Home Recording Tutorial
By: Andrew McKee
1.
Mic Selection
"What Mic should i use?"
Some will say that "The microphone will be the single largest determinant of
sound quality for your recordings." I disagree, on the grounds that while
other things can make a recording unusable, a weaker microphone can just
make a recording sound mediocre. That being said, these days even a few
inexpensive microphones sound ok. Especially when you compare the same
type mics from 10 or 20 years ago. There were some really bad cheap mics
back then. Now, we are lucky since a $50 mic can be up there with a $200+
mic from 20 years ago. These days, even the setup can be easier and less
expensive if you get a mic with a simple interface like USB.
With that in mind, the two best options right now for low cost
USB microphones are:
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Blue Microphones Snowball USB for as low as $65
Blue Microphones Yeti USB for as low as $100
BLUE Yeti
USB Microphone
The Blue Yeti has slightly better sound quality but the main value over the
Snowball is the extra settings, volume control, and the stereo option which
can help with recording interviews and instruments.
When considering mics, there are three things to remember:
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There are two main types of Mics: Condenser and Dynamic. Condenser
mics are more sensitive and preferred for vocals. Just be careful since
they pick up other noises easier as well.
You may hear terms like omnidirectional, unidirectional and cardoid. For
recording one thing like your voice, you don't want omnidirectional. You
want it to pick up your voice and nothing else around.
There is no one Microphone that is best for everything. There are some
general purpose Mics that do a good job most of the time but most Mics
usually have a limited focus. For instance, everyone’s voice sounds very
different so while one Mic might record voice A and sound great, the
same Mic might sound flat or mediocre with voice B.
BLUE Snowball
USB Microphone
For portability, there are a few options that not only will record
live shows, podcasts, or audio to go with video recording, but
can also be plugged into a PA system to record the audio and
can be plugged into your computer and used as a USB mic.
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Samson ZOOM H2n for as low as $180
Samson ZOOM H4n for as low as $270
SAMSON
Zoom H2n
SAMSON
Zoom H4n
Home Recording Tutorial
By: Andrew McKee
For the upgrade to standard microphones that can be used at a pro level, you
can start with a small set that will handle most of your needs quite well.
I recommend:
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1 solid vocal condenser Mic
2 solid condenser instrument Mics
1 solid dynamic Mic
Condenser Instrument Microphones
Vocal Condenser Microphones
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Behringer C1 $50
MXL V67G $80
Studio Projects B1 $100
Audio-Technica AT2035 $150
MXL 2003A $170
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Behringer C1
~$50
MXL-603S $100
AKG C1000s $150
MXL V67G
~$80
Dynamic Microphones
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Shure SM57 $100
Shure SM58 $100
AKG D5 $100
If possible, try out the Mics at a music store. They won’t carry them all but see
what they have. Now don’t go there on a Saturday afternoon and expect
help! Go on a Tuesday afternoon if possible or any slow time in order to find
the employees standing around and ask. They often have a setup to try and
be prepared with something to sing or speak. Try each mic and listen back
on their good speakers. See which one sounds the best for your voice!
Studio Projects B1
~$100
Audio-Technica
AT2035 ~$150
This is the breakdown of the 3 microphone sections:
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For the Vocal Condenser Mics, get what you can afford but keep in mind
some of you might have voices that sound better on the $50 mic than
they will on the $150 mic. Also, if finances are very tight, the Shure SM57
can work well for vocals and play double duty. Some singers prefer it.
For the Condenser Instrument Mics, you want a pair of them to handle
stereo recording of instruments. The prices are listed for individual mics
but you can buy them in pairs and sometimes for a good discount. If on a
budget, you can get one for now and use a Shure SM57 as the second Mic
for the stereo recording. Sometimes that even works better depending
on the instrument.
For the Dynamic Microphones, Get the Shure SM57! I can’t stress this
enough! It also doubles as the best inexpensive mic for recording anything bass or low. The Shure SM58 is more for vocals at live shows but is a
solid vocal mic for recording if necessary. The AKG D5 is like the SM58
and is just an alternative vocal Mic. Some people prefer it and it is at least
an alternative to try.
MXL-603S
~$100
Shure SM57
~$100
Shure SM58
~$100
AKG C1000s
~150
AKG D5
~$100
Home Recording Tutorial
By: Andrew McKee
2.
