Welcome to
RecordingFreaks.com
Introduction
RecordingFreaks.com is here to help you to record music. If you are just starting out and want to learn how to record, or want to take your recordings to the next level, RecordingFreaks.com is here for you. Learn to record, mix, and master your music. Learn how to get better sounding, more professional, recordings. Click on the links on the left to read how to record specific instruments.
RecordingFreaks.com's opinion on what's more important and what's less important in recording...
When it comes to recording, it's always important to keep track of what's most important. I think I'd rather hear a recording of Led Zeppelin made with six SM57 microphones into a cassette deck, instead of some poor musicians playing a boring song in the most expensive studio in the world.
So here is what's we think is more important when recording music:
1. The song and the musicians. Nothing beats a killer song with a good arrangement and the right talent playing and singing it.
2. The sound at the source. The sound coming out of your source (guitar, amp, drums, etc.) is more important than how you capture it. It's hard to take a bad sound and make it good. It's easy to work with a great sound and tone. We want to help you capture the best sound from your guitars, drums, piano, etc.
3. The room and playback system. Room sound and acoustics; speakers and monitoring system. You can't tell what you have really recorded if you can't hear it properly. A bad room hurts you when you record and then again when you listen!
4. Effects and how you use them. The proper use (or misuse) of compressors, reverbs, EQ, and other processors can really make or break your sound.
5. Microphones- selection and placement. The right mic in the right place can make a big difference.
6. Everything else.
We're not saying numbers 4, 5, & 6 aren't important. We're just saying numbers 1-3 are more important. That being said, this site will spend a lot of time discussing 4, 5, & 6.
So never forget that you can't fix a bad song with recording gear. You can tune a singer or instrument. But if they play the wrong parts, you will have trouble. And the tone quality and sound quality from the source (acoustic guitar, sax, drums, amp, etc.) is critical. It's really hard to fix a bad acoustic sound (usually impossible!) It's really easy to use a great acoustic guitar sound in your mix. So, always fix it at the source if you can, before you record.
And while this site shows the more common ways to record instruments, there are a lot of people who use different ways to record. And neither way is right or wrong. Sometimes doing things different can produce great results.