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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/15/2007 10:42:16 AM | I dropped out of college to pursue a career in hip-hop producing. This is the reason:
As long as you have the ear for it, today's technology is such that it's so freakin' easy to do what I'm doing.
Here are the major components I use:
- Yamaha Motif ES 8
(Industry Standard Synth, very very excellent board, great for looping)
- Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS
(Provides a way for me to go from Keyboard --> PC, variety of inputs)
- Sony ACID 6.0
(Provides the "cutting board" for whatever I've recorded)
If this career works for me, I'll feel like the luckiest person alive, because 99% of my intellectual overhead only goes into the musical side. The hardware will have taken care of itself. | |
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Kesiah
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Joined: 6/10/2007
Msg: 177 | |
| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/15/2007 11:24:28 AM | Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS
(Provides a way for me to go from Keyboard --> PC, variety of inputs)
- Sony ACID 6.0
(Provides the "cutting board" for whatever I've recorded)
is that all the gear I need.... is there better stuff... how do I do it... link it... why can't I just plug my synthizer/keyboard into my pc... and use just software?
What software can I find? (anything for free ... ??)
What leads do I need ... you know what are they called from my midi-out socket... ??
PLEASE HELP ME!!!
I don't think I would be on here anymore.. or looking for a man if I had all that ability to thrill me... with my music! | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/15/2007 4:16:04 PM |
why can't I just plug my synthizer/keyboard into my pc... and use just software?
That's exactly what you'll be doing. Run a cable from your synthesizer's output. My output accepts 1/4'':
http://cachepe.zzounds.com/media/quality,85/brand,zzounds/fit,400by400/p283b-44c894df6ceb0d583b8f559af97689bc.jpg
You run the other end of this cable directly into the soundblaster card, using the red and white RCA inputs:
http://www.kentmusictechnology.co.uk/images/2%20RCA%20to%202%20RCA.jpg
When you install this card, it puts a little head unit / faceplate onto one of the empty slots / bays on the front of your PC's case.
Check it:
http://images.creative.com/iss/images/products/headers/prod11226_hdr_1_6_1.jpg
That's not the model I've got, but I run the aforementioned 1/4'' cable, and plug it into the red & white audio inputs of the soundblaster card.
You may need to get an adapter for your RCA cable, depending on your keyboard's output type. Here is the ideal cord I would want:
http://www.midi-classics.com/i/p25467.gif
Good luck. Yeah, creating music this way has jaded me when it comes to females. Until the ones my age (21) grow up a little more, doing the music thing's just a lot more gratifying. ;] | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/15/2007 7:58:14 PM | Hello people! I NEED YOUR HELP!
I'm kind of a dinosaur when it comes to home recording. I'm not real advanced... AT ALL. I'm still using the archaic ACID Music 2.0 program, because if it ain't broke I ain't gonna fix it. I don't even know what the latest version out these days is, god knows it probably has a thousand extra things my 2.0 doesn't have. I'm a guitar player so I run my rackmount amp into the line-in jack on my sound card and record guitar tracks that way. For bass tracks, I use the pitch shifter on my effects processor. For vocals, I use a mic, duh.
But here's my real question for y'all...
For drum tracks... I painstakingly program them beat for beat with single-shot WAV samples. WAV files are all I can use. I've scoured the web looking for all kinds of drum samples, and I've found tons of sites offering free samples of different sounding kick drums, snares, hi-hats, rides, splashs, etc... but the only matched sets of toms I've found are REALLY crappy and and COMPLETELY fake sounding. I've managed to use some multiple track trickery to make the drums sound pretty realistic. BUT... all I've been using are kick drums and the snare. I'd like to add some rolls and accents with some matching tom drum samples that sound like a real life acoustic drum set. Does anyone know where on the web I might be able to find such a thing. Or perhaps you HAVE some samples in WAV format that you'd be willing to send me somehow. I would REALLY EXTREMELY INCREDIBLY UNBELIEVABLY appreciate some help here. I'M BEGGING YOU!!! PLEEEEEEEEASEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/18/2007 5:25:35 PM | | i use fostex mr-8HD. I used to record seperate tracks into PC via soundcard. I found the quality to be not that good. The fostex 8 track is a god send. Good thing i like about is that you can record 4 tracks simultaneously. | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/18/2007 8:37:51 PM | i'd like to make a couple suggestions.....
