02S

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C0MPUTER MUSlC FEBRU^RY 2006 IUI0RIAL
neke nuelc Hcv Recordng made easy
|e|n |ow o p|ope||y |eco|C ns|unens nC voc|s nC
e |e |es poss||e sounCs o| you| |cks
0
ne of the most cr|t|ca| aspects of
mus|c product|on |s a|so one of
the most neg|ected these days.
With so many samples and loops
floating around, it seems like the art of
recording is falling by the way side.
Thankfully, the recent resurgence in rock
music has also seen a concurrent rise
in the number of people recording, but
whereas in times gone by the people
recording would have been through the
traditional tape-op-to-engineer school of
production, these days most people are
teaching themselves in their bedrooms.
^nd without meaning to offend anyone,
it showsl We're always hearing great
songs with great effects made with
great software. that sound awful.
So what's the solution? Well, you'll
probably have heard the saying, 'You
can't polish a turd', and it's frequently
used in reference to music production.
lt normally alludes to the process of
refining and disguising a bad idea with
all manner of clever studio trickery,
rather than ditching it and coming up
with a good idea. But in another
context, it can be thought to mean that
if your recording quality is crap to begin
with, any subsequent sonic varnish you
apply will only serve to highlight the
inherent faecal qualities of your source
material, which, tragically, will further
disguise the musical cuisine within. ln
other words, to coin another clichd
production term: if you put crap in, you
get crap out.
Dgestve system
Now, we can't really help you with the
first of these two pitfalls that's
between you, your talent and your more
honest mates but the second is a
different story. ^t the very least, over the
next few pages, we hope to teach you
how to capture the most exquisite
sounding turds you ever dreamed of.
^nd since almost everything we're going
to talk about involves stuff in the real
world, it follows that all of the computer
music know-how in the world isn't going
to undermine the usefulness of what
we're about to explain. Even if you never
plan to actually record anything, learning
about how it's done is the first step to
knowing how to distinguish the different
types of recordings you may encounter,
and this will give you clues as to how to
process and mix them properly. Besides,
we're willing to bet that as soon as
you've read this feature you'll be
wanting to run out to record anything
you can get your hands on.
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Dn the mcs
There are a var|ety of m|crophone types out there, each
w|th |ts own strengths and weaknesses. The ma|n
d|fferences re|ate to two factors: the way |n wh|ch
soundwaves are detected and converted |nto an
e|ectr|ca| s|gna|, and the d|rect|ons from wh|ch the
m|crophone can detect |ncom|ng soundwaves. For th|s
feature we need on|y worry about two types dynam|c
and condenser m|crophones. The former emp|oys a
p|ast|c d|aphragm connected to a w|re spr|ng
suspended |n a magnet|c f|e|d. v|brat|ons are passed
down to the spr|ng, wh|ch generates an e|ectr|ca|
current, thus produc|ng the s|gna|. 0ynam|c m|cs are
very tough but, ow|ng to the bu|ky assemb|y, aren't so
sens|t|ve to qu|eter s|gna|s and h|gher frequenc|es.
0ondenser m|cs, on the other hand, use two very th|n
meta| p|ates p|aced a|ongs|de each other. 0ne |s f|xed,
the other |sn't, and the unf|xed one v|brates, caus|ng a
po|ar|s|ng charge that represents the m|crophone s|gna|.
Th|s system |s h|gh|y sens|t|ve, but a|so much more
de||cate, and a sma|| charge l48v usua||y supp||ed v|a
the m|c cab|el |s requ|red for condensers to operate.
The other factor to cons|der w|th m|crophones |s the
p|ckup pattern. The three ma|n types are: card|o|d,
wh|ch p|cks up sounds from d|rect|y |n front of the m|c
lhypercard|o|d m|cs are even more un|-d|rect|ona|l,
omn|-d|rect|ona|, wh|ch p|cks up sound equa||y from any
d|rect|on, and f|gure-of-e|ght, wh|ch |s des|gned to p|ck
up sound equa||y from |n front and beh|nd. 0f course,
there's more to m|cs than th|s, but that's a|| you need to
know to get started.
IUI0RIAL FEBRU^RY 2006 C0MPUTER MUSlC
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029
Recordng made easy neke nuelc Hcv
I
n add|t|on to a decent m|c lor
m|csl, there are a few th|ngs we
need access to before be|ng ab|e
to create decent record|ngs, and the
f|rst of these |s an appropr|ate space.
We covered the various techniques for
creating a custom recording space in a
recent issue of , but it's worth a
quick recap.
Essentially, there are two types of
space that are useful for recording
bright and dull. ln basic terms, the
difference is that the former generates
lots of reverb, creating a large and bright
sound as the sonic reflections ricochet
around |eventually hitting the mic andl
or our earsl, while the latter does not
produce any such reflections, as they're
soaked up by walls, carpet, furniture
and other sound damping materials.
Tiled floors and hard walls aid the
former, while carpets, duvets and foam
contribute to the latter. Understanding
the difference between these two types
of space is critical, as matching your
instrument and style to the right
recording space is the first |and often
decisivel battle the recording engineerl
producer faces. So get it right from the
beginningl 0ver the course of the
following sections, we'll examine the
different choices and techniques for
most instrument types you're likely to
encounter, making various suggestions.
