Making Music: Home Studio and Audio Recording
The Basics of Producing a Great Demo
One of the great joys of music is witnessing an artist partake in pure, heartfelt musical performance, and this is especially true if the moment can be recorded. But the differences between what the ear hears and what the microphone hears are vast, and the keys to recording and producing an effective demo are not learned overnight. The purpose of this tutorial is to discuss the basics of audio recording in a home studio in such a way that first-time producers and professionals alike can find useful.
Optimizing Musicians’ Performance
Studio engineers can learn a lot from experimentation, and build a distinct style by teaching themselves through the recording process itself. As is true for any art, however, the craftsman must embark on some sort of understanding of their materials before they even pick them up. In this particular case, it’s worth discussing the relationship between the musician and the music: there’s an unspoken process here that is impossible to pinpoint exactly, let alone describe in words. For the musician to discover the trick to playing great, instead of just playing well, is the key can make or break an entire career.
It is the producer’s duty not just to understand this, but to cater to it. This comprehension transcends the science of recording technology or the amount of gear a producer may have in his or her arsenal. If the artist cannot go into “the zone,” be it their own fault or the fault of the producer, the session can produce poor results no matter how ritzy or professional the studio. Likewise, a living-room session with one simple microphone could quickly lead to a classic if the true heart of the music is properly captured. Herein lies the thrill of home-recording.
So how does the producer capture a pure musical moment? The goal is to get the artist in the zone: they cannot be distracted by the producer, the microphone, or the recording process at all. They need to be able to “go into themselves” and perform their material to the fullest. Of course, all this needs to be done subtly, without making the artist self-conscious. Cognitive psychology proves that the best performances of any kind usually take place within as close of a repetition of practice conditions as possible: how can these conditions best be replicated?
The Music: Audio Dynamics
In the current era of home recording, it is becoming easier and easier to pack and load recording equipment. If the artist is going to hit their peak performance at their own home or performing live at their favorite club, rather than an unfamiliar studio, it might be worth it to record where they are. However, a producer should always be familiar with the acoustics of the room in which recording will take place, and a producer with a good ear will never be fully comfortable outside of their own studio setting, despite the experimental benefits of trying a new venue. Here are some elements that will help determine whether the producer should go where the artist is, or vice versa.
Volume — is the artist’s music loud or soft? This largely determines the optimal venue for your recording session: always consider and take largely into account potential outside noise, room size and microphone placement in relation to the general volume of the artist’s material.
Room Size — does the room provide a large echo, or does it kill the sound? Either direction can help or hurt the mix, depending on the nature of the artist. It is invaluable to experiment with sound before beginning: place the microphone in three different spots (or have the artist face three different directions, staying as close to the microphone as possible), listen back, and compare and contrast to find the best placement of the three.
Number of overdubs per song — Some artists find overdubbing very difficult. An overdub is when more tracks are recorded over what’s been previously recorded to provide a fuller sound. The minor downside is a less legitimate “live performance” feel towards which many artists are averse. Decide on a specific plan of attack for each song; how many overdubs are needed, and exactly how will that happen smoothly? This decision will determine how many sets of headphones are needed for the session; when recording the initial track, headphones are unnecessary unless a certain band member is difficult to hear, but for overdubbing, headphones are obviously required.
Microphones — Determine the number of microphones needed, and if possible use more than necessary for the sake of experimentation; this will provide a fuller sound (and more fun) later on in the mixing process. Prior to recording, plan for some extra time to find the right blend. For instance, when microphoning a drumset, plan for a long sound check to find the perfect drum mix. With any instrument or vocalist, always have the artist play their quietest and loudest material into the mic; adjust the mic levels accordingly and take note of the minimum and maximum levels. That way the levels can be adjusted relative to performance volume during recording. When recording a band, go through this with each individual musician. This will make the mixing process easier later on.
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