| After I had blown quite a few thousand dollars in a | | | | actual sounds from those instructions. There are two |
| recording studio, a sound engineer friend made a cool | | | | options for this: external and internal. |
| suggestion. "Why don't you buy an ADAT, and do | | | | External sounds come in little boxes called sound |
| some tracking at home?" So I purchased that | | | | modules (or keyboards with their own great sounds). |
| venerable 8 track digital tape recorder and saved | | | | Sound modules have hundreds of high-quality patches |
| oodles of time and money putting all my synth tracks | | | | that re-create every instrument in the orchestra, |
| on tape. That was my start in home recording, and oh, | | | | classic electronic sounds, spacey new synthesizer |
| the fun I've had since! | | | | creations and sound effects. To use them, you send |
| What are the basic pieces of equipment and | | | | the MIDI back out from the sequencer program |
| software one needs to record at home? | | | | through the audio interface's MIDI output and into the |
| There are so many ways to do this! Well, since you're | | | | sound module. You then take the audio output from |
| reading this, you probably have a computer, so let's | | | | the sound module back into your computer via the line |
| base our home studio on the computer. We'll start by | | | | input on your audio interface and record it on a new |
| understanding the different functions we will need filled | | | | audio track in the sequencer. It is now a real sound and |
| in home recording. Then we'll understand what the | | | | is perfectly lined up with the other tracks. |
| best hardware and software products to do it are. In | | | | Internal sounds come in lots of different types. |
| general, the principle I recommend is to use fewer | | | | Instruments that you use from within your audio/MIDI |
| pieces of equipment with more functions. That | | | | sequencer include VST instruments and software |
| approach saves time and, usually, money. As you | | | | synths. The latter may automatically come with your |
| advance in your recording skills, you can go for more | | | | audio interface, or require installation like any other |
| specialized equipment. | | | | program. Option two is a full-blown sampler |
| There are two distinct phases in recording a song. | | | | synthesizer program, such as "Reason", that you |
| One is the "in" phase, referring to everything needed to | | | | connect your sequencer to through a software |
| get your music performance into a basic recorded | | | | function called "Rewire." And there are also sound |
| form, with however many tracks you need. The | | | | modules that come in the form of PCI cards that you |
| second phase is the "out" phase, where you will take | | | | physically install on your computer. |
| that raw music, process it and create the final stereo | | | | Fine tuning and effects |
| version. | | | | Most every song will use spatial effects such as |
| The "in" phase -- sending the music to your computer | | | | reverb and echo. You may find that some tracks are |
| Music can be put into your computer either as audio | | | | slightly out of tune. On others, there may be a |
| or as MIDI. Audio is actual sound recordings. MIDI | | | | consistent buzz that needs to be removed. For all of |
| records no sounds, but only the digital instructions for | | | | these, you will want to have an audio editing program |
| an instrument to play. It is much like a combination of a | | | | or plug-in. A plug-in is simply a function you can add to |
| pianist and sheet music. Without an instrument, he can | | | | your basic sequencer program. Plug-ins exists for all |
| make no music. With MIDI, you are saving the note and | | | | kinds of functions, including reverb, compression, |
| volume instructions to be played on the instruments of | | | | equalization, noise reduction, pitch correction and so |
| your choice later on. | | | | forth. |
| Although some programs let you put MIDI notes into | | | | An audio editing program is a standalone program that |
| your computer through your computer keyboard, and | | | | does all of these things. With most audio/MIDI |
| other programs have music generation features that | | | | sequencers, you can configure your software to call |
| allow you to create an entire backing band without | | | | up the audio editing program and fix the track without |
| playing a note, the best solution is a velocity sensitive | | | | leaving the sequencer. |
| MIDI keyboard. It gives a much more realistic | | | | Mixing down |
| performance. For example, playing a key softer will | | | | Once you have all of your tracks and sounds |
| record a softer note. Other features, such as | | | | recorded, you will need to mix them down to stereo. |
| aftertouch, allow you to add vibrato and other realistic | | | | Again, this can be done in an external or internal |
| effects. | | | | fashion. To do it externally, you would need a |
| Audio simply means actual sounds. Audio tracks will | | | | hardware mixer. This method limits you to the number |
| include vocals, acoustic instruments, and electronic | | | | of tracks you can send independently through your |
| instruments whose sounds you wish to use. You will | | | | audio interface and the number of tracks your mixer |
| do well to get at least two microphones. Some | | | | can handle. Nonetheless, mixers give you a real |
| microphones are better constructed to record vocals, | | | | surface to work on, and often include quality studio |
| while others are optimized for instruments. In addition, | | | | effects, reverbs and such. |
| having two mics allows you to record in stereo, or two | | | | Internal mixing means using your audio/MIDI sequencer |
| soloists performing at the same time. | | | | to mix down the entire song to two tracks. The |
| Receiving the music into your computer | | | | advantage of doing it internally is the expanded |
| All of this will get your music up to your computer's | | | | number of tracks you can use. The disadvantage is |
| door. How do you get it inside? With an audio interface | | | | the difficulty of mixing with a mouse on a computer |
| that has: a microphone jack that fits your microphone | | | | screen. There are, however, hardware mixing |
| cable and preamp function (so that the signal is strong | | | | surfaces which simply control your software program. |
| enough to be properly recorded), phantom power (if | | | | Mastering and burning |
| you use a condenser mic that needs it), a line input for | | | | Once you have your stereo mix, you want to put the |
| synths and sound modules, and a MIDI interface. | | | | finishing touches on it. These touches include overall |
| Remember the principle - less products that do more. | | | | compression, equalization, noise reduction, fading in and |
| Some find it simpler to run every audio sound, mics | | | | out and bringing the recording up to a normalized level |
| and all, through a hardware mixer (with phantom | | | | of volume. Your audio editing program should be able |
| power and effects) and sending that pre-processed | | | | to handle these adequately, although there are |
| signal to the audio interface's line input. You'll still need | | | | specialized mastering programs which offer higher |
| the MIDI interface function for your MIDI recording, | | | | quality and many more enhancement features. |
| though. | | | | Then you're ready to burn your song to CD. Odds are |
| Once your audio and MIDI are inside your computer, | | | | that your CD writing drive came with a program that |
| software takes over. For our recording we will use | | | | does just that and you won't need anything more. I did |
| what's called an integrated audio/MIDI sequencer. | | | | mention that you'll need a CD writing drive, didn't I? Well, |
| Famous names include Cubase, Cakewalk and so | | | | now I did! And if it's MP3 you're after, most audio |
| forth. These programs record multiple tracks of audio | | | | programs encode MP3s as well. |
| and MIDI in perfect synchronization. | | | | And that's it! Now you have everything you need to |
| Now you have all the equipment you need for the "in" | | | | make your musical magic at home. Have fun, but I |
| phase. What will you need to take the many tracks of | | | | don't need to tell you that, because it just is.Seth |
| audio and MIDI you have recorded and make a song | | | | Lutnick is a singer and songwriter who has been bitten |
| out of them? | | | | by the bug of home music recording. His web site, |
| The "out" phase -- making MIDI into music | | | | offers detailed step-by-step plans for creating a home |
| We mentioned that MIDI is simply digital instructions, it | | | | recording studio, song arranging and professional album |
| is not actual sounds. Now we will need to create | | | | recording. |