But in each, we will assume a basic
appreciation of the main types of
space, so make sure you have
them visualised before we go
any further.
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All for one?
|f you're a mu|t|-|nstrumenta| one-man
mus|ca| powerhouse |n the Fr|nce
mou|d, then you can sk|p th|s b|t, as |t
poses an |rre|evant quest|on: do you
want to record a|| lor somel of your
band's parts together, or w||| you
capture them |nd|v|dua||y as a mu|t|-
take, mu|t|track performance? As w|th
so many quest|ons |n record|ng, |t's very
d|ff|cu|t to come up w|th a s|mp|e
answer to th|s one, and very hard for us
to g|ve adv|ce. So |et's ask a few more
quest|ons. 0o you have a very |arge
space, enough to comfortab|y house
your ent|re group, preferab|y w|th the
drummer beh|nd some screens or |n a
separate booth? 0o you have access to
enough m|crophones, cab|es, amps,
stands and aud|o |nterfac|ng to record
a|| of the band's parts as one? Are your
|nd|v|dua| performances cons|stent
enough to get a good take at |east
once out of f|ve passes when p|ay|ng
together? |f you can't answer yes to a||
of those quest|ons, we wou|d say that
pretty much answers the quest|on
you're go|ng to have to do th|ngs one
by one lor at |east |n sma|| groupsl. Not
on|y that, but the techn|ca| cha||enges
fac|ng an eng|neer record|ng a|| of the
d|fferent parts s|mu|taneous|y and,
most |mportant|y, c|ean|y, can be utter|y
overwhe|m|ng and take years to master.
|n fact, the on|y rea| down s|de to
record|ng e|ements separate|y |s that
you can |ose the v|be. For that reason,
make sure a|| the band members are
on hand for the record|ng of each part,
|dea||y w|th|n eyeshot and w|th the|r
own set of headphones to ||sten |n, so
that everybody's v|b|ng a|ong. St|ck to
th|s setup and you shou|dn't |ose too
much enthus|asm.
What else do I need?
|n add|t|on to the r|ght
spaces lor one versat||e onel
and a decent m|c or two,
there are a few other th|ngs
you're go|ng to need. F|rst of
a|| you need a good supp|y of
headphones and a means of
dr|v|ng them. There are
var|ous headphone str|ps on
the market, and |dea||y you
w||| have one that can hand|e
mu|t|p|e |nputs, so you can
set |nd|v|dua| |eve|s. You w|||,
natura||y, need at |east as
many m|cs as you p|an to
make s|mu|taneous
record|ngs, but you w||| a|so
need a m|c stand for each
one, and enough qua||ty
cab|es lof suff|c|ent |engthl to
||nk everyth|ng up proper|y.
For voca| record|ngs, pop-
sh|e|ds are a|so a must leven
|f you on|y fash|on them from
coat-hangers and stock|ngsll.
A|so, wherever poss|b|e you
want a shock absorb|ng m|c
crad|e to attach your
Neumann U87 lwhat, you
don't have one?ll to rather
than a stra|ght m|crophone
c||p, espec|a||y on qu|eter
e|ements, as th|s w|||
m|n|m|se v|brat|ons
transferred through the f|oor
and stand. F|na||y, you want
the best and |owest |atency
mu|t|-channe| aud|o dev|ce
you can afford, beg, stea| or
borrow. 0nce you can t|ck a||
of these boxes, you're ready
to |earn how to use them.
Ihe Neumann U87 |s
a stud|c sta|e. cu
can use |t cn retty
much everyth|ng
030
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C0MPUTER MUSlC FEBRU^RY 2006 IUI0RIAL
neke nuelc Hcv Recordng made easy
J
he f|rst |nstrument type we're
go|ng to show you how to capture
|s the drum k|t. We're starting with
drums because they form the backbone
of most tracks and make a good
introduction to key techniques.
What do we need to know about
drums before we start? Well, they're
very, very loud, so we'll need to think
carefully about where to record them
and what types of microphones to use.
Mic-wise, drums aren't too picky, and a
couple of decent dynamics will give you
acceptable results at first.
Watch out overhead
The central hub of any drum recording
setup is the overhead mics. Placed
above the whole kit, one or two mics
can be enough to do a pretty good job
alone, and at the very least will form the
main basis. ldeally, you want some kind
of large-diaphragm condensers at work
here for full effect. Placement is
everything, and don't worry about
keeping them symmetrical on any
axis. Start with the mics about
two to three metres off
the floor and then
their extreme sound-pressure levels
|and proximity to feetl, the mic you're
using needs to be quite robust. lf you're
serious about your drum recordings, it
makes sense to go out and buy a
dedicated kick drum mic. They're
almost always dynamic, so the
ubiquitous Shure SM58 is ideal. Make
sure you clearly label your kick
microphone, whatever it is, as it will
wear out quicker than most, and you
don't want to subject any others to the
same kind of damage.
ln terms of placement, get your
microphone as close to the drum
surface as possible if you're getting
too much resonance or rattle, a pillow
or something similar placed inside the
kick drum will help stop this. Start with
the microphone half-way between the
kick head and the edge of the drum,
but be sure to experiment, and don't
touch the E0 until you're sure you have
the best placement possible, as even
move them around to get the best
balance you can. This is trial and error,
but remember that while cymbals throw
their sound all over the place, hi-hat
sound radiates horizontally. lf your
space doesn't allow for such high
placement, try a couple of cardioid
condensers placed over each half of
the kit. Keep your headphones on and
monitor the results carefully and don't
even think about miking any other
drums until you've got this bit nailed.
