lofi sound stuff

[BlackGnosis]

I am interested in programs or inexpensive equipment that will allow me to record with a "lofi" sound, Think apollo 8 or old police scanners recordings.

Computer programs especially freebies would be most useful since I intend to take my recordings and tinker with it and load it onto my sampler. I'm tempted to get a scanner and sit there with a recording button on to catch a good voice clippit but that takes forever.


Just for those who cant quite place the recording to a modern song... VNV Nation used this sound bit for their song Genises.

[JSRockit]

Recording with a lo-fi sound? A cheap 4-track cassette recorder and some cassettes that have been used way too many times.

[ronP]

oo


I agree with JSRockit -- 4-tracking is a great way to go.

I record 4-track demos on my ZOOM MRS-4B (which has only 32 kHz sampling rate). A careful recording on this device sounds CD quality to my ear, but I can also make it sound like early stereo -- circa 1967 -- or a.m. radio (which I use to add character to the organ patches on my CASIO MT-70).

I take these finished recordings and add a track to a larger project in Digital Performer. The result is lo-fi hardware fun integrated within a contemporary digital DAW recording.




oo

[synthesizerist]

Definitely, cassette decks are the best way to get that lo fi sound. And make sure everything's in the red. If you're coming from a digital background, you can finally let your hair down. I've quite a few times recorded parts on a cassette and dump it to an 8 track so I can have specific lo-fi sounding tracks. I've also recorded vocals with a green bullet for that blown out effect (although you can blow them out on the tape machine in the red too- just a different sounding lo-fi sound) and I just read in Tape Op about some mics ( I think they're made by one of the dude's in the Terrible Twos) that are made out of old telephones that sound interesting that I was thinking of picking up for an effect mic.

[tallowwaters]

Definitely, cassette decks are the best way to get that lo fi sound. And make sure everything's in the red. If you're coming from a digital background, you can finally let your hair down. I've quite a few times recorded parts on a cassette and dump it to an 8 track so I can have specific lo-fi sounding tracks. I've also recorded vocals with a green bullet for that blown out effect (although you can blow them out on the tape machine in the red too- just a different sounding lo-fi sound) and I just read in Tape Op about some mics ( I think they're made by one of the dude's in the Terrible Twos) that are made out of old telephones that sound interesting that I was thinking of picking up for an effect mic.

F the green bullet. There are tons of nice carbon and crystal element mics out there waiting for you for much cheaper. f**k that phone c**p too, it just sounds bad, and not in a good way, unless you invest a lot of work into it.

[piRoN]

Yeah, I put a mid 50's crystal element in a Nady harmonica mic body a few months ago, which makes for a smoking lo-fi mic for bugger all money. Nothing below 300Hz, almost nothing above 8.5K, and the world's biggest 7K lump. It cuts through the mix with all the subtlety of a chainsaw.

[BlackGnosis]

Not many software solutions other them sampling at a really low rate? what about old studio equipmnt?

[Stab Frenzy]

there are approximately one million different ways of getting a lofi sound. for free plugs that do it, check out

http://www.smartelectronix.com/

otherwise try experimenting with whatever you've got lying around in your studio. you know headphones plugged into a preamp work as crappy mics? try running whatever you want lofi'd through a speaker with your headphones taped to the front of it and record what comes out of the headphones. make a contact mic out of one of those cheap piezo buzzers wired up to a 1/4" jack. get creative. make up your own technique.

[Suburban Bather]

http://www.audioease.com/Pages/Speakerp ... movie.html

If your willing to work with software, speakerphone is probably the best way to go.

[tallowwaters]

I think it is cute when kids have to ask how to be lofi. I knew of no other kind of fi for years!
Really, that Stephen turd from Pavement just to ask me how I made everything sound like c**p, then he would sell my secrets to those Royal Trux f**k!

[toad]

http://www.audioease.com/Pages/Speakerp ... movie.html

If your willing to work with software, speakerphone is probably the best way to go.

€ 470.05 inc VAT!!! wow... hi-fi lo-fi

as said before, there are millions of ways to be lofi for free.
i don't think it's worth the trouble to intentionally strive for a lofi sound while recording, if you're going to f**k it up with processing anyway. just record it as you would normally.
for software, try a parametric eq, some kind of overdrive/distortion, a bitcruscher/decimator + some reverb
you can also use a free convolution reverb such as SIR, and load impulses of speakers or mics into it.

[crystalmsc]

record with a "lofi" sound

the downgrade version of your DR sampler would do it nicely

Computer programs especially freebies would be most useful since I intend to take my recordings and tinker with it and load it onto my sampler

I currently like to play with the free Proteus VX soft synth, the spmulator alone worth to catch.

[synthesizerist]

f**k that phone c**p too, it just sounds bad, and not in a good way, unless you invest a lot of work into it.

Tape Op gave them a good review. They're called Bing Carbon Microphones, so I guess I'm talking about the same thing you're saying are better? Have you tried them?

Different folks, I guess, I love the green bullet sound- it's just impossible to do live because of the feedback.

[tallowwaters]

f**k that phone c**p too, it just sounds bad, and not in a good way, unless you invest a lot of work into it.

Tape Op gave them a good review. They're called Bing Carbon Microphones, so I guess I'm talking about the same thing you're saying are better? Have you tried them?

Different folks, I guess, I love the green bullet sound- it's just impossible to do live because of the feedback.

you are probably talking about those 100 dollar carbon mics that take phantom power, and those look nice. I am talking about when people reverse the wires - I have tried 3 phones this way, sucks.

I like the green bullet sound as well, I am simply saying there are cheaper ways to do it and it can sound even better. Old CB mics are a dime a dozen and sound fantastic.

[toad]

I was bored and looked up some free s**t for you... there's tons more but these should get you started:

http://www.jeroenbreebaart.com/ -->free vst plugins, all of them are good, but in this case, try Time machine and Ferox
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/2920.html
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/2148.html
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/1147.html
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/657.html