Why did sound quality improve so much from 80's to 90's?
I mean as far as I know in the late 80's and early 90's they still used tape and not pro tools so why does it sound so much better than early 80's. It's like more bassier, clearer, and a more thicker sound. I can honestly say some 90's albums sound as good quality wise as music released today but you listen to some 80's albums and it sounds thin and tinny. especially the drums, I know electric drums and alot of reverb was in the 80's but still. Here's some examples. BTW I'm not saying the music is better by any means, I'm just saying sound quality is better. Van Halen - Black and Blue 1988 vs Van Halen Amsterdam 1995 Metallica - One 1989 vs Metallica - Sad but true 1991 David Lee Roth - Just like paradise 1988 vs David lee roth - A little Aint enough 1991 Motley Crue - kickstart My heart 1989 vs Mötley Crüe - Hooligan's Holiday 1994 Red Hot chili Peppers - Higher Ground 1989 vs Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give it Away 1991 Those are just a few. Than there is Rage Against The Machine Self Titled Album 1992 that has sound quality that sounds like it was released in 2015.
Which do you prefer, mixtapes or albums?
Which Do you prefer, mixtapes or albums? I saw someone ask a similar question earlier. Dudes were saying things like "mixtapes just have dudes rapping on previously used beats" and "albums have the best songs" ....That's a bunch of bull to me. I listen to mixtapes all the time, and while it may be true that you can find SOME songs with rappers rapping over previously used beats, most of the time you can find completely new songs on these tapes nowadays. I listen to mixtapes all the time with better songs than several albums I hear. Mixtapes are better to me because you have ALOT more songs to choose from and new material is constantly flowing through. Several mixtapes drop everyday by mainstream and underground artists........meanwhile people will wait months and even sometimes a year for "1" specific album...and half of the time when these albums drop....I would have heard somebody's random mixtape earlier that day or week that happened to be better or just as good.
What are some tips for improving the quality of song recordings?
There are so many “It depends” to this question when there is this little detail, so I will just list some areas that normally need a little improvement.The room you record and mix in. Do instruments and your voice sound nice in the room? Are the acoustics flattering or problematic? Can you properly hear what is coming out of your monitors without your room massively skewing their response?Your instrument. Does it sound good? Does it need servicing, or new strings, or replacing?The equipment you use. Do you have appropriate microphones for the sounds you are making? Do you know how to get the best from them? Could you afford to buy a better or more appropriate microphone? Do you have decent monitors? Are they set up in a suitable place? Do you know how to operate your DAW effectively? Do you know anyone that you could ask to come along, and teach you a little bit about recording and mixing?These are all questions that if you can answer them truthfully and address any issues that arise, the quality of your recordings will increase. I guarantee it.
I intend to make a mixtape and record it at home with high quality budget instruments or is it better to record it at a studio? AND WHY?
There is no such thing as a "high quality budget instrument". High quality instruments are expensive. Don't kid yourself.Budget (cheap) instruments can sometimes work very well, but sometimes not. Depends on the aesthetic you want and the music you make.If you want quality but have a tight budget, pay a studio to record you. Then mix it yourself. It is MUCH easier to sculpt something recorded well than to make a dumpy recording sound good.If you record at home, you're never going to make a $100 mic sound like a $3,000 mic. A good studio will have you beat at every stage of the signal chain and will have someone experienced managing it. Also, a studio will have a super expensive piece of gear you don't have: a good room. If you wany a boxy bedroom sound, record there. If you want a punchy reverberant room, you need to find studio that has one of those.
How can I overlap my cassette tapes?
I have a tape dubbing machine and I was wondering if it was possible to record one thing on tape A and then overlap that recording with another on tape B or will tape A always block out the recording already made on tape B when i dub? sorry if that is confusing...
How to make the perfect mixtape?
If you're making it for someone else, I think the most important thing is to tailor it to their tastes. Make it a mix of old favourites (nostalgia goes a long way here) and new songs that you're sure they'll love. Don't settle for poor quality recordings; if you really want to make a good mixtape, you'll need the best sound quality possible. Keep to a basic musical theme so that it all gels together - giving it a lyrical theme can also be a fun twist - but make sure there's enough variety to keep it interesting. A mixtape full of slow songs will get boring quickly, whereas nothing but fast songs will feel too stimulating and wear the listener out, so you'll need to find the right balance, and it needs to flow. Like any good story, a mixtape should have a definite beginning, middle, and ending. Let it hit the ground running, keep the listener invested on a musical journey of ups and downs, and end it with a bang. One extra piece of advice: if you're making a physical copy, eg. a tape or a CD, putting some effort into the packaging can really help make it extra-special. You can create CD cases out of paper using origami methods, and whatever you package your mixtape in, be sure to decorate it (and don't forget the all-important song list!) Good luck! :)
In what way did 50 Cent change Hip-Hop mixtapes forever?
