Choosing Audio Recording Equipment
or Gear
Here is the lowdown on the basic gear
you will need to record yourself or your band. Ok now lets cover the basics
of what you will need.
A place to record - This can be a
small room or area where you can set up your equipment and record the basic
tracks. Once the tracks are recorded they can be mixed at a different location
if necessary. If you don't have the space then consider renting a rehearsal
space or small area to record and then mix the tracks at home. If you have the
cash a professional or
private studio can be a
great way to get some or all of the tracks down. High end recording gear is
expensive and if you need a professional sounding recording there is no
substitute for a professionally recorded project. If you are recording tracks
separately
as
opposed to with all members playing at the same time and you want to cut
expenses you can record parts like bass and guitar at home in a small closet or
space and take them with you but check with them first to make sure your using a
compatible audio format. Difficult tracks like vocals or drums can be recorded
and added to the basic tracks with very professional sounding results. So
assuming you have a studio, rehearsal hall, or closet to record in, now lets get
started.
Instruments - First we'll assume that you have the instruments necessary
to record the songs but if you don't or are thinking of buying a new instrument
then remember to get a good sounding instrument and amplifier. It doesn't matter how good the
recording is if the sound coming out of the instrument is poor. Now that you have a good instrument let's go over the
basics of what you need to record. What if like most musicians you
are on a
limited budget? Well no problem just borrow gear from friends. But what if
your friends don't have any gear or you can't get it when you need it? Well then
you will need to for out a bit of cash to get you started.
Microphone - First and foremost you
need a good microphone. Assuming like most musicians your in a band with vocals,
acoustic drums, electric bass, and at least one electric guitar and you have a
very limited budget. If this is the case then there is really only one mic
choice that might have a chance of recording all these instruments, the Shure
57. If you plan to record one instrument at a time then one mic may be all you
need, but if you plan to record all instruments at the same time then you will
need several mics like a Shure 57 or similar mic for each guitar amp, a bass mic
or DI for the bass, a bass mic for the bass drum, a Shure 57 for the snare drum
and a couple of high frequency mics like for the overheads plus a large
diaphragm mic like an Audio Technica or AKG for the vocals. Remember this setup
is a bare minimum and recording
studios usually add many more mics to the drums
and occasionally add a second or third mic to the guitar and bass as well as
room mics. If you are thoroughly confused get more help with
selecting the right microphone click here.
Preamp - Next you will need a good microphone preamplifier or mic
pre as it is commonly called to boost the volume of your microphone. Microphones
are almost inaudible without a mic pre because of the low current they use to
allow them to be so accurate making recording without a mic pre impossible. Mic
preamps are very important second only to the quality of the sound source and
the quality of the microphone. If you need more
help selecting a microphone preamp check
out this page.
Choosing Recording Equipment (Part 2)
Ok now that you have the basics of the
recording chain you just need something to record into. Click
here
to navigate the sometimes ambiguous world of DAT's, MDM's, multitrack tape
recorders, and computer recording.
Also while your
here feel free to check out our record label
Silver Dragon
Records and see what we can offer your band in terms of recording and other
services. Also check out
Lazarus X
Houston's hottest local band and their new
CD release
Weapon of Love or
download a free mp3 for a limited time.
Silver Dragon Records Presents
the Musicians Toolkit
Thank
you for your interest in
Houston Rock Record Label Silver Dragon Records.
Below is some information on our
record label and website catering to rock fans and musicians.
Houston Rock Record Label Silver Dragon Records
presents
rock band Lazarus X
and the their latest independent CD release
Weapon of Love.
Lazarus X's combines determined hard hitting rock with haunting and soulful
melodies which struck a chord with many
underground
rock music fans. Some fans received a preview of the
publicity photos
and
underground
rock CD WOL at a
rooftop listening
party a day before it was released
and the response was amazing. Check out
Rock Band Lazarus X
merchandise like
The Weapon of Love Tour T-Shirt and
the
Weapon of Love CD
or preview one of their songs by
downloading a
free rock mp3.
Silver Dragon Records is a
Houston
rock record label
producing and promoting experimental, hard rock and alternative metal albums. We
provide 24 bit digital recording in a
quiet
private studio
free of distractions. If you think we are the label for you
submit a
demo to our record label and let us tell you how we can help your
band with
artist promotion,
publicity, marketing, recording, mastering, help in marketing a demo or shopping
for a major label deal. We are happy to offer musicians our online resources
like our
musicians
toolkit for recording audio, our
museum of rock
music history and our
Houston rock music resource.
Thank you for checking out
music history or rock genres and subgenres and enjoy the above links.
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