Kckn' t
Kicks drums almost always benefit from
a close microphone, and because of
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0\NAHI|S wI|| | A||||!A||`
Makng space
0enera||y speak|ng, pro stud|os w|||
have a separate booth for the drummer.
Th|s |s so that they can't d|sturb the
rest of the band wh||e they p|ay a|ong
w|th a drum mach|ne, but an added
benef|t |s that you can ach|eve good
record|ng separat|on and mod|fy the
env|ronment |n wh|ch the drums are
be|ng recorded. 0rums w||| natura||y
generate a great dea| of reverberat|on
wherever they are. S|nce rock drums
tend to be soaked |n reverb, they're
often recorded |n wooden or concrete
pane||ed rooms, for b|g and br|ght
natura| reverb. |f you're record|ng rock
drums |n your own home, |arger
bathrooms or k|tchens are popu|ar.
For most other drum sounds
espec|a||y funk|er ones you can go
the other way. F|ace the drums |n a
sma||er, carpeted room. 0uvets under
the k|t, cush|ons around the p|ace and
th|ck b|ankets everywhere a|| he|p you
make space for those |ntr|cate grooves.
Kee I|dd||ng
w|th that
d|ahragm 't||
ycu get the
erIect
|acement
5tuII|ng a |||cw cr duvet |n ycur k|ck w||| revent unwanted nc|se
PR0 TIP
Make sure everything's fastened nice and tight or
your recordings will be full of squeaks and rattles.
Ihe odd bit of W040 on all moving parts wouldn't
hurt, eitherl
IUI0RIAL FEBRU^RY 2006 C0MPUTER MUSlC
'
031
Recordng made easy neke nuelc Hcv
the smallest of changes can totally
transform the sound.
Snare drums
You can go down the condenser or
dynamic route with the snare, but since
it'll be within drumstick distance, we'd
recommend a robust dynamic pencil
mic, such as Shure's SM57. 0ynamics
also impart a natural limiting effect, as
they're slower to respond to transients.
Placement-wise, you want it pointing
slightly down, away from the hi-hats and
the rush of air they produce. ^lso, try to
have it quite near the outer edge of the
batter head. For added snare rattle,
place it underneath, or even have one
mic above and another below |be sure
to invert the phase of one, though, as
they'll be picking up opposite pressure
wavesl. Whether or not to choose a mic
with a cardioid or hypercardioid pickup
pattern is up to you. The former
provides a fuller sound, but the latter
will be cleaner and more isolated play
to the strengths of your setup.
Tom toms
ln most cases you can leave the toms
to the overheads, but if you want a bit
more control, the simplest option is to
treat them like your snare and use a
dynamic mic angled down towards the
centre of each. ln a two-tom setup you
can also try a single mic with a wide-
cardioid pattern placed carefully in
between. You can even place mics
inside the toms, but this can lead to an
excessively resonant sound.
Montorng
lf your drummer's just bashing out
loops, they might not even need
headphones, but in most cases they'll
be playing along with a click, band or
backing track, which means they will. So
you'll need to give them a half decent
drum mix, or they'll be all over the
place. We'd suggest a sub-mix for
drums, so you can tweak individual
levels and the overall level. lt's
sometimes even worth providing a little
analogue mixer for the drummer's
monitoring, supplied from about four
outputs on your audio interface, so that
they can tweak their own levels.
Latency is a problem for drummers.
Some are able to mentally compensate
for any monitoring delays, but if yours
can't, you have two options. First, you
can use an external mixer, placed
before your audio interface, which can
be used by the drummer for monitoring
and to supply simultaneous outputs to
your computer. Second, and even
easier, they can listen to their drumming
in one ear and have the headphones
play the backing track in the other. The
Sennheiser R025, although expensive,
is excellent for this, as it has less noise
bleed than any other pair we've tried.
Dne mc or two?
We're often asked, 'Bow many drum
m|cs shou|d | use?'. After the ob||gatory
jokes, we exp|a|n that |t's ||ke
measur|ng a p|ece of str|ng. As a
genera| gu|de, the harder you're go|ng
to bang the drums lrockl, the more
reverb you p|an to add lrockl, and |f you
p|an to use b|oody great tom ro||s
lrockl, the more c|ose-m|cs you'|| need
to g|ve yourse|f m|x|ng and process|ng
opt|ons. But |f you're us|ng brushes
ljazzl, aren't us|ng too many |f any
toms lfunkl and want the fee| of Ronn|e
Scott's rather than Wemb|ey ljazz and
funkl, then you can get away w|th far
fewer m|crophones poss|b|y just one
or two overheads.
|f you have the m|cs, though, |t's
a|ways worth try|ng a few c|ose you
can a|ways re|y so|e|y on the overheads
|f you want to, anyway. Iust remember,
every m|c you add further compounds
b|eed and phase |ssues at m|xdown.