Input and Speaker Selection
"How do I plug it in?"
With professional microphones, you need input devices to connect them to
your computer. There are a few different ways to connect them but USB is by
far the easiest. Now the first 2 are only dual input so you can only record 2
things at once. That is not bad but can be limiting depending on your needs.
For simple home stuff that is fine but 4 inputs will work for most projects so if
you can afford it, I would recommend going with the 44VSL. I realize it is
more expensive but if you are not in a hurry, they do go on sale now and then
for a noticeable discount.
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Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 for $150
PreSonus AudioBox 22VSL for $200
PreSonus AudioBox 44VSL for $300
Keep in mind with Mics and the input device, you will need cables.
For good inexpensive cables, I recommend monoprice.com.
http://www.monoprice.com/Category?c_id=102&cp_id=10244
Or EWI cables at audiopile.net
http://www.audiopile.net/products/Mic_Instr_Cables/Mic_Cables_2.shtml
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Presonus Audiobox 22VSL
Presonus Audiobox 44VSL
Speakers are important to hear what you are working on and in making
adjustments. Good ones can be expensive. If money is an issue, get good
headphones and use those for now. They aren’t the best for mixing and
mastering but they aren’t bad and they are the best for hearing those subtle
problems with the recordings such as little clicks, distortions, and noise. Do
invest in good studio speakers when you can though.
Sony MDR-V6
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Sony MDR-V6 Headphones for $85
Sennheiser HD280 for $100
Yamaha HS50ms
Studio Speakers are probably the most important part of a studio. Really
$300/ pair
though, put as much money into the speakers as you can. Anything less than
5 inch speakers is probably a waste unless you really need the portability. Sennheiser HD280
The Yamaha HS50ms is getting a little harder to find these days but it is still
the best bang for the buck. If you can afford it though, upgrade to the
Equator D5. It is fairly new and is getting a lot of press and good reviews.
Those are both 5 inch speakers but if you can afford $600+ step up in size to a
Yamaha HS80M.
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Yamaha HS50ms for $300/pair
Equator D5 for $400/pair
Equator D5 $400 pair
Home Recording Tutorial
By: Andrew McKee
3.
Software Selection
"What’s a Daw?"
A DAW is a Digital Audio Workstation with which you can record, edit, and
play back audio. In a nutshell, we are looking at a software program that
does it all! Pro Tools is the industry standard but is also expensive. There are
many other options depending on what Operating System you are running.
Several good ones are open source and free. You will probably get a free lite
version DAW with a USB input device. They usually work well but are crippled a bit and their thinking is that when you upgrade, you will buy their full
version for several hundred because you are already comfortable with it. You
should if possible start with something solid that you will continue using and
that is well supported so I recommend Reaper. It costs around $65 and is
very worth it for that low of a price.
For PC
• Audacity for free (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)
• Reaper for $65 (http://www.cockos.com/reaper/)
For Mac
GarageBand for free
Ardour for free (http://ardour.org/)
Audacity for free (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)
Reaper for $65 (http://www.cockos.com/reaper/)
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For Linux
• Ardour for free (http://ardour.org/)
• Audacity for free (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)
• Linux MultiMedia Studio (http://lmms.sourceforge.net/)
The DAWs usually contain decent plugins: compressors, EQ, reverb etc. but
sometimes they are a little generic and having options is a good thing. There
are many free plugins and some of them are surprisingly good!
This site contains several plugins that are quite good and interesting.
http://varietyofsound.wordpress.com/downloads
This site has several mainstream style plugins that are good quality.
http://antress.blogspot.com/
Here are a couple of sites that have many free plugins although a lot of them
are fairly specialized.
http://www.kvraudio.com/
http://www.vstwarehouse.com/
Home Recording Tutorial
By: Andrew McKee
4. Location
"Where should i record?"
The question of where to record can be a controversial one these days. The "old school" way was to find a
place that had a lot of vocal character. In the studios of old, they would open up doors to the outside or to
the stairwell to get more vocal character in the recordings. I heard of an Elvis recording where at one point,
you could hear the sound of someone getting a cola from a machine that was located down the hall, down
the stairs, and down another hall in the studio. Now that is character! These days the usual technique is to
go into a small dead room where the walls are treated with a sound absorbing material so that there is
absolutely no character in the recording. That way, the engineer can add character in post with many
different effects and make it sound however they want. It always sounded a little fake to me but I'm more of
a folk musician and for voice work, having a standard sound from every recording you do is quite valuable.
