Acoustics
It is beneficial to have a studio with more of a ‘dead’ sound, so that the reverb is as low as possible. It also makes it easier when it comes to mixing, as there will be no low-frequency sounds to cut out.
This can be achieved by soundproofing the room. “Sound absorbing materials such as foam insulation in the walls help with both the sealing and absorbing of mid-range to high frequency sounds, but bass frequencies tend to be efficiently borne through solid structures.” (Studio Acoustics, 2022)
recording types
Recording all of the band at once in one room
Advantages
- Everyone can hear each other while recording.
- More of a performance vibe rather than a recording, which may result in everyone feeling less pressure or red light fever.
- Quickest way to record.
Disadvantages
- When you mic up the guitar and drums, there will be a lot of spill from the drums into the amp mics.
- Harder to mix due to spillage.
- All of the musicians need to be available at the same time which may be difficult due to other commitments etc.
- It may take many takes to get the perfect one. So while it may be the quickest way to record in terms of setting up and not having to record each part separately, in reality it will take ages to get the right take.
Recording all of the band at once in seperate rooms
Advantages
- It is still possible to get a really good take without any spill from other instruments/amps
Disadvantages
- All of the musicians need to be available at the same time which may be difficult due to other commitments etc.
Recording most of the band at one time but adding additional overdubs
Advantages
- It doesn’t take as much time as it would recording each part separately.
- If there are any mistakes within the recording, the overdub can be used to correct them.
- The whole band doesn’t have to attend the recording session at one time.
Disadvantages
- Sometimes it may not feel like a performance.
Recording all parts seperately
Advantages
- The musicians don’t have to be in the same place at the same time, therefore it may be less expensive than booking out a studio when it may not be needed for certain instruments (e.g. you may be able to DI certain instruments or record vocals at a home studio).
- There is less pressure to get the perfect take first time. It is easy enough to isolate a particular track or instrument and overdub the recording than it would be with the pressure of having the whole band recording at the same time.
- No spill from mics.
- You are able to achieve a piece of music which you are extremely satisfied with.
- Everything can be near enough perfected as it is easier to stop mid-take if something doesn’t go completely to plan.
Disadvantages
- It can take a long time, and may be difficult to communicate with other band members over what needs to be done etc.
Health and safety
Health and Safety in the studio is completely different to live sound; in a typical professional studio, most of the equipment will already be set up and prepared in order to save time. Therefore, cables should be neat and tidy, reducing the risk of any trip hazards. However, you should still make yourself aware of your surroundings as there will most likely be stands, jack leads and headphone cables around. It will be the studio’s responsibility to ensure that all equipment is tested regularly and in full working order. However, it will be your own responsibility to keep any liquids etc away from electronic equipment to prevent any breakage or possible electrocution.
When recording instruments in a small environment (particularly a drum kit) there will be a risk of hearing damage. To minimise this risk as much as possible, it is recommended to wear headphones and/or ear plugs as these will block out any unnecessary sound.
polar patterns
| Omnidirectional | Cardioid | Supercardioid | Bi-directional | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polar pattern |  |  |  |  |
| Covarage | 360° | 131° | 115° | 90° |
| Angle of rejection | N/A | 180° | 126° | 90° |
| Rear rejection | 0 | 25dB | 12dB | 0dB |
| Ambient sound sensitivity | 100% | 33% | 27% | 33% |
| Distance factor | 1 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| When to use | In isolated booths, for natural sounds | Close mics for toms on a drum kit | Direct pick up on film sets | Recording a direct conversation |
DI
Direct Injection
DI boxes are a great way to ensure that you get a balanced signal into the PA system without the use of a microphone.
Multi-micing
When micing up equipment such as an amp, it is important to use the 3-to-1 rule, as if mics are too close or too far apart form one another, it can cause phasing issues which are irreversible when it comes to the mixing process.
Multi-micing can be a great way to capture a lot of different frequencies within an instrument, and result in a better sound when mixing them together.
phase
In Phase – the sound waves/audio is synchronised.
Partially in Phase – the sound waves/audio are slightly out of time.
Out of Phase – the sound waves are the complete opposite to one another, and become unsynchronised.
Signal Chain
- Acoustic energy transfers to electrical energy when a microphone is used to record an instrument/sound, which then goes into the mixing desk.
- The faders are then used to increase the gain of the output signal.
- The audio interface converts the electrical energy to digital energy, samples the electrical signal and creates a waveform as digital info (binary).
- This can then be converted onto a DAW as electrical energy or through speakers as acoustic energy.