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SOS Visit the world-famous Capitol Studios in Los Angeles

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Recording Vocals in your Home Studio - Part 1: Getting Started

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Recording Vocals in your Home Studio -  Part 2: The Perfect Vocal Mic

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Recording Vocals in your Home Studio - Part 3: Comparing Different Mics

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How to Record Acoustic Guitar with only One Mic - Part 1: Getting Started

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How to Record Acoustic Guitar with only One Mic - Part 2: Microphone Positions

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How to Record Acoustic Guitar with only One Mic - Part 3: Hear the Sound of Different Microphones

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6 Tips for Getting Great Acoustic Guitar Sounds by Sweetwater

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How to Record a Singer-Songwriter: Part 1

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How to Record a Singer-Songwriter: Part 2

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In general, more microphones can give you more flexibility to craft the sound you want.

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One of the most common patterns you will see chosen for stereo recording is the X/Y, or coincident, stereo setup. In this technique, the two microphones are usually ‘criss-crossed’ over each other at an angle that can vary from 90 degrees to no more than 130 degrees. The reason for this ‘over/under’ configuration is so that the capsules of the microphones are lined up and at the exact same distance from the source to eliminate phasing problems. The stereo image in this case is created by the variations in off-axis attenuation or level – so it’s really crucial that the sound arrives at both capsules at the same time.

When utilizing the X/Y stereo setup, it is crucial that the 2 microphones chosen have identical pickup patterns. You’ll want to closely examine the pickup pattern of the chosen microphone to determine how far you can ‘push’ the angle – not all mics can ‘open up’ farther than 120 degrees in this case. The Samson C02 pencil condenser microphones can help with this technique as they are sold as a matched pair, and the pickup pattern has enough sensitivity at the edges to be useful at a 120 degree placement.

The X/Y pattern has excellent mono compatibility, and can be used at a variety of distances – including extremely close to the source. As long as the off-axis frequency response of the microphones is decent, the center image will be nice and detailed. The one drawback is that this technique does not create a wide stereo image.

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When using a spaced pair, you’ll want to have both microphones pointed directly ‘forward’ in a parallel fashion. The distance between the microphones can be small or large, and generally three times the distance from the source. A good starting point for classical music is 16–24 inches (40–60 cm). When mixing or monitoring, you’ll want to pan each microphone ‘hard’ to its proper side (left and right). Although the capsules are not overlapping like in X/Y, it’s still important that they be both parallel and on an even plane with each other.

Since the mics are capturing more difference in time as well as level, the spaced pair may be a bit trickier to dial in when mixing to mono. Some frequencies may ‘jump out’ or disappear due to phasing issues. If mono compatibility is important to you, it’s definitely going to be something you want to verify ‘on site’ as you set up. One of the benefits of the spaced pair is that you can really get a wide stereo image (if it sounds too wide and unnatural, you’ll want to move the mics closer together). You can even increase this perceived difference by baffling between the pair to prevent overlap.

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The ORTF mic technique, sometimes referred to as ‘Side Other Side’ was developed in the 60’s for Radio France (ORTF stands for Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française). With ORTF, you have your mic capsules aimed with an exact 110 degree angle difference from each other. The mics must also be spaced exactly 17cm apart. Looking at a diagram of it, you can see that this setup approximates the positioning of ears on a human head (although, don’t confuse it with binaural recordings!). Using a mic stand adapter like the Samson DMA2 and a small protractor makes this setup quick and easy to do.

Because the mics are so close together, you don’t have much issue with phasing problems as the sound is likely arriving at each mic close enough to mitigate any problems. This setup also doesn’t often have an issue with mono compatibility, so you can rest easy there. The ORTF placement, like X/Y, should be fairly close. You get a wider image than X/Y and still preserve the center information to a reasonable degree.

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The NOS stereo technique (abbreviated from the initials of the Dutch Broadcast Foundation: Nederlandse Omroep Stichting) is similar to ORTF but utilizes a bit more distance between the mics and a slightly less dramatic angle. You’ll want to be sure your capsules are precisely 30cm from each other and angled at exactly 90 degrees. This eschews any semblance to the human head (unless you’ve got a really big head), and was designed to give a stereo effect that is realistic while maintaining mono compatibility. Also like ORTF, you’ll want to keep track of low frequency falloff as you distance your mics from the source.

This technique is a favorite amongst engineers who record an acoustic piano. You will pick up more room ambiance, have a decent center image, and won’t have to worry much about mono compatibility due to the relatively close placement of the mic capsules. Like X/Y and ORTF, you’ll want to utilize a matched pair of mics and a bracket whenever possible for this setup, and the C02 pencil condensers with DMA2 stand adapter makes it happen quickly and accurately!Nederlandse Omroep Stichting

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The first thing to check is the audio settings of the DAW. If you are using an interface, you'll want to make sure it is recognized by your software. In most DAWs, you can look in the Preferences often found in the application drop-down menu. For example, in Logic Pro, you click on the "Logic Pro" drop-down menu and select "Preferences." There is a sub-menu that expands to show "Audio" as an option. Either way, you'll be directed to the Preferences window and can check you audio configuration. Shown below is an example of the audio settings in Logic Pro.

