This document is designed for musicians who are just getting started with the "world of recording". The types of
recording devices have changed dramatically over the last 20 years but the basic principles of recording sound
are the same. No matter what kind of music you're making, this handbook will help you get it recorded right!
Table Of Contents
1. Sonic Fundamentals
a. Loud vs. Soft
b. Highs vs. Lows
c. Speakers and Amplifiers and Rooms
2. Getting Your Sound On Tape
a. The Analog Recording Process
b. The Digital Recording Process
c. Theory of Multi-track recording
* synchronization of tape machines
3. The Sound Source
a. Voices, Horns and Acoustic Piano
* dynamic vs. condenser microphones
* ribbon, PZM and other special types
* signal processing
b. Guitars, Basses and Things With Strings
* amplifiers vs. direct
* preamps and FX devices
c. Samplers, Synthesizers and Drum Machines
d. Real Drums and Real Drummers
4. The Mixing Console
a. Inputs and Outputs
* in-line vs. split consoles
* input trim and fader output
* what does -10 and +4 mean?
b. Equalization
* graphic, parametric, tube EQ's etc.
* vintage vs. new technology
c. Effects Sends and Returns
d. Insert Points and Patchbays
5. Mixer Automation
a. SMPTE
b. VCA vs. Moving Faders
c. MIDI automation
6. Effects Devices
a. Reverb
* Halls , Plates and Rooms
* Reverse Reverbs and other Perversions
* "Backwards" Reverb
b. Echoes and Delays
c. Flanging, Chorus and Phasing
d. Harmonizers and Exciters
7. The MIDI Revolution
a. Sequencers
* Hardware and Software Based
* MIDI Clock, MIDI Timecode(MTC) and MIDI Machine Control(MMC)
b. Synthesizers
c. Samplers
d. Computers
* digital editing
8. Recording With Your PC
a. Software
* What do you want to do?
* Stereo? Multi-track?
* Ins and Outs
* CD-r software
b. Hardware
* The Computer
* RAM
* Monitors
* PCI/ISA slots
* Power Supply
* Hard Drives: SCSI vs. IDE, USB and FireWire
* Removeable Drives
* CD-r's
* The Soundcard
* Wordclock
* Drivers
* Cost?
|
