Introduction to Recording Basics 101: Multitrack Recorders, Microphones and Computers.Sep 16 '04 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line In this first installment of a 5 part series I'm writing on optimizing your home recordings, I cover most of the basic requirements for producing professional quality music at home.
This is my first installment on how to optimize home recordings. These articles are mostly for the uninitiated and amateur recording musician. Over the span of the next few months I am going to cover everything one needs to know to record a CD out of your own home. I am going to share my experience with this new found passion of mine and how my daughter has been doing it over the past couple of years. Why, you ask? Because my daughter went from computer recording, to a 4 track recorder, to an 8 track digital recorder and then back to computer recording, then to a studio and finally to a hard disc multitrack recorder. So much was learnt from the rocky ride that when you look at all the different options on how to do it, there’s no wonder it can be overwhelming for the amateur or beginner just getting into recording his music. My daughter recorded several demos at home, then she did it in a studio, and I can tell you that although the end results were all very good, they were in fact no better than the last recording she did at home using very modest recording equipment. Of course, the more we learnt about recording, the better the sound quality of the recordings. The tips and tools that I found to be very helpful in producing a high quality recording will all be revealed here. Although I’m not a professional sound engineer or producer, I have taken notes over the past couple of years, the things that actually worked very well and the equipment that actually gave us really good results will be revealed in my 5 part series on how to optimize home recordings. I will not be reviewing any gear here. I may suggest some equipment that will help improve the quality of your recordings and I may give suggestions on how to use that equipment, but I will not spend much time explaining how each and every piece of recording equipment works exactly. My aim is to give you tips on how to use some gear to optimize your home recordings. On another note, there is a “learning curve” associated with recording equipment no matter what you end up using. The rule here is very simple, the more expensive the equipment, the more complex the gear and the lengthier the learning curve. In order to get into the little details of it all, it is important to understand some recording fundamentals. So, let's get started. Recording equipment can be categorized in four different groups. The Hard Disc Multitrack Recorders, the Removable Digital Media Multitrack Recorders, the Cassette Multitrack Recorder and the Computer Software Music Production Programs. In this first installment, I’m going to suggest to you and to all amateur recording musicians that you should first get yourself a 4 track recorder. The reasons for this are obvious. If you are not serious about recording your songs, you’ll get bored with the 4 track and never really need to spend more money on this short lived endeavour of yours. But if you are serious about recording your own music, your passion will only be fuelled by this little inexpensive gadget. Some recommended Cassette Multitrack Recorders: Tascam MFP01 4-Track Cassette Portastudio -$100 Tascam 414MKII 4-Track Recorder - $250 Tascam Porta02mkII 4-Track Cassette Portastudio - $150 Korg CR4 4-Track Analog Cassette Recorder with Speakers - $300 Fostex X12 4-Track Cassette Multi-Track Recorder - $100 The $100 Tascam or Fostex are excellent little multitrack cassette recorders. No need to spend more money on such a tool. Never mind looking for high quality features here, just the basics so you could record your musical ideas. My daughter still carries around her 4 track cassette recorder, she rarely leaves home without it. If you prefer going the digital way, you can find inexpensive digital recorders that will be a little more expensive than the multitrack cassette recorders but will also have more features for you to experiment with. Here is a list of Removable Digital Media Multitrack Recorders: Fostex MR8 8-Track Digital Recorder with Built-In FX - $300 (****) Zoom PS04 Palmtop Studio 4-Track Recorder - $200 (***) Boss BR864 Digital 8-Track Recorder with Flash Card - $500 (****) Tascam PS5 Pocketstudio5 4-Track Recorder - $300 (***) Korg PXR4 4-Track Digital Recorder - $300 (***) My daughter has her 8 track digital recorder set up at home ready to record at all times. When inspiration hits at home, she can be sitting and recording in less than 10 seconds. The important thing is that her idea gets recorded immediately. She can come back to it later and fool around with it some more. She always keeps several extra flashcards, but the benefits are simply to huge to describe. As a musician, I only wish this technology would have been available 30 years ago. Anyway, after toying around with your entry level multitrack recorder, you’ll either abandon all notions of recording or you’ll be ready to graduate to bigger and better gear. I’m not going to waste any time with high end gear, if you can afford a $3000 to $5000 multitrack recorder or laptop computer just for your musical projects, then you can probably afford the training that will be required to operate them. So, here is a list of available recording equipment, whether you are on a budget or just starting out, and remember, any one of these tools can help you produce a high quality