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Once you have confirmed or configured your DAW audio settings, you'll need to make sure you will capture the correct audio source on an audio track. In your DAW, after creating a new audio track (or selecting an audio track you plan to record on to), check the track info section to ensure it is configured to receive the correct input. For example, if you have a Focusrite 2i2 interface, it has 2 inputs. If you have connected a microphone or other source to input 1 of the interface, you'll need to make sure that the audio track in the DAW is receiving that same input.

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Knowing where things are located in a DAW is important for an efficient workflow - you'll be able to produce faster if you can get around your DAW with ease. While each piece of software has its own design and organization elements, some tools and features are common across all. Listed below are a few common useful features found in a DAW.

Common Elements

Workspace/Tracks Area - This is where active audio content is located. This is where you'll find your recorded audio content.

Transport - This is where you control the playhead (Play, Stop, Forward/Back, Record, etc.). A display showing time or project details will be found here as well.

Track Info Area - This is where you'll find info related to a selected track or all tracks. This is usually where levels can be adjusted or signal processing can be applied.

Editor - This is where you can edit selected content. For example, a selected audio file/region/clip can be edited, manipulated, or fine-tuned easily within the editor window or area.

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https://youtu.be/E3UOYQpBrko

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Audio Signal Levels Explained: Mic, Instrument, Line, and Speaker

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There are two common ways to record electric guitar: placing a mic in front of a guitar amp and direct injection (DI). Each have pros and cons. Here are a few points to consider:

Mic an Amp

Pros:

Control over tone/sound

More realistic

Some special effects are possible (for example: guitar feedback)

Cons:

Requires additional gear in addition to a guitar (you need an amp)

It can get loud

Sound can bleed into other mics when recording an ensemble

Potential for more noise from surroundings in recording

DI

Pros:

Potential for very clean signal

Not loud (good for bedroom recording or late night sessions)

Isolation from other instruments recording simultaneously

No amp required (you can use amp simulator software as an alternative)

Most interfaces already include a DI feature (Hi-Z input)

Cons:

Not always ideal sounding or less realistic (some associate a "flat" sound quality)

Not possible to create natural effects (like feedback)

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https://youtu.be/cOOZYFTUkUw

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How to Record Electric Guitar – Part 1: The Basics

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https://youtu.be/yQ9-3ZAWonw

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How to Record Electric Guitar – Part 2: Microphone Positions

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https://youtu.be/D1ScR1Ut5-4

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How to Record Electric Guitar – Part 3: Comparing & Combining Mics

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https://youtu.be/6cqdOEntvkE

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The Easiest Way To Record Your Bass Guitar | Reverb

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Pianos cover a wide range of frequencies as well as physical space. Those characteristics along with numerous playing styles make the instrument potentially challenging to capture effectively (there's also the issue of different companies making different design decisions, so there's no perfect universal layout).

There are two common styles of pianos: Grand Pianos and Upright Pianos. Grand pianos are more expensive and typically found in studios and performance halls, while upright pianos are typically more affordable and common in smaller venues and in the average home.  When recording, you'll want to try a compare a few placements to see what works best.

In the following videos, a variety of strategies will be displayed (similar to what you saw for the acoustic guitar demos). Take note of the setups you find sound best. I also recommend that you add notes about what genre or style was performed along with these setups - some genres sound better with a specific setup.

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https://youtu.be/POjRN5EQN-M

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https://youtu.be/GPPhmyBIi6k

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How To Record Drums with 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 Microphones with Brian Deck | Reverb Recording Tricks

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https://youtu.be/dSpHKVdIlgM

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5 Minutes To A Better Mix II: Phase Check Drums - TheRecordingRevolution.com

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https://youtu.be/em4b9eq54mE

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https://youtu.be/4xt1SJoU6Us

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https://youtu.be/ky018Cs_798

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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIVE RECORDING VS OVERDUBBING

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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIVE RECORDING VS OVERDUBBING

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Overdubbing is the practice of recording over existing instruments when making a song. For example, you might be recording a bass part over a drum track, then the guitars will be overdubbed once the rhythm section is complete. In both cases, overdubbing is used to build a song “piece by piece”.

Live recording typically captures all instruments simultaneously in a single performance. This doesn’t just apply to live albums by touring acts, there are also plenty of studio albums recorded this way too

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An approach where the recorded audio is a result of capturing a single performance.

