You are currently browsing the category archive for the 'Articles for Beginners' category.
Some of the easiest ways to improve your recordings are also the cheapest. In fact, the most effective techniques require no money at all. Here’s a collection of tips you might find helpful the next time a pricey piece of gear stands between you and great recordings. Help from others Have a friend perform: Home […]
Read the full post ...Tags: arrangement, mixing, professional-engineers
The process of normalization often confuses newcomers to digital audio production. The word itself, “normalize,” has various meanings, and this certainly contributes to the confusion. However, beginners and experts alike are also tripped up by the myths and misinformation that abound on the topic. I address the 10 most common myths, and the truth behind […]
Read the full post ...Here are some tips and techniques for treating vocal tracks with EQ while mixing. Most importantly: Every voice is different, and every song is different. That advice bears remembering, even if you’ve heard it dozens of times. When you find yourself approaching a vocal mix on auto-pilot, applying effects “because they worked last time,” consider […]
Read the full post ...I keep a collection of audio samples designed to help check my monitor setup. Test tones, essentially, that I use after I’ve moved my speakers or desk, to ensure the speakers still behave as they should. I’ve included 4 of the samples below, and I hope you find them useful – and possibly enlightening. Each […]
Read the full post ...Over time, I’ve noted several questions that arise repeatedly on the web’s home recording forums. Each question reads as though it should have a simple answer, but none of them do. And indeed, the questions themselves betray their askers’ lack of experience with the subject. In effect, posing one of these questions tells the world […]
Read the full post ...Tags: EQ, FAQs, microphones, miking, mixing, professional-engineers
For most home recordists, working with cheap microphones is a fact of life. “Amateur” and “budget-constrained” are practically synonymous in audio engineering. But cheap doesn’t have to mean bad. With a little effort, even the most cost-conscious mic owner can capture great sounds. To that end, here are 7 tips for getting the most from […]
Read the full post ...Tags: EQ, microphones, miking
I’m amazed when I compare Glyn Johns’s early mixes of Let It Be with Phil Spector’s final release. The music and performances are the same, but the mixes couldn’t sound more different. Shouldn’t these men, both professionals practicing a time-honoured craft, have created similar mixes with the same material? Of course, no two listeners hear […]
Read the full post ...Tags: compression, EQ, mixing, professional-engineers, tracking
I spend as much time as any guitar player tweaking knobs to find great tones. Here are some links that have helped me in the quest: First, the effect of pickups on guitar tone: Even though we each have different ideas about our ultimate tone, I think we’re all looking for a rich sound – […]
Read the full post ...Tags: guitars
Inspired by “engineering screw-ups” on Gearslutz, here’s a list of recording and mixing bloopers that made it past the mixing room onto the final release. These aren’t performance missteps, where the band missed a cue, or the singer came in too soon. There are certainly countless examples of those but most were included intentionally, to […]
Read the full post ...Tags: humour, mixing, professional-engineers
It’s easy enough to play with mic placement on your guitar amp, but it’s not always practical, especially if you record by yourself. This video highlights the main miking positions, and how each affects the guitar’s tone.
Read the full post ...Here’s a classic thread from Prosoundweb with some of the pros sharing their thoughts on getting a thick guitar sound: It’s a lot of things, but most importainly[sic] it’s the blend of guitars and bass in the arrangement. If you listen closely to your fav guitar sounds, the guitars aren’t really that big on their […]
Read the full post ...Tags: guitars
Here are a couple of sites I’ve enjoyed recently that you might not have seen: Homemade noize, a growing collection of DIY projects and software plugins, mostly aimed at amateur recording enthusiasts. And Spinmeister’s Extreme Mixer (eMXR) site, which focuses on online collaboration and remixing. From the site: Long held business models for recorded music […]
Read the full post ...Tags: collaboration, diy
Michael Dean and Chris Caulder have released a CC-licensed (and free) eBook about making music digitally: Digital Music – DIY Now! The book claims to be “for people who want to record their own compositions and get them out to the World” and “for people who want a career making music for films, TV, and […]
Read the full post ...Tags: business, home-studio, music-business
I’m Canadian, so I glaze over in most discussions of U.S. domestic policy. Accordingly, I have basically ignored the debate over Internet radio royalty rates. But my interest has increased after reading two well-reasoned opinions on how the debate bears directly on independent musicians. The first, in Business Week: The outrage against the CRB rates […]
Read the full post ...Tags: business
For a sales video, this “recording guitar” primer from Presonus is surprisingly effective, especially if you struggle to get a usable tone from acoustic or electric guitar:
Read the full post ...I ask most people I talk to where they listen to music: On a home stereo system? Through headphones? In the car? While I haven’t tracked the answers scientifically, I’d say the breakdown looks roughly like: Headphones or earphones: 60% PC speakers: 20% Car speakers: 10% HiFi speakers: 10% A recent CEA study adds that […]
Read the full post ...This collection of home recording studio pictures might give you some ideas for your own space. Or cause drool-inducing envy.
