Table Of Contents

Accurate Studio Monitoring.............................11

Recording Blind/Deaf Without Accurate Monitoring....11
Five Factors of Studio Monitoring Accuracy...............13
Invest In The Gear You Use The Most........................21
Low Budget / Beginners..............................................21
The Effect of Room Acoustics.....................................22
The Two Dimensional Speaker Theory ......................23
The Inverse Studio Monitor Theory.............................26
Q: So Brandon, What Do You Think Of These Studio Monitors?..................................26
How To Test Studio Monitors.......................................26
Studio Monitoring Is A Personal Thing........................28
Flat Monitoring Is A Good Thing..................................30
There Is No Way My Room Is That Inaccurate!!.........30
Band-Aids For Poor Room Acoustics..........................32
Using Multiple Monitoring Sources.............................33
The Potential Multiple Studio Monitor Problem...........33
My Quest For Accurate Studio Monitoring..................34
Q: Why can't I just EQ my studio monitors to make them more accurate?...................36
Q: Should I use multiple speakers simultaneously for monitoring?...............................37
Bass and Treble Playback...........................................37
Q: What's the difference between active studio monitors and passive studio monitors?
.................................38
Will some not-so-powerful studio monitors do the trick as well?...................................39
A Sub Is Required....39
When You Turn On Your Studio Monitors For The First Time........................................40

Control Room Acoustics..................................42

Only Scratching The Surface......................................42
Live Room Acoustics vs. Control Room Acoustics.....43
Infidelity and Room Modes.........................................43
Exponentially Complicating The Situation...................46
Stopping Sound Waves From Making The U-Turn.....51
How Not To Treat Your Control Room.........................55
The Golden Ratio.....57
Q: How Big Should My Control Room Be?.................58
5
Rockwool and Owens Corning 703.............................60

Live Room Acoustics.......................................62<

br /> Early Reflections......62
No Treatment Needed...Sometimes............................63
Controlling Ambiance..................................................64
Get Creative With Acoustics.......................................67
Permanent Solutions68
Q: If my room sounds bad, can I just record closer?.70
Q: Is plywood really a smart way of livening up a room?..............................................70
Q: Do I need special blankets made for studio use?..71
The Closet................71
Q: I have a small room. It's only 10x8x9. It’s just a regular room, so I don't think it’s
the greatest room at all. What can I set up to make it sound better?...........................73
Q: I just don't understand what the acoustics should be as far as recording wise. Can
you help?..................74

Phase and Comb Filtering:
The Worst Chapter In This Book.....................75

Intro.........................75
..If You Aren't Ready For This.....................................75
Phase 101................76
One..........................76
Two..........................76
Three.......................77
Putting It All Together..................................................77
Canceling Out Audio ..................................................77
No Such Thing As Sin Waves.....................................85
What is phase?........88
Who cares about phase vs polarity semantics?.........91
Comb Filtering Death..................................................91
The Time / Comb Filtering Relationship......................95
Situations Where Comb Filtering Can Occur..............96
The 3 to 1 Rule.........99
Why Does Panning Mask The Effects of Comb Filtering?...........................................100
The Shortcoming Of The Polarity Button..................100

The Source.105

What Is “The Source?”..............................................105
When Can An Engineer “Improve” The Source?......106
The Song................108
Why Did You Hit THAT Note?...................................108
The Musician..........110
6
The Produced Musician.............................................111
The Instrument.......112
The Room...............113
The Source – Conclusion..........................................115

Audio Engineering: Fundamental Concepts.117

Learning Engineering vs. Making Music...................117
Learning To Record Is A Process, Not An Event.......119
It Is What It Is..........119
The Problem of “Implied Best”..................................120
The Correlation Between Price and Quality Instruments.............................................121
The Vowel Sound Concept.......................................123
HATE the Mixing Process While Tracking.................123
Q: I don't get the sound I hear in the room! I want that sound!...................................125
Powerful Engineering Is Cumulative.........................127
Engineering Is Not A Product....................................127
Engineering Is A Quest..............................................128
When Albums Fluctuate............................................129
Engineering Is A Ninja Sword Fight...........................129
I Walk Slow When I'm Engineering...........................131
If A Mix Hurts, You Fail!.............................................132
The Problem With Exciters.......................................133
Q: How do I keep my tracks from getting muddy?...135
Getting Too Caught Up In The Science Side............136
Play Around With Samples.......................................138
Trust Your Ears – YOU CAN HEAR!!!.......................140
Preamps and Frequency Response.........................140
Mics, Preamps, and Impedance...............................141
Different Mic Pres On Different Sources...................142
Gaining Confidence - Learning From A Pro..............145
Avoiding Genre Stereotyping....................................147
Challenge Yourself.148
Your Favorite Bands Cheated...................................149
Live Studio Recording...............................................151
Q: Should each musician be placed in a separate room when recording the whole
band live?...............156
Q: How do I get that hard driving, pumping, butt kicking, energy into my mixes as I hear
it on all the great rock records out there? Like Foo Fighters, Danko Jones, QOTSA,
Racounteurs...........157
The Utopia..............158
Q: Is choosing the right mic/mic-pre combination for a particular (primarily vocal)
situation simply trial and error, or are there some established principles that come into
play? ......................159
Q: What is the best way to stop mic stands from transmitting floor noise to the mic? 160
Q: How do you make recordings consistently good? .................................................160
7
Instruments You've Never Recorded........................161
Benefits To Multiple Micing?......................................162
Tracks Stack...........163
Guys With The Magic Answer...................................164

