Audio Recording Techniques

5h 19mBeginner2012-10-24

Authors

Bobby Owsinski

Music Industry Author and Thought Leader

Course details

Discover the industry secrets to recording crisp, rich instrument tracks and vocals in any type of recording environment. Join renowned audio engineer Bobby Owsinski as he walks through the process of miking and tracking a complete song by Underground Sun recording artist Iyeoka and A-list session musicians in a top-of-the-line studio—in a way that is applicable to any recording space and musical genre. Learn how to select the correct microphone and polar pattern for each instrument, with hundreds of revealing listening examples for drums, acoustic and electric guitar, piano, keyboards, and more. These professional techniques offer critical insights for those just getting started in the recording process, and a trustworthy reference guide for more seasoned engineers. Bobby also demonstrates how to monitor and sculpt EQ settings, why and when to process your input signal, and how to choose the right outboard gear for the track. This course employs 360-degree, 3D visualizations that provide an unprecedented perspective of the equipment, players, and microphone placements discussed. Plus, with the raw audio files provided, you can critically listen to every recorded example at home with your DAW of choice at full 24-bit resolution.

Learning objectives
Optimizing your listening environment
Listening to how different microphone types affect recording
Choosing the right microphone for the right recording application
Positioning microphones for a wide variety of recording scenarios
Utilizing proper gain staging, preamps, and direct boxes
Avoiding phase cancellation
Using a compressor, equalizer, and high-pass filter during recording
Setting up a headphone mix
Adding the right amount of compression or equalization
Capturing great sounds from drums, guitars, basses, keyboards, pianos, strings, and vocals
Creating a great drum set sound
Getting the best out of any singer
Dealing with microphone leakage
Utilizing a variety of stereo miking techniques
Setting up and producing a recording session
Creating a rough mix in any digital audio workstation (DAW)

Skills covered

Audio RecordingAudio and MusicOne-Off

Concepts

Introduction

Welcome
What you should know before watching this course
Using the exercise files
Listening to this course

Monitoring

Setting up your monitors
Using a basic listening technique

Recording Horns

Recording a solo brass instrument
Recording a horn section - Technique one
Recording a horn section - Technique two
Recording the horn section part
Finding the right placement in the room for horns
Recording a solo sax - Technique one
Recording a solo sax - Technique two
Recording Acoustic String Instruments

The key to miking any acoustic instrument

Recording an acoustic string instrument
Recording a dobro
Recording the dobro part
Recording the string section
Recording Percussion
Recording drum percussion
Recording hand percussion
Recording Electric Instruments
Recording electric keyboards
Recording acoustic instruments with a pickup
Recording the synth part

Recording in Stereo

Understanding the idea behind stereo recording
Using the X Y configuration
Using the ORTF configuration
Using the spaced pair configuration
Using a stereo mic
The Recording Session

Setting up for a tracking session

Setting up a talkback mic
Using sound leakage to your advantage
Setting up the headphone mix
Setting up a click track
Setting up for overdubs
Recording the rhythm section in the studio
Setting Up a Rough Mix
The keys to a great rough mix
Setting up the effects
The rough mix of Simply Falling
The final mix of Simply Falling
Microphone Basics
Exploring different microphone types
Microphone directional response basics
Hearing different directional patterns
Exploring how the proximity effect works
Explaining microphone controls
Reviewing microphone accessories
Exploring direct boxes
Exploring amplifier emulators
Recording Basics
Explaining the microphone preamplifier
Choosing a preamp
Setting up the mic preamp
Setting the record level
Using proper gain staging
Knowing what to do if distortion occurs

Using the compressor during recording

Using the equalizer (EQ) during recording
Using the high-pass filter during recording
Exploring the principles of EQ
Avoiding latency
Microphone Placement Basics
Finding the best place in the room to record
Choosing the right mic
The secret to mic placement
Understanding phase cancellation, the sound destroyer
Checking polarity
Checking the phase by listening
Recording the Drums
Finding the right placement in the room for the drums
The keys to a great drum sound

Tuning the drums

Tuning tips and tricks
Miking the bass drum without a front head
Miking the bass drum with front head port
Miking the bass drum with a front head
Using a subkick microphone
Miking the snare drum - Technique one
Miking the snare drum - Technique two

Adding a bottom snare mic

Miking the hi-hat
Miking the toms
Miking the cymbals
Miking the overall kit
Using room mics
Getting the drum sound
Getting the correct drum mix balance
Checking the drum phase
Panning the drums
Tweaking the drum sound with EQ
Using the one-mic drum recording technique

Using the two-mic drum recording technique

Using the three-mic drum recording technique
Using the four-mic drum recording technique
Tips for drummers to use before recording
Tracking a solo drum part
Recording the Guitar
Finding the right placement in the room for the guitar

Miking the amplifier - Technique one

Miking the amplifier - Technique two
Miking the amplifier - Technique three
Using the Marshall cabinet miking trick
Recording the electric guitar direct
Prepping for recording acoustic guitar
Recording the acoustic guitar with one mic
Recording the acoustic guitar with two mics

Recording the acoustic guitar with three mics

Exploring stereo acoustic guitar miking techniques
Recording the acoustic guitar direct
Using a limiter when recording acoustic guitar
Tracking the guitar part
Recording the Bass

Finding the right placement in the room for the bass

Recording the bass using a direct box
Miking the bass amplifier

Using a limiter when recording the bass guitar

Miking an acoustic bass - Technique one
Miking an acoustic bass - Technique two
Tracking the bass part

Recording Vocals

Finding the right placement in the room for vocals
Recording a scratch vocal
Exploring vocal mic placement
Using a limiter on vocals
Recording in the control room

Setting up the vocal headphone mix

Doubling the vocal
Getting the best from a singer
Exploring background vocal mic placement
Layering background vocals
Recording the lead vocal part
Recording the Acoustic Piano
Recording a solo grand piano with one mic

Recording a solo grand piano in stereo

Close miking a grand piano with one mic
Close miking a grand piano with two mics - Method one
Close miking a grand piano with two mics - Method two
Recording the piano part

Conclusion

Goodbye