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You've got your songs written (or your cover songs chosen) and rehearsed,
and are ready to do some recording. There are several ways to go about creating a recording of your music. Here are
some common methods to help you decide the best way to go about capturing your sound.
Which recording method is best for you, given your time, budget and expectations?
- Let one microphone capture it all!
If you are just getting started as a recording musician, the easiest way to capture your sound
is to set up a microphone in the middle of the room and jam away. You could have a mic connected
to an old tape deck, or through a USB connection to a computer.
With this method, the idea is to just capture
your song without worrying about having a ton of gear or a degree in music engineering.
It's not the quality of the
recording you are after, but simply the capturing of your inspiration as seamlessly as possible.
Pros: Quick, cheap, easy
Cons: Unless you have a pro-quality microphone and other recording gear, not the greatest fidelity
- Make a stereo mix of a live performance
Many times when a band performs live, the sound engineer will do a live mix right off of the board.
This means multiple microphones may be set up around the drums and guitars. Keyboards may be running
direct into the board, and vocal microphones are set up for each vocalist. As the band is performing, the
sound engineer is capturing the performance and dumping it straight into a stereo mix. What you hear
is what you get! There is no way to fix mistakes or change the mix at a later time.
Although some great recordings can be made this way, you would usually use these recordings to critique
your performance and hear the song with a little more separation and clarity than a single microphone could
capture.
Pros: Quick way to capture a live performance with decent fidelity
Cons: Lots of gear and knowledge needed; No way to correct mistakes
- Multitrack recording of a live performance
With this method, multiple tracks are used to capture the entire band performing together, whether
on stage, in a garage, or in a studio. As many
microphones and direct feeds would be tracked individually as possible, based on the capabilities of
the recording gear. The tracks could be mixed down later, and each track could be corrected or effected
individually as necessary. For example, the lead vocal could be replaced later in a controlled
recording situation.
This is a great way to capture the live feel and inspiration of a performance, especially with a band.
The drawback is that mixing and editing are somewhat limited because of bleedover from the other
instruments into all of the microphones. Additionally, the recording location may not provide
the optimal audio quality due to background noise and unwanted reverberations.
Pros: Captures live energy of the band; flexibility at mixdown
Cons: Lots of gear and knowledge needed; not optimal audio fidelity
- Multitrack recording of individual performances
One of the most common ways to capture pristine audio recordings is to have each musician perform their
parts individually. This provides for total control over performance and mixdown. Each musician
can take their time and play their parts over and over until they get a perfect take (time and budget
permitting of course).
This method usually takes the longest, but results in the cleanest recording. It allows each musician
to dissect and explore their parts and allows producers to critique the song arrangement and instrumentation.
The challenge with this type of recording is to capture the spontaneity and energy to make the song sound as
if it is being performed by a group of musicians playing in harmony.
Pros: Ultimate control over music, fidelity and performance
Cons: Can take a long time (hence, higher cost) to complete the recordings
As you prepare for your recording, think about what you are trying to accomplish. Are you trying to capture
a few songs to listen to and refine later, or are you planning to produce a CD of your music to share with the
world? Some amazing music has been recording over the years with minimal equipment and technology.
Ultimately, how you choose to do your recording will be based on your budget and your goals, and in
the end, the true essence of your music is not in the technology or the fidelity,
but in the emotion of your performance.
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Down In It by Fair Ground
is the culmination of years of friendship between Pete Lesperance and Mike Turner, two Canadian guitarists,
who have sold millions world-wide in their respective projects Harem Scarem and Our Lady Peace.
Incredible tunes!
More Information...
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