No Fear

Mono tracks panned left and right (guitar, reso, harmonica) - voice in the the centre.

Recording - 2 - mixing

When you've got 3 or 4 tracks to mix, things get a little more complex. Here's a basic scenario to work with:

You have vocal, guitar, second guitar, harmonica. The second guitar (call it guitar2) is a transposed version of guitar1 (your first track). The harmonica only plays in the instrumental section. Now we need to consider stereo position as well as EQ etc as before. This is usually called 'panning', and the function will probably be on the mixer section of your software. Essentially, you are moving the track left and right in the stereo spectrum so that is at its loudest at that point as you listen to it, giving it it's own space.

The actual numbers used for pan L and pan R can vary. It may be 0-100 left or right, or sometimes 0-64 left or right. For this reason I'll give an approximate percentage left or right here.

Try something like this:

vocal - centre

guitar1 - pan right 30%

guitar2 - pan left 30%

harmonica - pan right 10%

Now listen to the two guitars together, muting the other two tracks. Are the levels right? Do they sound right together - are there any points where they clash, or seem to cancel each other out? Try moving them left and right and see if they sound different - perhaps one relatively further left than the other is right, for example.

Add the vocal back in - is it loud enough? Can you hear it distinctly? Try a little EQ (taking out the bottom end as before) - remember, it is not always a case of sheer volume that gets things heard. Clarity comes from distinct and appropriate sounds.

Add the harmonica in - you could keep that central, but placing it a little left or right will make it easier to hear without too much extra messing about. I often find it helps to think of a harmonica like another voice (and the same principles do seem to work for harmonising vocals). Take out the low bass end of the EQ range if it sounds muddy - if not, leave it!

EQ on guitars is also something you might want to consider. This can help to make them distinct (especially if you are only using one guitar), and sweeten the sound a little. Add a little 12k presence to one, and perhaps presence and bass range to the other. If it doesn't make it better, however, don't do it for the sake of it! Just try stuff out until you're happy.

Listen to the whole thing together. Then leave it for a while. Let your ears recover, and your brain forget what you've heard. Believe me, taking a half-hour break will do wonders for your ability to hear what you've actually just done.

I shall cover reverbs and effects next - and them some general mixdown principles.

Recording - 2 - tracks

Basically, all I'm going to cover here is overdubbing instruments and voices.

Let's assume you have a vocal and basic guitar track down already, and you want to add to it. Obviously, the physical process is the same for sound/level/mic position and track selection. But there are a few important things to consider.

1. What are you going to play?

Think about what would be appropriate to the song, and what you already have down - don't just try to double up the guitar (this can end up a terrible mess, and is frankly a waste of time). Find something you can play to enhance and work with your first tracks. Try using a capo, and transposing your chords, or using another instrument (mandolin, or maybe even using a slide technique on the guitar) - even just adding a harmonica or another vocal to lift the song and improve its dynamic can do wonders. Rehearse and experiment with a few ideas before you record.

2. Stay in tune!

Always make sure your instruments are in the correct tuning - you'd be surprised how often folks forget this!

3. Listen!

Overdubbing requires you to listen to what you've done, and play to complement what's there. Keep it simple. The better you get at playing and recording, the easier it will be to produce better work. Learn the technique which suits you best, and improve on it.

Ocean

Guitar and vocal.

Recording - 1 - mixing

Now it might seem strange to talk about mixing when all you have is two tracks, but some simple tricks to learn here can be applied later on.

Right now, all you have is two mono tracks, both centrally placed in the stereo spectrum. It is important to think about this, or it will be when you add more tracks to your recording, because stereo positioning can make a big difference to the sound and quality of the finished product.

Think about it this way - what you have is a voice on top of a guitar. Now that's not what you have if you sit and listen to someone sing and play - the guitar is not pressed right up to the person's face! What you need to create is space.

This is pretty easy to do. For a guitar and vocal, try the following -

1. EQ - take the lower end of the vocal down, or out altogether (the lower bass frequencies are barely audible in the human voice, but they are there and competing for your aural attention). Make a gentle curve up from about 20hz to 300hz (or thereabouts). Listen to vocal, and see if it makes any audible difference to the voice on its own - if not, fine. If it does, add a little of the EQ back in again.

For the guitar - add a little bass in the same range as above, and a little 'presence' - a gentle curve up from about 10khz to 16-20khz ('presence' - the 'snap' when you click your fingers - is reckoned to be about 12000hz (or 12k) - it adds a percussive or live feel to things) - again listen to it to see how it sounds. And listen to both together to make sure they distinct without being overly separated from each other. Too much space is as bad as none at all.

