Recording is a skill that is not easily mastered. Along with having to have a supreme knowledge of the equipment you are using, you also have to be able to communicate and problem-solve efficiently. Recording can come in many different forms. A recording engineer may record a solo artist and multiple session musicians, they may record a solo artist just by themselves over an already-made track, or they may even record a whole band. Some are certainly more difficult than others, but they all take a lot of care and a certain degree of talent to be done right.
Recording is mostly technical and is filled with information that you might not necessarily understand. What is less talked about is the fundamentals that underly every bit of information, technique, and setup. All of these choices are made for a reason and are there to help you achieve your end goal. There are three types of recording. Acoustic recordings, Electronic recordings, and In The Box recordings. Each individual type of recording has its own techniques and systems that make them unique. Usually, an engineer or producer will make the choice for you. However, if you are doing this by yourself, it is important to understand the difference and how it may impact your recording. As I have said before, recording is an art and needs to be understood fully before beginning.
Acoustic recording: Acoustic used to be the most common form of recording before the digital age. Some of your favorite tracks from as little as 15 years ago were recorded acoustically. However, it has advanced incredibly since then. Recording music in the acoustic realm is all about capturing sound waves through microphones and converting them into electronic signals so they can be captured and recorded. The concept of recording dates all the way back to the 1800s with Thomas Edison and his inventions. Fun fact, this is why the in-built recording section of FL Studio is called Edison. Music recording came shortly after. However, its capabilities were very limited. Music used to be solely acoustically recorded due to the mechanical limitations of recording devices. Today, however, well the possibilities and options seem endless. This is why only certain tracks are recorded acoustically. But don’t get me wrong, acoustic is still a very popular form of recording. The acoustic recording brought up the problem that instruments sound different depending on the environment you play them. This is why people are so particular about how they manage the acoustics of their recording spaces. This is why you may see foam pads on the walls of recording studios. The floors tend to be carpeted as well. This style of acoustic management absorbs sound and gets rid of the reverb effect that you may get if the instrument was being played in a big open space. Acoustic management is usually more important when recording vocals.
Electronic recording: Electronic recording goes back to the invention of keyboards and synthesizers. Electronic recording is becoming more and more popular with every new piece of kit that is brought out. Electronic recording first started gaining popularity during the mid-80s and hasn’t stopped growing. We live in a completely digital age so there is no surprise there. The idea of using a direct electrical signal is that you are bypassing the acoustics altogether. With the worry of unwanted frequencies damaging a recording, this seems to be a much easier option. The only problem is without the speakers and acoustic environment, you have to count on the electronics you are using to create the sound for you. This may seem like a big thing to overcome, but with the constant wave of new synthesizers, plugins, effects, and keyboards coming out, you will be spoilt for choice with excellent well crafted sounds. Otherwise, the only other issues that you are making sure the signal passes cleanly are full frequency, and that there are no buzzes. A small price to pay for a recording method that will increase your workflow and give you a better end result.
In The Box recording: In-the-box recordings are primarily referencing computer recordings where all of the recording work is done inside the actual recording application. This is the recording technique I know the least about. It is less commonly used than the other two and it is a wonder why it is so unpopular. ITB recording is pretty much done all inside the computer. There is no audio coming in externally into the recording device. Essentially, you are capturing the technical aspects of performance through a midi keyboard or other midi instrument. When ITB recording you are essentially recording MIDI. A lot of artists don’t like this as it takes away all of the human feel out of recording. You may end up with a great final product. But if the recording doesn’t have the human and live feel then it may seem rather dull. This is my least favorite style of recording.
A good, high-quality recording can be achieved by using any one of these methods. Some may be more advanced than others, but after all, it is a great performance that makes a great recording.
A recording studio is a specialized facility for audio production, sound recording, and mixing. they range from small home studios to big buildings that can host multiple artists at a time. It is important to know what type of studio you are stepping foot in before you go. Big recording studios see different projects every day. Ranging from spoken word, vocals for a track, and instrumentals all the way to dialogue for TV and films. If the recording studio you are going to is efficient and has a good staff on hand ready to help, you should get the result you were hoping for.
If you visit a big recording studio, you may find a couple of different people helping you record the song. Firstly you will meet the engineer. This is the person who takes control of all the complicated equipment you find in front of you and is there to help you record the song to a high quality. They will use something called talk back to communicate with you and make sure everything is set up just the way you like it. They may give you commands like ‘start playing’, ‘stop playing’ etc. The engineer is also there to maintain the sound of the track and make sure you have a clean surface to record whatever you like over the top. If the studio was a plane, the engineer would be the pilot.
You will also find the producer. The producer has less to do with the recording and the equipment and more to do with the person recording. They will tell you how to record certain parts to acquire a great-sounding track. They are there to give you direction and make the job of an engineer a little bit easier. Having a good producer in the studio can help settle nerves and improve the final product. This is the same for a smaller recording studio. However, the engineer and the producer are the same people. They take on both roles to make sure you make the most of your time there.
There are many different processes that go into recording. Knowing the basics of different types of recording is very important when trying to fully understand this very complicated practice.
Resource:https://www.music-production-guide.com/recording-music.html
Resource:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recording_studio
Resource:https://www.360artistdevelopment.com/what-happens-when-you-visit-a-recording-studio/