AKARSH SHEKHAR
TIPS TO HELP
YOU BECOME A
MUSIC
RECORDING
NINJA
1. Make sure that you leave headroom on your input to
accommodate for unexpected overshoots (extra loud snare hit,
vocalist leans forward, etc.) - keep peaks below -6dBFS at least. 10. The distance between a mic and source is very important
for your recording quality. Be aware of the proximity
effect as it can quickly make for a muddy, woolly tone.
2. Stereo or mono? Consider how you want recorded parts
to be placed in the final mix and what the source requires.
Don't record things in stereo just because you can. 11. DIY efforts are needed for the reduction of echoes,
resonances and increase separation. Packing blankets,
duvets and carpet work as great absorbers, while dense,
rigid objects (e.g. timber panels or flight cases) make great
reflective separators. Listen, apply and then listen again.
3. Commit if it sounds good. Don't worry about the technical
details too much, just record it and move on. Fresh is best,
even if there's a little roughness around the edges.
4. Don't use gear just because you've got it or want to try it
out. This is particularly important with EQ and compression/
limiting. If you're confident you want to commit them to tape or
to disk then do so, but remember that you can't change it later.
5. Keep it short. Shorter analogue signal paths ensure
better fidelity, so use the shortest and best cables you
have. Remove all devices that are not being used,
even if they are bypassed, as every connection and
ground connection is a potential noise source.
6. Keep it simple. Don't use mics that you don't need.
Have a simple setup with mics that sound good
together. Don't add stuff for that cool studio shot.
7. Pre-production is key. Have as clear an idea of
what you want as possible, even if that's just a role
or atmospheric 'place' for what is to be recorded.
8. Get the source right. Ensure that the instrument
sounds its best (in tune, warmed up, or awake/
sober in the case of a vocalist) and sounds good in
the room before moving any mics into place.
9. Don't spend ages auditioning mics, unless you have
time before the performer(s) arrives, as you don't want
to wear them out with your technical whims.
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The
Score Magazine
highonscore.com
12. Use the HPF or low cut on mics and preamps
whenever the source lacks low frequencies. Extraneous
noises like foot taps, distant road rumble, will eat
the headroom and make your recording muddy.
13. Use the mic's polar patterns to your advantage, whether
it's to screen out other sounds in the room or reflections off
walls and windows. Look at the polar pattern data for your
mic(s) to see which angles are the most/least sensitive.
14. Make sure you can always see the meters as you never
know when something will need to be trimmed. They will
also alert you to things you may have missed, such as a
kick drum mic falling into the drum, a foot tapping on the
mic stand or an electrical fault causing spurious noise.
15. Multiple microphone setups usually suffer from
phase incoherencies, work towards minimising them for
obtaining the most coherent and ear-pleasing sound.
16. Monitoring is key. Whether it's headphones or
speakers, the performer(s) must have the best and
most flexible foldback you can achieve as the better
they can hear the better they will perform.
17. Backup everything. Make sure you save your project
files regularly and backup at the end of every session. When
you leave the recording venue take a backup with you, or if
you're taking it away make sure someone else has a copy.