added by Robert Harvey Jun 1 '10 at 21:46

MIDI and USB are in no way competing with each other. One is a data protocol, the other is a specific way to implement connection between devices. I guess this is more about using classic MIDI cables (Gameport) vs. USB devices? – Oliver Giesen Jun 24 '10 at 9:00

Yes, this is comparing apples with oranges. "USB keyboards" output MIDI data in the same way 5-pin DIN cables carry it. MIDI is a type of data whereas USB is a serial port designed to transfer the data. Badly-formed question IMO. – Vortico Jun 24 '10 at 16:36

@Oliver: Hence the question. Not everyone is already going to know the answer to the question they ask, and therefore the question is not always going to be as precise as we would like it to be. – Robert Harvey Jun 24 '10 at 16:38

@Vortico: A point I am confident you would make clear in your answer to the question. – Robert Harvey Jun 24 '10 at 16:39

@Vortico: Assuming that I agree with your definition of MIDI, which I don't. MIDI is both a data standard and an electrical specification. Ordinary DIN cables will not always work with MIDI; some of them don't have the necessary electrical specifications and characteristics. And USB is not just a hardware standard, but also a communications specification (Device classes, among other things). Perhaps the "beginner" status of the question is not so clear-cut after all. – Robert Harvey Jun 24 '10 at 16:59

show 5 more improvement suggestions

up vote 7 down vote

added by Evan Plaice Jun 17 '10 at 4:46

Not expert enough to be a good example. – Bribles Jun 23 '10 at 21:12

@Bribles maybe you should read the site description again, "Proposed Q&A site for recording enthusiasts and professionals". – Evan Plaice Jun 23 '10 at 22:21

@Bribles IE. being expert enough isn't part of the criteria to judge that a question is bad on this site proposal (or at least, that's what the description says). – Evan Plaice Jun 23 '10 at 22:59

@Evan Plaice: "Ask real, expert questions." -The FAQ. However, this could possibly be an exception to the rule since it's an important question commonly asked by beginners, yet it has a relatively short and logical answer. – Vortico Jun 24 '10 at 3:29

up vote 7 down vote

added by Jim McKeeth Jun 17 '10 at 4:51

	Good question but needs editing for brevity – Alex Angas Jun 18 '10 at 0:21
	@Alex: Is that better? – Jim McKeeth Jun 18 '10 at 3:53
	@Jim McKeeth: Great thanks! – Alex Angas Jun 18 '10 at 4:37

up vote 6 down vote

added by quack quixote May 27 '10 at 19:18

	in theory this question could be posed by someone working on an audio-only production or a video production. – quack quixote May 27 '10 at 19:19
	@quack quixote: Microphones get ringing in their ears too if the gun is loud enough, ya know. :) But more seriously, this is an on-topic question IMO. The majority of the community here wants this site to be "Audio Recording and Production" instead of limiting itself to simply music. – Vortico Jun 13 '10 at 4:10

up vote 5 down vote

added by herzmeister May 24 '10 at 20:04

up vote 5 down vote

added by Gelatin Jun 3 '10 at 0:25

	While kind of on-topic, I'd rather see this type of discussion take place on synth/music production forums, not here – Nik Reiman Jun 3 '10 at 7:09
	ahem, "music production" is in the title... :-> Sometimes it depends on the further text of the question if something like this is on-topic. It surely belongs more to a musician's SE, but let's not forget that those keyboard workstations today often are full-blown sequencers – herzmeister Jun 3 '10 at 8:58
	This would be on topic if it was about MIDI keyboards to use with samplers, sequencers, etc. Many of these double as "remotes" for effects processors and each has its own set of pros and cons. As worded though, this does kind of imply a musician's keyboard. I'd like to see the title revised so that I can vote it as being on-topic. – Aaronaught Jun 3 '10 at 13:23
	Yes, this is music production. Even in strictly recording, keyboards are used more often than an average person might think. – Vortico Jun 13 '10 at 3:31
	Regardless of topicality, it's not a good example. – Bribles Jun 23 '10 at 21:13

show 5 more improvement suggestions

up vote 5 down vote

added by Gabriel Hurley Jun 17 '10 at 9:21

up vote 4 down vote

added by herzmeister May 24 '10 at 20:03

I'm fine with this type of question as long as the focus stays on recording, not so much on "band stuff" – Nik Reiman May 27 '10 at 10:59

Only problem with this type of question is that you'll get 10 different answers, all of which are right. – Chris Lawlor May 27 '10 at 13:54

I know that some bands are crazy and deaf enough to mic and amplify their drums in their tiny rehearsal rooms ;-) ... but still, I trust that most of such kind of questions would be asked in a context of a studio recording or real live production scenario, with the hope to get help to achieve a certain desired sound. – herzmeister May 27 '10 at 20:31

There are a multiple array of placements, as well as microphone types: This is a Great Question!! – AttilaNYC Jun 7 '10 at 1:40

up vote 4 down vote

added by herzmeister May 24 '10 at 20:04

	If rephrased to 'how do I use a compressor effectively' then yes. There are several other 'how does it work' questions here that have been downvoted pretty unanimously, not sure why this one gets so much support. – Chris Lawlor May 28 '10 at 14:14
	I think a compressor is one of those things that it's easier to understand how to use it once you understand what it does. Other tools are easier to use once you've simply learned how to use it, and understanding what it does isn't necessary to good operation. – Adam Davis Jun 1 '10 at 4:08
	Compressors are one of the most misunderstood (and most abused) effects there are, second only to AutoTune. Definitely on-topic, but agree that the question should include the word, "Effectively." – Robert Harvey Jun 1 '10 at 20:55

up vote 4 down vote

added by percent20 Jun 2 '10 at 23:56

up vote 4 down vote

added by Sam Jun 9 '10 at 20:09

	electro shocked? – herzmeister Jun 9 '10 at 20:56
	That's why they invented microphone covers.... – AttilaNYC Jun 12 '10 at 2:18
	@AttilaNYC, not really... But it's yet another benefit. :) – Vortico Jun 13 '10 at 4:18

up vote 3 down vote

added by herzmeister May 24 '10 at 20:03

up vote 3 down vote

added by Troggy May 27 '10 at 5:09

As long as the context is more about how the plugin works and sounds in music production, I'd say on-topic. If we're talking about algorithms, then no. – Nik Reiman May 27 '10 at 11:04

