“…things have changed and it might be very beneficial for you to look at the options that are available now. You really can create a pro level recording at home on your computer…”
– Stewart Meredith, Engineer/Session Musician
Welcome to the third installment of the Virtual Studio! In the first two issues we covered the hardware needed to put together a PC based studio. What I'm going to get into now is the software side of the equation. There is so much software out now that deals with recording and/or editing that … Read More
Welcome to the Fifth installment of the Virtual Studio! In this issue we're going to walk through the process of tracking a song with attention to the various options available in the digital audio and MIDI environment. In the old days of tape the first consideration was usually how many … Read More
Lengthy headline for a simple concept. The concept: Recognize opportunity. Seize opportunity. Be persistent as hell and you'll get what you want. This is a true story. I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show when I was about nine or ten years old. I knew at that moment that I wanted to make … Read More
Welcome to the second installment of the Virtual Studio! We're going to pick up where part one left off and cover the remaining hardware you need to get the PC ready for digital recording... the soundcard. The soundcard is responsible for converting audio signals to digital information to be … Read More
This is the Sixth instalment of the Virtual Studio and as I mentioned last time I'm going to go into detail about a couple aspects that are specific to digital recording. How the digital domain changes our use of EQ and compression. This is something I have heard very little discussion about and … Read More
I usually wait until the deadline draws near before I write this column. But, I just flipped the page on my daily desk calendar and was inspired to write it now by what I saw: "Keep your mind focused on what you want and act accordingly. You will achieve success." Words to live by. As a matter of … Read More
While the acoustic guitar remains one of the most simple instruments by design, it also remains one of the hardest to get a great sound on in the studio. It's really not brain surgery, but knowing some of the basic laws of physics doesn't hurt. Unfortunately, I skipped school that day and didn't … Read More
Nothing makes a home recording, any recording for that matter, sound better than great drum sounds. Pro engineers spend more time getting their drum sounds than any other instrument on their recordings and it shows. I've personally seen situations where engineers have spent days, several days in … Read More
"Good" is a subjective term. It can mean a couple of things when used in the context of making demo tapes. "Good" can mean the song (with a slant toward "hit" potential), or it can mean the engineering or production values on the tape. If the ultimate use of your demo is to land a record deal, … Read More
I spent more time in the early part of my engineering career trying to get a great bass sound than anything else. I tried going through a direct box. I tried miking the amp. I tried different amps. I tried different mics. I tried everything! No matter how hard I tried, I always fell short of the … Read More