Home Recording For Dummies

Make your next track a studio-quality gem with this celebrated recording guide

Have you ever dreamed of producing the next big song? Or maybe you need some hints on the recording gear used to create pro podcasts? With just a little bit of guidance, there's nothing stopping you from creating crystal-clear, studio-quality tracks from the comfort of your own home. In Home Recording For Dummies, expert sound engineer and celebrated author Jeff Strong demystifies the world of recording and walks you through every step of creating high-fidelity audio.

With this book at your side, you'll discover how to choose a room that fits your studio needs, get the hardware you can't live without, choose the right microphone for the task at hand, record live and virtual instruments, build rhythm tracks and loops, and edit, mix, and master your recording.

Learn how to:

• Set up your home studio, acquire and connect all the right gear, and build multi-track recordings
• Understand the different types of microphones and the best use for each
• Record audio from live sound or virtual instruments
• Edit your tracks for better project management
• Mix and master your music for public consumption

Home Recording For Dummies is the must-read guide that helps home create high-fidelity, multi-track songs and recordings that blow audiences away.

Auteur

Jeff Strong is a percussionist, composer, recording engineer, researcher, and Director of the Strong Institute?an auditory brain stimulation research organization?and creator of Brain Shift Radio (BSR), an interactive brain stimulation music site.

Résumé
Make your next track a studio-quality gem with this celebrated recording guide Have you ever dreamed of producing the next big song? Or maybe you need some hints on the recording gear used to create pro podcasts? With just a little bit of guidance, there's nothing stopping you from creating crystal-clear, studio-quality tracks from the comfort of your own home. In Home Recording For Dummies, expert sound engineer and celebrated author Jeff Strong demystifies the world of recording and walks you through every step of creating high-fidelity audio. With this book at your side, you'll discover how to choose a room that fits your studio needs, get the hardware you can't live without, choose the right microphone for the task at hand, record live and virtual instruments, build rhythm tracks and loops, and edit, mix, and master your recording. Learn how to: Set up your home studio, acquire and connect all the right gear, and build multi-track recordings Understand the different types of microphones and the best use for each Record audio from live sound or virtual instruments Edit your tracks for better project management * Mix and master your music for public consumption Home Recording For Dummies is the must-read guide that helps home create high-fidelity, multi-track songs and recordings that blow audiences away.

Contenu

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 3

Where to Go from Here 3

Part 1: Getting Started with Home Recording 5

Chapter 1: Understanding Home Recording 7

Examining the Anatomy of a Home Studio 7

Exploring the recording essentials 8

Checking out recording system types 10

Getting a Glimpse into the Recording Process 11

Setting up a song 11

Getting a great sound 11

Recording 12

Overdubbing 12

Making Sense of Mixing 12

Cleaning up tracks using editing 13

Equalizing your tracks 13

Processing your signal 13

Blending your tracks 13

Adding the Final Touches 14

Mastering your mixes 14

Putting your music out into the world 15

Promoting your music 16

Chapter 2: Getting the Right Gear 17

Determining Your Home Studio Needs 18

Detailing Your Digital Options 21

Computer-Based Digital Recording Systems 23

Finding the right computer setup 23

Getting the sound in and out 26

Choosing the right software 30

Studio-in-a-Box Systems 33

Taking a look at the benefits 33

Examining some popular SIAB systems 33

Mobile-Device Recording 34

Android 35

Apple iOS 36

Exploring Sample Setups 37

Live and MIDI studio 38

MIDI-intensive studio 38

Live studio 41

Podcasting studio 42

Audio-for-video studio 43

Mobile on-location studio 44

Chapter 3: Getting Connected: Setting Up Your Studio 45

Understanding Analog Connections 46

The -inch analog plug 46

XLR 49

RCA 49

Delving into Digital Connections 50

MIDI 50

AES/EBU 50

S/PDIF 51

ADAT Lightpipe 51

TDIF 51

USB 52

FireWire 53

Thunderbolt 54

Working Efficiently 55

Taming heat and dust 57

Monitoring your monitors 57

Optimizing Your Room 58

Isolating sound 58

Controlling sound 60

Chapter 4: Meet the Mixer 69

Meeting the Many Mixers 69

Analog mixer 70

Digital mixer 71

Software mixer 72

Computer control surface 73

Understanding Mixer Basics 74

Examining inputs 75

Checking out the channel strip 76

Recognizing mixer routing 82

Opting for outputs 83

Chapter 5: Multitrack Recording 85

Understanding Multitracking 85

Getting Ready to Record 86

Setting up a song 87

Creating and organizing your tracks 87

Selecting a sound source 90

Setting levels 92

Getting the sound you want 92

Choosing a monitoring source 95

Setting a Tempo Map 95

Saving Your Work 95

Sharing Files with Others 96

Part 2: Working with Microphones 97

Chapter 6: Understanding Microphones 99

Meeting the Many Microphone Types 100

Construction types 100

Polarity patterns 106

Assessing Your Microphone Needs 110

Deciding How Many Microphones and What Kind 111

Getting started 111

Movin' on 113

Going all out 115

Finding the Right Mic for the Situation 117

Partnering Mics with Preamps 120

Solid-state 120

Vacuum tube 121

Hybrid 121

Considering Compressors 122

Analyzing Some Microphone Accessories 123

Microphone cords 123

Microphone stands 123

Pop filters 123

Caring for Your Microphones 124

Daily care 125

Storage 125

Chapter 7: Taking a Look at Microphone Techniques 127

Singling Out Close Miking 128

Detailing Distant Miking 130

Assessing Ambient Miking 131

Selecting Stereo Miking 133

X-Y pairs 133

Blumlein technique 134

Spaced pairs 135

Stereo microphones 136

Overcoming problems with stereo miking 137

Creating Miking Combinations 139

Chapter 8: Miking Your Instruments 141

Getting a Great Lead Vocal Sound 142

Making the most of the room 142

Choosing the best mic 142

Getting Good Backup Vocals 145

Examining Electric Guitar Miking 146

Using the room 147

Getting the most out of the mics 147

Exploring Electric Bass Miking 149

Managing the room 149

Getting the most from the mic 149

Miking Acoustic Guitars and Similar Instruments 150

Making the most of the room 150

Using your mics 150

Maneuvering Horn Mics 152

Understanding the role of the room 152

Making the most of the mics 152

Placing Mics for a Piano 153

Harnessing the sound of the room 153

Managing the mics 153

Setting Up Mics for Strings 154

Making the most of the room 154

Making sense of the mics 154

Digging into Drum Set Miking 155

First things first: Tuning your drums 155

Using the room to your benefit 156

Picking up the kick (bass) drum 156

Setting up the snare drum 159

Tackling the tom-toms 160

Handling the hi-hats 161

Creating the best cymbal sound 161

Miking the whole kit 162

Getting Your Hands on Hand Drums 163

Perfecting Percussion Miking 163

Exploring the impact of the room 163

Choosing and using the mics 164

Part 3: Recording Live Audio 165

**Chapter 9: …