How to use it, yes. How it works, no. This isn't howdoesitwork.com; the technical implementation is irrelevant to its purpose or use. – Kirk Broadhurst May 28 '10 at 5:53

Tempted to vote no anyway - fewer people knowing how to use AutoTune makes the world a better place. Every time an AutoTune song is released, an angel loses their wings, babies cry, and there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. – Chris Lawlor May 28 '10 at 14:04

It doesn't! There is a special place in Hell awaiting the arrival of the inventor of Auto Tune. It is the worst thing to happen to mainstream music since MTV. It must not be dignified by being discussed on a SE site. – raven May 29 '10 at 0:31

@chris lawlor: you forgot god killing kittens. – quack quixote May 29 '10 at 22:54

show 4 more improvement suggestions

up vote 3 down vote

added by Nik Reiman May 28 '10 at 8:20

	I dunno, pretty darn subjective, not to mention needlessly broad. For all I know you're playing a synth pan-flute and would be best served by a breath controller. – Richard Berg Jun 27 '10 at 5:04
	Pro Tools seems to work best with MIDI organ pedalboards. – Vortico Jun 27 '10 at 5:31

up vote 3 down vote

added by Aaronaught Jun 3 '10 at 2:54

	Beginner-ish question, but one that I've seen asked fairly frequently in various forms on various production forums... – Aaronaught Jun 3 '10 at 2:54
	Since VA is bit of a meaningless marketing buzzword, I think that this question is definitely on-topic, n00b-ish or not. – Nik Reiman Jun 3 '10 at 7:08

up vote 3 down vote

added by Vortico, edited by Robert Harvey Jun 24 '10 at 18:38

	You left out the "I" in "should I look". – Bribles Jun 24 '10 at 17:53
	Oops! Thanks for the correction. :) – Vortico Jun 24 '10 at 21:26

up vote 3 down vote

added by Gordon Gustafson Jun 16 '10 at 21:33

up vote 3 down vote

added by Jim McKeeth Jun 17 '10 at 4:43

See the Podcasting Proposal – spaetzel Jun 17 '10 at 17:54

@Spaetzel: I saw the podcasting group, but was curious if podcasting was an automatic taboo in audio recording? – Jim McKeeth Jun 18 '10 at 3:56

@Jim personally, I wouldn't consider podcasting taboo at all because: one, it requires some level of semi-professional/professional skill to create good quality podcasts and; two, a lot of professional recording artists use podcasting as a distribution medium. Although, I think this question could be refined a little more. For instance, what makes a good microphone for podcasting exactly? Would it be good quality and cheap or is there some special quality of a podcasting mic that I'm completely missing? – Evan Plaice Jun 18 '10 at 5:12

@Evan: Is that a little more clear? – Jim McKeeth Jun 18 '10 at 20:15

@Jim you got my vote as soon as I get some more. – Evan Plaice Jun 18 '10 at 23:35

up vote 3 down vote

added by Evan Plaice Jun 17 '10 at 4:47

	Reduce existent noise in the tracks being mixed? Or preventing distortion and noise from being created during mixing? – Bribles Jun 23 '10 at 21:21
	You'd do it if you were recording live. There's two instances where it's important to tweak the mixer. One, it's always good practice to increase the input gain as opposed to the output because amping a weak signal will create unnecessary noise; two, if you're running the mixer in an unpredictable environment (outdoors) it isn't uncommon to have an unexpected feedback spike, in which case, you'd have to compensate the best you can by tweaking the high/mid/low ranges to minimize the noise. Not rocket science, but good to know if you're running live sound production. – Evan Plaice Jun 23 '10 at 22:43
	@Evan You could edit the question to provide more context. – Bribles Jun 24 '10 at 14:52
	@Bribles ok, I focused the question a bit more. – Evan Plaice Jun 24 '10 at 20:43

up vote 3 down vote

added by Jim McKeeth Jun 17 '10 at 4:52

up vote 3 down vote

added by Evan Plaice Jun 18 '10 at 1:12

Gimme dat 808 son. – snicker Jun 18 '10 at 14:20

@snicker +1 for bringin' back the classics ;) – Evan Plaice Jun 18 '10 at 14:25

up vote 3 down vote

added by Andreas, edited by Robert Harvey Jun 29 '10 at 20:07

How about, What books do you recommend, period? Audio engineering is one topic where, after years of searching, I have not found any impressive technical books. Hence my interest in an experts' site. – harpo Jun 30 '10 at 5:59

up vote 2 down vote

added by Chris Lawlor May 27 '10 at 13:56

up vote 2 down vote

added by Chris Lawlor May 27 '10 at 14:05

up vote 2 down vote

added by herzmeister May 27 '10 at 20:02

Would recommend only asking one question such as "How can I get the best results with Melodyne?" Then one of the possible answers could be that editing the audio beforehand will give better results. – Scott G Jun 24 '10 at 15:33