Posts Tagged ‘Acoustics’
Studios fall into three basic categories, Home studios, Project studios and Commercial studios. It’s pretty obvious what a home studio is. Many people working in the music industry, and even the TV and film industries, have their own studios at home. They put them in the spare room, the garage, the basement, an outhouse – even in a corner of a bedroom sometimes. And there is no reason why a home studio shouldn’t produce recordings that challenge top commercial facilities. Obviously in a top commercial studio helpful staff will make it easier for you to do your best work, the equipment and acoustics will be first class, and you will probably be working with top musicians too – there may even be a restaurant and bar! Of course the top studio is always going to be that little bit better – but it really is just a little bit. You can do professional work in a bedroom. Sometimes simplicity sells, and you don’t always need a twenty-four track studio to make a song demo or a soundtrack for a documentary.
There really isn’t any difference between a home studio and a so-called project studio. A home studio is a project studio that you have at home, so that’s easily dealt with. So what’s the difference between a project studio and a commercial studio? Simply, a commercial studio is available to all comers at an hourly or daily rate. Make a booking, do your stuff in the studio, pay the invoice and collect the tape. A project studio is something owned by one person, or maybe a partnership, where the owner or owners work on their own projects. The owner may be a musician working on a CD, or a composer working on a TV soundtrack. Commercial bookings are not welcome in a project studio because a) they are taking up studio time that the owner would probably rather use, and b) once you start hiring your studio out as a facility you become involved in many more health and safety regulations and your insurance premiums will probably go through the roof.
What people do in their project studios is of course literally their own business! But I have identified at least five distinct categories of project studio. Take a look at what you can achieve, if you have a mind to…
Low-Budget Equipment Advice on Music Recording Necessities
Designing an unused room can be exciting; with a little bit of creativity and a few purchases, you can build any room for any purpose. If you are into music, reconstructing your room into a recording studio can instantly pave way for a small sideline business or a great hang out with friends and bring music compositions to the next level.
Being serious with your hobby is a good thing, and the next best thing can be injecting some entrepreneurial spirit into your pastime, that, a recording studio made out of an old room can be a quick and practical solution. Providing a haven for musicians within your circle can surprisingly breed genius musical ideas and compositions, and using print postcards in the near future to fully promote aspiring artists, or even yourself, can be a great solution. With just a few design and purchase tips, your room can be functional and professional-looking in just a matter of days.
1. Audio Mixer: Without this equipment, your chances of building a recording studio of your own will not happen. An audio mixer or sound board is the heart of every recording since this is what controls the level of timbre and other dynamics in recordings; without this, an input of the vocals and instruments cannot be blended in accordingly. You do not need to purchase a brand new one; asking around in different DJ mixing schools, DJs themselves, clubs, schools, or teachers in the field can easily lead you to buying much cheaper equipment.
2. Carpet or Foam-based Walls: Music recorded has to stay within the parameters of the room for reasons that you need all sounds produced to bounce clearly for proper soundproofing. This way, you can capture acoustics precisely and accurately. Usually, soundproofed rooms are structured with patterns and grooves; but for a cheaper solution for homes, you can use foam on canvas boards, carpets, or heavy drapes to dampen and reduce sound pressure.
3. Flooring: To add more to soundproofing, carpeting your floors also provides better soundproofing for any recording.
4. Reference or Studio Monitors: At your computer area, having near field monitors will help when you are triggering with notes and recording. Your large mid field monitors are used for when you are at your mixing desk; this set of monitors is what helps in evaluating crispness and balance of sound.
5. Speakers: Purchasing a good set of speakers is also important; with positioning, avoid placing them at the corner but instead a few inches away to avoid excessive bass boost.
6. Lighting: Using dim lights can build an atmosphere for being more creative; just make sure the dimness is still workable to read though music sheets. Adding fixtures such as lava lamps and dimmed spotlights can help increase mood.
7. Musician Recording Tools: Have at least five microphones present. Purchasing a dynamic microphone can already suit a small recording studio plus these items are fairly cheap compared to others. Sometimes, they come packages fit for vocal and drum recordings.
8. Digital Audio Workstation: Choosing a good kind of software to install in your computer is one thing you should spend time looking for. This is where recording, editing, and playback are produced; without this, you will not be able to manipulate the sounds coming in from the recording.
These items may seem difficult to set up and expensive; but you will be surprised that cheap finds are just around the corner and will still give you the same benefits brand new and modern equipment provide. What’s important is that you get to produce and record music; and eventually turn this into a running small business. As you progress, getting postcard printing done to give to your prospects can specifically hit a group of people. This way, your promotions are effective and cheap as well.