2. Effects - the most useful effects/processing you can use will be reverb and compression/limiting.

A very slight reverb on your voice can help to warm it slightly and make it distinct from the guitar. It can also make it sound like a distant floating entity that seems to be recorded in an entirely different part of time and space! Beware reverbs - only use them if they make the song recording sound better as a whole - you want your recording to sound as if it is all in the same 'room'. A much better use of reverb is to add the slightest touch of it to the finished track.

Compression and limiting can iron out any glaring dynamic glitches - most likely in this case, voice and guitar very loud together at one point in the song. Again, over doing it can ruin what you've done. There will be separate section on all this later - for now let's just say getting it right in the recording is the best way forward!

Always do these things after you have recorded the tracks - do not be tempted to add EQ or effects through your desk - you might improve the sound with a slight tweak of the EQ, but you may easily end up having to take it all out again later!

Most recording software has a basic array of effects and an EQ facility. If not, you may need to download some 'plug-in' effects. Check to make sure what formats you software accepts (VST, AU, Nyquist etc).

Recording - 1 - clicks and pops

Some people like to use, or will recommend, a click track for recording. A click track is just a simple beat set up on the software to keep the player in time. It is most useful if different people are going to be playing on the same track, especially if there are drums involved. It is an acquired skill to play to a click (though easy enough to learn) and you may find it easier ultimately to do this. I don't bother with it for recording my own stuff - it is perfectly possible to play and develop a perfectly acceptable natural timing.

For vocals, you might want to get a pop shield, which is mesh over a frame which you can attach to the mic stand to shield the mic from the 'pop' sounds you get from saying or singing some sounds (especially p's and b's). Not essential, but it makes life a little easier, and they are not expensive.

Recording - 1 - tracks

Let's say you want to record a song. Just the voice and an acoustic guitar to start with.

The simplest way to do this would be just to sit in front of a mic and press play - except that a recording like that isn't going to sound up to much - unless you have a very high quality powered mic. You can record 'live' like that (and it is, to my mind, the best way to do things), but to do it effectively on a budget requires a little extra preparation (which I'll cover later) - if you have only one mic and two instruments (the guitar and the voice) and you want to get a good recording with a modicum of control over what you record, you will have to record them onto separate tracks.

This is where practice comes in - know your song before you start. Record yourself on a tape recorder or dictaphone and work out what exactly you are playing. It makes life a lot easier. If you are an instrumental player and accustomed to 'building' a tune from scratch, this will an easier process - but to sing and play requires confidence and performance. And that takes practice!

So - record the guitar part.

Select the first track on your recording software (some types of programs will just automatically start recording a new track once you hit record - others you need to 'record enable' the track). Make sure you can hear the guitar. Make sure it sounds alright, and experiment with moving the mic until the sound is a good as it can be. And make sure you are sitting in the most comfortable and natural position possible. It might take a few goes to get it right!

It's not a bad idea to have the song lyrics in front of you - even sing along internally to make sure you're getting the right feel and timing. Remember, you're going to have to sing over the top of this!

Hit record, and play. You might find it surprising hard to get it right first time - or indeed the fifth or tenth. Recording focusses the mind, and makes you think about your playing and mistakes. Relax, and just concentrate on getting it right. If you mess up, just delete it or 'undo record'. If you're not sure, save it and mute the track and do another. Keep the best one.

So...if you've got something down...save it!

(note - make sure you know where these tracks are being saved to, and keep stuff in a folder on your computer where you can find them - this will be part of the software set up process)

Now - the vocal.

Select another track. Listen to the guitar part. Sing along without recording. Get the feel of it, and the timing. When you're happy, record your vocal. Again, perform it, and listen back to see what it sounds like. If it's not right, do it again. This is a creative process, so be creative. Think about what the song needs, and what you like.

Got something - save it!

Monitoring your sound

Before going through some various recording scenarios, just a word or two about monitoring your recordings - in other words, listening to what you have done!

Obviously, the most immediate monitoring is through the headphones. This will be how you hear what you are playing and singing, and how you play further tracks (over-dubs). But to hear what you have recorded effectively, you need to hear it out loud, and make sure it sounds something like what you expected. For this purpose, various powered monitoring speakers are available, which can be connected either to the 'tape out' or 'aux' outputs on your desk (or you can use the line out of the channel used to hear the pre-fader sound through headphones, as outlined previously).

