How to start a recording studio | part 1

You've decided to start a recording studio. Now comes the planning for how to build your studio from the ground up. There are so many options, so let me help you consider a few that are crucial to the success of your new studio. I've been in the business for over 20 years now and I've seen what works and how well everything works. There are many different types of audio production studios, but for this segment, I'm going to focus on the beginner's project studio. Though you may have already started to build your studio, I'll be offering advice on things to consider for the success of all levels of studio production.

Before you spend too much time planning or spend any money on gear, take time to hash out your budget. You'll need to make some tough decisions about what is necessary now and what can be purchased down the road as the studio grows. Start a spreadsheet of your available finances and keep track of what you're spending. The last thing you want to do is buy a bunch of gear and then not have the funds to connect the pieces. There are things that many new studio engineers overlook and this is one main reason I'm writing this article.

First, you have to decide if you're going to be a PC or a MAC based computer system. You could get a new MAC and load Windows with the Parallels program. That's all up to you. There are advantages to both OS systems, so this decision has to fit with your configuration and your budget. PC systems are typically more affordable, but do carry the risk of more frequent crashing and data loss. MAC systems are more expensive and not as flexible as a PC based system. I'm not going to get too in-depth here, but if you'd like to post a comment, I'll do my best to respond.

For now, we'll assume that you've made your computer decision and you're ready to move on to the core of your system, the DAW. The DAW ( Digital Audio Workstation) is the heart of all digital recording studios. This is the interface that will provide recording and mixing capabilities for your studio. Most DAWs come with a hardware interface which does the A/D & D/A conversion for your audio. This is by far one of the most important choices to make when building your studio. The quality of audio conversion will ultimately impact the detail of the audio that comes out of your studio. The higher quality converters will give you a more accurate monitoring sound and yield a more dynamic range to your mixes. The beauty of most DAWs today, they will work with almost any interface you choose. This makes the options more bountiful and presents the opportunity for 3rd party companies to get into the market. Ultimately, this allows engineers the ability to mix and match software and hardware to customize a studio setup that is just right for their needs. Customize is such a great word and it is such a liberating concept!

I've personally worked with many different DAWs in my career and they all do a fine job of recording and mixing. There are some that only work on PC and some that only work on MAC, but most are cross-platform, so do pay attention to what is compatible with your system. The most widely used DAW is AVID's Pro Tools. Virtually every professional studio I've been in over the years is running Pro Tools as their primary DAW. It's not cheap software, but it is very user friendly with a mild learning curve. There are tons of books and videos out there to get you started working in Pro Tools and I'd recommend this as your primary DAW. The new line of AVID HD I/O interfaces have excellent converters and the audio quality is pristine. However, Pro Tools HD systems are not cheap. The entry level system is the Omni HD + Pro Tools HD Native and that starts at $4,999.00. Now there are some upgrade options, but just to get into Pro Tools HD, you may be spending a big chunk of your budget. If you can afford a quality interface, it will pay dividends down the road. Just be sure you are buying fear that you can grow into and not grow out of quickly. One pit fall I regularly encounter is folks who buy bargain gear with the intention of selling it when they need to upgrade. My warning is that you may not be able to sell the gear for a decent price, so don't rely on this strategy to recoup your capital funds.

Hope this was some useful insight for you to consider. Keep in mind there are many options out there and I highly recommend that you at least consider multiple DAWs and Hardware interfaces before you commit to purchasing. You should also look into financing your purchases and Sweetwater (.com) has some nice 0% interest for 24 months financing options. If you want to talk with my sales engineer, Joseph Secu x1232, he'll give you some good advice on what would work best for your setup. He's helped many of my clients purchase the right gear for their home studios and he's been helping me for over 14 years. I only have great things to say about Sweetwater and Mr. Secu.

Please leave any comments and I'll respond as soon as possible. Thanks for reading part 1 of this blog article. The next section I'll be discussing vocal microphones and preamps.

Today's FAQ : What's a DI?

DI is short for 'direct input' and it means you take a direct signal from a source. Usually a DI will be used for recording guitar, bass, and keyboards.

"Why should I use a DI, when I have a perfectly good amp that can be mic'd?"