Since those rooms are expensive, we'll look at alternatives.
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You can do some sound testing in the different rooms available to you in
different places in each room facing different directions. It sounds like a
lot to do but you will be surprised how different each place can sound.
Just listen to which recording sounds better to you.
I have found that avoiding facing a wall is a good idea in most homes or
apartments. Face a corner and as a result, the sound of your voice won't
bounce right back to you. It will instead bounce around the room a bit
before it comes back to you. This will add subtle character to your voice
instead of bouncing right back fairly loud and competing with your voice.
If you are recording at your computer, instead of recording facing the
monitor, set up the mic so that you are facing a little to the side. This
includes headset mics.
If you are taking voice recording very seriously for different projects, a
good solution is a recording box. For a mic to sound good and tight you
don't need to be inside a sound box - only the microphone does. So you
could buy a simple two foot by two foot five-sided collapsible box made
out of foam core, line it with acoustic foam (often available in 24" X 24"
tiles), stick your microphone inside, and speak and/or sing into it. Now
good acoustic foam costs money. You can buy a box premade for as low
as $55. And again, this is probably overkill but it would be portable so it
could be used on the road. It will help, so the cheapest option is this one:
http://www.diyhometheatersupply.com/Portable-Vocal-Sound-BoothStudio-Black-Semi-R-p/af-w-portabks.htm As an example, some more
expensive options would be here: http://voiceoveressentials.com/
If you live in a loud neighborhood or your roomie has a jackhammer
hobby, you could record in your car. You may be surprised but one of the
best designed acoustic spaces on earth is the modern automobile. If you
can drive somewhere quiet and your recording setup is portable, it can
be a good option!
Voice Over "Porta-Booth" Quality
recordings on the go and on the cheap
The Box and the sound foam fold
and compress away for travel
Home Recording Tutorial
By: Andrew McKee
5. Mic Placement
"Which side do i talk into?"
Mic placement is a bit of a lost art. Fifty plus years ago, there were guys
whose sole job was to place microphones in order to get the most out of the
performer and the room. They used placement as a way to equalize the
audio! That is skill..... That being said, the distance from the mic, your own
volume, and how sensitive the mic is should all be taken into consideration
when figuring out where to place your mic. Here are some basic tips to help
with getting a good sound no matter what mic you use.
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If using a desk mic, make sure it is on a stable surface that won't vibrate at
all. Try not to place it on the same table as your computer which does
vibrate! If it must be on the same table, place it as far away as possible.
Ideally for vocals, you want to be between 3" and 6" inches away from the
mic. You want to be that close because it will sound like you are right next
to the people listening to the recording.
When you are close to a mic, your breath can hit the mic screen and cause
a "pop" sound that is difficult to get rid of. The two methods you can use
are to either get a pop screen for the mic or to simply talk a little to one
side of the mic so your breath doesn't hit the mic at all. The sound will
still get to the mic fine. A pop screen can either be some foam
surrounding the mic or a mic attachment that has a ring with a pantyhose
-like material between you and the mic. Your voice will go through it but
your breath will be stopped by the material. If you are doing other work
with the mic, pop screens are a good idea but facing a little to one side is
fine.
Headset mics are usually a little to the side anyway so they should be fine.
If they aren't to the side, try to move them so that they are.
Mics are a lot more sensitive than you think they are. Always try to
minimize sound everywhere around you.
While I wrote you should get close to the Mic for singing, adjust a bit
while you sing. If you have a powerful part that is very loud, back off a bit.
Then get closer when the volume decreases. Even out the levels before
you even finish recording and start post production. You’ll see pros do
this all the time.
On the levels meter, try to keep it from
going much over what it shows below.
Your display on your DAW might look
a little bit different but the percentage
should be about the same. You always
want a sound check to check levels.
Pop Filter for keeping breath
noise from recording
Foam Ball-Type Mic
Windscreen - fits over mic
This visual representation of a female
voice recording looks pretty good and
maxes out around 50% of the volume.