With live recording, you will typically have all performers in the same room, stage, or studio space playing together in time with each take. Ideally, each instrument or instrument group will be separately mic’d up and recorded on a different track in the project (this is multitrack recording, which we’ll look at later).

It doesn’t matter if the current tracks, recording at that time, are intended to be in the final mix. It also doesn’t matter if you intend to edit, overdub, or mix everything later. At that point in time, live recording is being used to capture a performance.

Live recording was the only method of recording up to the development of sel-sync recording by Ampex in the 1950’s. Before this, the best that could be done in terms of “overdubbing” involved at least two separate machines. The playback on one machine was routed to another machine that would be recording both the playback and everything being recorded in that take.

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This is a method that involves recording a performance against a previously recorded sound.

Overdubbing is an approach that builds up a song “piece by piece” as new parts are recorded on top of existing audio. Usually with this approach, one part is recorded at a time, and the song is built up with each successive take.

Even if you’re starting on a new song and are only recording against a click track, if you’re not recording all the instruments at once then you are not doing a proper live recording of your song. If you find yourself recording one (or a few) parts at a time when making your song, then you have taken the overdub recording approach.

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This is not the same as overdubbing or live recording.

Multitrack recording simply means that the recording contains more than just a single track. This can apply to live recordings and overdubbed recordings. It goes without saying that overdubbing would be much harder without multitrack recording, and live recordings would lose the ability to be mixed afterward.

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Trim
This is for trimming off ends of an audio recording. Sometimes you end up with a long amount of silence at the end (this is common for home producers because you may need time to reach for the stop button if you were performing). This tool works on the start/end of a file only. The image below shows trimming in Logic Pro X.

Cut/Splice
This is the opposite, or maybe companion, to the Trim tool. Cut or splice is done anywhere other than at the start/end of a file. You may want to remove a part that was wrong or remove silences between sound. This can also be useful when you want to duplicate a part or move a section somewhere else. Cutting/Splicing can make the selection easier to manage. The image below shows a spliced audio region in Logic Pro X.

Copy/Paste
This one should be familiar since it functions the same as other copy/paste tools outside of audio. If you ever copy/pasted text, this works the same way. The only word of caution is to make sure you align the audio properly when pasting. If done wrong, it may sound out of time or off rhythm.

Move
This is another straight forward tool. If you want to move audio, just grab it and move to another location. The image below shows an audio region being moved to the right in Logic Pro X.

Fade
If you ever turned the volume knob up or down on a device, you know the sound of a fade. This is essentially an edit tool that applies automation of the volume control for a selected portion of audio. When applied to an audio region, the playback volume will follow the fade (fade in or fade out). In cases where 2 different pieces of audio overlap, you can apply a crossfade to smooth out the transition (which usually sounds rough). The first region will fade out as the second region fades in to create a seamless transition/connection. The image below shows audio region with fades in Logic Pro X (in order: Fade in, Cross fade, Fade out).

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https://youtu.be/NJ2WzLg5rDc

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What are Audio Effects? Sound Basics with Stella – Episode 1

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https://www.loom.com/share/70e56f12677142618f2c045f73431d38

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Mixing is the process of mixing all the tracks in a production so they blend with each other.

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https://youtu.be/YEorsfZe4vU

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Mixing explained #1 - Basic Mixing Theory

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Setting Levels
This is the process of setting volume levels so that each track or instrument can be heard evenly. If you set good levels during the recording process, you may not need to do much for this element. But volume level may not be the only thing that needs adjusting to get a balanced level. For example, if a track has too many loud and soft moments or certain frequencies are more overpowering than others within the same track, signal processing with compression or EQ might be necessary. We'll look at this on the next page.

Panning
Panning is the panoramic position of a sound. Think about what a typical band looks like on stage and where they are positioned. The singer is usually in the middle and typically the drums as well. Guitarist, keyboardists, and other instruments are typically off to a side. This  arrangement can be produced using panning. You can move a sound from left to right. The result is a more spaced out and balanced combination of sounds. Another benefit of panning is that by moving some sounds to one side and other to the opposing side, you allow a listener to hear each element with more focus. Think of these two scenarios: (1) 6 audio signals equally coming out of a set of stereo speakers; (2) 6 audio signals split across 2 stereo speakers so 3 signals are on one side and 3 on the other. This is an over-simplification, but the effect would be that the lister can distinguish each element better when they are split up. It's harder to distinguish many signals coming from the same source.

Organization
Another element of mixing that is important but occasionally overlooked is organization. After recording, you may have a project filled with tracks and it can be a mess to look at. Organizing tracks so they are grouped by instrument type, applying color codes, and labeling each track are just a few ways to organize a project to optimize workflow. Grouping elements together as well as using color can help you to locate elements faster, and labeling helps identify tracks without the need for listening. There are many ways to approach organization, so find a way that works for you and stick with it.

