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Archive for July, 2008

To record your own music at home and begin building up a studio you need some elementary parts to get going. They are:

1. An instrument and/or microphone

2. Something to record into like a basic mixing board

3. An port from your mixing desk into your computer

4. A computer with decent speakers and/or headphones.

5. Some software to record and manipulate your work.

These days you can purchase a combined solution for items 2 and 3 in the form of a computer audio interface. This is a device that you can plug an instrument or mic into and the other end is plugged in to your computer either as a soundcard or via a USB cable. This will work as an audio input and the mixing board part is all managed in the software program.

Depending on your requirements this might be the way to go or it might not. If you intend on just recording one audio part at a time then a computer audio interface makes sense. If you require to record a whole band with a few parts at once then you’ll need a mixing desk with enough channels to handle this.

One thing you will have to handle when attaching your interface and putting down your instruments and voice is latency. This is the time lag between the sound you make and it being played back to you by the computer. Latency can completely throw off your rhythm if you don’t minimize it. A means to do this is to use ASIO drivers for your computer interface. You can download free universal ASIO drivers at asio4all.com. Also be sure that your interface includes a preamp.

When you have your audio interface set up and can record and monitor your work without latency you’re about good to go. All you want now is some decent computer software to behave as a mixing desk, sequencer and sampler. Just about every good computer interface will come packaged with some recording software, normally a cut down edition of a full product but enough to get you started.

Other than that there are several low cost and even free programs you can download. There are also many communities on the internet where you can share your ideas, get help and support and find royalty free samples to apply in your music.

Those really are the bare requirements for a home recording studio setup assuming you intend to record your own material (as opposed to just play with loops) and that you already have an instrument and/or microphone with the necessary leads. Apart from these it’s also necessary to have some high quality speakers and headphones. These days things like effects and processors can all be found in computer software, although as you develop you may want to acquire some hardware versions of these down the line.  

You’ll also have to make sure that the acoustics in your recording environment are optimal. Don’t forget soundproofing as well. There is a lot to learn and do to get a good home recording studio setup but in the beginning you can just focalise on the essentials. A sufficient computer, an audio interface and some software can start you out very nicely. For more information there are some great free guides you can download off the web to get you started.

Recording technology has advanced far beyond magnetic tape on large reels and recording everything live in the studio. New developments are happening all the time, both within the recording industry itself and with the technology used in recording. This is making more different sorts of recordings and recording setups possible.

Recording has actually gotten simpler and cheaper with each passing year. No longer does the would-be recording engineer or self producing artist need to invest thousands upon thousands in equipment. Newer recording equipment offers more capabilities and versatility with a lower price tag.

The biggest news in the field is of course digital recording technologies. Everything can be recorded digitally, right off of the board. Digital recording makes for a clearer, crisper sound and a wider frequency range.

New digital technology brings with it new, more compact mixing consoles. Great for bedroom studios and the like where space is at a premium, many of these boards have all the capabilities of a larger analog based board and can even handle everything without the use of an external computer or added software. This streamlines the entire process of recording and allows for much easier remote recordings, such as live shows and field recordings.

Along with these advances in recording is the near omnipresence of electronic musical instruments (think of samplers and sequencers, for instance), allowing entirely new kinds of sounds to be produced. That perfect sound once unattainable now is within reach and almost anyone can be their own arranger thanks to these new technologies.

Other musical equipment has kept pace. Amps, microphones and the like are being seen in constantly improving models. All in one amplifier/microphone combos are available, which can record as you play and are ideal for capturing a live performance without the interference of crowd noise, poor microphone placement, etc.

Due to the very different acoustics of studios versus live music venues, equipment can be divided into those that are better suited for one purpose than the other. Studio settings call for reducing resonance; in live recording, you’ll want just the opposite, for instance. Look for this separation of purposes to be a growing part of the recording equipment market, as well as that of musical equipment in general.

When putting together your own recording studio, consider these new technologies and how you can best use them for your specific purposes. You’ll want to take advantage of anything and everything that help you achieve that perfect sound, and today’s new digital recording equipment can get you there.