1) keep scouring, i went through a LOT of trouble (and some creative *ahem* borrowing of drum software of which i couldn't use the software but i am definately using the samples) i don't endorse STEALING but borrowing and deleting what you won't use, well, i can't say thats TOO awful
2) please for the love of god buy a bass, they're cheap and with some effects you can make a $100 bass sound killer
3) don't run a line in straight into your soundcard, spend a little money and get a couple mics and mic your cab, ESPECIALLY if you're playing with gain/distortion/OD, pc's have a tendency to thin out a distorted signal and you'll lose a lot of the chunk, mic'ing a cab though will keep a semblance of EQ in the wave format which leads me to 4....
4) double track your distorted guitars with clean guitars and keep them low in the mix, in fact if you can you should record everything clean, double track the guitars and add your gain/distortion etc etc on one of the 2 tracks, this will make the guitar VERY full sounding.
and lat but not least.....
5) so you've got some samples that aren't the greatest? do a little research, drums naturally run through a certain K range on an Eq, a bass drum uses lower frequencies than toms, find the range that toms use generally and boost that, cut out some of the range around it experiment and find what works, same goes with vocals (they stay in the 1 k range i know) guitars, bass etc. you want everything to stay in it's own sonic landscape so to speak. you don't really want the bass to bleed into the guitars and drums right?
oh yeah and the winning touch
6) compress your vocals, guitars and bass. this will make them pop out and can make an OK sounding recording sound REALLY good. also compressing a bass drum and a little bit of compression on toms can really give them a vibrant sound as opposed to a flat sound. peace!!!! | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/19/2007 7:21:45 AM | First of all,
Making hit records! IS NOT EASY!
Mr. Wanderer, you can say it's easy when you've got your songs or productions charted.
Second,
There is no way in hell you could ever make a professional record using the tools stated.
Wanderer, I'm not trying to put you down. But what I'm trying to say, is that you've got a lot to learn. And a producer should not be limited by hip hop. In fact, this is the second year in a row hip hop has taken a dive in record sales.
This business is about survival of the fittest. Anyone who is anyone is this business is over 35. And they've been doing it since they were young.
Remember, the reward is the journey!
Now, lets talk about gear!
Free programs, hmmmmm.
I can't say I'd know any that are free especially, if you like to see the notation of your work. So I'd suggest a program called Digital Performer made by a company called MOTU. In fact, I believe MI3 was scored on this program.
You know everyone is always looking for the cheap way out. But unfortunately, it's just not like that. Those big consoles that studios have aren't props. They're there for a reason and there is also a reason why some of them cost over a million dollars. Like stated in my last post.
Computers have lowered the bar for recording music. | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/19/2007 8:57:02 AM | Listen to this kid ^^^^ He know's his shit.
And, ...um, ...bro'?
Call me, I lost your cell#
He's had BOTH kinds of training, ...the digital recording course at FullSail in Miami ($48,000 now I believe), and two years internship with cranky old studio guys (like me), he was also taught music theory one on one by yours truly, and he got hired by Metalworks in TO, Canada's premier recording studio, and unfortunately for them, ...the crankiest old studio guy (my old partner in crime) hired him back. I want back too, that old guy ran the show for the best work I've ever been a part of.
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/19/2007 7:49:09 PM | "The kid" and myself, are pros, it's what we do for a living, which means some of what we "do" is unattainable on a hobby budget, on the other hand, some of what we KNOW, doesn't involve anything other than the "KNOW".
For one thing, and I'm sure my young friend has my back on this, most of what you "KNOW", is wrong.
Everything you read in magazines, websites, etc. ....is probably wrong.
The part to always be aware of is:
ALL of these sources want to sell you shit. and it's probably shit, shit.
The young lad and myself, can tell you about the hard to find, not advertised - good shit.
Sometimes expensive, sometimes not.
And it all depends on ONE thing,
How much does it mean to YOU.
