Home Recording for BeginnersThis is an introduction to basic knowledge of home recording. This is strictly for the beginner with no knowledge or experience in home recording. I am writing this article so that you can get your foot in the door without having to ask around the forums for basic help recording at home with your computer.
Before you get started:My advice would be to ask yourself these questions before you start.
What exactly do I want to record?
I am able to play the music perfect and completely through?
I am able to play in perfect rythm?
Do I have an area sufficent for recording?
Do I have the patience and time to put into recording?
If you answered no or do not know the answers to any of these questions, you shouldn't start recording before you can answer yes to all of them.
EquipmentThis article is geared towards the beginner that does not have much money to drop on expensive equipment and the newest high tech gadgets. I would assume because you are reading this that you have your own personal computer. That's half the battle. The next thing you need besides of course all of your instruments is a microphone. Most computers come with a stock microphone and they are usually of poor quality but since we are poor and can't afford a new higher quality mic than the stock ones will work just fine for now. In the future you will probably want to upgrade to a newer mic. I will get into microphones a little bit more in depth later on. The next thing you will need to get started is a free program you can download off of the internet that I have used and is totally awesome. The program is called audacity (
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/). It lets you record unlimited tracks, edit, add effects and tons of other options. I highly reccommend this program. It takes some time finding your way around it and can get a little frustrating but once you learn the basics, you will realize how easy it is to use. I would also reccommend playing around with this program quite a bit before you start seriously recording.
**It's practically foolproof but If you need help using Audacity please consult the help resources on their website.**MicrophonesThere are many different types of microphones that are built for different uses but in this article we are going to focus on the main types used in recording today. Dynamic and condenser. Dynamic mics are probably the microphones that you picture in your head when you think of microphones. The netty ball looking thing with a handle on it maybe with a cable connected to it. These microphones are awesome for using in live sound such as playing on stage. They are decent for home recording also but not as sensitive as condenser mics. Condenser mics pick up much more sound than dynamics. They record sound more clearly. They are excellent in studio conditions but horrible on stage because of their sensitivity. Also condensers require phantom power. What I mean by this is that they are not powered by the piece of equipment that they are plugged into. They require an outside power source unlike a dynamic. When it comes to pricing, condenser mics are usually much more expensive than dynamics. My advice to the beginner that wants to upgrade from stock computer mic would be to go with an inexpensive dynamic microphone to start with. The reason I say this is because you can use dynamics for so much more than just recording. Once you get serious with your recording and feel comfortable enough to make that next step, invest in a condenser.
RecordingAlright, you're ready to record! I've got some tips for recording that I have learned the hard way.
Isolate Yourself!One of the most frustrating things I have dealt with recording is outside interference (noise, tv, phones, people etc). If you live alone than that is a plus but for most of us, we have to deal with roommates, wives, kids, pets, and every other random noise you can think of. If you live in the city this becomes real frustrating. My advice would be to designate a recording time and let all of the members of your household know that you are going to be recording at this time. If you have your own computer room or room that you could record from, this makes recording so much easier. Anything you can think of to keep noise from getting in or out of that room, do it. The finished product will only be as good as the effort you put into it.
Have A PlanDo a few test runs to check your sound and volume levels. If you are using a drum set please be courteous to neighbors and such. I don't know how many times I have had the cops shut us down because the drums were too loud. You should know exaclty what you want to record before you start. Know which tracks you want to do and how you want to do them. Don't jump into recording without a plan.
Take Your TimeAs with anything, if you can't nail something step back, take a break and come back to it after you have thought about it for a while. There are so many stories about how bands recorded a great album in only a few days. If you are reading this then you are a beginner, not a great band. Most of these bands were playing for a very long time before they recorded these albums and already knew exactly what they wanted to do before they got in the studio.
Have FunIf you start getting frustrated, stop recording. You want to be completely focused while you record or else you will start making mistakes. As I said before, the finished product will only be as good as the effort you put into it.
There are plenty of resources on the web about home recording and techniques. Hopefully this article can get you off to a good start.
If there is anything that anyone thinks I should add or change to this, please pm me.