Audio Engineering - Philosophy....................167

Creative Sounds vs. Objective Fidelity.....................167
The Natural Way Of Recording Music......................169
Do It Wrong!...........170
Where Not To Find The Holy Grail............................171
There Is No “Proper”.................................................173
It's Liberating To Throw Out “Proper”........................175
Have The Balls To Stick With “It Is What It Is”..........176
The Problem With Presets........................................179
Do You Need All Of This Stuff?.................................183
Do You Need More Than 24 Tracks?........................184
Snag It The First Take...............................................185

Beginning Engineering Stuff..........................187

When You Get Bored................................................187
Q: What sample rate should I record at?..................187
Q: What bit depth should I record at?.......................189
What Can Be Learned From Overmixing The Same Song?.......................................190
If I use 2 preamps (external and internal), I'll have two preamps in a row. Is that bad?
...............................191
Dealing With Cheap, Noisy Preamps........................191
Do I Need To Learn Frequencies?............................192
How Loud Should I Set My Preamps?......................195
Keeping Outside Noise Out of Mics..........................196

Audio Engineering – Gear Stuff.....................198

The Ineffectiveness of Upgrades..............................198
Q: I'm pretty happy with X piece of gear, but I think I'm going to upgrade Y gear. Is this
a good idea?..........202
Gear Acquisition Syndrome......................................202
Gear Research Syndrome........................................206
Gear Insecurity.......211
High-end Gear Requires High-end Service..............212
Q: How do you get objective about whether the talent in front of the mic merits the cash
outlay on the gear?213
Q: What are the pros and cons of doing everything "in the box?"...............................213
Q: I record clean guitar, bass, and strings. What pre amp will give me all the tone
control I need?.......216
8
Patchbay Basics.....216
Your “In Battle” Wish List...........................................217

Microphones..................................................219

Intro To Microphones.................................................219
Dynamic Microphones...............................................220
Condenser Microphones...........................................222
Ribbon Microphones.................................................225
Polar Patterns........228
Proximity Effective .230
Frequency Response Curves...................................234
Changing Microphones Probably Won't Change Your Life..........................................237
The Single Best Microphone.....................................239
When The Stars Align...............................................239
Microphones Are Like Crayons.................................240
Buy Every $100 Mic You Can...................................242
Tube vs Solid State Microphones.............................242
Small Diaphragm vs. Large Diaphragm Condensers.................................................245
High-end Microphones Aren't Always Bright.............246
LDCs With Massive Low End....................................247
Mic Collections On A Budget.....................................249
Q: You said that people who disregard the Shure SM58 as a serious vocal microphone
simply do not know how to use it. How would you use it?..........................................249
Q: Should I get the SM57 AND a Sennheiser 409 AND a Audix I5?..........................250
Compensating For Gear With Engineering...............252

Running A Recording Session.......................255

Communicate HEAVILY With The Band...................255
Attitude With Bands256
Help The Band Improve. It'll Pay Off Next Time!.....257
When To Compromise...............................................258
Q: Record Live or Recording Overdubs? ................258
Q: What should a band reasonably expect from the guy behind the desk? ..............259
Q: How do you go about preparing for a recording session. Do you keep physical logs
on paper? ..............260
Recording Order.....261
Engineers That “Butt In”............................................262