That simple. | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/19/2007 9:03:04 PM | | sweet, care to enlighten me? i've basically got acid 4.0, a couple guitars, an amp, a bass, my pc and fruity loops for drums/synth, mic's etc. with what i got can you give me some good tips? i'm not looking to do a "pro" sounding album per say (as a pro sounding album would cost pro sounding money) but any tips/tricks to get the best out of what i'm working with? | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/19/2007 9:11:59 PM | This thread, ....best way to start,.
read it from page one, Guitarman has good advice, and people like me are good at pointing out the obvious.
Software?
Immaterial
Mike/pre-amp, ....spend at least $750, it's a start. | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/19/2007 9:49:10 PM | | i don't know about $750 for a mic and preamp (i'd love to but that damnedable car/apt/electric/insurance payments always get in the way) but i did definately get some good tips from this page, i'm getting a sm57 maybe 2 of them so i can mic my guitar cab. also that audio technica mic that was suggested i'll check out. as for a pre-amp a friend of mine got one for a little over a hundred bucks that i think sounds really good (and will sound a lot better once he gets rid of the stock tubes in it) thanks again all and keep posting the tips! | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/19/2007 11:08:45 PM | Polyphony better have his chops together for next week, it's mind blowin' time.
Oool is here from India, gonna' be some non-stop jammin' at the lake.
We didn't record it last time, .....we really wished we had.
Scary stuff people........
3 multi-instrumentalists, ....non-stop, ...we'll go til the sun comes up.
crazy. | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/19/2007 11:39:28 PM | hey dudes,long time no talk
I took some time off of recording to do some much needed recording studio renos and to expand my custom guitar business.............
paradigm shift:
I had to seriously look at the time I was spending in my studio,compared to how much money it was bring in.....it was not good. Very few are lucky enough to make a living recording and producing......and even those that do get to do it...........it is a grind
IE
-hours of listening to the same tune
-ear fatigue/long term exposure damage
etc
seriously sit down with a calculator and add up
-hours spent
-total gear investment etc
now compare it to the money you made....................
does it compute?
would your accountant say "yes this is a viable business......continue on your path....?
If it is just for fun than....whatever
BUT
if it is a "job" than (see above)
zach
sweet, care to enlighten me? i've basically got acid 4.0, a couple guitars, an amp, a bass, my pc and fruity loops for drums/synth, mic's etc. with what i got can you give me some good tips? i'm not looking to do a "pro" sounding album per say (as a pro sounding album would cost pro sounding money) but any tips/tricks to get the best out of what i'm working with?
yes page one has some good tips....then it gets into the mac/pc arguement .....
update:
ya mac is probably better
next topic
I was using acid 2.0 in the very beginning .......it had very little plug in /mixing capability. If acid 4.0 is not vastly better I would switch to cubase sx,logic,pro tools etc
on fruity loops..........check out the pro drum loops from
beta monkey
google'
Or better still buy a drum kit and learn to play,your tracks will 'breathe'
and not sound so' canned'
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/20/2007 4:39:57 AM | survival of the fittest?
bollocks, music today is Targeted and Marketed. Its obsene, people like simon cowell etc p**s all over the music buisness and contoll it. True you cant make a professional sounding record at home. But i would rather not make it in the music buisness than be a sell out peice of s**t
I make music because its expression not because i want to sound " professional" | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/20/2007 4:54:41 PM | | thanks for the tips man! i'd love to get a drumkit, the problem is i live in an apt and i play heavy metal type stuff so my neighbors wouldn't be too appreciative of me banging on drums (im surprised they haven't called the cops yet due to my guitar amp honestly) also to get to the level where i could play what i hear in my head would take me years of playing and i don't really want to wait years to record songs i have now. perhaps when i get a house in the future though! acid 4.0 has quite a few plugins (at least really everything i need, flange/phase/chorus/delay/reverb/compressors) i know to not use multiple plugins on 1 track so i'd probably just end up making duplicate tracks and using a different effect on each track, then mix the 2 tracks together (that should keep the signal from getting too far out from the original right?). thanks for the drum loop suggestions i'll definately check that out. as far as mixing/mastering/editing i have a friend of mine who is pretty decent at that stuff and he has a older pro-tools rig (maybe 4.0? i don't remember honestly) so i figured he could probably take care of whatever needs to be done. my recording ethic is "do the entire track, beginning to end in one take, screw it up? erase and start over" i think doing the entire track in one take keeps the continuity going (i've heard some killer punch in jobs but i'm not big on that) | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/21/2007 8:16:29 PM | In reply to "zach0731"...
