RECORDING TIPS. rivingtonmusic.com

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1 RECORDING TIPS

2 01 Purchase a computer If you don't already have a computer, you will need to purchase one. Things to consider are processing speed and amount of memory, as recording software will use your computer s resources quite a bit. Both Windows and Mac platforms will work well; however, Mac are typically more recommended because of the software reliability. 02 Purchase a recording software The recording software is where you will manage your recordings. The recording software doesn t really change the sound quality of your recordings. This is a common misunderstanding in the recording world. Most DAWs (digital audio workstation) work just fine, however, there are personal preferences because of features and ease of use. I personally think Pro Tools is # 1. The following DAWs are considered to be powerful and high quality pieces of software: Pro Tools Cubase Apple Logic Pro X Reason Ableton Live Reaper Studio One Cakewalk SONAR FL Studio MOTU Digital Performer Don t worry too much about which one you choose. Just choose one and learn it!

3 03 Purchase and setup and audio interface This has to be one of the most important steps to capturing high quality audio. This audio interface is basically the sound card and this piece of hardware handles converting your audio from digital data into an analog signal, also known as digital-to-analog converter. This step can be a little overwhelming and confusing as there are all kinds of different input and output configurations, connection types, formats and many other options to consider. One of the main things to consider is the connectivity options as technology simply doesn t sit still for long. The computer world doesn t really have a standard anymore. You can purchase an audio interface that uses USB, FireWire 400, FireWire 800 etc. USB is probably the safest direction to go, however, some great interfaces still use the old FireWire 400 connection! The Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 is a great example. With audio interfaces you will hear technical specification terms such as bit depth and sample rates. Yes, this does matter. The higher the audio interface can record at, the better. The higher you can capture your records at, the more you can do in the mixing phase. It s all about potential. Remember, the source is huge in audio. If you capture it well, you can do so much in mixing and mastering. If you don t capture well, you are very limited with repair, effects etc. The CD standard 44.1kHz takes 44,100 digital pictures of the incoming audio every second. Digital to analog conversion only needs two samples (the top and the bottom) of a wave form to generate a frequency, so the 44.1kHz sample rate is capable of reproducing frequencies as high as 22.05kHz. The uppermost range of human hearing (in young females) is 20kHz, so technically, 44.1kHz is more than enough to capture and reproduce every sound you can hear. However, there are additional considerations (all of which are technical) that may or may not suggest higher sample rates capture valuable information. That s why most audio professionals choose to work at 48kHz, 96kHz, or even 192kHz. In the end of all that info, I recommend Focusrite www. focusrite.com. They are an excellent company with high quality hardware and great digital-to-analog-converters. You can find audio interfaces under $ Studio monitors and headphones The first and most important thing with studio monitors is making sure they are as real and accurate sounding as possible. This is so that your mixes translate accurately to different audio sources (car speakers, ipods, earphones etc.). You are looking for near-field monitors. These are designed for listening about 1 meter away. A great pair of studio monitors are the Yamaha HS50M 5". If you want larger monitors, you can go for the Yamaha HS8 studio monitors. Typically, you aren t supposed to mix with headphones, but they are also needed for tracking and recording. The Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphones are an excellent choice.

4 05 Microphones If you are on a budget, you can manage with a single microphone. If you are going to purchase only 1 microphone, I would suggest going for a dynamic microphone. Dynamic microphones are constructed to be more robust and are self-powered. A great industry standard dynamic microphone is the Shure SM-57. This microphone is well built, affordable and can be used for vocals and instruments. You can purchase it on amazon for under $100! The ideal situation is to purchase 1 dynamic and 1 condenser microphone. Condenser microphones are great when capturing quite instruments such as an acoustic guitar or piano. Condenser microphones aren t as rugged as dynamic microphones, but they do provide better results as they give you a sensitive response. Here is a list of excellent condenser microphones: AKG C414 Neumann U87 Neumann KM184 Matched Pair M-Audio Nova Audio-Technica AT2020 USB Sterling Audio ST55 Rode NT1-A Shure SM-27-SC Rode NTK Neumann TLM-102 I can keep going, but I ll stop 06 Room Treatment DIY acoustical treatment - Great at home treatment is to hang a thick blanket on the wall or that is directly behind the vocalist. Staying away from desks or other reflective surfaces can be beneficial. Bass frequencies are known for building up under desks. Acoustical treatment can get pricey real fast, so you can try to do this on your own or hire someone to do what is most important. Sometimes there are just specific urgent issues with the room you are in (dimensions, objects etc.).

5 07 Capturing your audio Always leave enough headroom on your input to allow for unexpected loud dynamic hits such as snare hits or vocalist moving closet o mic temporarily. It s good have your levels in the green or just below -6dB. You would rather be safe than sorry. You also have more capabilities in the mixing phase when there is enough headroom. 08 Keep it short The shorter the analogue signal path the better the fidelity, so use the shortest and best cables you have. Remove any devices that are not being used, even if they are bypassed, as every connection and ground connection is a potential noise source. 09 Get the source ready Make sure the instrument sounds its best (in tune, warmed up) and sounds good in the room before moving any mics into place. If you have preamps, turn them on and make sure they are warm before recording. Same goes with tube mics.

6 10 Balance the mic distance The distance between a mic and the source has a major effect on your recording. You may be tempted to get really close to cut back on the room sound, but be aware of the proximity effect as it can quickly make for a muddy tone. The proximity effect in audio is an increase in bass or low frequency response when a sound source is close to a microphone. 11 Use HPF & LPF Use the high pass and low pass filter always! Some microphones and preamps have them built into the hardware. Use them because noises like foot taps, distant rumbles and bass will take up more headroom than you think. 12 Watch for phasing Look out for phasing issues when using multiple microphones at once. Phasing is a compositional technique in which the same part (a repetitive phrase) is played on two musical instruments, in steady but not identical tempi. Use the phase (polarity) flip switch when auditioning mics to hear what frequencies are most affected.

7 13 Stay organized Being organized in the studio will actually make your recordings better. Label everything you record. Document the mic type/name in the track name if you want, make use of the marker tracks and track note pads in DAWs to keep notes of anything you may want to know later (vocal takes, mic positions etc.). 14 Backup Have your computer automatically back up your data. Nothing is worse than losing all your music after months or years of hard work.