However, if you are simply recording at home, and thus able to benefit from the fact that you can make your own rules, there is a much simpler method for this simple set-up. Just reach for the lead running from the line-out - and pull it out. The speakers on your computer may not be great, but nor will they enhance the sound either. If it sounds alright through them, it sounds alright anywhere!

A note on digital and tape recorders

Setting up the levels on dedicated digital and tape recorders is not a dissimilar process to that on a PC or Mac. In fact, in a sense, it's easier, since many of these will not require a desk or pre-amp (in that these facilities are often part of the device). For digital recording, the point beyond which you cannot turn up your device any further is where the input sound will 'clip' - in other words, you have exceeded the pre-set levels of the device itself, and will get distortion, loss of sound, or even an audible 'pop' or 'click'. This can happen with computers too, of course, but in my experience the more control over the input sound with a desk/pre-amp that you get with computer based recording greatly increases the facility to get more sound into the machine. Plugging straight into a recording device means you are exclusively using the parameters set by the manufacturer.

(To be fair, a good standalone DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) will have quality inputs, and professional pre-amp quality. But they will be expensive.)

With tape - well, you can record till it distorts. This is one of the reasons for the warm blending of sounds on many older recordings using analogue machines.

Ready?

Before you actually start to record, make sure


1. You have selected a track to record onto

2. You can hear what you're doing through the desk and headphones

3. You are getting a good signal.

4. You like the sound.

The last of these is, of course subjective. To mic an acoustic instrument properly is something you will pick up as you go along - but listen to what different mic positions sound like. Mic as close as you can without distortion or getting a lot of 'boom' - record the 12th fret on a guitar, or just behind the sound hole. Powered mics give you more variation, because you can have the mic further away and get more 'capture'. Make sure you like what you hear, and listen to it when recorded. You won't get it right first time (or if you do, remember what you did!), so experiment. Keeping a note of what you did (perhaps with your song lyrics/music in some sort of notebook) will help as well.

More on this in the recording scenarios to follow...

A note on software

Some brands will have their own set up when you initially install - ALWAYS READ THE STUFF THAT COMES WITH THE PROGRAM - but remember, ANYTHING CAN BE UNDONE IF IT'S NOT RIGHT! It's not a bad idea to play with the software a bit, even just recording some rudimentary sounds via a PC/desktop mic, just to see how it works. For basic audio recording, as long as you can select the right audio type and source (i.e. you want an audio track, not midi - and you are recording from the default built-in audio) you will be able to record okay, and multi-track just fine. Record plain audio - don't add any effects or EQ at the initial recording stage.

Multi-track recording software can look daunting - but it's actually very simple. Sound goes in and is recorded onto the computer. The software displays this as separate tracks. Just think of it as a tape machine and a virtual desk. Again, before you record in earnest, play about with the program a bit.

Setting it all up - part 2...

So you're all plugged in and ready to go - now you need to set up some levels.

A basic principle where acoustic recording is concerned (and recording in general) is to get as much good sound in as you can. Lower signals can be boosted and normalized (more on that later) but a good rule of thumb is always record what you actually want to hear. Don't rely on software and effects to fix everything later. Messing with audio just messes up the audio.

If you use a Mac, the set up is fairly easy. Make sure the gain is at zero in the sound preferences, and that the input source is external mic. Switch on your desk, and hit the phantom power button if you are using mics powered from the desk. Then turn up the channel and the desk output to somewhere just below the max. Play something/sing something as you intend to actually record it. The level meter on screen should peak just below the max. The output meter on the desk should do likewise. If both are roughly at that point, that's a good general area to start with.

Never overload the signal - but don't be afraid to peak in the low red zone.

For a PC use the sound control panel to select the line-in as source and line-out as output. You need to make sure it's playing the sound back (that is, the wav sound) but not recording the wav. Again, set the levels as above.

If your sound is a bit quiet (as it might be with a dynamic mic) you can boost it a little from the desk - but remember using 'gain' adds output to all the noises, and that includes any 'hiss'. Some desks are quieter than others, so play around with it to see what works best.

Some software incorporates it's own level meters but don't rely on these for initial set-up. They will help you to work when recording however. And remember - not all computers have top quality soundcards - some (especially laptops) are quite noisy indeed. At some point you may wish to invest in a better one (the CREATIVE company range are a good example of the sort of thing you might be looking for) or even an external soundcard (which effectively bypasses the PC/Mac soundcard, and uses your computer at just a hard disk via the software). But to begin with, make best use of what you have. It means you can make better choices later.

Finally, ensure you can hear what you play in your headphones. If not check the leads, and the sound options on the computer to make sure the sound is going in and out - and make sure the desk in also receiving the output so you can hear it.

