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www.homebrewaudio.com
Building Your Home Recording Studio
How Anyone Can Create Professional Sounding Audio
Ken TheriotHome Brew Audio
www.homebrewaudio.com
What does it take to get professional sounding audio?
Pro Audio
EXPENSIVE
MICROPHONES
AND
INTERFACES?Go to a commercial recording studio?You’re not alone. Most folks do.
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Knowledge Trumps Gear
Less than $100
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Important…..
Just because you bought
a Neumann and Pro Tools HD
GOOD AUDIO IS NOT
GUARANTEED
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If you know what you're doing, you can get decent audio from the cheapest gear.
But lack of knowledge causes lots of folks to produce crappy audio even with expensive gear!
I WILL GIVE YOU 4 TIPS FOR DOING THIS!
REGARDLESS OF YOUR SET-UP…
Disclaimer: Better quality gear can and does soundbetter than a plastic PC mic
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Knowledge Trumps Gear
If you know what you're doing….
It is possible to produce better audio with a plastic PC mic than someone with no experience using a set-up costing...
WAIT FOR IT…100 times more!
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Knowledge Trumps Gear
How do I know that?
$5 vs $500 mic shootout
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vs
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The Home Recording Studio
What are the basics of recording a voice on a computer-based studio?
1. A microphone captures the sound2. The sound is converted to ones and zeros (digital
audio) by a soundcard/interface.3. A recording program reads the digital audio,
allowing you to edit, save, etc.
In a world…
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1. A microphone plugged directly into a computer, either via the sound card or a USB port
2. A microphone plugged into an interface 3-pin (XLR) cablecomputer
The Two Home Recording Studio Configurations
Plus there’s mobile
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Fight the noise first◦ Prevent as much getting recorded as possible
Use a cardioid microphone (tip #1) Get close to the microphone (tip #2)
Then fight it again◦ Record as loud as possible without clipping (tip #3)
“Crowds out” a lot of system noise
And again◦ Use noise reduction tools to reduce the noise that got recorded
(inevitable) (tip #4)
How Do We Improve Quality?
NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF GEAR WE USE…
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In a perfect world, you would have a great recording space where the room sound actually compliments the signal. ◦ These types of spaces are rare.
The second best option is to have a vocal isolation booth treated with materials designed to prevent absorb echoes, allowing you to record only the signal.◦ Difficult to do right◦ Expensive
Prevent The Noise
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Vocal Booths and Other Acoustic Treatment
Clearsonic IsoPac - $1,100 Auralex MaxWall- $999 Primacoustic Flexibooth $450
Primacoustic Voxguard$90sE Electronics Reflexion Filter
$299
Harlan Hogan PortaBooth$349
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We’re recording in bedrooms with lots of parallel surfaces echo-y sound.
Very common in even the best looking videos
Problem is worse in “talking-head” videos
Preventing Noise On a Budget
signal
noise
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Use a mic with a cardioid pickup pattern
Mouth close to the mic◦ ~4 inches or so
DEAL WITH ROOM NOISE 1ST
Preventing Noise On a Budget
Note: Talk into the correct sideof a side-address mic!
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Record as loud as possible without clipping
Crowd Out The Noise
This is not good
If you try to turn this up, you’ll be turning up the noise along with it!
Aim for this
Won’t have to turn this up much, if at all. MUCH better quality.
Do this with gain control on interface and/or input level in software mixer
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Some noise will always be recorded, especially with cheaper mics and converters
Use Noise Reduction in audio software
Reduce Recorded Noise
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Best Audio/Cheapest Gear
JUST DOING THOSE 3 THINGS1. Using a cardioid mic
2. Getting close to the mic
3. Reducing/removing noise after it is recorded
Is how a $5 mic ended up sounding better than the $500 mic setup
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Now we can address step #2 of recording basics, "sound is converted to ones and zeros (digital audio) by a soundcard/interface.“
Why is the $5 mic into a sound card not ideal?◦ Small cheap mic is inaccurate◦ Integrated sound card is cheap and noisy
So the best 1st step is…
The Interface
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Avoid The On-Board Sound Card
The fastest and least expensive way to do this is:
Use a USB Microphone
• Built-In converters are better• Avoid noisy motherboard
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Small USB mics still subject to accuracy limitations ◦ Must work very hard to get “pro” audio,
though it is still possible
I highly recommend the large USB Mics◦ Much easier to reach “pro” level audio
USB Mics
Samson Q1
Samson C01
Large diaphragm condenser
$49
$80
Blue Yeti$100
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Studio Configuration #1
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Studio Configuration #2
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Mics for Studio Configuration #2
2 main types of (non-USB) microphone
• Dynamic
• Condenser
Shure SM-58 dynamic microphone
Rode NT2-A Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone
Best for recording$399
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Mics for Studio Configuration #2
Audio Technica AT2035$149
Audio Technica AT2020$65
Blue Yeti Pro$229
Neumann TLM 102$700
Neumann U87 ai$3,600
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Interface for Configuration #2
M-Audio Fast Track C600M-Audio Fast Track Pro
These attach to a computer via USBPhantom power for condenser mics
Centrance MicPort Pro $150
$342$150
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AUDIO SOFTWARE
Reaper
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The Software
REAPER
• Pros• Free• Can do basic editing• Can do (sort of) multi-track
• Cons• Not intuitive/hard to use• Noise Reduction is poor
• Pros• Professional software• Can do just about anything• “Fair Pricing” Scheme!!
• Cons• Almost too awesome!• Might be “too much car”
$60 or $225
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The Accessories
MIC STANDS
Desk Boom Stand
Swivels and articulates
Basic Desktop Stand
Basic Boom Stand
$70-$100
$15
$25Shock Mount
$25
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The Accessories
CABLES
Standard Mic Cable
3-pin “XLR”
USB Cable
$25
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Headphones & Speakers
HEADPHONES
SPEAKERS
Sennheiser HD 280• Closed-back• Encircle the ears
• Could get by with mp3“earbuds” if you had to
• Monitor headphones when ready
• Computer speakers OK to start• Monitor speakers when ready
Alesis M1Actives
$99
$199
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Pop Filter/Pop Screen
YOU NEED ONE – PERIOD.
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Mixer
DON’T NEED ONE
MOVING ON
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Basic Home Studio Options - Review
OPTION 1
OPTION 2
~$159
~$315
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Mobile Options
iRig PRE$40
iRig Mic$45
Zoom H2$110
Apogee MiC$199
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THE NEWBIES GUIDE TOAUDIO RECORDING
AWESOMENESS
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• Tutorials• Articles• Tips• Resources
Turn Your ComputerInto a Pro Recording Studio