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There are 29 posts in this topic.

joecc - Fri Jun 01, 2012 3:26 am

Hi,
This is a simple question....
I'm talking about house sharing and you producing music, how do the housemates react to your noise levels etc?
What's the best option rent a flat on your own, without no interreption....
I'm just looking for thoughts experiences...

Tricky-Loops - Fri Jun 01, 2012 3:37 am

joecc wrote:

I'm always dreaming of living in a house together with other musicians. Should be a similar music style, because if the violin player is getting excited about your techno music production, that's not so stimulating. Shocked

OTOH if everyone is playing music at the same time, it would sound awfully...maybe one lonesome house in the forest would be better... Wink

joecc - Fri Jun 01, 2012 3:55 am

That's probably a utopian vision!

How do you manage now with noise, esp if neighbours live close?

Tricky-Loops - Fri Jun 01, 2012 4:04 am

joecc wrote:

That's probably a utopian vision!

How do you manage now with noise, esp if neighbours live close?

The only thing to manage with noise is to wear headphones... But the problem is that if you've composed and mixed a song with headphones and you listen to it with monitors, you have to mix it again...

Skizye - Fri Jun 01, 2012 3:42 pm

I haven't actually done this yet, but when the fall semester starts up I will be sharing a 3-bedroom apartment with 2 other people, neither of whom produce but one is a DJ. Noise level isn't something I've really thought about, but I can't imagine it being much of an issue. You really don't need to monitor at very high levels when you're producing. If you were living with 3 drummers or something I could understand but with producing I don't think volume will be much of an issue, and if it is I can always arrange on headphones and bust out the monitors for mixing sessions.

ew - Sat Jun 02, 2012 9:47 am

Tricky-Loops wrote:

joecc wrote:

That's probably a utopian vision!

How do you manage now with noise, esp if neighbours live close?

Not necessarily so. What you need to do is spend enough time with both your headphones and monitors so you know what's different and can compensate. I've been mixing using headphones for years; it's very rare that I have to correct anything because of differences between headphones and monitors.

ew

ariston - Sat Jun 02, 2012 10:07 am

ew wrote:

Tricky-Loops wrote:

joecc wrote:

That's probably a utopian vision!

How do you manage now with noise, esp if neighbours live close?

+1. Using headphones in combo with a good spectrum analyser is all I need. I tried using emulation plugins like Tonebooster's Isone, but, interestingly, they threw my mix off totally.

Well-known headphone drawback: when in the throes of creative ecstasy, caution about volume levels usually goes out the window.

In Germany, if you keep it to certain hours during the day, you're "allowed" to make noise. Some neighbours don't agree with this, of course, but there's nothing much they can do (except maybe litigate or set fire to your car in retaliation).

DocAtlas - Sat Jun 02, 2012 10:20 am

I do most of my work with headphones, since my wife, our roommate, and I all have different work schedules. I tend to record vocals when they're not here. I do try to do rough mixes through the speakers when I'm alone in the house, but I still take my stuff to a local studio for final mixing.

ghettosynth - Sat Jun 02, 2012 10:29 am

ew wrote:

Tricky-Loops wrote:

joecc wrote:

That's probably a utopian vision!

How do you manage now with noise, esp if neighbours live close?

I agree, but, headphones get fatiguing for long periods. I built up a room simulator in Reaktor and it made a world of difference. I suggest that you buy one of those little room simulator boxes that cost about $100, or, get one of the focusrite interfaces that have it built in.

joecc - Sat Jun 02, 2012 2:55 pm

Thanks for the thoughts...

ew - Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:13 am

ghettosynth wrote:

I agree, but, headphones get fatiguing for long periods.

Then take a break, no? I don't work for more than an hour and a half/two hours max without taking a break; my ears thank me at the end of the day.

When I think the mix is done, I'll burn a CD, but also make an iPod version. I'll take both the CD and the iPod and go for a drive- if the mix sounds good with the imaging I was looking for with both versions in a car, it's done.

ew

kritikon - Sun Jun 03, 2012 12:49 pm

Buy a house up in the mountains, thick insulation, double glazing, an acre and a half between you and the nearest neighbour. Nothing but goats and bunny rabbits to frighten. Works for me...

...and when you get real lonely, there's always them goats...

robojam - Tue Jun 05, 2012 11:57 am

Tricky-Loops wrote:

OTOH if everyone is playing music at the same time, it would sound awfully

Never say never. No point in ruling that out until you tried it - it's limiting to not try a collaboration because you *think* the end result would not be good.

Hink - Tue Jun 05, 2012 12:24 pm

ew wrote:

ghettosynth wrote:

I agree, but, headphones get fatiguing for long periods.

Then take a break, no? I don't work for more than an hour and a half/two hours max without taking a break; my ears thank me at the end of the day.

this is probably some the best advice one could get, ear fatigue is real and important to be aware of. You need to know when to take a break otherwise you start chasing your tail. Shrug

first ray - Wed Jun 06, 2012 2:22 pm

Tricky-Loops wrote:

joecc wrote:

I would find that even more stimulating, I think.

Mike20 - Thu Jun 07, 2012 1:17 pm

ew wrote:

ghettosynth wrote:

I agree, but, headphones get fatiguing for long periods.

