Advice On Setting Control Board

[Paul King]

I did a recording for a friend of mine on Saturday. He said he had the controls set on neutral while I was recording. I assume he meant all controls were set straight up and down. Is there a particular way to set the board while recording, depending on the instrument. I will say what I heard sounds nothing like when I play in a live setting. Also, all the other tracks were laid down which makes it more difficult for me. Do any of you guys have trouble dubbing in or would you rather do the recording with other musicians playing at the same time? I am just a bit confused and looking for some answers before I go back and record some more songs.

[Clete Ritta]

Recording with "flat" or neutral eq is not uncommon or a bad idea. Its far better than recording with improper overuse. The same goes for reverb and other effects. It's almost always better to record dry and flat, and add the eq and effects in mixdown. Like adding salt to food, if you add too much before tasting, you cant take it off later. Of course if its a live group thing that's different.

Trust your ears ultimately. If something doesn't sound right or good to you, don't be shy. Talk to the engineer about your concerns.

Clete