Setting it all up - part one!

So, you have your computer, some multitrack software, your mic (or mics), a mixing desk: and you and your acoustic guitar (I hope!). Now what?

First things first - where to put this gear? This might seem daft, but you need a proper space to work. You don't need a studio or some pre-designed area, but you do need a quiet and responsive space. Don't set up next to noisy electrical gear, and keep the windows shut. Basically, somewhere you feel happy to work in, and where there is a nice warm acoustic. Rooms with a lot of echo (like after you decorate, but before the furniture goes in) ain't great. Too much bounce. A carpet on the floor and a couch in the room do a lot to help even out the acoustic!

Plug the mic into its lead, plug the lead into a channel on the desk. For dynamic mics, this is going to be a regular jack input (like on an amp). For condenser mics, the 3 pin input. Obviously, the leads required are different - but both are easily available.

To connect the desk to the computer you need a lead which connects two left and right RCA jacks to one 3.5mm stereo input. (RCA jacks are like those for audio on a TV or video). Plug this into the line-in on a PC (not the mic socket). For a Mac, turn down the gain on the external mic input settings, and use the mic socket (this effectively turns it into a line-in).

Run a line out (using the same type of RCA to 3.5mm lead) from the PC/Mac (not from the headphone jack - this will give you delay and possibly feedback) to the desk. Some desks will have a headphone line in, and a monitoring facility - if not, run the line out into a stereo channel (marked L/R as opposed to a number or mono) and turn the knob marked 'aux' to pre-fader listening. Keep the volume on this to zero, and turn any channel you use to record with to pre-fader as well. Plug your headphones into the aux socket. This way you can hear what you already played, but not record it onto the next track as well as the new recording. Sometimes, you only get sound in one ear, but this is not really a problem. Many players prefer this (myself included) as you still get some 'real' sound!

(One thing I nearly forgot make sure you have a mic stand for your microphone - a few extra quid on a good one with a boom facility is preferable. Smaller stands, like those for mic-ing up an amp, are also handy if you intend to record guitar and voice all at once)

Plug everything in first, then switch on your computer, then your desk. Keep the levels at zero until you are ready to set the sound up on the computer.

Mixing desks

Don't plug your mic straight into the computer. It will sound bad!

Get yourself a mixing desk, preferably one equipped with phantom power (this enables you to operate powered condenser mics - the desk will have a button for this purpose, possibly saying '+/- 48v' - the voltage used to work the microphone). A desk will not only provide an interface so you can get the best out of your mics, you can have more than one mic in use, and even record in stereo (even a basic soundcard will allow you to do this - and it also means you can record vocals onto one track, guitar onto another as left and right inputs, and then simply change them back to two mono tracks - neat trick, huh?). There are plenty of affordable small mixing desks out there. The simpler the better, as long as it has phantom power. My own preference is for the Yamaha MG-10/2 and its associated models (because I have one and it works!) - but look around, and there are plenty of other manufacturers doing similar things. You don't need to spend a lot.

You can also buy recording pre-amps, which fulfill a similar purpose, and are good for boosting direct line inputs from electro-acoustics and dynamic/passive mics. However, these are limited in terms of wider use for recording from more sources, and no cheaper than a desk. Keep your options open!

Microphones

There are two basic choices here: dynamic or condenser.

1. Dynamic is your standard passive vocal or instrument mic - they are most useful for live performance, but can easily be used in recording. The industry standard in these has for a long time been the Shure SM58, but there are plenty of other brands equally as good (and often cheaper) such as Behringer and Sennheiser. This category does not include those mics you can buy with a built in lead for singing into karaoke machines! What we are talking about here in uni-directional dynamic mics, with a 3 pin XLR output.

These mics have a lower output, and for recording you need to close mic the voice or instrument to get the best out of them, The also have a limited capture across the aural spectrum - or, if you prefer, they only pick up a certain band of audible sound. They tend to have a 'mid' sound, and are good for a 'garage-rock' vocal, or recording electric guitar amps. Having said that, they can be perfectly good for some acoustic home recording, and I've heard plenty of fine sounds from them. A powered desk or pre-amp seems to get the best out of them.

2. Condenser mics are powered (usually from the mixing desk) and will have a much wider capture for acoustic sounds. This has two main benefits. Firstly, you get more sound in - and you don't have to shove the mic right up to the guitar/voice etc. So you get a more natural sound, and more opportunity to choose an appropriate sound without losing volume.