Read the full post ...Tags: home-studio, pictures, video
I spend a lot of time, in and out of the studio, with my ears covered, plugged, or otherwise shielded from loud sounds. I do it to protect my hearing, of course, but I wasn’t always as diligent as I am now. The motivation behind my (possible over)use of earplugs was my discovery a few […]
Read the full post ...Tags: hearing, professional-engineers
Double-tracking a vocal is a tried and true technique for adding character to (or covering flaws in) a vocal track. Here are two threads from homerecording.com on doubling vocals: [Thread 1], [Thread 2]: Double tracking really depends on the vocalist being in control of his/her performance. Some people are good at it and some people […]
Read the full post ...Tags: vocals
Home Studio Bootcamp in this month’s EQ magazine has some great tips on improving your home studio’s acoustics (or at least making the best of the existing sound.) … for the truly broke, a rug on the floor, a bookcase on the wall, or even a strategically placed sofa between the source and the walls […]
Read the full post ...Tags: acoustics
I changed the web site to a 3-column layout today, and added a “live preview” feature to the comment form. If you see anything that looks out of place, I’d appreciate a heads-up. You can leave a comment, or email des at hometracked.
Read the full post ...Tags: hometracked
Linkin Park’s singles often inspire the question “haven’t they already written this song?” An mp3 that does the rounds from time to time mixes Numb (on the left) and Pushing Me Away (on the right) to illustrate this with almost comical effect: All Linken Park Songs Sound Exactly The Same. As shown below, and forgive […]
Read the full post ...Make a cassette loop for about 6 seconds: As some of the commenters note, this could be used for old school loop-based effects. Exactly HOW you’d do that is not covered, of course. The Time Correction Wiki: Described as a website “dedicated to the study and practice of time correction techniques in audio engineering and […]
Read the full post ...Tags: diy
A quick note: Create Digital Music hit their sponsors up for a pile of music hardware and software to give away (to U.S. residents.) Free stuff is good, free music stuff better.
Read the full post ...Tags: hardware
I haven’t updated Hometracked regularly the last few weeks because I’ve been busy working on a project with my frequent collaborator Rich Brewer. Rich and I realized a month ago that we have a lot of unrecorded and unproduced material between us. Enough, we hope, for a decent album. So we’ve decided to record the […]
Read the full post ...Tags: hometracked
Whether via search or link from a web forum, every few months I find myself back at the fantastic Sound On Sound article Using Equalisation. And as with Equal Time, the Electronic Musician I linked to before, I get something new from the Sound on Sound piece every time I read it. The article covers […]
Read the full post ...Tags: EQ
Unless they have cheap wireless internet on the cruise ship, it’ll probably be quiet around here for the rest of the week …
Read the full post ...Tags: hometracked
Hometracked’s most-visited pages in February: Great FREE vocal plugin chain 10 hallmarks of amateur recordings The RIAA is not evil Use Tape saturation for better mixes
Read the full post ...Tags: home-studio
Lava lamps may not improve your mixes, but your recording space really isn’t complete without one. Here are 1300 lava lamps on Flickr.