Not on|y that, but p|ac|ng one m|c
correct|y takes a |ong t|me to master
for a g|ven k|t, room and p|ayer, so
each m|c makes your ||fe potent|a||y
much harder upfront. And as you add
m|cs to the m|x, br|ng |n your
overheads, as they'|| then on|y be
needed for the hats and cymba|s.
Ambence
Be|ng |oud, drums create br|ghter and more
not|ceab|e ref|ect|ons than other |nstruments. And
the|r sparse nature and short re|ease t|mes lcymba|s
notw|thstand|ngl, mean we're far more aware of these
ref|ect|ons than w|th other |nstruments, even |f we
aren't consc|ous of |t. 0onsequent|y, many eng|neers
|nc|ude amb|ent m|cs |n the|r setup. These are
usua||y p|aced as far away from the k|t as the space
a||ows, to capture the room's sound. The m|c you
choose |s rea||y to taste on th|s one, but as sound
|eve|s are qu|eter and the r|sk of damage |ower lno
m|c |s comp|ete|y safe from a determ|ned drummerll,
we ||ke to use a n|ce pa|r of condensers.
Nc, |t's nct Plont Idol, th|s m|c |s reccrd|ng the
rccm amb|ence
Icm's are best catured us|ng
dynam|c m|cs, but ycu can a|ways use
an cverhead tcc
Cet ycur dynam|c |n n|ce and c|cse
tc that batter head
Ira|n ycur drummer tc wear
headhcnes sc they kncw what the he||'s
gc|ng cn
PR0 TIP
like most musicians |and producersl, drummers
love to have their complete kit laid out but do you
really need everything7 Unused parts are just time-
consuming to set up and potentially noise-polluting.
PR0 TIP
Ihe more mics you have, the greater the risk of
phase problems. lf you're unsure, trust your ears
try switching the phase on different mics and pick
the settings that sound best.
032
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C0MPUTER MUSlC FEBRU^RY 2006 IUI0RIAL
neke nuelc Hcv Recordng made easy
base it on your singer. lf they play live,
they'll have a tendency to creep towards
the mic, even if you staple their feet to
the floor but you actually want them
about 20-60cm away, as this is the
ideal distance to let the sound of a
voice develop. lf you find your singer's
voice too boomy, move them further
from the mic to smooth things over. lf
their voice is thin and lacking presence,
stand them closer. ldeally, if your singer
is old-school, they will have learned to
move in close at quiet spots and pull
away for louder sections. lf not, you can
balance differences with compression
later, but nothing beats the effect of a
vocalist who really knows their stuff.
Spttng games
The only other real deviation is if you're
having problems with plosives |the little
pops of air pressure caused by saying
words like, er, 'popping'l, in which case
you may want to try a pop-shield
w
h||e drum record|ng
techn|ques are a|| about
context and adaptat|on, voca|
record|ng |s a|most a|ways the
oppos|te. There's a huge amount of
creativity and personality brought to
bear on drum takes, but the vast
majority of the sonic expertise that goes
into producing a great vocal track is
applied after the fact |except for the
performance itself, of coursell, and so
the key, especially for the beginner,
should be to get the absolutely
cleanest, clearest and best vocal
recordings you possibly can. There are a
number of factors at work here, so let's
take a look.
Envronmental ssues
Bright and live sounding rooms might
be fabulous for evocative strings and
stadium drums, but for vocals they're
usually just a mix-muddying
inconvenience. 0ne of the first effects
an engineer or producer is likely to
place on a recorded vocal is a
compressor, which will instantly
increase the detrimental effect of any
excessive room brightness. Next they
will, most likely, apply reverb, which will
further exacerbate the problem. lt's hard
to quantify exactly what the issue is, but
it's largely to do with clarity. Because
strings are quite resonant with extended
envelopes anyway, natural reverberation
adds to their character. ^t the opposite
end of the spectrum, percussion has
very fast attacks and short release
times, so a little natural reverb simply
smooths the transitions between
transients. But with neither sharp
transients nor extended release times,
the human voice occupies a curious
middle ground. lt sounds unnatural and
dead with no reverb, but too much and
the minute sonic repetitions will blur the
edges of the intricate sounds and
formulations that our voices make. With
this in mind, the wet-dry balance and
the character of the reverb itself
become critical with vocal recordings,
so it's usually far safer to get the driest
signal upfront and add effects later.
Perfect placement
ln terms of mic placement, there are a
number of different techniques that can
be used, but in the end you need to
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SIN0|k'S |45. !k\ ||A|IN0 !H| HI|
S|I0H!|\ !0 !H| SI0| 0| !H|H`
The jo|nt f|rst most |mportant tr|ck for
gett|ng great voca|s |s pretty s|mp|e
rea||y: make sure you get a good
performance. Th|s means good
peop|e management. |f your voca||st
|s prone to gett|ng wasted before a
sess|on, stop theml They m|ght be
one of the 0.05 of s|ngers who
sound better that way lthey a|| th|nk
they dol, but |t's un||ke|y. You a|so
want to avo|d t|red, hungry and angry
s|ngers, as a|| of these th|ngs w|||
damage a performance.
