Inside Out

Recorded in stereo thru a desk onto the computer.

The Great Stereo Fix!

If you sing and play the acoustic guitar, you may find the most natural and pleasing way to record is to do it 'live' - in other words, singing and playing the guitar at the same time, and performing your song as best you can. Certainly, it seems a good idea to me! The major drawback is getting a good vocal/guitar mix on one track, and retaining some control when mixing.

So here's an idea - get 2 mics (2 condensers is preferable - both for overall sound and for reducing the need for close micing and the consequent need to keep so very still while playing - a most unnatural experience) and run them through your mixer, using a separate mono channel for each. Pan one channel on the desk hard left, the other hard right. Set you software to record in stereo - so that track one is 'in left', the other 'in right'. Record on to both tracks at the same time. Because your input into the line in is stereo (as is the soundcard) the mic hard left will be on one track, the one hard right the other (usually as per your desk, but sometimes they switch - I've never found out why! But they switch consistently, so you still have 2 separate tracks).

Sing into one mic - use the other to record the guitar. There will be a measure of bleed between the tracks, but this invariably adds to the track, rather than the reverse. Your voice and guitar are on two separate tracks, left and right. Once recorded, return each to mono status, and they are two single centered tracks. Try recording subsequent tracks (extra guitar or vocals) in stereo, but make these twin mono tracks, moving them respectively left and right to create a more ambient stereo effect. Remember, the left and the right will not sound the same - the sound from the neck of the guitar is not the same as the bridge. Think of it as surrounding your central guitar and vocal with another sound, not placing something to one side.

The beauty of this is not only can you play a more natural sounding song, but also more effectively mix your songs. You get layers of sound and clarity. Well worth a try...and all of the methods for improving and mixing your songs can still applied very easily, and often more effectively.

To get you started - the vocal (with a hint of guitar) can be EQ'd as previously described - perhaps with a little shaping or limiting. The guitar (with a hint of vocal) can have a little bass and presence added. One sat on top of the other will give a very natural and full sound. A second guitar, on two tracks, can be panned hard left and hard right in the mix, making it clearly audible and lifting the whole sound of the song....and that leaves a whole stereo spectrum to mix in some other sounds.

Effects and mixing down

Effects and sound processing are something you should be aware of, but also be wary of. Effects plug-ins in computer software can enhance what you have done, but they can also render it a complete mess. As always, be critical of what you do, and be honest. It is always better to get a good recorded sound and leave it, rather than try to fix things with digital simulations of 'spring reverb' or whatever.

How you access and apply effects/processing will differ according to your software. In general, however, there are two main ways to use them. Either directly applied to each track, or routed through a secondary track enabling a wet/dry mix using a balance between the original track, and a 'treated' track. The first method is simpler, the second provides more scope for adjustment and the application of the same effect to a number of tracks.

The most useful things in your armory are going to be reverb, compression and limiting. Reverb will add ambience and space, but it will also change the nature of the sound - remember, put reverb on the guitar, and every pick stroke on the guitar now has an extra sound just after it, which can conflict with other guitar tracks and make things sound messy. It can make things sound almost 'out of time' with other tracks. For the voice it can enhance and separate the voice for clarity - or it can make it seem like a visitor from outer space.

Compression will essentially 'squeeze' the sound volume so that the quieter sounds are more audible, and prevent the louder sounds from being too loud. Limiting will do a similar function but for a particular range within the audio spectrum. Many compression and limiting functions are provided in the same package, and may simply label presets as 'soft limiting' or describe various 'shapes' for the sound. For the voice these can iron out little peaks and troughs in the track, and help to enhance the sound within the whole song. But don't overdo it - over compress a track and it will start to sound very strange indeed, and you will start to lose sounds and get almost a flutter effect.

Always listen to the track you are working on individually - get a nice sound, and then add the other tracks in. Listen out loud, and through headphones. If it doesn't work, don't do it!

Mixing down a finished song can also make use of effects - the slightest reverb can help to warm the song and put all the instruments n the same room. A little compression can help to bring out all the percussive acoustic sounds. But really, you should mix down a track you are happy with, and then master it afterwards (more on this later!).


So what is this 'mixing down'? Well, once you are happy with your song, or it's as good as it can be at that point, you need to turn your various tracks into one stereo wav/aiff. Your software will have a function to do this (possibly 'export audio' or something similar) - but before you do, a few things to bear in mind:

1. Tidy up the individual tracks - cut out the unwanted stuff at the start and end. Start the song where it actually starts (if you want the 1-2-3-4 at the start, fair enough - but take out the start of the other tracks where there is nothing but you sitting waiting to play). If you can automate a fade out, do that - otherwise do this on the mastered song) and end it where it actually ends - without creating gaps, or sudden 'stops' in sound of course!

2. Make sure you have selected everything you want to mix down - and in the correct format which includes all the sound processing you have done.

3. Make sure you know where the mix is going to - create a 'mixdown folder' and send it there!