This is ok and usable but 75% would
be better. Raise the gain during a
sound check to get it just right.
Home Recording Tutorial
By: Andrew McKee
6. Sound Recording Principles and Terms
"The DB was high but the Bitrate was low"
There are several terms and concepts that in doing even basic sound engineering, you are
going to run into.. Some of these are a bit tough to grasp and are not easy to find a simple
explanation of. Lets go over these and this should help a lot if you read this carefully.
dB (Decibels)
You probably heard of this in High School as a measurement of volume. Maybe you even
remember a few examples like 120dB is TOO loud! The problem is decibels is a vague term
and can mean different things. Without going into too much math, it measures the power of
something. In recorded audio, it usually means loudness and the higher the number, the
louder it is.
-dB (Decibels)
This is tricky! Essentially, in recording, music can’t be recorded louder than a certain point. If
it does, it is known as clipping and sounds distorted. They had to reference that point so
they call it zero. Volume below that is listed as -1dB below, -2dB below, etc… Now It is a bit
counterintuitive but it is easier after you start working on mixing and mastering music to
look at it that way.
A meter showing
volume during
playback.
Notice how it is at 0
at the top and goes
down –dB from there.
Frequency (Measured in Hz (Hertz) or kHz (Kilohertz))
Frequency can be considered to be a musical note. For example, an A note above middle C
on a piano has a frequency of 440Hz. Usually humans can hear the range of 20Hz to
20,000Hz (20kHz). This is the range of sound you are recording and this is very important Here’s the Basic Math
because you can make changes to the sound in certain frequencies to make a recording
sound more present or to make it less muddy or for many many other reasons.
A CD has a sample rate
Sample Rate (Measured in kHz (Kilohertz))
The sample rate is how many samples of the audio are taken to record it per second. There is
some serious math, that I won’t get into, that has been around for 70+ years that says if you
want to get an accurate representation of sound on a recording, you have to take twice the
number of samples as the highest frequency recorded. Since the highest frequency is 20,000
Hz, you want a sample rate of at least 40,000 Hz. That is why CDs use a sample rate of 44,100
Hz or 44.1 kHz. DVDs use 48.8 kHz. Really though, you don’t need higher than CD quality.
Bit Depth (measured in bits)
This means how many bits are used per sample taken. 16bit is used on CDs but higher is
better for using effects. You get a surgical response using effects with 24 or 32 bit depth.
Bit Rate (Usually measured in kbps)
Bit rate is a measurement of how much data is allocated to store a given second of audio.
You are probably familiar with 128kbps Mp3s. This just uses 128kilobits of data every second
in storing the audio. Usually the more data you use, the better represented the sound is.
of 44,100 Hz and a bit
depth of 16bit. That
means that 16 bits
which equals 2 bytes is
used every sample so
44,100 times a sec.
That means that for an
uncompressed
wav
file at CD quality, it
takes 44,100 X 2 =
88,200 bytes or 88.2kB
to store a second of
audio.
That equals
5292kB for a mono
track for a minute. For
Stereo, you double
that to 10584kB or
10.5 MB (megabytes)
to store a minute of
Audio.
Home Recording Tutorial
By: Andrew McKee
7. Effects Explained
"Compression isn’t just for mp3s"
What is EQ?
Equalization involves increasing or decreasing the emphasis of
certain frequencies of sound. On a piano, it would be like
making one key louder or softer than the rest. It could also
change a small or large group of keys the same way. The result
for voice is it can change how trebly, tinny, harsh, nasal, honky,
bassy, boomy, and most other audible descriptions the sound
is. A little means a lot here and although you can’t hear much
difference raising a frequency group 1dB, you can a little at
1.5db. Try never to raise a frequency group more than 6dB.
There are many EQ charts with tips for instruments:
http://www.menet.umn.edu/~kgeisler/EQ/primer.htm
This EQ doesn’t have sliders but you can select a frequency like
you see there, (204,59 Hz). It is raised 2.47dB. The Q number is
how wide the range of frequencies is. The curved Q number
effect you see tends to make it sound more natural.
What is Reverb?
