HOW TO RECORD AT HOME

BEFORE YOU GO TOO FAR, THERE’S ONE THING WE SHOULD MAKE VERY CLEAR. IF YOU RECORD AT HOME, YOU’RE GOING TO NEED TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME APPEASING YOUR NEIGHBOURS. THEY ARE NOT GOING TO LOVE YOU FOR THIS.

Home Recording - MySchoolAct

KICKING OFF

The first question is where to record. You’ll need enough space for the drum kit (if you have one) and amps and, ideally, a room you can soundproof. Clean the house a few weeks and earn some points with the parents.

Next is gear. It’s not cheap so be prepared to mow lawns and wash cars for a while to get the funds together.

Wayne Connolly, award winning producer, enginner and composer who has worked with over 150 Australian artists such as Josh Pyke, You Am I and The Vines says, "Start with a lot of money and plan to have none of it left! Truly there has never been such a thing as a studio budget that didn't quadruple by the time of completion."

And lastly, training. Once you’ve bought the stuff, you need to learn how you use it. Find someone who knows their way around a studio or take a short course at the SAE Institute.

THE HEART OF YOUR STUDIO

The computer debate - Mac v PC - isn’t hugely important here as the software works on both. Use what you have rather than pouring cash into a new machine and invest in a separate hard drive to boost processing power.

Then you’ll need a sequencer, the heart of the studio. This is how you store and manage sounds, cut, paste and overlay them, add effects and make band members sound like chipmunks. You can load your sequencer with acoustic tracks, vocals, waveforms or anything else that makes a noise, then edit and mix it however you want.

While they’re fun to play with, remember that sequencer programs are sophisticated pieces of software, so do read your manual and get your hands on some tutorials to really make the most of your investment.

Wayne says, " Aim small with jut a small rig that enables you to do guitars, vocals, keys, etc and don't try to overreach yourself. [Home Record] is certain closer that it has evern been and fashions have changed so much that being strictly hi-fidelity is not really seen as something to aim for in a lot of genres."

THE MONITOR

Home-stereo speakers lie: they’re designed to enhance mixed, edited recordings and make them sound good, no matter what. Monitors, meanwhile, deal in cold hard facts.

Expect to put down at least $400 for a set of active monitors. They’re essential if you’re serious about your recordings; if a mix sounds good through monitors, it’s going to sound incredible through stereo speakers.

In your studio, map out an equilateral triangle: you stand in one point and the monitors get the other two. This simple setup means the sound goes precisely where you need it.

MICROPHONES

The Shure SM58 microphone is the music industry warhorse. These are the ones that look like a bit of pipe with a wire gold ball on the end. They’re tough, reasonably priced and will do a fine job recording vocals, amplified electric guitars, drums and just about any other acoustic instrument you can think of.

There are dozens of other mics around too, all designed to suit different environments and instruments. If, or when, your cash flow allows, look into different mics for specific instruments. Until then, a set of SM58s will most definitely do the job.

SHH... AND OTHER THINGS YOUR FAMILY MIGHT SAY

Believe it or not, egg cartons do help soundproof a room, and they improve acoustics a bit too. Unfortunately, they can only do so much: a few millimetres of cardboard won’t protect the neighbours during all-night rehearsals.

If you can convince your parents that it’s in their interests not to hear you practice, line your studio with acoustic foam and put thick plasterboard over the top. Then, double-glaze the windows and put rubber lining around the door. Totally soundproofed; just make sure you open the door occasionally so you don’t suffocate...

Another option is a quiet room: basically a sound booth (could be a cupboard) for recording your vocals or any instruments that need a mic. Because you won’t have much space, run your leads through a hole in the wall and keep only what you need in the booth (mics and a computer monitor probably). Again, best to ask the folks before you drill too many holes...

YOUR INPUT OPTIONS

Onboard Sound Device
The cheapest and, of course, most painful option. An onboard sound device gives you one shabby input, lousy mic pre-amps and, if you change instruments, you have to swap the leads around at the back of the computer. As soon as you can, invest in something better. Till then, try the M-Audio Audiophile 2496 for about US$129.

Mixer/Soundcard
The classic solution for home studios: plug a small mixer into the input of your soundcard to record several instruments at once, use higher quality XLR mic leads and adjust the levels of your instruments. Check out the Yamaha MG166c (Analogue) for around $800 or the Maxkie DFX-12 (12 Channels), about $600.

Mixerless Approach
Another option is to skip the soundcard and mixer altogether and use an audio interface with mic pre-amps so that the level controls in your sequencer replace what you’d otherwise have on the mixer. Clever. Try the Presonus Firebox (about $450).

Firewire/Mixer with Built-in Audio Interface
Again, this bypasses soundcards by using a firewire-compatible analogue mixer to record directly to your computer/sequencer. Decent options include M-Audio NRV10 Firewire Mixer and Alesis Multimix 12 Channel Firewire Mixer (about US$900 and $900 respectively).

Multitrack Recorder
And the final option: a multitrack recorder. You record directly into the unit and use the built-in interface to transfer material to your computer. You’ll still need a good soundcard, but apart from that, these guys have all you need to record and mix your tracks. Our picks: the Yamaha AW1600 for around $2,000 and the Zoom HD8CD Digital Multi-track Recorder for about $1,100.