I’ll be doing the review on this next week (completed – see the review here: Review of iRig MIDI by IK Multimedia, but for now, here is the official announcement from IK Multimedia on the release of their new iRig MIDI and SampleTank. These iOS music releases are giving us lots of ideas for home recording studio tips.
The iRig MIDI is a physical device that you can use to hook up a MIDI keyboard to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. This will, of course mean nothing unless you have something MIDI-controllable on your iOS device. Fortunately IK MM has also just released SampleTank of iOS, which, if it is anything like the software version of SampleTank, is filled with awesome sampled/virtual instruments.
The free SampleTank app for iOS is available from the Apple app store: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/app/audiobus/id558513570?mt=8&at=10l4CP&ct=website
Get all the details about SampleTank for iOS here: http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/sampletankios/
If you’re interested in the full version of SampleTank for your desktop, go here SampleTank 2.5 XL.
Microphone Tips For Recording
Here are a bunch (31 according to the article title:)) of tips for using microphones to record. There is something useful in this article for anyone who is doing home recording, whether that be for voice over jobs or music recording.
Enjoy!
Ken
Here is the article: http://theproaudiofiles.com/microphone-tips-from-recording-hacks
Auto-Tune – Good or Bad?
OK. This is something I want to hear your opinions about, because I had someone say they didn’t want me to use Auto-Tune on their vocals for her recording project.
What is that? Is Auto-Tune evil? Or is it the holy grail?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
I wrote an article spelling out my thoughts about it here: Auto-Tune – Any Tool Can Be Abused
More Virtual Drumming Foo
Here is a new virtual drumming machine for your computer studio. It’s software though, not another actual “box with flashing lights” as my wife calls them. You can use it in live performances or on your computer-based home studio for recording. Having used hardware drum machines in the 1980s, I can tell you that having software versions of drum machines is much better – easier and faster – at least for recording purposes.
Image Line Groove Machine released.
Some Advice on Mixing – Where to Start
Here is an article about mixing, typically a topic more associated with music recording than voice over recording, but a fundamental topic in audio recording if you’re doing music.
However, understanding how to mix and generally play around in multitrack recording software can still be important for certain kinds of voice over jobs. For instance, I do a monthly e-learning voice over job that that has lots of phrases alternating between male and female voices (yeah, me and my wife:), with 3 seconds between them. I use the holy heck out of my mixing/multi-track recording skills to make this workflow fast and easy. For example, I put all the lady parts on one track and all the guy parts on another. Then I split the phrases on each track and color-code them (yes, blue for boys and pink for girls:)). Then I space them out with like 7 seconds between them. Then I off-set one track so I can just select all the parts on one track and drag them up to the top track so that all the parts are on one track. The colors help me make sure it’s boy-girl-boy-girl, etc. Then I simply select all the parts and tell the track I want them spaced exactly 3 seconds apart. Try doing THAT in a plain old editor:).
Anyway, check this article out, even though it’s mostly to do with music. You might learn something applicable to both music and voice over recording.
See the article here:
http://theproaudiofiles.com/mixing-where-do-i-start
Cheers!
Ken