"If you can't make a good recording with a stick-mic and a Soundblaster card, you can't make a good recording..."
-Mac, on the n-Track Studio Forum, sometime in the '90's
I never learned who Mac really was, but he was a pro. And I owe him a debt that I can never repay, except maybe by helping those who are just starting out on their own Home Recording journey - same as he did for me and many others. Or by passing on tricks and tips that I've learned along the way.
There's a whole lot of ground to cover, and most of it has been covered ad nauseum on the web. So here's a smattering of hints and tips I've picked up along the way - in no particular order...
- These days it's much less "necessary" than it used to be, but I'm still partial to a dual HDD arrangement. Operating system and programs go on the C:\ drive, data (your recordings) on the D:\ drive. Keep your machine "lean and mean" - if you try to record a track while you've got Facebook, Realplayer, an "Instant Messenger", and five other apps running in the background (even in the systray), you're going to have problems. Guaranteed!
- If you're having to struggle to perform even the most rudimentary of tasks, find a different recording program! There's a bazillion multi-tracking programs available anymore, from freeware to pro studio quality. Find one that works easily for you. Don't be persuaded about any given program just because it's the "latest and greatest". What good is a program that does a hundred things you'll never need to do, and makes everything difficult?
- Heed Mac's admonition - you're going to get caught up in GAS, the "Gear Acquisition Syndrome". But before you go out and spend a fortune, learn to get the most out of the gear you've got at hand.
- Somewhat related - know your gear, intimately! Every piece of equipment in the signal chain "colors" the sound in one way or another. Knowing what your gear does allows you to accomodate it, so that the masterpiece mix you spent hours creating doesn't sound like crap on someone else's rig.
- Reverb makes everything sound more distant. You will be using it, but do so sparingly, only where you really need it, and in as small an amount as you think necessary. A sure sign of a "newbie" mix is the over-use of reverb.
- When applying any channel effect, turn it up gradually until you can hear it. Not just "I think I can hear it", but where you can really hear it. Then turn it down by 1/3.
- Never try to track vocals with high monitor levels. You'll be off-key, I promise!
- Don't track in stereo, unless the instrument you're tracking requires it. Drums need stereo. Piano - maybe. Everything else should be mono. You'll thank yourself come mixdown time!
- Record your tracks hot - -3db is a good peak level to shoot for. You can always turn a track down in the mix, but you may not be able to turn it up enough.
- Mic placement is crucial. Experiment with it. A difference of as little as an inch, or direction angle of only a few degrees, can make all the difference between recording a "decent" track and a "killer" one. Be creative - try placing the mic pointing down from over your shoulder, for instance. Every instrument has a "sweet spot" where the sound all comes together - find it and place your mic accordingly.
- Always start with a click track. And include a "lead-in" click.
- Never mix at high volume. Everything sounds good if it's loud. Besides, your ears will wear out in a big hurry.
- Speaking of ears - learn to listen with "big ears". You need to be able to hear the lowest resonance of the kick drum, as well as the highest screech of a guitar string finger scrape, even if they're buried deep in the mix.
- Also ear-related. After you've spent hours on that masterpiece mix and think you've got it nailed, sleep on it. Come back tomorrow and listen again, with "fresh ears". You'll be surprised at what you'd missed.
- Conventional wisdom says "Never mix in the cans". I won't say "never", because I do exactly that. That said, I also - a.) know my gear intimately, b.) mix at moderate to low levels, c.) check my mix on the speakers regularly, and d.) (usually) sleep on it.
- Bass and kick drums almost always conflict, and mask each other. Moving one of those ever-so-slightly along the time line can help eliminate that.
- Recording, mixing, and mastering are three separate tasks, requiring different mind-sets and (often) different tools. If you try to do them all at once, you'll just go down in flames.
- Always record your tracks "dry" - with no effects. Electric guitar run through an effect or modelling box is the only allowable exception - even then, make good and sure you've got it set exactly the way you want it to sound in the final mix. You can always apply effects after a track is recorded, but you can't take them out if they're recorded that way...
More as I think of them...