Read the full post ...Tags: pictures, studioporn
I mentioned Charles Dye in the post on using distortion for better mixes. Dye turned his Hard Disk Life series of articles into a (highly touted) video tutorial called Mix It Like A Record. Here’s a clip from the video, with Dye discussing his use of channel-strip emulators, which add distortion, to achieve a more […]
Read the full post ...Tags: distortion, professional-engineers, video
Focus on noise: Even if you record digitally, electrical equipment in your room can cause interference in your analog gear. 3 common sources of noise: Lights, mobile phones, and monitors. Try recording a track normally, then re-record with your lights and phones and monitors turned off. If there’s a difference, you’ve got noise to eliminate. […]
Read the full post ...Tags: tips-digest, vocals
It’s Vista Launch Day, and Create Digital Music has the shortlist of music software with full Vista compatibility. I certainly would not make Vista my primary system at this point, but a dual-boot might be very feasible (and will probably remain the best option for some time). We’ll track compatibility here; I expect to have […]
Read the full post ...Tags: newsdigest
Mix Magazine’s Classic Tracks looks at Phil Collins, and the recording of Face Value: The famous drum fill, Collins contends, could have been anything. What is on the record is what came out at the moment. “When people talk about the ‘Phil Collins drum sound,’ that is actually a huge variety of drum sounds,†Collins […]
Read the full post ...Tags: drums, freeplugins, professional-engineers, vst
How does one capture that transparent acoustic guitar sound? I like to record steel stringed acoustic guitars with two mics, one aimed at the bridge and one aimed towards the neck, just about where the neck meets the body. The mic aimed at the bridge will get the bright stuff and the one aimed at […]
Read the full post ...Tags: guitars
Basements Become Recording Studios But advances in computer equipment have made it easier to set up a high-quality music studio with a relatively small budget — for teenagers with a couple of guitars and a drum set as well as entrepreneurs with professional aspirations. World’s first 1 terabyte drive Hitachi’s storage division has unveiled what […]
Read the full post ...Tags: newsdigest
From Revolution Audio, 5 ways to speed up your work. Tips on improving your efficiency without upgrading your hardware. [A] disorganized studio is no help to anyone… The first key to organization: making a space for everything. Do you have a place to hang your mic cords? Do you store your mics and stands when […]
Read the full post ...Tags: home-studio
Brandon at RecordingReview.com has developed the Home Recording Soundcard Wizard, “the easiest way to find a soundcard that is right for you.” As a newbie, it’s tough to get straight answers as to what you really need. You have to do a month of research just to figure out what you need to research. Well […]
Read the full post ...Tags: hardware
Music biz hopes to profit from consumer content Rather than just suing YouTube and its ilk for how their sites are used, the music industry can now profit from them, not to mention reap the promotional benefits. Musical mash-ups, once fought by record labels, are going mainstream Some record companies are moving from suing mash-up […]
Read the full post ...Tags: newsdigest
Equalizers are mysterious beasts for beginners. And the advice most commonly offered, “try different things” and “use your ears,” is meaningless when you don’t know what you should be trying, and what your ears should be hearing. John Vestman’s EQ Settings That Will Make Your Mixes Come Alive has just those types of getting-started tips. […]
Read the full post ...From PCRecording.com (though the advice applies equally to recording on a Mac,) here are some basic things to consider when mixing: One major mistake many make is to mix by addition rather than subtraction. That is, if you cannot hear one track well enough you turn it up. In addition, the level changes are oftentimes […]
Read the full post ...Tags: mix-tutorials, mixing
We’ve all experienced it: 3 seconds into a track you’ve never heard, you know instinctively that it was recorded and mixed in someone’s bedroom. Amateur recordings often sound “amateur.” But what differentiates these hometracked opuses from professional recordings? It’s not just fidelity or sonic quality: Many competent engineers produce lo-fi or distorted mixes on purpose, […]
Read the full post ...Tags: EQ, mixing, performance, production, snare-drum, vocals
Paul White (the editor of Sound On Sound) gives us the A Concise Guide to Compression and Limiting, a great introduction to the subject. When it comes to individual tracks, it is pretty much routine to compress vocals, bass guitars, acoustic guitars and occasionally electric guitars, though overdriven guitar sounds tend to be self compressing […]
Read the full post ...Tags: compression
Here are a couple of great articles on recording better vocal tracks. Successful Techniques for Recording Vocals from Electronic Musician covers the entire process, from preparing the singer, and microphone selection, to compressing the final track. The 10 tips on page 6 also make a handy reference. I want to dispel the myth that large-diaphragm […]
Read the full post ...Tags: vocals
Omnidirectional microphones pick up sound from all directions, so an omni mic on a guitar cabinet or vocal will capture more of the room sound. Depending on your recording environment, this can be both good and bad.