Locaton,
locaton.
er, tmng
A common debate |n voca| record|ng c|rc|es |s whether to app|y compress|on to
the |ncom|ng s|gna| to ensure you get a good |eve|. But w|th modern converters
and d|g|ta| record|ng equ|pment be|ng so |ow-no|se l|f yours aren't, get some that
arel, we don't th|nk you need to worry about th|s any more. Even |f a record|ng |s
qu|te qu|et because you |eft p|enty of headroom, you shou|d be ab|e boost the
s|gna| cons|derab|y w|thout there be|ng any unwanted artefacts and background
no|se to obscure th|ngs.
Before and after
cu never kncw where ycur
s|nger's been, sc get a c-sh|e|d tc
rctect ycur m|cs. 0h, and they a|sc
revent |cs|ves
PR0 TIP
Make sure your vocalist warms up. lf they're being
stubborn about it, try massaging their ego 'You
wouldn't race a Formula 0ne car without doing the
warm-up lap, would you7'
PR0 TIP
0uality is everything with vocals, so make sure
you're using your absolutely best microphone
ideally a cardioid condenser on a well placed and
secure stand.
IUI0RIAL FEBRU^RY 2006 C0MPUTER MUSlC
'
033
Recordng made easy neke nuelc Hcv
|always worth it to stop singers
spitting on your precious mics
anywayll. This problem is more
prevalent with condensers, owing to
their greater sensitivity, but it's also
largely to do with the vocalist so if
you're really having problems, it's
reassuring to know that you need
only replace the vocalist, rather than
shelling out for a different mic. But
before you dig out your singer's P45,
try placing the microphone slightly to
the side of them. Singer's can be
simple folk, so you may need to give
them something to sing at |a dummy
mic, for examplel to stop them
automatically turning towards the real
one. Better yet, don't tell them which
one's real if they press you, just say
it's for phase-correction analysis.
They'll nod knowingly and sing into
the false mic.
Cett|ng ycur s|nger tc stand at the
ccrrect d|stance Ircm the m|c |s the
key tc a gccd vcca| take
3
F|ace a stereo reverb p|ug-|n on a bus. S|ngers ||ke to
hear reverb for two reasons. F|rst of a||, |t makes them
sound better, and second, |ong reverb ta||s w||| he|p a
s|nger judge the|r p|tch more accurate|y. 0on't bother us|ng a
d|fferent reverb on each channe|, as th|s can cause d|srupt|ve
0FU-re|ated h|ccups. >>
2
0reate at |east four new mono aud|o channe|s. Labe|
the f|rst Ma|n vcca| and the others Layer 1, Layer 2,
etc. |nsert a compressor |nto each channe| w|th the
same gent|e sett|ngs for a||. You m|ght not use these, but they
won't affect the |ncom|ng record|ng, and can rea||y he|p the
voca||st hear the|r vo|ce c|ear|y over the back|ng track. >>
1
Start w|th a fresh project and create a stereo aud|o
channe| for the mus|ca| accompan|ment. Then,
whenever you want to record a voca|, s|mp|y |mport a
bounce of the back|ng track. Th|s avo|ds the |nev|tab|e on-
screen confus|on and 0FU over|oad that comes w|th try|ng to
record voca|s stra|ght |nto your cramped song projects. >>
STEP BY STEP Preparing a vocal recording template
6
A|| that rema|ns |s to save your temp|ate lremember|ng
to create a fo|der for recorded aud|ol. When you come
to record, start w|th the ma|n voca| track, and then
each t|me you comp|ete a take or want to |ayer |t, s|mp|y drag
the aud|o down to one of the other channe|s. There you have
|t the perfect voca| record|ng temp|atel
5
Next, we want to add someth|ng a b|t controvers|a|
some k|nd of stereo spread|ng effect. The reason |s
s|mp|e: noth|ng |nsp|res a s|nger ||ke th|nk|ng they
sound fantast|c. 0n top of that, |f you're of a commerc|a| m|nd,
a happy voca||st |s a|so a repeat customerl >>
4
Now you need to set up some record|ng |nputs.
Assum|ng you're on|y us|ng one m|c, set the f|rst voca|
channe| to record from that. |t's worth not|ng that wh||e
the |nput |s mono, you'|| usua||y want to app|y a mono-to-
stereo effect on the f|rst |nsert l|n our case, compress|onl, for
reasons we'|| exp|a|n |n a m|nute. >>
034
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C0MPUTER MUSlC FEBRU^RY 2006 IUI0RIAL
neke nuelc Hcv Recordng made easy
while in the UK we prefer
dynamic mics for a fuller
sound with rounded highs. ln
practice, though, the thing that
most influences tonality is.