Good question. If you like to mic up your amp, go ahead and do it. As a secondary back up, I'd suggest splitting the signal and tracking a DI along with your amp. You'll get a nice clean track along with your amp track to work with when you mix. Think of it as a safety net in case the amp track doesn't work out. Maybe the mic didn't capture the tone you wanted, but the performance was epic. If you tracked a DI, then the performance has a chance to be relived & re-amped!

Re-amp your performance with the DI track. You can now play back the clean DI track and feed the signal into your amp. Move the mic around until you find the tone you desire. Now you have lots of options with minimal effort and you look like a seasoned pro. There are other options like using the DI track with amp emulated software. This way you can shape your tone with digital ease. There are so many possibilities with digital software that you can try out many different sounds to hear what works best for your mix. There are so many options at the fingertips of engineers, this is a great time in musical history. Take advantage of the DI and begin to explore what your music can become.

Recording | Rock Vocals

Rock vocals can appear to be an easy task, but they're most likely the hardest vocals to capture. Many rock songs have different levels of vocal intensity and this makes them tough to record. Unless the vocalist is a seasoned studio professional, you're going to wind up doing a few different takes and then composing a final track from multiple playlists. So, let's be up on how to approach this task.

First, have the singer go all the way through the song and get a feel for the level of intensity at each part of the song. Mark where there are significant changes to the vocal intensity. Start with the softer / quieter parts of the vocals. Position your mic so that there is no capsule distortion. (See my earlier post on mic placement) save the screaming / high intensity parts for the end. This will save the vocalist's voice and not put too much strain on the vocal cords.

Now a big part of the recording is emotion, so you need to encourage the vocalist to express their emotion. Listen to the recording and decide if you believe the lyrics and feel the emotion that the music is conveying. Rock vocals are the glue to the song and they need to be convincing.

Mixing | Rap Vocals

The compression on rap vocals is vital to the sound and success of the song. There are a few techniques that you can use, but I'm going to share one with you that is popular with my clients. Duplicate you main vocal track or if you have multiple main vocal tracks, bus them to an aux send. On this new track, add a compressor that has controls for attack, release, threshold, ratio, and output gain. I prefer the Waves Renaissance Compressor, but you can use any comp that has similar controls. Set the attack and release to be very short. Play the track and bring down the threshold until you start to have the compressor engage. Now drop your ratio down to around 8:1. This will squish the track and give you a nice even volume level for the vocals. Adjust the threshold and output volume to get a nice balance of compression and volume.

Now play this track along with the original vocal track. Keep the original vocal track up in the mix. This is your main vocal track that need to be up front. The new squashed track is mixed into the background. Bring the level up slowly until you hear the overall vocal level filling out the space in the mix. This technique keeps the vocal up front in the mix regardless of how much presence the vocalist put into the recording. This even tone of vocals will give your rap vocals a polished sound that is professional and captivating. Now you may need to adjust levels and ride the faders, but done correctly, this is an easy way to get big vocals into a bass heavy mix.

Recording | Hip Hop Vocals

In Hip Hop music, the vocals are 99% of the performance. So why not put 99% of your effort into mixing the vocals? Clients that record vocals at the studio are always pleasantly surprised at the clarity and detail our system provides. Plus many years of experience of EQ and adding effects is just the cherry on top.

The first thing with recording vocals is to make sure the mic is in the right place. Some vocalists have a forceful way of singing, so an off-axis mic technique is better suited for them. You have to listen to the recording and make sure the mic capsule is not overloading. Standing close to the mic can give lots of tone and presence to the vocals, but if there is capsule distortion, the performance is tarnished. Move the mic around ( or the vocalist) until you find a spot that is a good balance of clean signal and presence.

Mixing Guitars | Wall of Guitars

Getting a solid guitar sound in your mix can be frustrating. I know it's not easy, so here are a few tips to help you along the right path to make your guitars big and loud.

First, track your guitar as you normally would. Use a little bit of EQ were some effects and you're done. That was easy.

Next, record your guitar again as a second take. This time change a few of the settings on your amp or choose a different pick up on your guitar. This will give you a new tone that will help separate the sounds of the guitar when you go to mix the tracks.