As one other Quora member stated, 50 Cent made the mixtape rapper centric instead of DJ centric, although in house DJ Whoo Kid’s profile increased immensely as well.50 Cent used current radio hits and street favorites in large numbers, disregarding the fears of other rappers of getting sued, while maintaining an edge through refusing to soften up his own contribution or content. These G-Unit remixes became so popular that NY dj’s started to often play them instead of the original song.Consistency and frequency: the staggering amount and quality og work that went into “feeding the streets”, which is, reacting to the demand to the point of near oversaturation, is what truly set G-Unit apart. While most bigger artist were hesitant to have as many projects, let alone partially free projects out at once, 50 did not worry about this. He used the free sample hook model known from his hustling days to reel in an ever growing audience.50’s ace in the hole was his sense of vision when it came to G-Unit. The amount of street cred resulting from the constant drama and his and Yayo’s high risk lifestyle, afforded him enough creative space to take artistic and musical risks that most NY rappers at the time could not: R&B hooks by an in house singer (Olivia) or often enough attempts and overtly melodic vocals, all while criticizing fellow artists such as Ja Rule and Nelly for the same, outer region talent (The Game, Young Buck) and punchline, nearly boom bap park level of clever punchline MC-ing by Lloyd Banks.
What's the difference between a mixtape and an album?
Over the years, the differences between a mixtape [1] and an album have been smoothed out by various factors. However, here are some differences that have somewhat held true A mixtape is (usually) freeA mixtape (historically) has less structure and sounds more like a collection of random songs than a collection of songs that fit a themeA mixtape can be an assortment of original and cover songs or songs done over the instrumentals of other songs.A mixtape typically sounds more "fun" and "spontaneous"A mixtape typically does not have "singles" or in general songs intended for the radioA mixtape is typically used to build up buzz for an upcoming album or in general to create awareness for an artist.A mixtape may have whole songs contributed by a number of artists.Artist features on mixtapes, many times, tend to be based on favors, relationships and friendships as opposed to full blown contracts.Note: The explosion of the number of DIY musicians and the increasing efficacy of the internet in distributing and promoting music has created a huge blurring of these fine lines.The best example of this would be Drake's Mixtape: "So Far Gone"This self produced and distributed "mixtape" spawned huge radio hitsBest I Ever HadSuccessfulIt ended up being re-released as an EP and made it to a peak position of No. 6 on the Billboard 200.Many of the songs were original and the entire body of work formed a musically coherent piece....very much like an album. However, "So Far Gone" maintained a free spirit, was free, and had a fair share of "freestyles" over popular beats.In conclusion, mixtapes are traditionally bodies of work used to gain attention, they are more fun and less focused than albums. They also borrow alot from existing work and do not have to feature totally original instrumentation.In addition, the internet and the growth in the number of DIY musicians have ensured that the mixtape scene is much more competitive these days. My guess is that mixtapes will continue to become more similar to albums in terms of quality and the amount of attention raised but will maintain the $0 price and the trademark spontaneity.[1] Here "mixtape" refers to a hiphop mixtape released by a rapper or D.J.
What is the difference between albums, LPs, EPs, mixtapes, and singles?
Thanks for a2a.I wont bother listing the descriptions of each as that has already been covered by the other answers.So to answer the question, the difference is playing time.The album will generally have the longest playtime because it invariably includes at least two discs, whereas an LP would only be a single disc. Over time these two terms became blurred or synonymous with each other, even birthing a new term, which was double LP.A mixtape was originally a 60min show reel, or two sides of 30mins each for the hiphop dj to demonstrate their skills. This term too, evolved over time, encompassing any collection of songs recorded with purpose or intent, often with a theme - all the songs that describe how I feel about you, or songs I like driving to late at night - the original playlist if you will.Depending on the genre, an ep could have 2 or 3 tracks per side, often used as an LP sampler or to promote a new artist, but sometimes just as a way to bring some attention to songs or an artist without having to go to the trouble of producing a whole LP or album.Again, depending on the genre, a single can be anything from a few minutes on a 7" disc, or up to around 20mins with a 12" - usually a dance genre. There were maxi-singles for a while, which often contained more than just a & b track, but with a 7", this usually meant a longer, finer groove, so lower quality.The thing is, the equipment was mostly manual. Yes you could stack discs so they drop down after the previous one has finished, but this wasnt a good way to treat your precious vinyl if you wanted it to last. This meant you had to be in attendance to keep changing the record. If you were lucky, you had an auto-change tape deck, which when using a C120, would give you an hour on each side, or 2hrs of continuous listening. Like the maxi-single tho, these used longer, thinner spools of tape, so would snap often - a pro would never go beyond a C90!This then is the crux of the difference. The amount of music contained & the length of continuous listening time - a concept that no longer exist....unless you haven't set your chosen streaming service to 'continual'.....