Dennis Mount Joy » recording studio at home

Some questions about a home studio (recording vocals at home)?

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:34:23 +0000

I would like to start a mini home studio. Right now, I’m only getting started, so I don’t want to make my own music just yet. I thought I’d just sing some remixed versions of some others songs. But with the current mic I have, I just can’t do that. When I use Sony Vegas to mix the instrumental version of a song and my vocals, they just sound like 2 totally different recordings. I’d like to find a mic that has a professional recording quality.
I’ve read some articles, and I came up with a large-diaphragm condenser microphone. An article says it’s the best choice for home vocal recording. However, is it really better than a small-diaphragm condenser microphone if I need to shout a lot? And this mic needs "phantom power". I’m not exactly sure what that means. The mic I have now is a simple USB mic. I plug it in my comp, and it’s ready to use. Does it work differently with a condenser mic?
What I want is, a condenser mic with a pop screen, along with a headset so I can hear my actual performance while I sing. What other equipment would I need, except for a mic, a pop screen, and a headset? Do I plug the mic and the headset in a same thing? I have Sound Forge and Sony Vegas, so I think computer programs ain’t a problem.

Any help is appreciated!

There is a wonderful article on setting up a home studio in this website for recording enthusiasts that I’m a part of that will probably help you a ton and answer most of your questions :

http://www.audioneeds.com/forums/content.php?3-The-Startup-Studio

Also, you should seriously consider joining a community like http://www.audioneeds.com – it’s a great forum filled with sound engineers that are always asking and answering questions and discussing techniques in mixing and recording. I think it’ll help you a lot since you are interested in recording so much.

Good luck my friend!

Home Recording – Studio Monitor Selection and Placement

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:27:54 +0000

Answering the viewer questions about monitor selection. I also briefly touch upon acoustic treatment and monitor placement.

Duration : 0:9:13

Technorati Tags: frequency, home, monitor, placement, recording, response, selection, studio

What are the things you need to make an at home recording studio?

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 15:10:17 +0000

I have a mac so maybe that would help a bit, i just need it to sound like it was recorded professionally without spending a whole lot of money. Thanks!

Hi Ashley –

I know this can be an overwhelming hobby to get started in. But you can put together a great sounding studio for a lot less than you think. All you need is a few tips on what equipment you need and how it all comes together.

Check out this site for a step-by-step guide to building your home recording studio!

i want to start an at home recording studio?

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 02:53:30 +0000

I’m a hip hop artist. Now I have paid for studio time but moneys tight and I wanted to really get serious so I’m making a recording studio at home. now so far all I have is a pc and headphones. What I’m asking is what will I need to get started, what programs should I use for editing and beats,what do I have to buy and its an apartment so what’s the cheapest way to keep sound out as well as in. Also I have a small budget which is about 300 max give or take a few dollars. Oh yeah and I’m not the best with tech stuff so please keep it all in dummy form for me lol

you can purchase a USB mic and download a copy of audacity and start recording vocals right away. i personally would recommend a two-input audio interface for recording better quality. the interface usually contains software for recording and editing. some of that software has virtual instruments and loops for beat making. a two input interface gives you the option of hooking up a turntable, or beat machine at some point if the situation needs. you can get smaller interfaces. the possitives is that it usually comes with a good sound card. with that you can get a studio quality mic with XLR connectivity. I’m not sure about the quality of USB mics, I haven’t used them too much.

for beats there is a program called FL Studio. i believe there is a free demo that can get you started. you can then purchase and get lifetime updates and a full version. i don’t know about the price, but i’ve heard that a lot of people use this. there are a number of different software available for recording and beat making. there are samplers and drum machines that are exact replicas of old 808’s and such. of course with the quality comes the higher price tag.

the good thing about hip-hop is that you can usually get a decent set-up for fairly cheap. i think Best Buy had a small interface for around $50-100, that would leave you close to $200 for a decent mic.

the mic is the most important thing you need to pick up. i suggest not spending any less than $100. you may be able to find something cheaper with a good sound, thats all up to you. I like the Rode NT1a for hip-hop vocals. it sells for about $240 so it would kill your budget, but its something to think about down the road.

check out the following sites for gear and prices:
sweetwater.com
musiciansfriend.com
guitarcenter.com

search for DAW’s or computer recording for interfaces. you can probably find a good article on wikipedia about more specifics when it comes to home recording.

one of the biggest things to remember is a ‘pop filter’. its the thing that sits in front of the mic to prevent you from spitting on the mic and to get rid of pop’s in your vocals. even if you use a coat hanger and panty hose, make sure you have some sort of pop-filter or your recordings will sound like shit. when recording vocals, use a closet, or another small isolated space to keep out excess room noise.

good luck, feel free to contact me with any other questions

Music Recording at Home PC & Software Help ASAP Please!?

admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:14:20 +0000

Hi everybody,

I’m a young aspiring artist. Quite recently my grandfather died and I got my own place, around where I live there is no free recording studios.
So I saw a studio microphone the ’samson g-track’ mic on sale for 70 pound at Christmas.
I bought it in the sale and have used it a few times on friends laptops.
Due the my financial problems with my grandfather and owning my own place along with everyday bills. I only managed to buy a cheap PC from a local PC shop.
My PC specification is as follows:
Intel Celeron-CPU 2.53GHz 0.99GB of Ram
I think I have a basic soundcard with the computer too as I didn’t buy anything extra accept a DVD re-writer my father fitted for me.