Now do a third take and this time use an EQ to pull out the bottom of the tone. Give this guitar an effect that sounds like it's on the radio by filtering out everything below 250 Hz.

Pan the first two takes slightly right and left in the mix. Adjust compression as needed and you should be getting a bigger sound out of your guitar mix.

Please leave a comment if you'd like more info on this technique.

How to mic tablas

Recent clients have had some tabla tracks on their album and these little hand drums can be tricky to record. There are usually two drums that rest on the floor supported by a circular cushion. The musician sits on the floor and plays the drums with their fingers and palms. Just to give you an idea of what I'm about to describe for the mic setup.

The drums have a rich tambour and resonating swell that are characteristic of the drums. I first started with a sm7 on the wooden drum that has a higher pitch and a Beta52 on the lower pitched brass drum. Focused the mics on the sweet spot of the drums and angle them away from each other to help control the bleed. This gave me good results, but it wasn't quite the sound that I was trying to capture. After listening to the recordings a few times, and talking to the musician, I decided to try a more traditional drum approach. I set up two condenser mics, one directly over the drums slightly in front of the musician about the same height as the musicians ears. The other mic was set up just off to the side of the musician about the same height as the top of the drums. This gave us a great sound for the over all presence of the Tablas drums. However, we lost some of the low-end the came from the brass drum. So I decided to put the Beta 52 just off to the side of the brass drum. This brought all the low-end presence back into the mix and gave us a solid performance the musician was happy to put on the CD.

Trade Gear for Studio Time | Get More From Your Gear

You have gear just collecting dust and that's not the plan you had in mind when you bought it. You don't want to sell it on eBay cause you won't be able to get hardly anything for it. Now you're stuck with gear that is just taking up space.

Here's a solution that will benefit you and also help Shine On Studio & the studio's students that are trying to make the start in the music industry. I'm always looking to try new gear and add gear to the studio. Options for gear allows musicians to get the sound that's in their heads. Plus, studio interns donate lots of time to helping with sessions and doing work in the off hours. This will be a great way for me to repay them for all their hard work.

Contact the studio for further details.

Mixing Snare Drums

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Robi Bean & Justin Fawsitt tracking in the studio.

Snare is the pulse of a rhythm section. It pumps movement into a song and supports the kick drum. However, the snare drum can be one of the more difficult sounds to mix. Snare is usually so prominent that it resides up front in the mix and usually sits right behind the vocals. So here are a few tips for good mixing techniques to get the snare in the pocket.

First, use good mic placement to capture the tone and ring of the snare that is desirable for the track. Typically a SM57 is used for snare tracking, but you may want to experiment with other mics to see if they give you a sound that is more desirable. I've used a Sennheiser e606 with great results for rock and punk snare recordings. Paired with the right preamp, you can really sculpt a tone that is your signature.

The next step is EQ. See if you can find the frequency that is prominent in the vocal track and then notch out just a touch of that frequency in the snare track. Also, use filters to help shape the tone of the snare so that it fits nicely into the mix with the other drum mics. As a sidenote, be sure to monitor your overhead mics as they will have plenty of snare sound. Sometimes there is a boxy sound to the snare around 300 Hz. Sweep your EQ around this frequency range and find the Boxee sound. Once you found the undesirable tone in the snare just notch it out a dB or two. This will help your snare cut through the mix and sit nicely behind the vocal track.

Behind the Scenes | Recording Engineer Clean Up Work

The recording engineer's work is not done after the session is over. The engineer must spend time working on the audio files to clean up unwanted noise in the files and make sure that fades are properly applied to smooth transitions. Back up copies need to be made and even though the engineer doesn't sit there and watch the computer transfer files, the engineer has to wait and check after the transfer is done to make sure that all the files transferred properly.

I'm usually in the studio hours before a session to check on timing issues and pitch correction. Returning to a session after taking some time off allows me to hear the tracks again with fresh ears. This way I'm more likely to catch little mistakes and focus on the recording's blemishes. This also gives me time to focus on ways to approach and produce the recording. I usually take this time to make notes for mixing the tracks. This way I am prepared for mixing as soon as the client arrives at the studio. If any re-tracking is required, will usually start there and then proceed to mixing. It's the little things like this prep work that keep my clients happy and keep them coming back to record more at Shine On Studio.

