Home Recording
There's a middle ground between making a worktape and paying for time in a professional studio. If you have a little time, some money, and a do-it-yourself attitude, buying some home recording gear can, in the long run, save you time and money and help you learn about the recording process. These days, the options for home recording are virtually limitless and can be tailored to fit most budgets.
The Four-TracksThe best-known piece of home recording gear is the four-track recorder, which is relatively inexpensive (often under a hundred bucks, used) and easy to use. A four-track has four independent tracks, which means that you can record guitar, vocal, bass, and drums, or any other combination of four inputs, with each on its own track. Moreover, four-tracks are available in various analog and digital formats and most have built-in mixers. The best use for a four-track is for working out ideas before going into the studio.
Most professional songwriters will tape a song as soon as it's done, then do a GV and/or home-recorded multi-track version before beginning a full production demo. Using these different stages can help you iron out the bugs in your song and make production decisions before going into the studio.
Cassette-based systems are also available in six- and eight-track configurations and reel-to-reel machines have up to twenty-four tracks. As you subdivide an analog tape into more tracks, it leaves less room for each track. This can result in lower fidelity and more “bleed through” between channels. Because of this, you may want to consider using a one- or two-inch reel-to-reel system for analog systems over four tracks. (Digital systems don't have this problem.)
Reel-to-reel recorders don't usually have built-in mixers. If you choose a reel-to-reel system, you'll need a mixing board with at least as many channels as your recorder has tracks. Some digital recorders have in excess of fifty tracks and most have built-in mixers.
For making full production demos, the minimum number of tracks you'll need in a system is sixteen. Twenty-four gives you more to play with and thirty-two can handle most sessions. It's easy to use up tracks on a big production: Say you've got a song with a lead vocal, an acoustic guitar, and a click track to keep time so that other players may add their parts later. To these three tracks, you add a drumkit, kick, snare, hi-hat, two rack toms, and a floor tom (each with its own mike and track), and two overheads for cymbals. That takes us up to twelve tracks. Now, let's add bass, electric rhythm guitar, lead guitar (in stereo, no less), piano, organ, mandolin, steel guitar, and fiddle. We're up to twenty-one and counting.
Should I buy studio time or build a studio?
That depends on how much time you want to devote to learning recording techniques. Many songwriters do both. If you want to learn, start with a used four-track and work your way up. Meanwhile, you can still use a professional studio.
Let's add three-part harmony backup vocals, which are often stacked (recorded twice) for a fuller sound. The producer decides to stack the lead vocal in a few key spots, and then the lead guitarist comes up with a great harmony part for his solo (in stereo, of course). The acoustic guitar is buried in the mix: Stacking will help the problem. We're now up to thirty-one tracks, barely enough room left for that all-important kazoo part. See how fast things add up?
Removable Drive SystemsSome digital recording systems have drives by which recordings can be stored on jazz, scuzzy, or other removable media and reinserted later for further work. This is good, in that it leaves the information in a soft or rewritable form while freeing up onboard memory for other projects. The limitation of this type of storage system is that these media don't always have sufficient capacity to store an entire project. Most removable drive systems have onboard mixers; some have automated mixing capabilities, onboard effects, and nonlinear editing options.
Internal Hard Disk SystemsMany stand-alone digital recorders have an internal hard disk, like that of a PC, for onboard storage and virtual workspace. Without a removable media drive, these systems can be limiting; once the memory's full, you must mix the project and delete the tracks before moving on to the next project, so you can't remix, redo, or add tracks at a later date. A hard disk system with a removable drive is a great option for home recording. Most units have onboard mixing and digital effects processing. Some have limited mastering capability.
Computer-Based RecordingThe future of recording probably lies with computer-based systems. Professional studios now offer computer-based recording in addition to, or instead of, traditional two-inch analog tape machines. Many of the top songs on the charts today were recorded on computer-based systems.
Digital recording is a fast-changing industry these days. Whenever a new system takes over as the next big thing, many studios rush out and buy one. This is your chance to buy last year's model from them at a great price.
Costs for computer recording systems vary widely; some companies offer free software programs for turning your home computer into a simple studio, while high-end systems can run upwards of $50,000. A smart shopper can find a professional system for under $20,000. That may sound like a lot, but remember that an analog system of similar capabilities would have cost several hundred thousand dollars a few years back. Computer-based systems often have features not found in analog systems. These include:
Built-in digital effects like reverb, delay, and chorus.
Nonlinear editing capability that lets you jump instantly to any point in the song, cut and paste whole sections, and remove or add single words or notes.
Nondestructive editing capability that allows you to “undo” changes.
Sample/loop ability that you can use to sample sounds and build loops.
Onboard sequencing for making samples, loops, and MIDI information into a complete music track for your song.
Automatic vocal tuning for pitch trouble and perfect, automatic harmonies.
Amplifier/speaker simulators that can simulate hundreds of vintage combinations at a fraction of the cost (and volume).
Pre-amps for “warming up” mike signals or boosting signal on low-level tracks.
Compressor/limiters to even levels, stop peaking, and add warmth or sustain.
EQs and mastering programs for shaping the sound of your recording project.
Automated mixing that lets you compare mixes and automatically control effect and fader levels so you can focus on listening instead of twisting knobs.
Don't get in over your head with recording gear. You can easily spend $100,000 on stuff you don't need and can't operate. Start small, take your time learning the process, and keep doing demos at a professional studio until you're ready and able to do your own.
Another nice thing about computer-based recorders is that the signal path is much shorter and cleaner than systems using outboard gear. This means a cleaner, stronger signal; a better, clearer recording; and fewer patch cords to buy.
Finding Good MikesMicrophones are often overlooked in terms of importance. The microphone is the first thing that a voice or miked instrument encounters, and it greatly influences the sound of a recording. That fancy recorder won't do you much good if you have a fifteen-dollar mike.
Different mikes are made to handle different sound pressure levels and work at different distances and in different directional patterns. A '57-style mike is great for snare drums, speaker cabinets, and other “hot” signals. Condenser mikes are perfect for ambient applications like overheads for cymbals, acoustic instruments, choirs, and symphonies. Shock-mounted capsule mikes are great for close-up recording of vocals and acoustic instruments.
The most important part of any piece of recording gear is the manual. Before you buy a used piece of recording equipment, make sure that the manual is included or, at least, available from the manufacturer. Many companies now offer manuals online. Also, check the Internet for a BBS or user group for your gear.
Even if you have tons of cool built-ins, you may want a particular effect that the onboard stuff doesn't provide. In that case, you can buy a stand-alone unit to do the job. These separate processing units are collectively called “outboard gear.”
Some of the various effects and processes that can be obtained from outboard gear include reverb, delay, chorus, flange, envelope follow, graphic EQ, parametric EQ, compression, limiting, and pre-amping. Digital multi-effect units are available that combine several of these functions. Analog versions are usually limited to one or two functions but may sometimes have better sound or finer control parameters, depending on the effect and model.
A good starter set for your studio might include an analog mike pre-amp, a digital multi-effect processor (reverb, delay, and so on), a thirty-one band graphic EQ, a four-band parametric EQ, and an analog compressor/limiter. When you shop for new toys, ask the seller to explain what they do and how to achieve the desired results.