professional CD recording: Hard Disc Multitrack Recorders: Boss BR1600CD 16-Track Digital Studio - $1400 Boss BR1180CD Digital Recording Studio with Internal CD-R Drive - $1000 Tascam 2488 24-Bit 24-Track Digital Workstation - $1200 (*****) Zoom MRS802BCD MultiTrak Recording Studio with CDR/RW - $700 Zoom MRS1608 16-Track Digital Recording Studio - $800 (*****) Yamaha AW16G 16-Track Workstation with CDRW - $1000 Fostex VF80EX 8-Track Digital Studio - $600 Fostex VF160EX 16-Track with Built-In CDR and Effects - $800 (*****) Korg D1200MKII 12-Track Digital Recorder - $850 Korg D1600MKII 16-Track Digital Recorder - $1050 Korg D1600 16-Track Digital Recorder with FREE CDRW 2x8 (40GB Drive) - $1050 (*****) Roland VS1824CD 24-Bit Digital Studio Workstation - $1500 Alesis ADAT-HD24XR Digital 24-Track Hard Disk Recorder - $2000 I am familiar with those I have rated, mind you, I’m confident that most of these will give you very good results. But what about DAT Recorders? Digital Audio Tape recorders range in price from $800 to $2500 and up. DAT recorders are perhaps great for live applications and getting full CD quality recordings on location. You can transfer data from your DAT recorder straight to your computer and record it in your sequencer. That’s right, you’ll still need some standard computer software music program anyway, may as well wait and get a DAT if you find you really need one later on. Other disadvantages include: the tape is expensive and it is tedious to make back up copies. The simple fact that tapes don’t really last long should be enough to discourage the amateur to stay away if he is just starting out. The way I look at it, the DAT recorder is mostly for the experienced musician who has been recording for some time. But, if you insist that this is the only way to go for you, here is a list of DAT recorders: Fostex D15 Professional DAT Recorder - $2300 Sony PCMM1 Professional Portable DAT Player and Recorder - $800 Sony PCMR300 Professional DAT Player and Recorder - $700 Tascam DA-20MKII DAT Recorder - $850 ******************** Most musicians starting out who want to record their ideas or songs will find that a small 4 track cassette or digital recorder is just great. They are inexpensive and easy to use. You simply plug in your guitar or pre-amp (or your guitar amp), activate a track and press record. You can do this in front of your computer as well, but you’ll need a music program for your computer and a decent sound card. The advantage of using a 4 track recorder is that you can take that with you anywhere. You can record in your bedroom, in the living room, in your garage, in your car or outside in a park. Wherever or whenever inspiration hits you, your recorder can be close to you (like in your backsack) and you can record your idea right there and then. Even if you don’t have your guitar, you can record words to a song, even a vocal melody. No need to open a computer program and set everything up or even fight with mom and dad or siblings for computer time, record your ideas fast and promptly before the moments’ gone forever. A 4 track recorder will cost you between $100 to $300 (depending on cassette or digital) and will last you 10 plus years and even more. Besides, professional recording artists use them all the time. The other benefit here is that you’ll eventually have hundreds of cassettes or discs with various musical ideas to work with. Maybe you’ll have 10 songs recorded demo style, with guitars or keyboard and voice. Now you’re ready to record those songs and produce your very own CD. At the very least, recording your own CD at home will be an experiment you will never forget. The results will remain in the family forever. The recordings could help you get recognized...but lets not get carried away here. One step at a time. Learning to record in the privacy of your own home does have it’s benefits and is definitely worth the effort...think of it as a project that may very well take you 6 months to complete from beginning to end, but while all of this is going on, you (and your band) are refining and improving your chops, and fine tuning your songs is a very important step in the process. The actual recording of the songs may only take a week or two, but all the homework required before getting there is what my series on how to improve home recordings will be all about, though I may include a part on shopping around your demo. :) Today, many multitrack recorders include a great deal of functions, such as a multichannel mixer, EQ and various effects can all be found on a single unit. Furthermore, the master recorder can also be a CD recorder, a DAT tape or a hard drive. What is most important to remember is that all of your song’s instruments get recorded, processed and mixed down onto some medium by which they can be played back for your enjoyment. The Multitrack Recorder: Before you go out to buy your recorder, you should have some knowledge about the connections on the back or front of most recording gear. You will probably notice that there are a number of different connector types, such as RCA (the same connectors found on your stereo equipment), XLR (most commonly used for microphones) and 1/4 inch connectors which are mostly used for instruments. If you choose to get a recorder with no built in mixer then you will need to connect your instrument or microphone to the input section on your mixer. As you will discover, depending on which “gear” you intend on using to record your music, more devices may be required to complete your home studio. Yes, it can be done inexpensively, but we may still be talking about $1000 to $2000 here if you are expecting professional CD quality music. For the amateurs out there still wondering about how it is done, there are two ways to get a signal into a mixing console, sound card (for computer recording) or multitrack recorder. The first way is the most simple way: using a direct line input. “Direct line input” refers to a connection, usually via a guitar-type 1/4 inch cable, that goes from the output of an electronic instrument to the line input of your mixing console or multitrack recorder. This is the most common method for inputting signals from keyboards, drum machines, sound modules (Line 6 POD or Yamaha DG Stomp) and guitar/bass amps (via a direct or line out at the back of the amp). If your mixing console does not have 1/4 inch line inputs, you can always use a Direct Box to translate these “line outputs” into microphone inputs for your mixer. The second way to get a signal into your mixing console or multitrack recorder is to use microphones, which connect directly into the microphone inputs of your mixer, multitrack recorder or sound card if using your computer. Microphones are used to record vocals, acoustic instruments such as acoustic piano or guitar, drums and guitar/bass amps. How different types of microphones should be used to record various types of instruments is one of the most critical and difficult aspects of a recording engineer’s job. Different microphones sound differently, and how they are combined, along with how they are placed and at what angle they are positioned and the distance from the instrument at which they are placed, are all important factors that will influence the sound of your recordings. Ask ten engineers how they do it exactly and you’ll get ten different answers in addition to a whole bunch of different views on the various micing techniques. Although teaching micing techniques is beyond the scope of my series on improving home recordings, I will reveal on a later installment some very interesting “techniques” that actually worked wonderfully during the recording of my daughter’s demo. IMPORTANT, when using a microphone, you'll need a mic preamp to get the most out of whatever instrument you are recording with it. A mic preamp is a low-noise amplifier that brings the low-level signal from your mic/guitar/instrument up to a higher, more ideal recording level. For those of you considering the computer recording route, most computer sound cards include a line input, usually with a 1/8 inch stereo mini-jack. This is the only input you should plug any of your musical instruments into. A line level input jack is compatible with keyboard line outputs, sound module outputs and guitar/bass amp line outputs. So, how does one use a mic to record on ones own computer? You will need some adapters to hook up a microphone, maybe a preamp and an external converter or audio interface or a mixer to the mini jack at the back of your computer. No need for a mic preamp if you have a mixer, otherwise a mic preamp for computer recording is a necessity for high quality recordings. This is very very important. Most computer sound cards were not designed for recording high quality professional CD recordings. So, you will need an audio interface which is a device that will help you get the sounds from your instruments into your computer. You’ll gain huge advantages in sound quality and audio performance with an intermediate or professional sound card. In addition, most audio interfaces come with two or more inputs for basic connectivity (sometimes will include both 1/4 inch and XLR inputs). Choosing the right audio interface compatible with the recording software you are planning to use is of course the only way to go. Make sure the interface (or the preamp) you're thinking of getting has the connections that match up with the gear you are using to record. For example, if you buy a PCI interface card (a hardware circuit card that goes inside your desktop computer) that only has RCA inputs, you won't be able to plug any 1/4 inch cord from your instrument into it without purchasing additional equipment. With most PCI cards you'll need either a mixer or an audio I/O interface to use as the front end for your PCI card, unless you can purchase a PCI card that has the connections you need. If you want to see what I’m talking about here, you can find a wide selection of sound card audio interfaces, PCI audio interfaces, USB audio interfaces, Firewire audio interfaces at the following site: http://www.zzounds.com/cat--Audio-Interfaces--2418 ) The stand alone USB box (Universal Serial Bus), is a device used to transfer data. The USB port is a standard connection that enables you to connect external devices such as digital cameras, printers, scanners and instruments to your computer. As you will find, audio interfaces range in price from $100 to $500. Regarding computer software music production programs, most available now are capable of making professional quality recordings: Waves Native Platinum Bundle (Macintosh and Windows - $1579.00), Steinberg Wavelab or Cubase, Cakewalk SONAR are all good sequencers. DigiDesign makes a great FireWire music production system. Pro Tools and Cool Edit Pro are also good multitrack wave editors. Don’t know what I’m talking about? That’s the learning curve I was talking about. Like any computer software program, much time is required to learn how the program works and what additional tools one will need to help edit, mix and master your home recordings? For more information on computer recording I recommend you read the following article: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=rec/content/doc_id=92606 