What You Should Walk Away With
No tears, but we are at the end of our journey. Here's a checklist of topics and concepts that you should carry away from this book. If you have a good grasp on these concepts, you have built a solid foundation.
Basics of Sound: You should know what makes up a sound. You should understand terms like amplitude, frequency, and pitch. The basics of how music is represented as waves of sound is very important.
Microphones: What is the difference between a dynamic and a condenser microphone? When and where should you use each? How should you set them up for different instruments? What are the usual techniques involved?
Gain: What is gain? What sorts of instruments output low gain? Why can't you plug a microphone directly into a recorder? Why won't a guitar or bass plug in directly without a direct box? How do decibels affect sound loudness? And why is 0dB considered the loudest possible sound in some cases, and the softest possible sound in other cases?
Mixers: What is the basic idea of a mixer? When would you need one, and when might you be able to live without one? What's an insert? How do aux effects work? What is busing and what do master sections do?
Effects: What's the difference between an insert effect and an auxiliary effect? Why would you never use reverb as an insert effect? Why would you only use compression as an insert effect? Why would you want to use compression? How are a compressor and a limiter related?
Software: What is MIDI? What is a sequencer? What does DAW mean? What are the advantages of computers? Conversely, what are their disadvantages? What is the function of a plug-in? What is a virtual instrument?
Recorders: What is a studio-in-a-box? How is digital sound different from analog? Why is tape dying out? Why is the computer so popular?
That's a lot of questions to answer. No one said this was going to be easy, but you persevered. Congratulations! Now what? Get into your new studio and make music. Mix and master it into a final product and get it out for the world to hear. Post it online. This whole journey started out with a desire to capture and create music. Don't lose sight of that goal. Enjoy your new studio.
