Comments

NoTurning wrote on 8/25/2008, 9:19 PM
Well... there is no easy way; not even with Magix. You can start with some good VST plug-ins and add reverb to your tracks. Run your vocals through a compressor and pan different instruments across the stereo spectrum to add depth. The best way is to listen to existing songs and hear what they do; then duplicate that in the software. Here is a good basic system to get you started: 1.) MOST IMPORTANTLY you need a good recording interface - a regular PC sound card WILL NOT DO! Don't believe these people that claim good recordings with their Sound Blaster Audigy - it's foolish and impossible given the specs. Get a good interface. 2.) Get a good large diaphragm condenser mic with a pop filter. You must have this for that pro sound.  3.) Get a good pre-amp or a mixer with preamps and on the channels. I use Behringer mixers and they have excellent pre-amps. You can also get a Tube pre for not a lot of money and it will add depth and warmth to your recordings. 4.) Get a good compressor/limiter and learn how to use it. 5.) Learn how to mix and record... you want to place different tracks/instruments into different "layers" in your mix. For example... generally you want to thin out your acoustic guitar and place it to high in the mix; that prevents it from sitting in the same space as say the lead guitar and cancelling each other out (masking). Learn where to place your drums and vocals and listen to how the pros do it. By listening to reference material (your favorite cd's ) you can develop an ear and ability for recording. 6.) After all this; mix down your song into a single stereo track and master it using Magix Master Suite. It takes time, patience and practice. Justin
XXMerosticXX wrote on 8/26/2008, 4:41 AM
Your questions is....uhm....pretty special.

I got you the right way, you want your music to sound professional....like, everyone who hears it won't say "Uh, yeah, this one is made by an amateur", but would say "Oh, this one's goog".

You can imagine, that this question can not be answered THAT easy.

Here is some advide what you could do. If you got a more detailed question later on, you can contact me whenever you want by private messaging.

Here we go:

1. Listen to other songs
I agree with "NoTurning", you should at first listen to other songs. Of course you should choose some music which matches with the style you want to make on your own.

But you should not duplicate them. I guess, nothing is worse than sounding like a copy...

2. Record some stuffYou said, you have a good computer mic. Actually, the word "computer mic" does not sound THAT good. To have a very good quality, you need good equipment, especially for your mic.

Unfortunatelly you didn't tell, which mic you have and what you want to record with it. Voice? Guitaramplifiers? Drums? Every single usecase needs special mic's....if it comes to amplifiers, you will need two mics to get the best sound, for example.

3. Do not just click & finishMost people using this software just make some good sounds and take them the way they are.
Don't.

You have to work on every single track in your whole arrangement. Use limiters, equalizers, effects, you also will need to deal with stereo effects. For example, never just record one guitar and place it in the middle.

Here is what I do:
Record the guitar twice and make one balanced to the left speaker, one to the right. If you want your guitar to be powerful, even record more tracks.

NEVER copy guitar tracks and just change the balance. It won't be the same.


Actually, no one will be able to help you this way. There is pretty much we would have to know.

- Which kind of music? Rap? Rock? Soul? Pop? Techno?
- For what? Movies? Photoshows?

As I said, you might ask some more detailed questions. I hope, NoTurning and I were able to help you at least a bit.