Copying tracks

I made mention below of the fact that you can copy your mono tracks and pan them left and right to create more stereo spacing - here's a basic scenario that works for both that idea, and actual stereo recording (again, as below).

track 1 - guitar - centre
track 2 - main vocal - centre
tracks 3 and 4 - second guitar - pan far right and far left
tracks 5 and 6 - harmonica - pan 50% left and right.

Using the EQ and mixing ideas already mentioned such a basic mix will give you a nice clear and wide stereo sound.

Boosting signals

You may find your recorded tracks are a bit quiet sometimes. This might be a mic issue (dynamic mics are quieter, for instance) or simply that the desk settings are too low. Or it's jut a quiet sound being recorded. Transferring tracks to computer from another device (say a digital recorder) might also be to blame. Whatever the reason, if simply turning the volume up does no good, and simply re-recording everything is not an option, here are some ideas.

1. Normalisation - most recording software will have a normalise function. Put simply, it makes the track's loudest point as loud as possible, and boosts everything else roughly in proportion. Usually you can decide the loudest point. It will be only an approximation however, so some of the original natural dynamic may be lost.

2. Copying tracks - to be honest, I'm not a big fan of this idea, except to create stereo space. But copying a track and having it in the same position as the original will boost the sound. It may also increase unwanted noise, and can also result in a slight 'phasing' effect - in other words, bits of sound clash and 'drop out'. Moving the tracks left and right respectively is a more desirable method, although they do get 'quieter' as you move them. The overall effect, however, is increased volume. It might be an idea to EQ left and right differently to make it sound more natural - in fact this is an excellent method of creating a wider stereo sound in general, so it might be worth playing with to make things sound clearer and more 'polished'.

3. Adding gain - a compression or limiting function will allow you to boost the signal whilst keeping the output from peaking - again, this may give you unwanted noises as well as your desired sound.

A note about digital recorders

Earlier in this series of entries, I made it plain I was basically interested in computer based recording. It has been pointed out to me that perhaps I was a little dismissive about the use of dedicated hard-disk digital recorders, some of which do allow some high quality recording at a reasonable price (makes it sound like a disclaimer!). Just to clarify, to buy a digital recorder that will allow recording onto more than two tracks simultaneously is almost certainly more expensive than making use of the computer looking at you right now. That said, there is an element of increased portability and convenience with a standalone recorder. For some folks, such a device is exactly what they need. I use a 4 track digital device for demos and practice all the time.

And, of course, a good HD DAW with multiple inputs (complete with phantom power) and at least 4 track simultaneous recording will be perfectly adequate for any acoustic recordist. My only caveat would be to remember that the cheapest machines will only give you the bare minimum, and can't be upgraded, merely sold at a loss!

At some stage I hope to invest in a HD recorder, so I will certainly update any comments or assertions as required!