Audio recording has become increasingly easy and affordable these days. This is due to advances in electronics and computer technology. Home studios are becoming much more common nowadays since the cost of computers and laptops has gone down. Almost anyone with a computer can now record audio with relatively professional results. Audio recording software allows anyone to compose and produce music complete with audio effects instantly without need of any musical training whatsoever.
Producing electronic music is much easier since no other equipment is needed aside from a computer and audio production software. But in order to record live sounds and instruments, one has to have several equipment and gadgets. The first and most basic equipment for audio recording is the microphone. Computer microphones are usually cheap and most laptops have microphones built-in, plus, the input where the microphone is plugged in is usually built-in with the soundcard so recording with a microphone is not really a problem if you have a computer or laptop. It's when you want higher quality recordings that microphones and soundcards start to matter since the microphone and soundcard that come with the computer or laptop are usually of inferior quality.
If you want higher quality audio recordings, then you would have to purchase higher-end microphones such as condenser microphones. Condenser microphones require phantom power as well as xlr inputs which are not usually available on generic soundcards. Audio recording interfaces are needed for you to use condenser mics with your computer. These audio recording interfaces usually have better soundcards and are much better suited for semi-professional or professional recording. Other equipment like microphone cables and microphone stands are also needed for you to make full use of your microphone.
The place where you record is as crucial as the equipment that you use. Studio sound treatment is usually necessary to optimize the recording capability of a room. Studio sound treatment consists of using or adding materials that eliminate sound reflections in a room. An untreated room usually suffers from unwanted sound reflections that drastically affect the quality of sound being recorded in the room. For a home studio, this means rearranging your room so as to minimize sound reflections and using materials like rock wool or even egg trays glued on the walls to absorb sounds and prevent them from bouncing all over the room.
Isolation booths are ideal for recording vocals since they block outside sound from leaking into the recording. Instructions for do-it-yourself isolation booths are found in audio recording books so it's best to read them should you decide to make an isolation booth yourself since isolation booths which are improperly made actually add more noise instead of minimizing them.
Audio monitors are of course needed for you to hear the sound that you're recording. These monitors could be the speakers that came with your computer or a pair of cheap headphones that you can buy at any electronics shop. But these cheap monitors are of low quality and they don't reproduce the actual sound that you recorded so if you're serious about recording, invest in a pair of good near-field monitors. Near-field monitors reproduce sounds which are as close to the sound recorded as possible, depending on the quality of the monitors (which is usually determined by its price!)
These are the basic equipment you need for a home studio. You don't have to start with really expensive microphones or software or audio interface. There are lots of cheap audio recording equipment out there and you just upgrade your gear gradually as you improve on your recording skills. Most importantly, learn as much as you can about recording. This means reading and researching a lot and of course recording a lot. The age old adage "Practice makes perfect" applies to recording as much as it does to other undertakings.
Sound recording is a vital aspect of music for any musician, be it a singer or an instrumentalist. In order to achieve acoustic perfection, rooms or premises are set aside with various sound recording equipment, studio monitors, audio mixers and musical instruments. These premises are quite simply known as a studio.
A recording studio generally comprises of a control room, where the recording equipment is located; the machine room to house louder equipment; and the studio or the live room, where vocalists and instrumentalists create the sound for the recording. In addition, isolation booths and vocal booths also commonly form a part of a recording studio. Isolation booths are exclusive rooms for noisier instruments, such as the recording drums and the electric guitar, while the vocal booths are exclusively for voice recordings. What differentiates these various rooms are their soundproofing, sizes and the material used on their walls to give the acoustics a desired effect.
Sounds of the instruments and the vocalists are usually enhanced or modified in these recording studios. These enhancements or modifications are called audio effects. Audio effects are incorporated in order to present a certain theme or mood to the sound; for example, reverberating effect to signify movement at a high speed; or enhancing the screeching sound of car tires to imply urgency.
Some of the commonly used audio effects are flanger, overdrive and robotic voice effects, modulation and reverse echo, among many others. These effects are first recorded and then edited to integrate with the film clip that it relates to. Sound editing is carried out using special audio recording software on a computer. Specialized software can help edit, mix and master sound files to exception quality end projects.
The vast range of microphones available in the sound recording market makes it possible for variations and experiments with different models and features. The condenser microphone is one of the more common types of microphones used in recording studios. These are professional recording microphones that deliver exception sound quality for the discerning musician and sound recordist.
How and where the microphones are placed in the studio defined the quality of the recording, and it became an art mastered by sound engineers to place microphones strategically in the studio to produce characteristic acoustic output. All sorts of experiments with microphone-placements have been tried by sound engineers. Microphones have been placed very close to the sound source, such as close to the instruments or close to the mouth of the singer. This gave the resulting recording a distinctive quality.
With the microphones came the mounts and stands that form an important part of studio equipment. A mount for the speakers, a stand for the microphones, boom arms, hanging mounts, instrument mounts, and adapters, extenders and other fittings more or less form the bulk of recording studio accessories.
Sound engineers, studio technicians, mastering engineer, studio producer and recording studio manager are some of the professionals who work in a recording studio.
Personal home studios have also become common with the affordability of professional sound equipment, such as synthesizers and microphones. These home studios are a favorite with individual artists and musicians pursuing it as a hobby. Within the course of just over a century, sound recording has grown in professionalism. While in the early 1900s, studios were converted-churches, these days, they are entire buildings with state-of-the-art instruments and acoustic equipment.
"One of the best project studios in the world..." - Jamie Wellwarth of Dungeon Sound, NYC
NEW at BAYSIDE AUSTIN!!! We just obtained the M3500 64-input mixer used on Michael Jackson's Dangerous Album!!! Now everyone can be a SMOOTH CRIMINAL!!!
Bayside Austin is a recording studio in south Austin, TX.
Though the operation space is limited, with a 12'x8' drum booth, vocal booth, and an acessable live room with 12' ceilings, the sound pallette is anything but limited.
An extensive collection of new, vintage, and antique recording equipment and
musicial instuments is available to all projects recording at Bayside. |
