How to set up your home
recording gear
Now that you have all the gear and have followed the
instructions provided with each item to get the
system
up and running you are probably in a hurry to record. Let us offer a few tips
first that should help make your experience more
enjoyable. If you are having trouble setting up you device check with the
manufacturer. (Due to the huge number of combinations it would consume all of
our web resources to cover them all.)
One of the better ways to improve your sound is with a
compressor. Use one inline to get a hotter level to tape, computer, or digital
recorder. Use it sparingly, for example a 1 to 1.5 ratio. You will probably want
more later but for DAW's and Computer recording more can be added later to get
the right effect. Also remember to record the signal as hot (or loud) as
possible without distortion cause by overdriving the recording chain. Remember
that a little goes a long way so use your ears to make sure the song doesn't
become to compressed to hear the dynamics (loud and soft parts of the song.)
Always make a backup copy. I have heard more than once
about someone who lost an entire song album or collection recorded to hard
drive, disk or tape. Do not take chances with this one. Backup your work
weekly or in case of really important or irreplaceable work back up your work
every few hours.
Take time to clean your tape heads and other gear and
change instrument strings before you record. A few minutes here will really pay
off in terms of overall sound. With strings however you may want to change them
a week or two in advance because fresh strings have a distinctive sound rich in
upper harmonics which may or may not be correct for the sound you are recording.
Also keep some extra strings and other gear around like a good tuner and a pop
screen for the vocal mic. Also some canned air is good for
cleaning mixing boards and keyboards which can really extend the life of your
equipment.
Last and most importantly, know when to break
the rules. Let your ears be the final judge in all audio recording and not the
rule book. Try unusual things
and compare them to the traditional methods of recording. If nothing else you
will make sure there's not a better way. Many studio tricks have been discovered
that way and there are many more as yet undiscovered so don't be afraid to
experiment.
That being said I can't stress how important it is to have some sort of
guidance from an experienced engineer. Ok now that you know what your getting
into then lets get to the specifics. For the basics of recording individual
instruments, general tips and tricks, mixing, and mastering follow the links
below to get started.
Tips and Tricks - Already set up and
you just need
tips
and tricks to make your recording sound better.
Click here.
Drums - If you need
help or tips on recording acoustic drums then this is
the place to check out.
Electric
Guitars - If you want help
recording a
electric guitar then check out
this page.
Acoustic Guitars - If you want help recording
an acoustic guitar then check out
this page.
Bass - Need help capturing that
electric bass we offer a few options for you
here.
Vocals -
Vocals can make or break a project. Get some nice
tips
for recording vocals here.
Other Instruments - Want to add
that
saxophone, cello, or flute to a project. Get the
facts here.
Mixing - Need help
mixing those tracks to get the right sound from your
mix. We can help here.
Equalization or Eq - Do you have a basic overall level and the tracks panned where
you want them. Then check out our tips on
Equalization or Eq.
Adding Audio effects - If you have the levels where you want them and have
added Eq its time to add some plug-ins or effects like reverb, delay, chorus, flanger, and other effects to help that
final mix
shine.
Mastering - Need help
mastering your songs. Get the low down
here.
Other Items of Interest
- Also while your
here feel free to check out our record label
Silver Dragon
Records and see what we can offer your band in terms of recording and other
services. Also check out
Lazarus X
Houston's hottest local band and their new
CD release
Weapon of Love or
download a free mp3 for a limited time.
Silver Dragon Records Presents
the Musicians Toolkit
Thank
you for your interest in
Houston Rock Record Label Silver Dragon Records.
Below is some information on our
record label and website catering to rock fans and musicians.
Houston Rock Record Label Silver Dragon Records
presents
rock band Lazarus X
and the their latest independent CD release
Weapon of Love.
Lazarus X's combines determined hard hitting rock with haunting and soulful
melodies which struck a chord with many
underground
rock music fans. Some fans received a preview of the
publicity photos
and
underground
rock CD WOL at a
rooftop listening
party a day before it was released
and the response was amazing. Check out
Rock Band Lazarus X
merchandise like
The Weapon of Love Tour T-Shirt and
the
Weapon of Love CD
or preview one of their songs by
downloading a
free rock mp3.
Silver Dragon Records is a
Houston
rock record label
producing and promoting experimental, hard rock and alternative metal albums. We
provide 24 bit digital recording in a
quiet
private studio
free of distractions. If you think we are the label for you
submit a
demo to our record label and let us tell you how we can help your
band with
artist promotion,
publicity, marketing, recording, mastering, help in marketing a demo or shopping
for a major label deal. We are happy to offer musicians our online resources
like our
musicians
toolkit for recording audio, our
museum of rock
music history and our
Houston rock music resource.
Thank you for checking out
music history or rock genres and subgenres and enjoy the above links.
SDR Home
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Records - All rights reserved.