Mc placement
While most of the sound of a guitar
amp comes from the speaker at the
front, the cabinet itself will also have a
quality of its own. 0epending on
whether it's a closed or open backed
model, the vibrations will ricochet
around inside and shake the whole
construction. These effects might not be
apparent from a few feet away, but
lower the volume, get on all fours and
put your ear right in front of it, moving
around the front and sides, and you'll
get an idea of the subtleties your mic
can pick up. With open backed amps,
you might even try using a mic at the
back for a warmer sound. ^nd finally,
some engineers like to use an
ambience mic a few feet from the
cabinet, as with drum recording.

|ectr|c gu|tar |s one of the most
d|st|nct|ve |nstruments there |s,
but what most punters th|nk |s
the sound of an e|ectr|c gu|tar |s
actua||y the sound of the amp||f|cat|on
and process|ng of a very pedestr|an
sound. Plug an electric guitar directly
into your soundcard input and it will
sound much like a normal guitar, only
slightly more 'electric'. Recent years
might have brought emulations of
classic gear into the software-based
home studio, but there's still every need
to know how to record the real deal.
Mc types
Because guitar amps generally have no
tweeters, they aren't so sparkly in the
high-end, meaning that a wide range of
mics are potentially applicable.
^merican producers tend to favour
condenser mics for a more open sound,
'IN !H| UK w| |k|||k
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|f the thought of try|ng to m|c up amps doesn't f|oat your boat, you're not a|one.
They're expens|ve, |arge and |ncred|b|y unpopu|ar w|th ne|ghbours lmany of the
best don't actua||y sound good unt|| you whack them up to llll. Fortunate|y, there
are now p|enty of d|g|ta| subst|tutes ava||ab|e, many of wh|ch sound so good that
they're a|most |nd|st|ngu|shab|e from the or|g|na|s. The on|y drawback |s that many
such dev|ces |ntroduce |atency, part|cu|ar|y those based pure|y |n software. For
most sty|es you can s|mp|y record dry s|gna|s, but |t's |mposs|b|e to p|ay a b|g,
d|storted so|o conv|nc|ng|y un|ess you can actua||y hear the effect |n act|on as you
p|ay. For bas|c p|ay, such |atency won't cause too much troub|e, but |f you want to
p|ay tr|cky so|os and bass||nes, you m|ght prefer an externa| mode|, such as the
acc|a|med Fod range from L|ne 6. The bas|c mode|s on|y offer one output, so to
mon|tor d|rect and record you'|| need to run the s|gna| through a sp||tter, wh|ch w|||
|ntroduce s||ght s|gna| degradat|on. Larger mode|s feature two outputs, though, and
some even offer d|g|ta| connect|ons.
DI and emulaton
Take t slow
0ne of the greatest th|ngs about
modern d|g|ta| record|ng |s that you can
coax out performances that just weren't
poss|b|e before. Iust as M|0| made
everybody a rock-so||d p|an|st by
enab||ng us to record performances at
s|ow tempo, now you can do the same
th|ng w|th aud|o. |f you're strugg||ng to
f|ne-tune that k|||er so|o, or on|y seem
to manage one or two sect|ons at a
t|me, never fearl Try s|ow|ng the tempo
down l|f you're not us|ng a sequencer
that auto-stretches aud|o then you'||
need to mute everyth|ng e|se wh||e you
do th|sl and record|ng the same so|o at
a s|ower tempo. You can then s|mp|y
speed up the resu|t|ng so|o unt|| |t f|ts
the project tempo. And |f there are any
m|stakes, just patch together the best
b|ts of the d|fferent takes.
Iry ra|s|ng ycur am cII the grcund tc
see what eIIect |t has cn ycur scund
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Peccrd the back cI the am Icr a b|t cI warmth
PR0 TIP
lf the sound of your guitar is too harsh, try moving
the mic towards the side of the amp.
PR0 TIP
You can get some useful variations by raising the
amp off the ground and keeping the mic in the
same relative position.
PR0 TIP
Electric guitars and all peripherals are incredibly
noisy. Io remove some unwanted hiss, try some
noise reduction plug-ins. ^lternatively, insert a high-
cut filter very early in the chain just enough to
remove hiss without altering the tonel Ihe sharper
the filter, the better 24dB/octave is ideal.
PR0 TIP
lf you're using a 0l system with emulation plug-ins
|or if your guitarist is in a different room to the ampl,
you can set up a mic to record the actual sound of
the strings being plucked on the electric guitar or
bass and mix them with the main signal.
PR0 TIP
You can experiment with multiple mics too. Iry
using one at the hole for warmth and another at
the neck for brightness. ^lternatively, try a couple of
mics placed centrally, pointing towards opposite
ends of the guitar body these signals can later be
panned for a stereo effect.
IUI0RIAL FEBRU^RY 2006 C0MPUTER MUSlC
'
035
Recordng made easy neke nuelc Hcv
k
ecord|ng acoust|c gu|tars d|ffers
huge|y from record|ng e|ectr|c
gu|tars |n one v|ta| respect. ln the
latter, the amp is essentially the
instrument. ^lso, the space in which
you're recording is not so critical, as
most of the tonality is achieved through
very close mic adjustments and
processing. ^coustic guitars, on the
other hand, provide most of their own
character, in conjunction with their
immediate space. ^nd people know
what they're meant to sound like, so a
bad recording of a guitar will simply
sound unnatural. That's why we
recommend you even mic acoustic
guitars featuring 0l sockets.
