Home Based Recording
Whether your space for a budget recording studio is actually in your home or in your garage or in a little commercial space, this article is basically for fashioning a music studio that uses athe least gear.
The most budget-friendly way to record has become the use of a P. C. and software programmes. I would recommend Apple’s Logic 9 which comes bundled with a program devoted to the creation of music. ( The program only runs on an Apple platform. ) Not only is it able to record live performances but it includes several software instruments : piano, organ and one or two great sounding synths. Logic 9 also has 2 other rather unique items – an absolutely working sampler which easily can turn recorded sounds into a playable instrument of your own making. Logic nine also comes piled high with loops ; everything from drum beats in every style imaginable to orchestral pieces to sound fx and much more. These loops will immediately adjust to your selected tempo too. For more info – go to the Apple link and check out all of the features. The reality is you do not need an array of synthesizers and samplers rigged with midi wires which is usually a headache in the end.
The second thing to think about is the digital to analog converter that transfers the analog sound waves in to a digital format that your computer can understand – and back out of the PC so you can hear what you have recorded. Most PCs have a converter but they really are not so good as a couple of “outboard” and cheap converters on the market. The best ones in my view are made by Apogee. They also are absolutely integrated with the Logic program. If you’re counting on doing just overdubs one track at a time then the “Duet” is the best bang for the buck. The next which is also manufactured by Apogee is the “Ensemble” which has 8 channels vs only 2 on the “Duet”. If you are planning on recording a band you would obviously need more than 2 channels for individual micing of instruments.
Naturally you will need microphones and stands.(Check out great deals on microphones!) The best ones for vocals in the recording studio are the cardioid condenser mics. You should purchase reasonably good ones for under $200, even though the range goes up to $8000. ( For condenser mics you’ll need ghost power which is basically included with most converters with input boxes. ) For instrument micing you may use dynamic mics which are not as delicate as the condenser mics. The rule for mic placement and as well as all things audio is – experiment till you like the way it sounds.
You may also need studio monitors that hook up to your converters and at least two pairs of headphones for doing any overdubs. I suggest powered monitors as they are quiet and you don’t need the trouble of having another power amplifier. The Yamaha powered NS10s are good – but let your ears be the judge. Essentially you would like a flat reply to get an unhyped image of the music when mixing and forceful enough to not warp when played back at high volumes.
ultimately it will be necessary usually to treat the walls of the recording and mixing space to reduce the room tone ( i.e, any live echos or reverberation, regardless of how short the reverb time appears to be ). This important detail will affect the image of your recording. The surfaces of your walls will probably need something to dampen those artifacts. Froth panels are one solution, covering approximately thirty percent of the surfaces. Another extremely cost effective solution is the utilization of egg cartons to make the surfaces irregular and also absorbent of the sound waves.
I would like to conclude with a note about computers. The more powerful the processor the better. You will need the most RAM that you are able to afford. This can insure that you’ll have enough power to run the various synthesizers and effects without balking. It’ll also permit more tracks to be recorded simultaneously.
http://www.micsandmoreonline.com
This entry was posted on Thursday, January 28th, 2010 at 4:45 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.