New to the game
Home > Home Recording Forum > Recording Techniques > New to the game
Posted on Oct 17, 2006 06:07 am
Crayon
Member Since: Oct 17, 2006
Type of Music: Hip Hop
Goal: Record Vocals
Type of Recording: Laptop // cubase
I recently decided to implement a homestudio inside my room and with that motivation bought myself a MXL2003 condensor mic. Now my questions are:
1) What other equipment would i need inorder to get a professional sound? ( Include what size cables ) My understandment is Mic -> Preamp -> Compressor / gate -> Soundcard? Can someone recommend a good recording interface for my laptop ( USB , Firewire ).
2) I've been picking random articles off the website and i just needed a couple of things clarified for me, What does warmth mean? And pre-master and mastering, Is that only for instrumentals or vocals too?
These are the questions that've been bugging me and it feels real good to get them typed down on a board for someone to help me, Thanks THIS much.
[ Back to Top ]
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Oct 17, 2006 11:13 am Howdy Crayon (nice username).
First, welcome to the HRC.
Now, you are correct on your signal chain. Mic, cabled to preamp of some sort, which can incorporate a compressor, then to an interface of some sort.
I've got a laptop, which I've recorded stuff with, using a tascam US122. It's gotten some mixed reviews, but mine's been great.
That device has preamps built in (2), that also supply phantom power. This device also has channel inserts, which would allow you to utilize a hardware compressor (as opposed to software compressor, which doesn't protect you from clips).
There are bunches of other options for laptop audio interfaces, both USB and Firewire, edirol makes some, M-Audio makes some, there's spendy stuff from RME, and MOTU, but you're probably on the 'less-cost-intensive' side, like me =).
Warmth is when the sound isn't brittle, or sterile. Most (if not all) digital recordings make music sound sterile, dry, edgy, and somewhat brittle. I think it's because digital tends to record everything like it is, as opposed to analog, which can tame off some of the edges, of sounds. Also, analog tape introduces a little compression, in a different fashion, which smooths out the overall sound.
Pre-mastering is the step when the overall sound is EQ'ed, reverb added, and loudness adjusted. These effects are added to the whole sound, not just individual tracks. This is where 'shine' and 'polish' can be added to a song, to really make it sound pro
Mastering, used to be the process of physically creating the media, be it CD, Vinyl, cassette tape, 8-track, whatever.
Now-a-days, since it's easy to make your own CDs, mastering has become known as what used to be pre-mastering. Then the burn process is kind of the Mastering phase.
I may be wrong on some of that, but I think I'm pretty close.
mellowMember
Since: Apr 22, 2006
Oct 19, 2006 01:21 pm Welcome to Hrc. Im not a pro but the sound i get from recording is good quality. If you are not trying to spend alot of money, you can budget yourself as i did. I am recording hip hop music and rap also.
My home studio consist of my HP computer with a 200$ M-audio delta 1010 LT soundcard. It is internal, since u have a laptop u will need a "external" soundcard. Then i have a 2 track mixer, that is all i really need since im not recording a band. I have my monitors ( speakers) they are also m-audio. And I have my mic plugged into my mixer and my mixer runs into my suondcard in my computer. The quality sound is great!!! You can email me to ask more about my set up. But listen to the pros here at HRC they have taught me alot!