The rght sound
^coustic guitars are among the most
tonally rich and beautiful of instruments
it's a stern heart that can't be melted
by Salma Rayek's ode to ^ntonio in
Desperodo. This being the case, it
follows that the first step to getting great
acoustic guitar recordings is getting a
great acoustic guitar sound. To the
trained ear, different guitars, strings and
even plectrums can make a massive
difference to the sound. So before you
go any further, make sure things sound
good to your ears. Seriouslyl lf they
don't, there's absolutely no chance that
you'll be happy with the recording, no
matter how skilled you are. Even if you
have to swap your stamp collection or
beg a mate, get your hands on a
suitable guitar for recordingl
The rght spot
^coustic guitars are generally heard in
real spaces and have long release
times that blend brilliantly with natural
reverb. 0onsequently, overly dry signals
will sound dull and lifeless in a way that
few conventional algorithms can repair,
and it's this failing that most commonly
singles out bedroom recordings. The
solution, as with most recording
techniques, is simple: pick a brighter
spot. You want a large room, preferably
with wooden floors and hard surfaces.
lf your floors are carpeted, try putting
some M0F under the player, or
change the rooml ^nd be sure to
place your player near some
reflective surfaces.
Finally, the only right place for
guitar recordings is as far away as
possible from shirt buttons, jean
studs, belt buckles, zips, belly
button piercings, watches and just
about anything else that might
bash against the guitar body and
ruin an otherwise perfect pass.
And now we mc.
You should by now have figured out
that since acoustic guitars are
incredibly tonally rich in the high
frequency areas, to properly record
them you're going to want the nicest
condenser mic you can afford |even if
it's only 70 worth prices are falling
rapidly these daysl. You'll also want the
quietest interface your money can buy,
as it's impossible to E0 hiss out of such
a high-frequency-rich instrument, and
one with such a broad dynamic range,
without messing up its sound.
^s with live vocals, live acoustic
guitar microphones are often pressed
right up against the hole to get the
loudest signal and greatest separation
between instruments, but this gives a
boxy sound and needs serious E0. ln
the studio we can be a little more open,
so start with the mic placed around 35
to 45cm away from the guitar, and
pointed at the area where the neck and
body of the guitar meet. From here it's a
simple matter of tweaking
the sound to suit your
surroundings. 0o this by
wearing a good pair of
closed-back
headphones and
moving the
microphone
closer
for a fuller
sound, or further
away for a lighter
and more ambient
sound. 0ritically,
though, as with
drums, don't give up
until you're positive you
have absolutely the best sound
you can get it need only take ten or
15 minutes, and can make or break
your guitar part. ^lso, remember that
you have some choices to make when
it comes to pickup pattern. lf you want a
close-mic sound ond room ambience,
think about using omnidirectional
instead of the standard cardioid.
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PR0 TIP
^lternate between picking and fingering techniques
when recording does one sound better on the
recording than the other7 ^nd if picking seems to
obtrusive, does moving the mic help7
03S
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C0MPUTER MUSlC FEBRU^RY 2006 IUI0RIAL
neke nuelc Hcv Recordng made easy
8
rass and reed |nstruments are
very harmon|ca||y r|ch, and some
actua||y have d|fferent tona|
qua||t|es depend|ng on how hard you
b|ow them. They also go very loud and
have a highly channelled sound port, all
of which throws up some distinct
challenges for recording.
Cve me space
The requirements for most acoustic
instruments are the same in terms of
location. You want quite a live, good
sounding room, and ideally not too
small. Brass and reeds are no
exception, but owing to their character
and volume, you will need quite a
sizeable space.
Mkng up brass
^s with acoustic guitars, you want to
use the best mic you have access to
preferably a good condenser with a
cardioid pickup pattern. ^nd also like
acoustic guitars, you should dismiss all
the stage-mic placements you've seen
|microphones practically rammed down
the bell of a sax, for examplel and use
your own judgement. lt takes some
distance for the different frequencies
and harmonics to balance out properly,
so depending on the room you're in,
you'll want the mic anywhere from one
to three metres away from the
instrument. ^lso, you want to place the
mic slightly to the side, rather than dead
in front of the bell, thus avoiding the
blast of air and unpleasant undiluted
sound. Then it's simply a matter of
finding the right balance. Experiment
with positioning the microphone above
and below the instrument level, and
with the distance further out gives a
fuller and more
spacious sound.
Peed all about t
lt's quality large-capsule condensers all
the way again with reed instruments
|time to get out that Neumann U87ll, but
placement is a little more tricky this
time. 0larinets and similar instruments
fire their output down at the floor, and
rely on the reflections from it to give the
sound depth. Not only that, but a great
deal of the actual sound is produced by
the body of the instrument rather than
from the output, which makes for some
interesting decisions when it comes to
mic placement.