Recording Studio Tips | Record the Right Way

Studio time is very precious. Do a little prep work before you head into the studio. Get your tracks ready and plan out what you'll be working on during your studio session. Most importantly, go in to the studio excited to work on your music. Your attitude will reflect in the music. Bring comfort food and wear comfortable clothes that you can relax in while you are in the studio. Pack up for the studio the night before your session. This will ease your mind and help keep your blood pressure down with little stress as you embark on a momentous occasion.

Recording Studio Tips | Bring a Back-Up Hard Drive

A good rule of thumb is to always bring an external hard drive or flash drive as a back-up for all your studio recordings. You've invested your heart, soul, time, and money into the recording, so be sure to make an extra copy (or two) of your session files. Things happen and you don't want to loose all your hard work only to wind up starting over from the beginning. Now that storage media is so affordable, there is really no reason you shouldn't back up all your work. There are lots of great websites to get a good price on storage media. Check http://www.macmall.com or http://www.amazon.com for great deals. If you need any advice on purchasing storage media, just contact the studio.

No Platinum Albums in 2014

DeathandTaxesMag.com has an article out talking about the fact that no albums went Platinum in 2014. Now could this be because there wasn't any outstanding music in 2014? I highly doubt it. With albums from the Black Keys, Beck, & Jack White hitting the store shelves this year, the odds are in favor of music being available to go platinum. The new Taylor Swift album just hit shelves and is trying to make a big push for the holiday season, but it might be too late to save a bleak year in music sales.

Just in general, CD sales have steadily declined since the era of MP3 players. Buying a CD is not translating to the younger generations. They have no interest in collecting CDs when they can just easily download and share music digitally. Companies like Rhapsody are single handedly killing the music industry CD sales. For only $10 per month, listeners can have access to almost all the music in the world. Then they can rip the music and share it with their friends that don't have a Rhapsody account. Digital media has changed how people listen to music and the listeners will no longer pay high prices for CDs ever again...if they ever do buy CDs again.

When I go to local shows, I buy a CD from the bands for a few reasons. First, I want to support local musicians and independent music. This is where the focus of the music industry should be. If we don't support the local music scene, then we won't have any new music. Second, I like collecting unique and rare band albums. Some of these bands will only be around for a short while before the music industry gobbles them up and forces them to find another way to earn a living. So I like that my CD collection is comprised o music the most of my friends have never heard. In addition to all the great music that is recorded a the studio, I have a collection of songs that no one else on this earth has heard.

Now I'm not encouraging readers to go out and buy CDs to help stimulate the market or help main stream musicians reach platinum status. I am encouraging readers to buy CDs from indie bands and help stimulate the local music scene. Be supportive of local musicians that write and perform original music. This is the essence of music that connects us spiritually to one another and to the universe. So get off your couch once in a while and go out to see a live show. Cheer on a band you've never heard before. Support music so it can go on inspiring us and future generations.

A client has posted the 'No Platinum Albums' article link on his FB page: https://www.facebook.com/binsacca/posts/10152794615819190

Keep your vocals in good condition

Singing professionally is a tough business. Vocalists constantly condition and exercise their throats to stay in good form. When you make a living using your voice, it's can be a constant discipline to keep it in shape. Regular breathing exercises and proper fluids tend to be excellent choices for the marathon singers that perform almost every night.

Before a long day of tracking vocals in the studio, it's a good idea to have done some prep work. Don't drink any cold fluids before you start your recording session. It's also a good idea to drink warm tea or something that will soothe your throat. Take a decongestant if your sinuses are acting up and don't do anything that would cause you to sneeze constantly. Things like dusting the house before a recording session can be disastrous to your vocals.

If you're singing in a band or getting regular work to sing professionally, take time each day to warm up your voice. Keep exercising your lungs, throat, and jaw muscles. Just as runners need to stay in shape for the marathon, vocalists need to stay in shape for the performance.

