There are so many options regarding everything today. People today have leverage because of technological advancement. If we look at a scenario of people of today and people of a few decades ago, we will be able to see how easy things are today. Though people today have their struggles, we have to admit a lot of things have become quite easy nowadays. Like, this article will guide you on how to record music that can be called an ultimate guide for beginners.
Musicians and singers today can start their musical careers by creating music that will show their talent. For recording the music, they need to set up a recording studio in their home. Recording music at home has become quite an easy task today – a thing that was unimaginable even two decades ago.
Setting Up a Music Studio at Home
There is a common misconception among people that for setting up a music studio, you will need a ton of resources. But, this is not exactly true. You don’t need the most expensive set of microphones or mixers.
The first thing you need to do before setting up a studio is research. You need to do extensive research so that you have a clear idea. You can shake all the misconceptions in your head. But, one thing that you need to ensure is soundproofing the studio. You need to make sure that you choose the right equipment.
You can ensure this in a budget if you have researched your part properly. In-depth research is always helpful for finding out stuff that meets your requirements.
Primary Equipment
We have made a list of things you will need in a home studio. As this is a shortlist, you can always add and remove based on personal preference.
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Headphones
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Microphones
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Amplifiers
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Instruments
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Studio Monitors
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Digital Audio Workstation
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Power Conditioner
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Power Supply
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Audio Interface
Secondary Equipment
After you’ve managed to have all the primary equipment, you need to construct a digital audio workstation. For this, the computer you’ll use must have enough RAM.
If you are using a Mac setup, then you have GarageBand already installed. There are other tools like ProTools and Audacity. You will need to find software that you find comfortable and fit your liking box.
You can also take opinions or suggestions from music producers or podcasters to see which one they use in their home or commercial studios. After your software and hardware is set, start the planning for recording the music. You will need to record the song from start to finish. It usually takes a whole day since you need to merge several files in a single file.
Choosing the Right Equipment
Every artist has a unique style that sets them apart. In your case, it could even be your voice or your beat. To get a precise beat, you must make sure that all your equipment is in rhythm. You can take your bass track as a guide.
With the bass, your other instruments will follow through. Another important piece of equipment is the microphone. Without a good microphone, a recording studio is next to nothing. There are several types of microphones in the market. You must know which one to buy just like all the other products. Any newbie might get confused with the wide range of selection. For that, you need to do proper research.
Then come the computer and the operating system. Mac is always recommended before Windows since they have an added advantage over Windows. But, if you can’t get the Mac, you can always go for Windows.
After you have set the equipment, your beat, you can start the recording. Recording your music might feel hectic as you’ll keep making mistakes and you might need to start over. But, don’t lose patience!
Recording the Music
After you’ve set your home studio with all the primary and secondary equipment, you’re ready to start recording your music. Make sure all the instruments and cables are there.
You also need to focus on harmonies as the harmonies form the background music and they are recorded separately. The harmonies are recorded in different microphones. Before recording the harmony, you must determine the instruments and chords so that you can save time and money. This will help even more if you are renting a recording studio.
You can make changes during the actual recording. This will depend on you or your composer’s choice. After the harmony, move to the melodies. The melody is the main part of the harmony, the medley is of vocals and guitars.
After the melody is done, you can fill the gaps with other supporting melodies. All of these will start coming together automatically when you have done a good amount of research. All of the rhythm, harmony, and melody can be erased in the final track if it doesn’t sit well with you. The sound effects are one of the last few touch-ups, and this part is all on you. You can add what you think is missing or you can exclude what you don’t think is good enough.
After your track is all set and recorded, you can export the song. If you want to export a CD, you need to know CD mastering. You might help from professionals to do that. There are techniques of maximizing loudness, stereo widening, and balancing frequencies involved.
Conclusion
Choosing the perfect equipment based on your essential criteria is the key to ensure proper song recording. Moreover, recording a song could be quite daunting if you can’t be patient. Not everything will work out as you planned, and they could turn out to be even worse! The first few recordings could even be disastrous. However, you need to keep moving forward as slowly as you can. Don’t rush into anything as it will only hold you back. Remember, “slow and steady wins the race.” Hope this article was helpful to you!
You can also read: Best Microphone for Singing 2021: Reviews + Buying Guide
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