There is so much more that we can do at home thanks to advances in technology. There used to be a time when we had to go to a theatre to watch movies on a big screen. Now we can buy our own projectors or large-screen TVs, then stream whatever we want to watch on-demand.
Music Studio To Record Guitar Samples
Most white-collar workers had to commute to an office every day but now many are working remotely from home on their laptops. The same revolution is happening with music with artists choosing to produce their songs at home. Below are some tips on setting up a music studio to record guitar samples:
Reducing Noise
The first task is to reduce the amount of noise that gets into the recording. While it’s almost impossible to eliminate this, it can be decreased significantly. The goal is for the noise to become virtually undetectable to listeners.
Make strategic decisions such as selecting a room that is facing away from the street so you don’t have to deal with roaring engines. Close the doors and windows so that noise from the neighbours and dogs get attenuated.
Also See: 78 Secret Tools used in Investigative Journalism
If there is a noisy fan or air conditioner, then consider turning this off while recording. You can test whether these precautions are enough by recording the silence. There’s a good chance that the recording will pick up sounds that you don’t even notice.
This could be the chipping of birds, the rustling of leaves, or the ticks of a wall clock. Think of what you can do to limit these. Maybe you can move the clock to another room for the time being. Perhaps you can use seal the gaps along with the doors and windows. You could also move your recording session at night when most activities are halted so machine noise won’t be an issue. As a last resort, you might have to do a few retakes or edits in the final mix.
Enhancing Acoustics
After dealing with the noise, it’s time to enhance the sound. Pay attention to your chosen room’s acoustics. The best choices are medium to large rooms with soft surfaces and a non-square shape.
This will produce the least amount of echoes because the sound waves will be absorbed by the surfaces instead of reflecting round and round. However, you should not despair if you only have a small room with hard surfaces. You make changes such as covering window glass with curtains or other treatments. As for the floor, you can lay carpets or rugs on ceramic tile.
You can also install wooden bookshelves and bring in cushioned seats. These will all break up the resonance so a better sounding recording. If you have the budget for it, then consider covering the walls with acoustic panels.
These are foam tiles with spikes or ridges designed to absorb sound waves. While most are available in dark grey, you can now find them in more colour options to match your décor. You may also use bass traps which are similar in nature but are specifically designed for low frequencies. If you don’t have a lot of funds, then just use egg cartons or comparably shaped objects. Save them every time you buy eggs from the supermarket. These can perform surprisingly well so many amateurs use them.
Recording Audio
Now let’s get down to the equipment needed to record a guitar sample pack. This will also depend on your budget and technical level. If you don’t want to purchase new hardware, then just use your phone for recording. Download an audio recorder and a music editor from your preferred app store. See how well this works for you. Good phone brands have sensitive mics that can perform better than expected. The system is easy to operate and suitable for your initial forays into the recording. When you’re ready to take it a notch up, invest in a digital recorder.
These handheld devices are affordable and user-friendly. They can even capture stereo sound. This is good enough if you are only recording a single instrument. For a multi-instrument setup, you will need to level up to the task. You could either get a multi-track recording system that can do everything by itself or opt for a computer-based recording.
If you already have a desktop or laptop, then the latter might work better for you. Get as many USB microphones as you need and plug them into your system. Read reviews to find out which ones work best. You could also buy an audio interface device to capture all mic inputs before sending the signals to the PC via a USB port. Check the interface capacity to make sure that it can handle your requirements.
Consider
Using a boom stand for flexible mic placement. Install a recording suite to get going. Some of these are available free of charge while others require a paid license.
