It is important to do your research when selecting the gear
you purchase. I will be starting to post in depth reviews and suggestions for
equipment that is affordable and convenient that I have experience with that is
completely doable for the recording hobbyist. Keep in mind there are several
different resources available to you.
Gearslutz is a discussion board for pro audio gear that is a
great resource to check out. You can post questions and get answers from those
in the industry as well as look at the plethora of information available to you
here.
If you liked the DIY aspect of my previous posts, check out
this blog all about DIY recording equipment. They have great gear information
as well as products for sale such as this ribbon microphone.
The important thing to remember is that whatever advice you
find, you should take it as just that, advice. Use these resources as a guide
and a starting point. Test equipment yourself and use your ears to find what
sounds best to you. The last thing you want is to spend your hard earned money
on gear that you are less than impressed with.
I am posting a song that I recorded with a friend of mine
that will serve as an example of what is attainable with a minimal home
recording setup. I will go into detail on some of the equipment used in the
recording in future posts, so stay tuned for more information.
Where do you go to get information on new gear? What kind of
reviews are you looking for? Share your favorite places to get advice and
search for new gear in the comments below.
I know you mentioned that you would discuss the gear you used in future posts, but I was just curious if you could give me a brief run down of some of the instruments you used and your basic gain/process staging? Also, what DAW did you use to track this piece? Also, my main interest lies in the drum sound? I’m having a hard time determining whether or not they are live drums or sequenced drum samples, given the fact that you mention this track being recorded at home so I’m inclined to believe they are samples but they are mixed in away that makes it quite hard to tell, so at any rate… Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteGreat informal post, Ryan. One problem that I have when buying new audio gear is that although Gearslutz is a great forum to find out information on a product, I have to play with the product first in person rather than just trust the subscribers in a forum.
ReplyDeletePhil: We started with tracking an acoustic track, the Takamine jumbo body that I have. Then we tracked drums a large room a friend's family let us use, so no, they were not sequenced. Then we layered the acoustic with the Gretsch for the rhythm section. I want to say that my friend had a Fender Jaguar at the time, either that or a Gibson SG which was the second guitar part. Then we recorded bass with my Fender J-Bass. The vocals were tracked about two years after everything else was done while I was in town visiting one winter. We recorded everything into Cubase through a Presonus Firepod and a Universal Audio 710 Twin-Finity. If you haven't checked those out, do so because they are extremely awesome. I don't want to give too much away on that one, because I will be writing an entire post about it coming up soon.
ReplyDeleteEd: Yeah, I am the same way. I don't rely solely on reviews for anything I buy. I've always got to go test it for myself and see how I like it in person before I buy anything.