1. Yeah, I've done lots of scouring, but the search engines I've used haven't led me to what I want to find. Any suggestions for a few starting points at which to begin my endless frustrating scouring?
2. Nah, I don't really need a bass. I've got a really good rackmount effects processor with an excellent pitch shifter effect. I can tweak it to where you can't even tell it's not a real bass.
3. One problem with that. At the moment, I don't have a cabinet. Even if I did, the noise would pose a problem for the crabby old lady one floor down. Recording with a mic would force me to need other equipment, and obviously since I don't even have a cab, I'm on a limited (aka non-existent) budget. I've got a marshall JMP-1 preamp, it's got plenty of balls. If I run the signal out of the direct outs on the poweramp, yeah, it sounds thin and REALLY crappy. But if I go from the preamp outputs to the sound card with a stereo cable, the stereo effects in the rack makes it sound pretty big.
4. I don't use clean tones to fatten distorted ones. That's just not the way I approach it. I definitely use several tracks for guitars though. I record the same riff twice and pan them a certain percentage right and left. Then I use a different eq'd tone (usually with more mids) and either do the same thing, or just put one track unpanned/centered. My hard disk only has so much space on it. I can't be recording 8 different guitar tracks for one riff. I understand why it fattens it up, it's the lower frequencies that get messed with by distortion, distorting a guitar produces a tone an octave or so higher than the actual note anyways. A well matched bass line handles that for me.
5. The kind of music I'm doing is straight up metal. The bass drum sample I have is labelled "click bass", the sound I was going for was what Vinny had going on in Pantera's Far Beyond Driven album, just a real quick thud with no midrange and boosted highs to accentuate the snap against the skin and make it stand out better. The kinds of tom samples I want will have lots of bass and a decent amount of decay time, I want something that creates a bit of a roar as it goes through a descending roll. I'd like to be able to cover some Slayer tunes, and it's impossible to do without good toms.
6. My rackmount gear does the compression on the guitar and bass. As far as vocals go... I do it manually by tweaking the volume of the vocal track to make it go up and down as needed. It's a huge pain in the butt, but hey, I'm poor, you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes. | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/21/2007 9:12:41 PM | Hey everyone,
what are the BEST near field monitors for a project studio?
my roomate loves his Dynaudios. I've seen Genelec as standards and have heard their quality.
thanks. | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/22/2007 6:50:54 AM | You can make pro recording at home!
You just have to know how!
And no....simon cowell doesn't control the music industry!
Company's like Viacom own the music industry. So if anyone has any control it would be them.
Yes making music is a form of expression but so is dying your hair pink! | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/22/2007 6:55:50 AM | Mitch!
How are you?
Good question. My favourite topic! Monitors....ahhh
Well my favourite bang for the buck speaker would be KRK V8's. Really classy speaker there are 2 versions the first version been the one I like. Why? Well I find it holds the bottom end, where as, the version 2 speakers crap out a bit in the low end.
Genelec is a great company and if they are the ones you've heard then buy those. Remember, buy with your ears not what people tell you. | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/22/2007 8:27:57 AM | | I still love the old burgandy coloured Tannoy Reveals for near-fields. Nice flat response and they work well with a sub-woofer. The old Tannoy Golds were great for filling any room, ...big room, nice fat sound off of one concentric 15". Now the "bigs" use a lot of Westlake installs, that can run in excess of $50,000.... tought to keep up with that. | |
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| the HOME RECORDING STUDIO thread
Posted: 6/23/2007 3:14:00 PM | @Causticism....
Drum samples... check out BFD or toontracks,
go to toontracks find, EZdrummer submissions, then 3rd place 2006 winner
Tweakmeister...is that what you're looking for? | |
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