My recommendation here is that if you choose to go the computer way, be forward looking and consider selecting the programs and interfaces that will help you later on down the road. This means spend more money now so as not to have to upgrade later! What you should know about microphones? Dynamic microphones are used for drums, guitar amps, bass amps and background vocals. While condenser microphones are used for lead vocals, acoustic instruments, cymbals, overhead drums and are also used as a room mic (more about this later). Most condenser microphones contain a built-in pre-amp that requires power to operate correctly. This power, often referred to as “phantom power”, is usually supplied by an internal battery or by your mixing console, preamp, sound card interface and/or multitrack recorder. (More about microphones in my next installment...) The analog vs digital recorder: There are some interesting differences between analog and digital recording when it comes to setting levels. With analog recording, input levels can be recorded over 0dB without distortion creeping into your sound. Many musicians find that recording input levels over 0dB help them get a hotter and warmer signal overall and that this improves their recordings. Higher levels also help mask some of the noise (tape hiss) that is present on most tape based recorders. But, in the digital domain, input levels cannot exceed 0dB. In fact, most digital recorders will not display anything above 0dB. If your input levels exceed 0dB, you will be adding unpleasant distortion to your recordings. This type of distortion is usually referred to as "digital distortion" and it is very undesirable for any recording applications. This is very IMPORTANT: to get the best results when recording digitally, your input levels should be recorded between minus 12dB and minus 4dB (-12 to -4dB). Not only will this give you the equivalent of a good analog recording level, but it will give you some headroom for mixing after the track is recorded. Digital recorders do not have the “noise floor” problems associated with most analog recorders and are capable of recording at lower levels without adding noise to the recording. A track that is recorded too low can be fixed most of the time whereas it is “almost impossible” to remove digital distortion after it has been recorded. The Pre input level and Post input level: Most mixers and multitrack recorders so equipped will allow you to view the meters (LED display) in one of two settings: pre level and post level. A pre-fade level is the most accurate indication of your signal level as it is input to your mixer. When recording, it is recommended that you set your faders to 0dB, set your meters to pre level, and use your input trims to set a good recording level (-12 to -4dB with a digital recorder or 0 to 2dB with an analog recorder). A post-fade level setting is for viewing the levels of your recorded tracks. This makes a post level setting ideal for viewing levels during the mix down process (more about this step in a later installment). OK, so what about those musicians who think their band really rocks and want to record their show live? Yes, there is something, a very useful piece of gear that exists just for you. It is called the Alesis ML9600 Masterlink Master Disk Recorder (20GB Drive) and you will pay the bargain price of $800 at musiciansfriend.com (Sept/2004), and here is the link: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=rec/search/detail/base_id/57810 “For live recording, there's nothing better - record entire performances in stunning 34-bit/96kHz clarity without ever stopping to change tapes or CDs.” “As a songwriter's tool, the MasterLink is perfect for capturing every improvisational idea that any songwriting session can produce. In addition, it is the perfect device to store any songwriter's entire collection of work. Build a custom demo CD at a moment's notice!” Not required gear for the amateur artist, but my daughter’s new band is going to get a MasterLink recorder and IMO, every experienced “gigging band” or professional musician should own one. Now that you’ve got your gear all set up, lets quickly RECAP the actual recording process and review the steps involved in creating your very own multitrack recording. Always make sure that "everything" is properly connected first, then: 1. Connect your instrument or microphone to an input on your mixing console, sound card interface, preamp or multitrack recorder. 2. Power up your multitrack recorder or open your computer program. 3. Assign that input (instrument or microphone) to an available track for recording. 4. Adjust the input level for your instrument or microphone to an appropriate/ideal recording level. (Remember 0 to +2 for an analog recorder and -12 to -4 for digital recorders) 5. Activate the track and play your instrument...you are finally RECORDING your music (instrument/vocals). 6. Repeat steps 1-5 to record additional tracks as desired. Wasn’t that fun? In my next installment we will look at some of the hottest tips I have discovered for recording guitars, drums and vocals. I will also discuss the possibility of adding effects to your tracks. ~Vanwarp~ My 5 Part Series on "Optimizing Your Home Recordings": 1. Introduction to Recording Basics 101: Multitrack Recorders, Microphones and Computers. 2. Tips on Recording Guitars, Drums, Vocals and Using FX. 3. Editing, Equalization and Compression. 4. Bouncing Tracks and Other Useful Tips - Demystifying Mixing and Mastering. 5. The Demo CD.  |
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