Home Based Recording
Whether your space for a budget recording studio is basically in your home or in your garage or in a little commercial space, this article is primarily for fashioning a music studio that uses athe least equipment.
The most budget-friendly way to record has become the use of a P. C. and software applications. I suggest 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 comes with several software instruments : piano, organ and several great sounding synths. Logic nine also has 2 other rather unique items – a totally functioning sampler which easily can turn recorded sounds into a playable instrument of your own making. Logic 9 also comes piled high with loops ; everything from drum beats in every style possible to classical pieces to sound fx and masses more. These loops will mechanically adjust to your chosen tempo too. For more info – go to the Apple link and check out all the features. The fact is you do not need an array of synthesizers and samplers rigged with midi wires which is generally 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 PC can understand – and back out of the PC so you can hear what you have recorded. Most computers have a converter but they actually are inferior to several “outboard” and reasonable converters on the market. The best ones to my mind are manufactured by Apogee. They’re also fully 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” that has 8 channels vs just two on the “Duet”. If you’re planning on recording a band you would clearly need more than two channels for individual micing of instruments.
Of course you’ll 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 can buy reasonably good ones for only $200, even though the range goes up to $8000. ( For condenser mics you’ll need ghost power which is basically included with many converters with input boxes. ) For instrument micing you can use dynamic mics which aren’t as sensitive 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 will also need studio monitors that hook up to your converters and at least 2 pairs of headphones for doing any overdubs. I advise powered monitors as they’re quiet and you don’t need the hassle of having another power amplifier. The Yamaha powered NS10s are good – but let your ears be the judge. Essentially you want a flat response to get an unhyped image of the music when mixing and dynamic enough to not deform when played back at high volumes.
lastly it’ll be necessary usually to treat the walls of the recording and mixing space to minimise the room tone ( i.e, any live echos or reverberation, regardless of how short the reverb time looks to be ). This important detail will affect the picture of your recording. The surfaces of your walls will generally need something to dampen those artifacts. Foam panels are one solution, covering roughly 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 want to conclude with a word 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 will have enough power to run the various synthesizers and effects without balking. It’ll also permit more tracks to be recorded at the same time.