Most condensers tend to be of the 'side-address' style, so the actual mic is 'upright' - rather like an old broadcast microphone. The diaphragm is also much larger (hence more sound!). These are available quite cheaply nowadays - check out the MXL 990, Behringer B1, or the M-Audio Nova models.


For recording acoustic music, condenser mics are, in my opinion, a must in the longer term, though for some instruments a specifically dedicated dynamic instrument mic can be perfectly effective. The main thing here is to make the process as easy as possible where the actual equipment is concerned, since that makes the other elements of recording much more simple, and condenser mics do just that.

Software

There is an abundance of software for multitrack recording. The most common free program that folks try is Audacity (get it here ) but there are plenty of other free and cheap options. It is worth pointing out that for recording audio (as opposed to midi, or creating loops etc) that a program designed for this purpose is what you need.

What we are looking at here is multitrack recording software. The best home recording suite I've used is Cubase, which you have to pay for, but its most basic versions are relatively inexpensive, and very adaptable. There are also fairly inexpensive programs like nTrack and Tracktion. Again, visit the 'hitsquad' site and have a browse about (it's a great way to see what is available and pick up some ideas).

Do bear in mind that in the long term, the best recorded sound comes from programs which do not alter the format of your recordings in any way (in other words, they import and record audio in it's raw form). Anything which changes the audio file may well have a detrimental effect upon it, and while this doesn't matter to begin with, ultimately a decent software package will be to your benefit. Not all expensive stuff is good, and not all cheap stuff is bad.

What do you record onto?

If you own a computer, the easiest thing to do is to use that to record your music. Most computers nowadays have sufficient memory and processing speed to easily handle basic multitrack recording. Not all have the best soundcards, of course (we'll worry about that later), but that doesn't take away from the fact that your PC or Mac (Macs are supremely well suited to this, by the way, even in their most basic form - anything G3 or above is fine) is the most useful thing you own for music purposes. Not only is it a hard-disk recorder, it can run software to master songs, create MP3's, and burn off CD's. And loads more besides.

Otherwise, the options are:

1. A digital multitrack recorder: now be careful here, for all is not always as it seems. Some digital multi-trackers (and there are loads of them) are hard disk recorders (like a computer or iPod) and some use other storage media, like flash or smart-cards (like a digital camera). Smart media storage severely reduced the amount of space for recording sounds (basically, no more than 3 or 4 songs - 128 MB gets you about 70 mins total, which includes each track) and many recorders of this type record at lower sample rates (lower quality) so they can compress the files further (rather like MP3's). Chances are, in order to get the best out of these devices, you will need a computer anyway to get them stored or burnt to CD. A useful tool for demos, and a handy addition to your gear, but not maybe the best first choice.

Hard disk recording is a different matter - many of these record to wav. format (CD quality or higher), and even have a CD writer included. You will need to get some monitoring speakers, though, to hear what you've done out loud. And a good hard disk recorder, quite frankly, will cost as much as a PC.

2. Tape, other than for broadcast and studio use, is pretty much dead. You can still buy 4 track cassette recorders (and they do record a good sound, although my personal experience is that the cheap ones don't always work too well), but again, a good one will set you back more than it's worth. And you only get 4 tracks.

Basically, from now on, I'm going to assume the computer is the primary recording device, although much of the general principle will be the same.

Getting Started

To record yourself playing the guitar (and singing as well!) you need the following.

1. Something to record onto - a computer: a digital recorder: a tape recorder

2. Something to get the sound in - a microphone

3. Something between the microphone and the recording device to control the input - a mixer/mixing desk

If you use a computer to record music, you also need the appropriate software.


I'll go through these in greater detail, and give some examples and ideas for each in subsequent entries - I've put links to my own website (where the links page has various useful listings) and to a site where you can get software (often for free).

Introduction

Let's get something straight, as they say in all the best hollywood dramas, recording your own acoustic music is not easy: or rather, it's not easy to do well. It requires practice, and a basic knowledge of some very simple principles. And not just practice at recording - in order to get the best out of your time, you need some material to record, and some idea of how to perform it to a microphone or two, rather than a live audience.

However, in case that all sounds a bit negative, recording your own tunes (in any genre) can be a great way to spend your time, and a great way to get better at playing and writing. But sometimes it's easy to get disheartened when the results are less than perfect. A critical facility for your own work is vital, and this can most easily developed by listening to other musicians' work, and simply thinking about why you like (or don't like) what they do.

Anyway, this little blog will just explain some basic ideas and equipment requirements, and hopefully provide some insights into recording acoustic music - and it will be about acoustic sounds - the naturally recorded instrument sound is what interests me, so no midi or synthetic advice here, I'm afraid!