Reverb is short for reverberation and that is the quality of
audio in a location where you hear the sound bouncing off the
walls adding an ethereal quality that is often pleasing. Think of
why your voice sounds good in the shower and it is because of
all of the tiles that reflect sound very well. This type of effect
emulates that. Some reverbs will try to simulate an actual
room while others just use an algorithm to simulate it. Both
can be good and believe me, unless you are trying to make it
sound like you are in a cathedral, a little means a lot. Reverbs
are very very different. They often have very different types of
settings so it might not help to give an example. Let’s just say
they normally have a lot of presets with good descriptions and
you should try them out. When you find one you like, usually
there is a Wet and Dry setting listed as a percentage. The Dry is
the original signal and you probably want to leave that at
100%. The Wet you can raise or lower to taste until it sounds
good in the mix.
What is Compression?
Compression raises the volume of the audio while keeping the
loudest parts from increasing in volume. The net effect is that
the quieter parts of the audio are made louder and the overall
sound sounds more full and even. The downside is that it
tends to remove volume changes and dynamics in the audio.
This is a decent vocal setup. The ratio is how much it keeps the
loudest parts from getting louder. A low ratio means it uses
less compression. The threshold depicts where you think the
place between what is loud and what is soft is. This is very
important and there are tools in your DAW software that can
show you a chart of where the loudest parts are and give you
an idea what to put there. Otherwise, trial and error can get
you a good sound. Compression will tend to make the audio
softer so with the gain option, raise the volume until it sounds
the same volume as before. Attack is how fast the compressor
comes in with the audio and release is when it cuts off with the
sound. Use presets for now because that is more complicated
to explain and a vocal preset will have a good attack and
release for you vocals for now. The same is true for instrument
presets. Just use something close to what you are recording.
What is Noise Reduction?
Noise Reduction plugins usually come with the DAW software
although others can be purchased. Learn how to use these
through Youtube, tutorials, or even the manual. There is
always going to be noise and although you try to minimize it
while recording, using this during mixing, at least with subtle
settings, is a good idea!
Home Recording Tutorial
By: Andrew McKee
7. Effects Explained cont.
"To Autotune or not to Autotune"
What is a DeEsser?
While recording vocals, you will often pick up what is called
sibilance with S and CH sounds. It sounds like compressed air
escaping. A DeEsser plugin can remove that and there are
sometimes presets for male and female vocals. Usually you
just have to put it on the vocal track and it takes care of it. Just
give it a listen after you do to make sure it sounds natural. A
way to avoid it when you are recording is to sing a little to one
side of the mic, not directly into it.
What is an Exciter/Enhancer?
An exciter is a plugin that uses combinations of effects like
Compression, EQ, doubling, etc. to add some shimmer to the
sound. The name means it makes it more exciting and it can in
moderation. It can add some life to a dull track. Just don’t
overdo it or it sounds fake. A little goes a long way here!
What is a Limiter/Gate?
A limiter is a compressor that has an infinite ratio. This means
that whatever the threshold is, it will not allow the sound to
get louder than that. You can keep raising the volume and
making the softer stuff louder but nothing gets louder than
that point. This can be useful when you are mastering and
don’t want the song to clip over zero so you set the limiter to
just under that. A gate is a crude from of volume control that
sets a volume level and if the sound gets below that, it doesn’t
allow any sound through. If it goes above that volume, it will
allow everything through. There are some more parameters
that can affect that but that is it in a nutshell. You can use it to
get rid of noise during silence in a recording but there are
better tools for that now. There are some creative uses for
gates but that is a little more advanced and for now you get
the gist.
What is AutoTune?
Autotuning comes from a program by Antares called Autotune
which caused a lot of controversy . You could record a vocalist
and fix tuning problems making them sound much better than
their talent/experience should allow. That being said, many
DAWs including Reaper contain a basic version of an autotune
program. Some instruments are very difficult to keep in tune
and if you use non-traditional instruments for a project, even
more so. Sometimes a recorded take you had with a singer
was great except for one note but now they are traveling in
Canada so you either fix that one note or wait. Really though,
autotuning is overdone in the industry, plain and simple, but
for the right reasons and if done in a subtle way, it can be a
valuable tool. Just don’t rely on it.
What is Delay and Echo?
Delay and Echo are similar to Reverb. Delay does exactly what
it says, it takes the sound and creates a second version of the
same sound but plays it a little later. This does add some very
interesting effects for people hearing it such as beefing up the
sound, making it sound fuller, making it sound like two people
are singing, and/or give it a live sound where the delay is the
sound going through a mic that is farther away on stage.