Then take a break, no? I don't work for more than an hour and a half/two hours max without taking a break; my ears thank me at the end of the day.
ew

+1 on taking regular breaks, i produce monday - friday 9.30am - 10pm without fail, sometimes weekends, i take breaks every hour and a half max, its best to go outside, it gives your ears a sense of 'normality' then when you come back - you truly do have fresh ears again - I also like to take a short 5 min break after i make say a lead melody or chords etc. - most of the time i think its a piece of magic - i come back 5 minutes later and think what the hell

Also, up until recently i was living in a student house with 3 other people, i was on a floor above, but no doors between us and they said they never heard my music once, my parents in the next room in this house, i can produce while they are asleep, i keep it around 60-65db max, my ears will thank me in years to come Smile

So maybe try just producing at a lower volume? Don't mean to state the obvious but i was in a similar situation last year before i moved in to that house and it worked out fine Smile

Mike

JoeCat - Thu Jun 07, 2012 1:43 pm

I use phones quite a bit when the kids are over Very Happy

, and also find them fatiguing. However, I'm using closed-backed headphones - they are decent, but not high-end), and even with a VRM box and the room-emulation software (which helps with the stereo field, etc.), the sound is still somewhat claustrophobic.

I'm thinking of switching to open-back, or semi-open, which I've heard is really helpful with the fatigue issue if you can live with the sound bleed. Anyone else have experience with open-backs and find them less tiring? I'd still mix with monitors, but I think you can do a good chunk of work with cans if they are comfortable and you take breaks. Maybe I just gotta spend more $$$, but experience is teaching me that's almost never the solution.

And I hate that temptation with headphones to keep turning up the volume Uh Uh Uh

joecc - Tue Jun 26, 2012 4:54 am

ariston wrote:

ew wrote:

Tricky-Loops wrote:

joecc wrote:

That's probably a utopian vision!

How do you manage now with noise, esp if neighbours live close?

What spectrum analyser do you use? This is a device for gauging a specific frequency, say a bass guitar round 60 HZ? Am I correct?

joecc - Tue Jun 26, 2012 4:55 am

DocAtlas wrote:

How do you manage recording vocals with next door neighbours? Or maybe your house is isolated? thanks!

joecc - Tue Jun 26, 2012 4:57 am

ghettosynth wrote:

ew wrote:

Tricky-Loops wrote:

joecc wrote:

That's probably a utopian vision!

How do you manage now with noise, esp if neighbours live close?

what's a room simulator in Reacktor? Something to do with accoustics? (I can't google right now, on a lunch break!)

Aloysius - Tue Jun 26, 2012 5:08 am

ew wrote:

Then take a break, no? I don't work for more than an hour and a half/two hours max without taking a break; my ears thank me at the end of the day.

One of the healthy things about smoking is that you naturally take regular breaks.

NB: it is especially not advisable to smoke if you are a pregnant woman.

christiancoriolis - Fri Jun 29, 2012 11:56 am

About recording vocals: I guess you just have to try it and see how people around you react! Home studio work is all about compromises as I see it: recording and doing final mixing when not many other people are around (or if they are, they don't mind) and composing, diddling midi notes around when you can't make a lot of noise.

Soundproofing your room (in a way that actually works) is very difficult usually, often expensive and may cause structural damage to the house you live in (no kidding).

If you, and a bunch of people whose opinion you trust, really like the music you make - then splash out on a mixing session in a pro studio. Take the plunge!

Years ago, I mixed a friends album on phones and the living room stereo - and while it took a lot of time, it ended up sounding ok (for a first time mixing experience). It wasn't perfect - but good for the price paid, you know? Wink

Nighthawk77 - Mon Jul 02, 2012 5:14 pm

joecc wrote:

I did this for years with out any problems surprisingly.
But, it was an old house, built very well, I was also there first so the other knew what to expect.

soundnaut - Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:04 pm

whats the problem with using headphones for mixing? I think its easier to hear the more subtle things with them.

christiancoriolis - Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:00 pm

Some pros and cons of headphone mixing:
http://www.loopblog.net/tutorials/music-production/studio-techniques/the-pros-and-cons-of-mixing-on-headphones/

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec03/articles/mixingheadphones.htm

JJBiener - Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:46 pm

I have one definite advantage. I live with my wife who adores my music even more than I do. Any time I am willing to play, she is thrilled to listen. Of course, I don't test this when I am fiddling with presets or other annoying repetitive stuff, so I use headphones for that.

What I really need now are better headphones. The ones I have have a decent flat response, but the mids are really too muddled to be good. I will go search for a headphones thread to see what suggestions people have made.

akira - Wed Oct 31, 2012 12:25 pm

ariston wrote:

Using headphones in combo with a good spectrum analyser is all I need.

ariston, could you please explain, what does this mean? What does the spectrum analyser showing you?

leggie - Wed Oct 31, 2012 1:26 pm

I have to use headphones or would face eviction, my phones are closed and when i need a rest I half cock them over my ears and put some really quiet pink noise through and the ears seem to become rested and interested again. I could not use open back as I live with a freezer and pc fan.

http://simplynoise.com/

debra1rlo - Wed Oct 31, 2012 2:03 pm

i helped a friend out last year and let him stay in our spare room (my music room.) he's a musician too but because he was starting out and always played the same song, it pretty much killed my mojo to create... i usually need silence to come up with something new and it wasn't happening with him around all the time playing the same damn tune

thank goodness he finally got his housing and I got my music room (and eventually my mojo) back Smile

There are 29 posts in this topic.