Read the full post ...Tags: microphones
Regardless of your comfort level with EQ, it’s worth setting aside 15 minutes to read this fantastic article in Electronic Musician: Equalizers: Equal time “The Bonham kick drum is the quintessential rock drum sound,” Martin explains. “I usually obtain it by boosting the frequencies between 120 and 240 Hz by about 4 dB or more. […]
Read the full post ...Tags: EQ, production
Many of us learned the basics of compression from books and magazines, but compression can be difficult to grasp this way, especially for hands-on or visual learners. If you’re in that category, you might find enlightenment in these videos (with minimal sales pitch) from t.c. electronics. Straightforward overviews of compression, expansion, limiting, and parallel compression.
Read the full post ...Tags: compression
Here are 5 things you can do right now to improve your recording and mixing skills: Stop worrying that you don’t have a major label sound: You also lack the mics, preamps, converters, and tracking rooms of a major label band. But that shouldn’t hold you back. Remember: listeners want to hear songs, not production; […]
Read the full post ...Tags: reference-cd, songfight
One thing unites engineers of all skills and backgrounds: The need to show off our gear. Here are some threads from gearslutz and hr.com with pictures of: studios drum setups miked guitar cabs It’s pure studioporn, but you’ll probably see some things that make your 2 mics and 4-track look like Abbey Road. Previously: Home […]
Read the full post ...Tags: pictures, studioporn
The Home Recording Pool on photo-sharing site Flickr has great shots of home recording setups all over the Internet.
Read the full post ...You generally shouldn’t record vocals without a pop filter (also called a “pop screen,” “pop shield,” or “popstopper.”) The bassy pops that result from plosive sounds are difficult to remove once a track has been recorded. But unlike most studio gear, you don’t have to spend lots of money for a professional quality pop filter. […]
Read the full post ...Basic Mixing Method – from the Department of Music at Columbia University. This page outlines a straightforward approach to mixing rock tracks: Start with the drums and bass as a foundation, and build on that. Once the fundamental groove is established the vocals or lead instrument should be added. We work with these two elements […]
Read the full post ...Tags: mix-tutorials, mixing
Bruce Bartlett’s article on stereo microphone techniques describes 4 methods of capturing a sound source in stereo. The article focuses on recording ensembles, but the techniques he details can be used anywhere a stereo recording is desired. One goal is accurate localization. That is, the reproduced instruments should appear in the same relative locations as […]
Read the full post ...Tags: microphones, stereo, tracking
From the article Mixing and Mastering Tips for Your Music, Record flat with no effects and instead find the right microphone for the singer. In the mix, roll off everything below 100 Hz and above 12,000 Hz. Add 2-4dB at 160Hz for male vocals or 320Hz for female voice for warmth. Notch out the mid-range, […]
Read the full post ...Habituation is the name for our tendency to respond less to something the more we’re exposed to it. While the concept is academically important to psychologists and biologists, it also has enormous significance for anyone serious about mixing or mastering music. We likely come by this tendency through evolution. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors relied on habituation […]
Read the full post ...Tags: mixing, psychoacoustics, reference-cd
Are you tired of folks constantly asking why you haven’t been signed yet? Wish they would leave you alone to focus on your music? Here are 8 reasons why you might want to avoid a major label record deal. Many contracts still apply deductions for packaging, free goods and returns reserves in calculating an artist�s […]
Read the full post ...If you’ve read about Equal Loudness Contours, but have difficulty applying the concept, try out this fantastic application (Flash) from the University of NSW: This site allows you to measure equal loudness contours–the frequency response of your own ears. The flash script allows you to play sound files with a range of frequencies and sound […]
Read the full post ...Tags: hearing
The Web contains dozens of pages written for amateurs learning to mix. Some pages are simple collections of tips, while others are in-depth walkthroughs, containing advice of benefit to even seasoned engineers. I collect the best pages here, updating as I find tutorials with something of value. If you’re new to the science (and art) […]
Read the full post ...Tags: mix-tutorials, mixing