Delay is used a LOT in audio and is next on the list after the big
three: compression, reverb, and EQ. Some types of music use it
more than others but it is worth understanding and spending
time on.
Echo is exactly what it says. It is a very slow delay or reverb
with which the sounds are fairly separate creating the “echo in
the canyon” effect. It is certainly not used all the time but can
be a good effect to emphasize a word, add a ghostly sound,
etc.
What is Chorus/Doubling?
You can take a vocal track, add some Chorus, and with some
settings that change it’s pitch and tempo a bit, it will sound
like there are two singers. You can add more than two and it
can be subtle enough to just beef up the vocals a bit or can be
extreme enough to sound like a group of singers. It also can
be good for background vocals and sound natural.
What is Normalization?
Normalization maxes out the volume in the track by putting
the loudest part just below zero and raising everything else
selected to the same level.
What is Flange/Distortion/Vocoders?
Flange is a quick delay that cancels out frequencies and has a
odd whooshing effect. It is very distinctive, is rarely used
outside electric guitars, and can easily be overdone. It is an
interesting effect though so to add a distinctive sound to an
instrument, check it out.
Distortion is usually an effect added to guitars. A little goes a
long way and there are a lot of routes to go. If you play that
kind of guitar, try some presets and see what you like.
Vocoders digitally affect sound and are a unique effect. It can
give you a robot voice of many flavors, make you sound quite
elderly, or just add a different flavor to an instrument in a very
subtle way to keep it from clashing with a similar instrument.
It was popular in the 80s (Think Mr. Roboto) but makes an
appearance now and then.
Home Recording Tutorial
By: Andrew McKee
8. Mixing, Mastering, and the Signal Path
"In the beginning, there was light… and then came noise reduction"
Mixing
When you are putting effects for a track in your DAW, the order of the effects can greatly affect the sound.
For mixing, the general order of effects on an individual track would be:
EQ—Compression—Reverb/Delay/etc—EQ
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The first EQ is usually to cut out bad frequencies or to fix problems. With Vocals for instance, anything
below around 125Hz or sometimes more isn’t used. It’s just noise. You should completely remove those
frequencies because they are just taking up space.
You almost always use at least a little compression because it almost always makes a track sound better.
Just remember that a little bit means a lot.
Not everything needs reverb but Vocals usually do and many instruments benefit from at least a little.
The Last EQ is mainly for sweetening and enhancing the track making it sound better.
When trying to get the different tracks to sound good together in the song, you tend to group the tracks as
similar types of instruments or by pitch such as bass, treble, and vocals. First you blend each group so that it
sounds good together, then you blend the groups together by changing the volume of each track and each
group.
Panning is another way to separate the tracks in the song and have them stand out. With panning, you can
make a track sound louder in the right speaker or the left. It gives the illusion to the listener of a stage where
on instrument is more on the right and another is more on the left while the lead singer is right in the middle.
There is a program put together to have a lot of tips for recording and mixing called Studio Buddy. Check it
out at: http://www.studiobuddy.com/
Mastering
In mastering, you don’t normally add many effects. It is usually for fixing any strange sounds and a little
sweetening to even out the blending of the different tracks. For mastering, the general order of effects on a
individual track would be:
Compression—EQ—Limiting
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You can put EQ first if things need fixing but in general, compression is first. You normally would just put
a somewhat gentle compression on the song to help everything fit together.
With EQ, you are just trying to fix any frequencies that are too hot and maybe give a little bass boost to
your taste as well as a little high treble boost to sweeten the sound.
With limiting, you are trying to make the song as loud as you want it to be while keeping it from clipping.
You usually check the songs average RMS in your DAW and use that for a general idea of how loud it is.
You would try to keep it between –18dB to –12dB depending on the style of music. I usually try to go for
–15dB just to compete since I don’t do Rock music.
I know I left many things out and only gave a basic understanding of others but this was set up for people just
getting started. I tried to make sure I included concepts that were difficult for me when I started and this should
get you on the right path. Just remember that with Audio, there is no “right” way to do it so don’t get caught up in
habits or doctrines and don’t be afraid to just try something. You sometimes get great results.