Today's FAQ : What's a DI?

DI is short for 'direct input' and it means you take a direct signal from a source. Usually a DI will be used for recording guitar, bass, and keyboards.

"Why should I use a DI, when I have a perfectly good amp that can be mic'd?"

Good question. If you like to mic up your amp, go ahead and do it. As a secondary back up, I'd suggest splitting the signal and tracking a DI along with your amp. You'll get a nice clean track along with your amp track to work with when you mix. Think of it as a safety net in case the amp track doesn't work out. Maybe the mic didn't capture the tone you wanted, but the performance was epic. If you tracked a DI, then the performance has a chance to be relived & re-amped!

Re-amp your performance with the DI track. You can now play back the clean DI track and feed the signal into your amp. Move the mic around until you find the tone you desire. Now you have lots of options with minimal effort and you look like a seasoned pro. There are other options like using the DI track with amp emulated software. This way you can shape your tone with digital ease. There are so many possibilities with digital software that you can try out many different sounds to hear what works best for your mix. There are so many options at the fingertips of engineers, this is a great time in musical history. Take advantage of the DI and begin to explore what your music can become.

I use a Countryman 85S for most of my DI tracking. It does provide clean and clear tracks without coloration. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a solid DI. It is my go-to DI for nearly every direct recoding done at the studio.

Most preamps can be used as a DI. I have a GML 2032 that I regularly use as a DI for bass guitar. The built-in EQ works wonders on shaping the bass sound so that it fits beautifully within the mix. Typically all I have to do is add a little compression and the bass finds a pocket in the mix.

I also have a BBE DI-1000 w/ a Jensen transformer that works amazingly well on acoustic guitars. The BBE Sonic Maximizer allows me to add just the right amount of brightness to the DI track. That way I don't have to spend hardly any time EQing the track.

I'd love to hear more from everyone. Please share what DI boxes you use for tracking.

Selecting mics for recording live drums | Overhead Mics

Selecting the right Mics for a live drum recording can be a difficult decision. Drums tend to have an unique sound for each individual kit. You also have to take into consideration the style of drumming. The drummer is just as much a part of the kit, so based on how the drummers plays the kit should factor in to your decision.

Overhead mics are by far the most important decision you make when deciding to record drums. About 75% of your audio will come from the overhead mics. Overhead Mic placement is also a big factor whether you do a symmetrical or asymmetrical mic placement.

Condenser mics are usually the first choice for overhead mics on a drum set, however many engineers have had lots of success using dynamic microphones for their overhead mics (OH). The goal is to capture the essence of the drum kit. Putting the drums in the mix to set the mood for the music is the goal. How you sculpt your sound will define your ability to record and mix a quality production.

I like to treat drums as a single instrument and not a bunch of individual instruments. This way I can place mics where they are most beneficial to the recording. Sometimes I'll mic each of the rack toms + overheads + a Beta 52 on the kick. This will give me a more snappy and punchy sound to the kit that is great for a song that needs strong dynamics and percussion. Other times I'll just use a SM57 on the snare + Overheads + an AKG D112 on the kick for tracks that are jazz flavored. These are just a few examples, but versatile dynamics for the type of drums that will fit in the mix.

You can always place mics and then decide if they are relevant to the mix. Just watch out for phasing and over-ambience. The more mics in the mix, the more likely you'll have phase problems or what I like to call a foggy mix. Try starting your mix with just the overhead mics and mute all other mics. Listen to what the OH mics are providing and then slowly bring in the other mics. You should filter and EQ each mic so it fits in with the OH mix. If the signal is weak or disappears, then invert the phase to see if the track is out of phase with the OH track.

There's more to cover, so I'll open this topic up for Q's and discussion. Leave a comment below to add any insight you'd like to share.

Recording Guitars and Guitar Amps

Recording guitars can be a bit tricky, so here are some helpful tips. First, you should always track a dry signal of the guitar. Run a DI box before the amp to make sure you get a straight tone in addition to any mic recording you capture. This will give you the option of re-amping the track. Who knows, this could be the track you wind up using.

