Posts tagged as:

home recording

Recording vocals to a computer with Shure’s X2u

by Keith Hatschek May 17, 2010

There’s been no shortage of products designed to help musicians get their musical ideas into their computers. While at the Winter 2010 NAMM show in Anaheim, I saw the then-new Shure X2u XLR-to-USB signal adapter. It’s a compact, affordable single channel palm-sized adapter that promises to help solve the problem of how to interface a recording mic with your home computer. Read more…

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Creating a Great Composite Vocal Recording

by Keith Hatschek February 5, 2010

Creating a Great Composite Vocal RecordingOne of the themes through many of the articles on Echoes consider the practicalities of how to make the most of home recording, both the equipment needed and the techniques for getting the best results from your own efforts. This article will take a look at the techniques used to create composite lead vocal tracks, referred to as “comping” the lead vocal by studio engineers. Read more…

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Holiday Gear Guide

by Keith Hatschek December 7, 2009

NightTrainEach year our Pro Studio expert seeks out a range of products which might make for a welcome addition to your music-making or home studio recording in the new year. This year is no exception, as he spoke with a pro audio expert to learn about some great additions to your home recording rig, and also visited a local music store to try out some new music-making toys that deliver outstanding results. Read more…

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From Your Project Studio to The Sound Machine

by Disc Makers December 1, 2009

Eric Schilling

Eight-time Grammy winner Eric Schilling talks about technique, craft, and saving an emotional reserve.

When you think about major hubs for music, three cities spring to mind: LA, New York, and Nashville. But the immense success of Latin artists like Gloria Estefan, Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, and Mark Anthony has also put Miami distinctly on the map, and eight-time Grammy winner Eric Schilling is one of the shining stars in the South Beach scene. Read more…

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Gear Watch: jamLink Internet Audio Interface

by Disc Makers November 30, 2009

jamLinkMusicianLink has released the jamLink, an audio interface that uses the internet to allow musicians to play in sync from different locations, no matter how far apart they are. The jamLink works with pretty much any instrument or microphone that has a 1/4” output, so you can plug in and jam with guitarists, singers, or other bassists across the country even if they are hundreds of miles away. Read more…

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Home Project Studio: Part 5 – Up And Running

by Mike Tarsia November 24, 2009

The studio is up and running and it looks great. I’m getting used to the sound of the speakers in the room and the sound of the ISO booth. The more I listen and work in the room, the more secure I feel in knowing what changes I need and want. I have made a list of things to be addressed by priority and am going to tackle the final construction and acoustical treatments issues. Read more…

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Home Project Studio: Parts 3 & 4

by Mike Tarsia November 16, 2009

Half-round Geometrix sound absorbersPart 3: The truth about isolation booths
We find ourselves immersed in the building of the isolation booth, after a slight delay caused by unforeseen delays.

The room is coming along well. Two dedicated 20-amp circuits have been installed for audio power. Lines have been run for lighting. The ceiling has been insulated and the outer walls are ready to be prepped for paint and wall treatments. Now that the main part of the room is taking shape, it is time to look at the ISO booth design and construction.

I had just ordered industrial felt to “float” the inner framing of the booth when I spoke to Nick Collerian at Acoustics First. Read more…

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The $999 Home Studio

by Keith Hatschek November 16, 2009

A pair of VLA-4 powered monitors makes it easy to mix your project. As the cost of home recording technology has continued to fall, the list of products and their available features continues to grow. So it seems timely to ask the question, “Can you put together a viable home recording set up for less than $1000?” To help answer this question, we turned to pro audio veteran, Richie DeCarlo at Philadelphia’s music superstore, 8th Street Music. Let’s see what gear goes into a prototypical home studio rig and how much bang for the buck can you get with a grand. Read more…

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Do You Need a Direct Box for Home Recording?

by Keith Hatschek October 9, 2009

01_HosaSidekicksmVirtually all of today’s home recording digital audio interfaces allow easy connection of microphones as well as various high impedance sound sources such as an electric guitar, bass or keyboard. But are you really getting the best possible sound quality plugging your instrument directly into these interfaces? This month we’ll do a test recording of bass guitar using a typical digital audio home recording interface, and then add a direct box into the equation to see what difference, if any, such a device makes in the quality of the sound. Read more…

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Acoustic Guitar Recording – The Basics

by Keith Hatschek September 9, 2009

If you’re doing home recording, one of the main instruments you may be using for accompaniment is the acoustic guitar. Learning the basics of acoustic guitar recording requires time to experiment a bit to find your instrument’s sweet spots for micing, and also understanding some essentials with regard to your guitar and recording environment. We’ll use the most popular dynamic mics that many musicians rely on for gigs, the venerable Shure SM-57 and 58, to show how to get a good recorded sound from your acoustic guitar. We’ll also recommend two affordable condenser mics that can help you take your guitar’s sound to the next level. Read more…

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When It Pays To Have a Home Recording Rig

by Keith Hatschek September 1, 2009

The Boss BR 600 delivers a powerful all-in-one recording station that is ideal for guitarists.Talk with any musician who writes and performs his or her own music and chances are that one of the things near the top of their “to do” list is to regularly record their songs. There’s no better way to improve your performing and writing chops than to routinely record and critique your own music. So when does it make sense to invest in buying and learning how to use a home recording rig and when does it make sense to shop around and use a professional studio? Read more…

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How to Record Vocals in a Bedroom

by Disc Makers August 31, 2009

Don’t have a dedicated recording studio? Recording in your house? Check out these tips and tricks from Audiotuts+ to get the most out of your sound in an imperfect setting.

The number one factor in vocal recording is the room. You might’ve thought it was the mic you’re using or the pre-amp you’re running it through, but the truth is if you’ve got a U87 and an Avalon but the room you’re recording in is crap, you won’t be much farther ahead than a guy using a Behringer mic through an Mbox.

You could buy one of those (often rather expensive) reflection shields that attach to the stand and sit behind the microphone, and this will do you some good, particularly if your mic is omnidirectional. However, most common vocal microphones for both home and studio users are cardioid, so the shield will still help to an extent but the majority of problem reflections will come from the front — that is, the surfaces behind the vocalist’s head.

Click here to read the entire article on Audiotuts+.

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Pro Studio: Virtual Guitar Rigs

by Keith Hatschek July 21, 2009


Fast Forward’s Pro Studio expert takes some virtual rigs for a spin.

Imagine you live in a house or apartment and are getting ready to record one of your own songs, which will require you to really crank up your high powered amplifier to get the proper tone for a song. For many people, doing so might be an invitation to being evicted from your house. Instead, try out one of the growing number of excellent virtual guitar systems that can provide literally hundreds of guitar, speaker, and stomp box options without ever assaulting the ears of your neighbors. Read more…

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USB Audio Interface Shootout and Review

by Disc Makers July 14, 2009

In the market for a portable audio recorder? Matthew McGlynn from Recording Hacks magazine performed a comprehensive review of 4 affordable USB audio interfaces. Read more…

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DAW Keyboard Covers

by Disc Makers July 14, 2009

Use ableton live or pro tools? Check out these clever keyboard covers that mark all the controls and shortcuts for you! http://cli.gs/NaAJr7

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