Table Of Contents

Volume Faders................................................10

The Most Powerful Tool?..10
Automation.....................11

Parametric Equalization..................................16

EQ Controls Explained...18
What's All This “K” Talk?.20
I Hate Parametric Equalizers With Visual Graphics..........20
Parametric EQ Is A Wha Pedal.....Sort Of.........................22
Don't Assume Tracks Need EQ.........................................22
Don't Assume Tracks Don't Need EQ................................23
Q: You mentioned that you only resort to using EQ after you have exhausted all other
possibilities in mixing. What possibilities would those be? .................................................24

Compression25>

The Controls..................25
When Not To Compress..33
Compression Has A Sound To It........................................34
Different Compressors Have Different Sounds.................35
Harmonic Content...........36
Increasing The Apparent Harmonic Content.....................37
Increasing Dynamic Range...............................................38
Good Places To Start......38
How To Really Learn What A Compressor Is Doing..........42
How A Fast Release Distorts Low End..............................42
Is Your Gain Reduction Ever Hitting Zero?........................43
Why Isn't The Ratio Accurate?..........................................44
Cascade Compressors To Avoid Coloration......................45
Parallel Compression......45
Compress With A Sidechain..............................................47
Miscellaneous Sidechain Uses..........................................49
Expanders......................49
Multi-band Compressors49
6
Gates............54
Be Gentle With Gates.....55
Use A Sidechain With Your Gates.....................................56

Delay............57

Delay Features Explained.................................................58
Delay Genres..................59
Q: Should a delay be in time with the song?.....................60
Out of Time Delays Cut Through.......................................61
EQ Your Delay................62
How Much Feedback / How Many Repeats......................62
Bring Up The Level of Repeats.........................................63
Calculating Delay Times.64
Inverse Panning On Delay.................................................64

Reverb..........66

Reverb Features Explained...............................................66
What You Feed A Reverb..................................................68
Reverb and Instruments.69
When Reverb Isn't Working...............................................74
Multi-band Compressors And Reverb...............................75
Miscellaneous Tools........................................77
Sample Layering and Replacement..................................77
Reamping.......................78
Pitch Shifting..................80
Pitch Correction..............81
Chorus...........................82
Phaser............................82
Flanger...........................82

Required Mixing Concepts..............................................83

Can You Really Mix A Crappy Song?................................83
Outside World.................84
Mixing vs Blending..........85
The First Steps Of Mixing..................................................85
Avoid The Solo Button....87
Always Reach For The Volume Fader First.......................89
How To Check Levels.....90
The Teeter Totter Effect...92
The Domino Effect Of Mixing.............................................92
7
Making Room For All This Noise.......................................95
Mixing Is About Perspective..............................................97
The Save The World Theory..............................................99
The Two Kinds Of Mixing Engineers...............................104
“Miss 'em When They're Gone” Concept........................105
Snare Drum Dictates Tone Of Mix...................................106
Spread An Instrument Out Over Time.............................107
Spread An Instrument Out Over Frequencies.................108
Spread An Instrument Out Left To Right..........................109
Mono Compatibility.......110
How Much Of A Given Effect Should I Use?....................111
Will Using A Spectrum Analyzer Improve My Mixes?......113
Prepare For Disappointment: Compare Your Mixes With The Big Boys............................114
It Hurts To Compare......114
HATE the Mastering Process While Mixing.....................117
Dealing With Free plug-ins...............................................118
Q: Does the key of a song make a difference to how you approach EQ or does it help as a
starting point especially on the bottom end? ..................119
When Do You Stop Mixing?.............................................120
I Hate “Warm” But I Love “Important”..............................121
Mixing Should Make The Musicians Sound Better..........122
Mixing Creatively vs Mixing Objectively..........................122
The Cheap, Overdone Kick Drum...................................124
SPL Levels During Mixing................................................125
Q: When mixing, do I pull down the vocal or push up the guitar?......................................127
Spectrum Analyzers And Microsurgery EQ.....................128
Q: What are the basics of "active listening"? People always say "listen to your levels, or
EQ”... but rarely describe how.........................................131