Try tracking with different mics. Use dynamic and condenser mics on the amp in different locations until you find the tone you're looking for. Angle the mics directly at the cone and then angled off to one side. You'll get very different tones and this can help you shape the texture of each track.

Be sure to check your phase alignment if you use multiple mics for the same take. Using two mics on a single amp can help you blend a tone that is unique and works best for your mix. Just be sure that you don't choke the tone by having tracks that are out of phase with each other. If the mics sound great on their own, but sound thin when combined, this usually means there is some phase cancellation between the two tracks.

These at just some starting points to keep in mind. Leave a comment if you have questions or would like more details about my techniques. Thanks for reading my blog.

GoPro Video now available for studio sessions

Getting HD footage of recording sessions is now possible with our new line of GoPro cameras. The music enthusiasts at GoPro have done an impressive job making cameras and mounts for us to capture stunning footage of musicians in the studio. We just started shooting footage this month and the sessions we've started editing look amazing. We can capture overhead views of the drums, clamp cameras to the necks of guitars and basses, and mount multiple angles in the vocal booth. Once the edits start getting finished, we'll be posting the videos to our YouTube channel. Bands that want to use the footage for music videos & documentaries can purchase the digital video files. We will also provide video editing at the studio at our regular hourly rate or clients can include it into the flat-rate quote for projects. More details to come soon. Once we have a few videos up for viewing, clients can decide how they'd like to set up the cameras to capture the studio sessions.

Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas

For one reason or another, you find yourself at the last minute looking for a gift. There are many options and you just don't know what to get. You could go with a gift card...those are always popular. Why not surprise them with a gift that will capture their creative essence? A gift certificate to Shine On Studio is more than a gift, it's a self-esteem boost. It's a statement that you believe in someone else's musical talent and want to encourage them to create music they can share with the world.

The holidays are all about giving and showing how much you care. That's exactly how we feel about each client that records at Shine On Studio. We're offering discounts on all our gift certificates up to 20% off. Our $500 gift certificate is on sale for only $400! That's an extra $100 we're throwing in to sweeten the deal. Our way of saying thank you for choosing us to work on your creative expression.

Our gift certificates can be redeemed for any studio service: recording, mixing, mastering, pro tools lessons, guitar lessons, drum lessons, rehearsal time, & beat making classes. They never expire and always retain their value, so your musician can take their time creating their masterpiece.

Visit our "Booking & Rates" page for more details.

The How To Guide for Buying Recording Gear

The influx of recording equipment has moved the music industry to new heights. Companies like AVID & Focusrite, just to name a few, have made home recording possible for thousands of bands and musicians. Music is flourishing in the world and more and more people are finding out that making music is simple and rewarding. Virtual instruments can now be tracked with MIDI to accompany a solo artist. Now it's possible for one musician to compose a whole album on their laptop or tablet. This is truly the dawn of digital music and the possibilities continue to mount as more and more companies are networking to bring audio tools into the homes of millions around the world.

Now that you're excited about recording, I just want to help you get started. Before you buy anything, do a little bit of research. Read a few reviews from different sites and don't hesitate to ask a professional about what they recommend. The best information is going to come from actual musicians and engineers that are using the equipment on a regular basis. Pretty much all the gear available today is a good investment. Most hardware interfaces come with their own software, so you've got what you need to get started.

Take it slow at first. Buy an interface and some headphones to get you started. You don't have to invest in a whole studio right away. Build your studio piece by piece and spent time figuring out what works best for your recording and mixing setup. If you can buy used gear from a trustworthy source, try that first. Save some cash so you can get your studio off the ground without breaking the bank. I've had my Digi002rack for years and it is still tracking and mixing like a champ. You can find one on eBay for about $200-$300 and will be a great place to start your recording education.

Again, most of the gear out there is affordable and you don't need to spend all your savings on setting up your studio right away. Buy a few key pieces and then start recording. Once the cash flow starts coming in, you can put some aside for investing in new gear. Do some research and ask some questions. The reps at Sweetwater.com are really helpful and if you want to talk with my rep, Joseph Secu x1232, he's a wealth of knowledge for all the gear they have for sale.

I hope all of you have a happy holiday season and make some great music.