Now with new commitments and my music video coming out on TV, I recently won an award. I want to record from home and I have the microphone and software but everytime I see to record audio only comes from the left side of my microphone.
Using Acoustica Mixcraft I managed to fix the problem by making my acapella’s pans 50.
This however distorts the quality and it still sound s’home studio’ quality.

With the PC I’m working with & microphone what is the best software I can get for home recording?

Somebody please help me.

Thanks

Great question friend! Check out this great article on setting up a home studio: http://www.audioneeds.com/forums/content.php?3-The-Startup-Studio

You should also consider joining an audio forum like http://www.audioneeds.com – Forums are great because they’re free and there are tons of people there who love music the same way you do, and can help you with your questions and give you great advice.

trying to make an at home recording studio?

admin — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 20:13:58 +0000

what i want to do is take a song, take out the vocals, and add my own. but i’m trying to pig squeal instead of sing. what software do i need to do this? how do i get my voice on the computer? thanks.

Acoustica Micxraft is good solution. As well as microphone, Samson C03 USB condenser microphone is pretty good. These you can connect directly to computer, without using preamplifier.
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Recording Studio at home?

admin — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:30:18 +0000

Okay. So i’m a musician. I wanted to add a couple guitar/vocal covers. I am running off a MacBook Pro 5. So please let me know of things i may need to start building a small studio. possibly to post things on youtube. I want crisp sound as well.

The basics needed for a home studio are:
1) A mic&mic stand, and mic cable to record vocals and instruments with
2) Maybe a midi keyboard for synthesizer sounds
3) An audio interface to connect the mic(s) to your
4) Computer. Either a laptop or a desktop.
5) Software to capture (record) and mix the sound
6) Good speakers and or headphones to listen to you masterpieces
There is a wide range of quality of all of the above. Microphones can cost less than $100 to $15,000 for a professional tube mic. (A Shure SM58 is a good inexpensive vocal mic. And the Audio-Technica AT4040 is really good @ $300) The same price range is true with the interfaces, which converts the sound of the mic to digital information which gets recorded onto your hard drive. To get started, Digidesign, the makers of Pro Tools, offers a few choices like the Mbox (it comes with an interface and the software) and the M-Audio software (which is pro tools software that can use most manufacturers interfaces). There are many others that can be found on retailer’s websites, like sweetwater.com or musicians friend. Audacity is free recording and editing software. An extra might be a mixing board to use in between the mic and the interface, so you can adjust the sound of the mic a bit before recording it. Add extra mics/cables if you are going to record more than one instrument/voice at the same time.

set up recording studio home?

admin — Sat, 29 May 2010 10:35:20 +0000

i am looking for professional quality recordings of rap vocals at an affordable price on my home pc. can somebody give me a few ideas on soundcards, mics, and a mixer to give me the best bang for my buck when it comes to sound quality??? help will be greatly appreciated

Instead of having to deal with soundcards, the easy way to do it is external hardware via Firewire or USB2.0. On the market right now is a Tascam US-122L. It goes for $149 and it is your sound card, mic pre-amp, and headphone amp. It has RCA and 1/4inch outs to plus directly into your monitors/computer speakers/home stereo.
It also comes with Cubase LE recording sofeware with all the vocal effects you would need. Usually rap is direct recording this can be perfect for it

For vocals, I usually use a saddled phantom power mic with a pop sheild on a stand(around $200-300 for a better quality mic) For rap you can normally use the onboard effects in Cubase like compression, overdrive, delay and such. If you want to thicken them up, buy a tube pre-amp for around $100. Behringer or ART have a good selection and are affordable with good quality.

I’ve dumped a few grand in my studio, but I’ve got a full, all-style, setup and a lot of equipment. For rap vocals, you can get away with minimal equipment.

*note* When recording vocals, no bathrooms. Closets with dampening material all over will eliminate reverb. Even using a closet full of clothes hung up will work well.

I am trying to start a home recording studio?

admin — Fri, 28 May 2010 00:49:52 +0000

Basically I’ve decided that I should start my own recording studio at home. I’m not good with all that technical stuff but I’m willing to give it a try. I’ve noticed that people that have recording studio’s are usually guys and they always want something from you in return. I don’t have a massive budget I just want to be able to make beats, tracks, and maybe record my guitar and sing. I would also like to be able to edit what I record. I called radioshack and the guy said to buy a recording package with comes with a mic, mic stand pro tools and other stuff, but he says I’m gonna need another program like fruit loops I have no idea what to do or where to start HEEEELP!!!!

hmmm… thanks for playing but maybe you should come back when you need pics for your cd cover. this is the photography category.

Home Recording Studio Question. Question about USB Mixers.?

admin — Thu, 20 May 2010 14:42:27 +0000

I am setting up a home recording studio. I was wondering if I could buy a USB mixer and record straight to the software on my computer. I want to be able to record multiple instruments at the same time and have seperate tracks for each instrument on the computer software.
Thanks for your help.

Yea you can I do with pro tools and a mac.