Har-Bal Users Forum BBS

I have a studio recording of just singer, accustic guitar and accustic bass.
The thing was recorded in about 1963 and has lots of echo/reverb. The bass and guitar are a bit boomy and when I look at the spectrum there is a dip from 6 to 5 at about 300k then back up at 500 where it trails off down the length of the treble.
If I take out the dip, the music loses fullness and if I raise the treble to a more "normal" slope it really doesn't change much,, but the vocal loses presence.
questions:
The limited instruments mean there just isn't much information to be gaiined by raising the treble?
The overtones of the bass and the baratone voice are "blended together" by the echo and just can't be cleaned at this point?
I wish there was a way to send a snap shot with this post. I'll bet some of you guys could help more with that aid.

Anyhow,
Suggestions?
Thanks,
Bax

Bax

Try this.

Place the song in your cd player and re-record the song into your system while adjusting the spectrum with an outboard equalizer.

cd-player -->equalizer --> sound editor

Monitor the song before recording it and make the necessary adjustments. When you are done open it in Har-Bal and the adjustments needed should be minimal.

When mastering I always re-record the song into the system unless I am convinced it is almost perfect.

Sometimes it is better to use this process instead of just extracting the wave file directly into your sound editor.

Earle

Why one should put another pair of D/A A/D in the signal chain
to get a CD track?

Because it sounds good. However, you must use top-of-the-line converters and analog outboard processors ($$$) - and know how to use them expertly. This is why I send all my important stuff out to be mastered (after I har-balize my mixes of course).

Mike

mflorio wrote:Because it sounds good.

Thanks, now I understand.

bax3 wrote:I have a studio recording of just singer, accustic guitar and accustic bass.
The thing was recorded in about 1963 and has lots of echo/reverb. The bass and guitar are a bit boomy and when I look at the spectrum there is a dip from 6 to 5 at about 300k then back up at 500 where it trails off down the length of the treble.
.
.
.

Bax,

Did you mean there was a dip between 3-5kHz of around 6dB? If you there is then I'd be inclined to leave it as is unless you feel that something is lost in there.
The thing is, in this region human hearing is very sensitive and you can comonly get I nice warm and well defined sound by deliberately cutting in this region. Take a look at the stuff recorded by Seal for example and you'll see what I mean.

There's another compounding factor too. Many tweeters have pronounced resonances in this region so a degree of attenuation can make it more acceptable on inferior speakers without destroying the clarity on good ones.

If I've missed the mark just ignore everything I've just said...

Paavo.