Tonight I shall be trying to recreate the Lo-Fi Am radio effect that your hear on various songs (Floyd's Wish You Were Here, Fastball's The Way etc.). I've had a look around the net, and not really found much on the subject beyond a couple of very general pointers, and I can't imagine they'll be enough. They are:
- Compress heavily first
- Distort just a smidge second
- EQ: boost 1.5khz, cut above 4khz and below 320hz
I'm also planning to find a sample of static, record scratch or similar and mix that in subtly.
The point of this post is that I can't imagine that that's all there is too it - can you really get this effect without resampling it to something less than 44khz to make it more 'crappy'? Maybe I just can't imagine it, who knows? :wink:
Anyone out here in GN land ever done this before, or have any advice?
Thanks in advance!
I did this once a long time ago, I actually sampled a slightly out of tune am radio station with a fade in and out, Believe it or not it was an accident but it sounded really good.
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Ahhh, this is for applying to something specific that's already recorded, rather than just general radio sound, plus I haven't got a mike at the mo... but thanks for the suggestion, it still makes the thread more useful for future reference :)
You might also old-school it and playback the track through the tiniest speaker you can find, either the speaker by itself from one of the online electronics parts places, or some old style computer speaker. If you have kids you might 'borrow' the output device from one of their broken talking dolls.
Then see if you can get an old tape recorder microphone (those little $2.00 ones) and record from the speaker using the microphone.
Easier way would probably be to get a mono cassette recorders and record the track from the computer using unit's built-in mic. Play that recording back and either line-in from the recorder or use your regular mic. That should lo-fi it quite a bit.
Something like this: http://www.nextag.com/Panasonic-RQ-2102-Portable-2333308/prices-html?nxtg=18210a1c052d-878452CA16021EE2
I've got a sample in WAV format at home of a record player needle going down on a record. I'm going to use it one day too.
A :-)
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DemoEtc: That's a good idea too, I might even have something along those lines kicking around in a box in the garage somewhere, I'm sure I did a couple of years back (I'm a terrible hoarder :oops:).
I'm really looking for a software solution though to be honest. I'll keep hardware as a backup plan but I'm hopefull it can all be simulated... If I can't do it on the computer it'll be months before I get around to it :wink:
I came across this one. Sounds like it might do the trick. If not, try looking up free vst lo-fi filters.
I could sample that "old record" sound for you too, if you need it.
I'd use mainly the EQ. Remember that the G2.1u has a second effect for EQ which works on other three frequencies. I didn't check it but probably it can help. One of the features of the AM radio is its narrow band width, I mean.
For the record scratch you can also make your own effect. I remember when I was a theater group (2X years ago ;)) we broke small sticks for similar effects. Today, with a computer, you could record the sound, edit it and make a loop to mix with the rest. Also I remember the "special effects records", I don't know if they are availables know or if you can find a copy on internet.
Nevertheless, your idea means easier and effective than mine! :lol:
Thanks for all the tips guys, I've not really had a chance to get stuck into this properly yet, but I've had a tinker (all within Audacity). The story so far:
Just EQing the narrow bandwidth (filter below 400hz and above 6khz, boost 1.5khz) had quite a good effect, but it still sounded crystal clear. The sample is now tinny.
Next I amplified it so that it clipped and then brought the level back down (also with the 'amplify' effect), leaving me with some nice clipping clicks. It still sounded too clear though, too much fidelity. The sample is now clicky and tinny.
I didn't want to start messing about with VSTs until I've exhausted the manual options, particularly as they're a problem in Audacity and I've not learned much about Cubase yet. I came up with a cunning plan to reduce the amount of sound info in the clip though, based on a trick I use for images in Photoshop all the time... basically, to remove 80% of the sound info, I speed it up to be 5 times quicker (400% on the 'speed change' slider), then slowed it back down to the right speed (-80% on the slider). Viola, the sample is now crappy, crackly and tinny.
I still need to play around with it all to get it just right (it's maybe a little bit muffled, lost some of its tinny-ness. I might try ramping up all the high frequencies again now that the music has been removed from them), mix in some sampled static etc, but the basic idea works a charm :wink:
Arjen beat me to it. That's the VST I use
Thanks guys. May even have time to get back to this again sometime soon :wink:
One time I recorded some vocals through a phone. Sounded like shit, but It was what I was going for. Sounded like a megaphone. Try it.
One chord is fine.
Two you're pushing it.
Three and you're into jazz.
Try this, I plugged my mic in through one of my effect boxes that has a national resophonic setting. That did the trick
The ideas, they just keep a'coming! Cheers guys, much appreciated.
I think I'm done with it now - it's part of the Pink II jam so the end result is sworn to secrecy just for the mo, but I'll write up how I did my version in good detail when Pink II is out there for reference.
