La Vie En Rose recorded with a Zoom H4

Stackabones

I don't have any problem hearing my Gitane while playing against the backing track in the headphones! I just use my iPod headphones ... I'm sure there are better ones, like Grado, but I just use whatever I have.

But you can also monitor the sound of the second (lead) track in the headphones while you are recording it on top of the first (rhythm) track.

Does that clarify things for you? Ask away if you need more info. I'll help the best that I can!

Rollerpunk

OK thanks for the answers.

Monitoring, you mean with other devices i suppose, like a mixer table or stuff like that.

Stackabones

Not sure what you mean by mixing table and other devices. I just use the Zoom H4. I record all tracks, using the Zoom built–in mic (you could use your own mic), and sometimes even do the mix inside the Zoom.

You will be able to hear/monitor the track(s) you have already recorded while you record on a new track. Or you can mute any track(s) so that you don't have to listen to it as you record new tracks.

For example ... let's say I record a rhythm track on Track 1. Since the Zoom doesn't have speakers, I put on headphones so that I can hear Track 1 as I record Track 2 (a lead track). I like some of Track 2, but not all of it so I decide to record another lead track on Track 3. So I keep Track 1 alive, but I mute Track 2 ... and then I record a new lead on Track 3 while hearing Track 1 (the rhythm). Let's say that I really like Track 3 (the new lead) and I'd like to record a harmony guitar line on Track 4. I activate Tracks 1 & 3 but mute Track 2 and then record Track 4 (harmony line) while hearing everything in the headphones (except Track 2, which I can now use or delete).

Does that make sense? Does it help any?

Lately I do all my recording in it, and then sometimes dump into GarageBand to some mixing. But often I just dump it into iTunes and convert it (from WAV) to mp3. Or if it's already recorded as an mp3, then I can download it onto Soundclick or anywhere online.

Rollerpunk

Thanks again, all you wrote is perfectly clear for me (and useful too) except that i am surprised that it's not possible to hear the lead track (in the headphones) while you record it.

When you're in a real studio, let's say bass and drums are already in the box, and you have to play your guitar part, you put on the headphones, listen to bass/drums tracks and play your guitar part, but while you play it, the sound of the guitar is put back (live) in the headphones, so you hear bass/drums and your guitar while recording it.

Stackabones

Rollerpunk wrote:

that it's not possible to hear the lead track (in the headphones) while you record it.

It is possible to hear the lead track in the headphones while you record it.

Rollerpunk

Wow, cool, sorry for the misunderstanding, and thanks for all, i will go for it and try to post something not to bad (i'm only one a half year in gj) in the next monthes.

Stackabones

8)

WowBobWow

Howdy Stackabones ~

I finally got the Zoom H4 last week and have been playing with it on and off trying to figure out what to do.

I thought I'd share my rough cut of J attendrai which was recorded about a foot from the guitar with a low gain setting, first of a rhythm track with me on guitar and my friend Gerald on bass, then I multitracked various elements in later (unfortunately the soloist is me). I plugged the tracks into Cubase and tried my best to make a clean sounding recording like yours.

Sip de rum lives ! What a great tune.

Happy zooming ,
Alex

Stackabones

Alex, I like what I hear ... good sound and good playing. I think you captured a cool vibe on that recording. You shouldn't knock your solo ... very tastey with well-placed notes. I hear three tracks, right? Rhythm, melody/lead and a octave lower melody, right?

Thanks for the kind words on Sip de rum!



So ... what are your feelings about the Zoom?

WowBobWow

Hey Stackabones,

Thanks for the kind words and there are actually four tracks.

Track One is me and the bass: Gerald Leroy (the zoom was placed about three feet away between us and I had to raise the gain/ volume settings through Cubase ).

Tracks 2 & 3 are the heads an octave apart, these come just at the beginning and end of the recording.

Track 4 is a solo in the middle & has the head on the lowest octave apart at the end (so it total at the end there's 3 octaves of the melody, which my wife thinks is totally ridiculous but hey I figured I'd go 4 track crazy!)

So I far I like the Zoom H4. Now I'm trying out different ways to use the recording settings, mic positions, balance out the instruments, and so forth.

My one small issue is I wish there was a way to mark a time in a recording so when you overdub something so you can always go back to your marked time, it seems I always have to dial in the time in the middle of a recording to get back to my desired spot. I can see there is a way to loop a time frame but I haven't figured if there is a way mark a desired spot. It's also no the Zooms fault, but it's tough to figure out how to make a recording sound as I how I like it when I hear it through cubase. It seems once I save it and listen to it again through any monitor or headphones, everything changes.

I mainly bought it so I can hopefully record my own songs because sometimes I have main melody ideas when playing over a standard jazz form and by the time I try and write down what i'm playing the whole melody comes out different. I am hoping I can just grab the Zoom, hit record, and then transcribe what I recorded and create a lead sheet for later use.

Here's Out of Nowhere with a same backbone /framework, I just added reverb to the main lead guitar, and raised the volume levels of the all the tracks (perhaps way too much). Thanks again,