For most types of reed instrument,
we'd recommend placing the
microphone about one or two metres in
front of the player, at around head
height and pointing towards the bottom
of the instrument. This mimics the
position from which we actually hear
the sound in the real world, and
although this straightforward approach
doesn't always work in recording, on
this occasion it does.
Unlike other reed instruments, the
saxophone's bell points upwards, so the
best mic placement is slightly different.
You should try to have the microphone
about a metre away, above and in
front of the sax, and point it at the
middle of the instrument. From that
point on it's 'headphones on and tweak
it' time.
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Pecordng a secton
0et a few brass and woodw|nd p|ayers
|n the same p|ace and you've got
yourse|f a sect|on. But how do you
record them? The sheer vo|ume of
these |nstruments means that g|v|ng
each |ts own m|c |s a waste of t|me.
|nstead, you want to ach|eve the
ba|ance as you record, so get your
p|ayers |n a ||ne and set up the m|c
about three metres or so |n front them
ls||ght|y above, po|nt|ng downl. You can
a|so try a stereo pa|r of m|cs, but
exper|ment to get the best p|acement.
You shou|d a|so try mov|ng the
p|ayers around a ||tt|e, to ach|eve a
good tona| ba|ance. We'd recommend
pu|||ng your brass back beh|nd the reed
|nstruments a foot or so ought to do
|t as th|s w||| he|p to ba|ance the m|x
of sounds.
Ccntrary tc cu|ar be||eI, |t's never a gccd |dea
tc st|ck a m|c u an |nstrument's be||
Learn hcw tc reccrd the sax
rcer|y and ut scme smccth,
su|try scunds |n ycur tracks
PR0 TIP
lf you're getting too much mechanical noise, you
can try placing a mic behind the player too their
body will block the valve and key noise. 0ther than
that, you need to ask the player to try and stop itl
PR0 TIP
lf your players are swinging their instruments
around as they play, simply place some dummy
mics right in front of |and underl them and ask the
performers to make sure the bells stay right over
the dummies.
IUI0RIAL FEBRU^RY 2006 C0MPUTER MUSlC
'
037
Recordng made easy neke nuelc Hcv
Y
ou m|ght th|nk that there's no
po|nt record|ng a rea| p|ano now
that there are so many fabu|ous
P0Mp|ers on the market, but as
stunn|ng as some of these are, there's
st||| a spec|a| qua||ty to a rea| p|ano. lt's
the sum of countless little parts, like the
sympathetic vibrations of adjacent
strings when one or more are struck, all
of which affect the tonal quality of the
instrument. ^nd it's not just all about
getting the best grand sound either if
you want that authentic 0has & 0ave
pub-piano sound, you're going to need
a suitably old and ropey upright, and
there aren't many R0Mplers of thosel
We should warn you, though the
piano is the single hardest instrument
to mic up in the known universe.
Whatever the type, all those different
keys produce such a range of
frequencies that it's almost impossible
to find a mic position that's perfect for
all of them at the same time. Not only
that, but because the geographical
placement of each is different, the
different strings will reflect differently off
the different surfaces, to say nothing of
the way the different frequencies will
respond to even the same surface.
Sounds like a nightmare, doesn't it? But
that's why we've saved this one 'til last
we think you're ready now.
The rght room
Because pianos tend to broadcast a big
sound all over the place, they fall prey
to the same acoustic problems as
studio monitors. Pianos in small rooms
will cause a distinct resonating
character with certain notes and
room resonance is the sworn enemy of
good recordingl ldeally you want the
largest room you can get your hands on,
but in case your ballroom is currently
being decorated, you can also try
moving the piano around the room
away from walls and so on until the
resonance is reduced.
Mcs and placement
lf your brass section has finished
monopolising your Neumman mic, get it
back off them and unpack its twin
brother, because you'll need at least
two quality condensers.
Crand recordngs
Now, there are more 'pro' techniques for
recording a grand piano than there are
keys on one. With that in mind, we're
going to give you a good starting off
point and some tips on customisation.
Start by placing two mics about four
metres back from the keys, and about
two metres off the floor. They should be
lined up at an angle, roughly parallel to
the angle of the right side of the piano
|in other words, far left to near right,
from the player's perspectivel.
The best sound can often be found
with even small movements |a few
centimetres will often do itl, so
go slowly, and if your sound's
lacking sheen and warmth
then start by moving the mics
back a little further away from
the keyboard end.
Next up are some ambience
mics, if you're so inclined. These are
especially useful if you're working in a
large hall or auditorium. Basically you
want to handle them as you would any
other ambience mic, but since the
space available is often much greater
with piano recordings, it's easier to just
set up as many mics as you have spare,
and then pick the best ones later |or
even use two of them panned wide for
stereo ambiencel.
Uptght uprghts
lf grand pianos can be a pain, uprights
are even worse, as their closed nature
makes for some hectic resonances.
With this in mind, remove the
backboard of the piano and set up a
stereo pair |set left and
right and slightly above,
pointing downl at your
chosen distance.
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PR0 TIP
^s a general rule, pop piano parts are recorded
much closer try about 25cm from the strings, but
don't go any closer or you won't pick up the
different notes equally.