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Audio signals have very wide peak-to-average signal-level ratios, sometimes referred to as dynamic range, which is the difference between the loudest level and the softest level. This can create issues in both live and recording environments when gain staging a signal because when enough gain is applied to capture the softest level adequately, a peak signal can cause overload in the audio chain, resulting in signal distortion. Dynamics processing is the process of altering the dynamic range of an audio source to make it easier to place in the overall mix. Common types of dynamics processors include:

Compressor. A compressor is a type of amplifier in which gain is dependent on the signal level passing through it. You can set the maximum level a compressor allows to pass through, thereby causing automatic gain reduction above some predetermined signal level, also known as the "threshold." Punch, apparent loudness, and presence are just three of the many terms used to describe the effects of compression.

Limiters. Similar to a compressor, a limiter is an amplifier that limits the upper dynamic range of a signal to a specific threshold. Unlike a compressor, which works gradually to reduce the signal, the limiter prevents virtually any increase in gain at the upper end of the dynamic range.

Expanders. Expanders increase the dynamic range of a signal after the signal crosses a threshold. There are two basic types of expansion: dynamic and downward.

Noise Gates. A noise gate helps to reduce unwanted sounds by only allowing the signal to be heard once it has exceeded a certain amplitude.

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https://youtu.be/-jPPJEHMepA

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Reverb and Delay Explained – Sound Basics with Stella Episode 4

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Reverb is the effect of a sound reflecting over multiple surface at different distances and angles. When these sounds bounce back to the listener, they hear the sound and atmosphere of the room. The listener will hear the original (direct) sound blended with the sound of the room they are in.

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With delay, we usually have very distinct repeats that can be identified at each repetition.

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https://youtu.be/QNxVjIB-oVA

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https://youtu.be/4vhcGu0aKtE

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5 Quick Modulation Mixing Tricks - Warren Huart: Produce Like A Pro

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Mastering is the final process of music production. After you have recorded or created music, edited, and mixing everything together, the last step is to make sure everything is polished.

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Mastering take lot's of experience and practice, but there are still a number of typical techniques and procedures that happen every time. The biggest elements are: EQ, Compression, and Limiting.

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A Limiter is very similar to a compressor in that it is a dynamic signal processor - it listens to the incoming signal and applies volume adjustments when the threshold is exceeded. As the name suggests, a limiter limits the audio signal. While compression attenuates a signal, a limiter will not allow a signal to pass a ceiling; thus it "limits" the output of a signal.

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https://youtu.be/h-QCQiOkufc

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How to Master Your Music in 5 Simple Steps

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Virtual instruments are simulations of real instruments (or fake ones).

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Virtual instruments can supplement things you don't have - or be used entirely (like in electronic music)

You can create mock-ups without needing to utilize recording spaces or resources

You can swap out real takes for virtual takes to fix issues

You can create entirely new sounds not possible with traditional acoustic instruments

Accessibility can be inspiring and inclusive

They can be cost-effective alternatives to real instruments

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What to Look for in a Virtual Instrument

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What to Look for in a Virtual Instrument

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Focus and Flexibility
How It Sounds.
User Interface.
Will My System Handle It.
Will The Instrument Fit In My Rig

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MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It is a communication protocol that is standardized - basically, that means any system that uses MIDI likely can communicate with other systems using MIDI. When using MIDI on your system at home, you can connect devices like keyboards that send MIDI data into your computer and control virtual instruments.

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What is MIDI? | Music Production for Beginners

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This allows some tasks to be handled by the computer. Anything you might consider adjusting as your project plays can be automated. Automation allows you to have parameters and settings change over time without needing to manually adjust them. It's like having an unlimited amount of hands able to turn dials while a project plays back.
Automation can be used on anything that has a knob, slider, fader, or other adjustable parameters. You can manually draw in automation data (known as offline automation) or you can perform it into a project by recording the adjustments you make in real-time (known as real-time automation).

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This takes your project, which is full of tracks, and "bounces" it down to just two tracks - a Left channel and a Right channel. This is what makes up a stereo audio file. This is the standard type of file that most people listen to on the media players. Common bounce formats are:

WAV

AIFF

Both WAV and AIFF formats are full quality, uncompressed audio. That is the best option when releasing professionally. Digital audio quality is another detail to configure. There are two aspects to this: Sample Rate and Bit Depth. Common settings are:

16-bit/44.1kHz (CD standard)

24-bit/48kHz (DVD standard)

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Today, there are a number of ways to do this online, including low cost and free options. Some online services offer digital distribution only and others have a manufacturing service in addition to digital distribution. If you want to have your music on places like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and more, you need to pay for a distribution service that will put your music on those platforms.