Podcasts are very similar to all other audio recording, yet also very different. The basic principles of striving for a clean and clear recording still apply, but there may be additional challenges that you face that musicians may not think about. Recording on-location adds in the concerns of wind and other background noise, so choose your equipment carefully.
You can read more podcast recording tips here: http://www.podcasting-tools.com/audio-recording-tips.htm
Archives for January 2013
Checklist For Vocals
Vocal recordings can be very subjective, so having a checklist of things to watch for can help keep your quality high. The emotion of the vocal track is arguably the most important aspect of a song, but the musical aspects of the vocals can’t be ignored either. Maintain a big-picture perspective of your vocals to avoid re-recording unnecessarily, or worse, getting your vocalist into an un-creative state of mind.
You can read more tips here: http://www.puremix.net/blog/vocal-recording-checklist.html
Mobile Mics
The days of mobile recordings being limited to grainy video and maybe-understandable audio are over. High quality cameras in cell phones have become a huge marketing point for cell phones, but unfortunately we haven’t seen nearly as much improvement in the on-board microphones in these devices. Whether you’re using an Android phone, an iPhone, or even a tablet, using an external microphone can drastically improve the quality of your recordings. You may not want to try and record vocals for a studio album through your iPad, but recording the audio of an interview for later publication is much more within reach. Take a look at what external mics there are and what it will take to get them working with your device. The benefit they offer far exceeds their cost.
You can read more about USB and other mobile mics here: http://audioundone.com/microphones-and-mobile-devices
Free Stereo Distortion Plugin Download
The free Max For Live Stereo Distortion plugin for Ableton is now available as a free download. The capabilities of this and other Ableton plugins open extra possibilities to what can be done with the software. If stereo distortion doesn’t meet your needs, maybe on of the many other plugins that are available will?
You can read more about the freed download here: http://www.pointblankonline.net/blog/free-download-stereo-distortion-ableton/
Mixing With Professionals Tour
If you happen to be in the Alexandria, VA area on February 6, the Mixing With Professionals tour by Soundcraft is now taking registration for the free event. The session will focus on Soundcraft Vi Series consoles. If you already have one of these consoles, this is a great opportunity to learn more about how to use it. Or if you’re in the market for a new console, you could get hands-on experience to see if you like the line from Soundcraft. Virginia isn’t known for being a sunny oasis, but hopefully the weather cooperates enough for the event to be a success.
You can read more details about registration here: http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/soundcraft_mixing_with_professionals_tour_coming_to_alexandria_va/