Mixing Techniques.........................................133

Properly Using Routing In Your Recording Software......133
Dealing With Sibilance..139
Up Front Vocals............142
Vocal Doubling..............145
Conquering Loud Mixes150
Drum Mixing..................165
Pumping Drums In Time With Music...............................175
Pounding Drum Secrets..................................................176
Drum Impact Dilemma..179
When The Kick And Bass Don't Play Well Together........180
Bass Mixing..................182
Q: How do you really achieve that really sub harmonic bass... i.e. Snoop Dogg?............184
Taming A Wild Bass Note................................................185
300-400Hz Bass Snot Problem.......................................186
Blend Distortion For Bite..................................................187
8
1K Cutting Frequency...187
1dB EQ Method............188
Q: Is it worth while sending a completed mix through my hardware compressors, EQ, or
whatever to give it some kind of "analog" sound? ..........193
Q: I would like some input on getting the best sound from a plug-in like EZ Drummer.....194
Q: How do I make a mix sound integral, so that it sounds like one unit, rather than several
sounds put together?....195
Compensating For Arrangement During Mixing..............196
That Stupid Autotune Effect.............................................199
Q: Should I EQ before or after the compressor?.............199
Q: Are there specific frequencies that sound better when panned?..................................201
Prepping A Mix For Mastering.........................................201
Q: How do I set up my FX to approach the results I'm hearing in my head? ....................203
Q: How Do I Use An EQ?................................................205
Fun Gimmicks...............206
Fundamental Frequencies Of Music Notes Chart...........210

Table Of Contents

Standalone Recorders Vs Computer Recording................................................18

Benefits of Standalone Recorders.....................................18
Drawbacks of Standalone Recorders................................19
Benefits of Computers For Recording...............................21
Drawbacks of Computers For Recording..........................26
Which sounds better? A standalone box or a properly setup computer recording rig? .....27
Which is better for me? A standalone box or a properly setup computer recording rig? ...28
Why I Consider Standalone Recorders To Be More Complicated.......................................30
All Drum “Machines” Are Not Created Equal.....................33
Reasons I Use Recording Software..................................33
Q: What About Digital Recorders That Function Like Tape Machines?...............................35
Before You Buy...............39
Popular Options..............41

Overview Of The Computer Recording Process................................................42

Routing: Getting Started.44
Recording Software Routing..............................................51

Beginner Recording Gear Stuff.......................53

Electric Guitar Recording Gear..........................................53
Bass Recording Gear.....55
Drum Recording Gear.....56
Microphone Selection.....60
Mics I've Used And I Recommend Checking Out..............63
One Mic Guys.................69
Mic Stands .....................70
Speaker Stands..............71
10
Headphone Amps...........72
Headphones..................72
Acoustic Treatment.........73
Studio Monitors...............74
MIDI Production Gear.....75
An Overemphasis On High-End Gear...............................77
Q: Do I Need A Mixer For Home Recording?....................79
Q: Do I Need A Pop Filter?................................................83
Q: Do I Need Expensive High End Analog To Digital Converters?......................................83
Q: Do I Need Expensive High End Preamps?...................84
Q: Will A Tube Preamp Smoke My Stock Audio Interface Preamp?....................................86
Will The Band Notice High End Preamps?........................87
Q: I have a friend who insists on doing everything in analog. Should I go this route?.......89
Q: Do I Need A Control Surface?.......................................91
What do you think of USB microphones?..........................94
Monitoring For Performers.................................................95
Studio Monitors: Pair Or Single Speaker?.......................100
Better Instruments vs Better Recording Gear.................101
Things You Don't Know You Need...................................102
Things Not To Buy Yet..108
X-Red Niner - Secret Recording Technology..................108
How To Break Recording Gear........................................110

Audio Interfaces ...........................................113

Audio Interface Features..................................................117
Home Recording Soundcard Wizard...............................125
Q: Which audio interface sounds the best?.....................125
Q: Do I need a soundcard and an audio interface?.......126
Q: I want to record my entire band live. How do I add more inputs?................................127
Q: Why does my audio interface only have 8 inputs even though it advertises much more?
.....................................127
Are the preamps in an audio interface as good as the preamps in a mixer?.....................128
Is Firewire better than USB 2.0?.....................................128
Before You Buy.............129
Mixers bundled with audio interfaces..............................129
Q: I was thinking of getting X audio interface, but just a few hours ago I read someone had
a problem with it. Should I get something else?.............130

Recording Software.......................................132

Placing Too Much Stock In Recording Software.............132
Recording Software All Sounds The Same ....................133
No Bad Recording Software............................................133
Powerful Recording Software..........................................134
The Recording Software Commitment............................135
11
Q:I plan on using crappy software now, but upgrading later. Is this a good idea?............138
Q: What's the best software?...........................................141
Features To Look For In Recording Software..................141
Features You Won't Look For..........................................146
Wav Editor vs DAW......147
Q: What do you think about free software?.....................147
Q: Will my recording software work with my audio interface?............................................148
You Don't Need Mp3 Conversion In Your Recording Software..........................................148
So You've Just About Given Up On X Recording Software?..............................................149
Getting Started: Tutorial vs Manual.................................149

Mac vs PC .151

Advantages of Mac.......151
Advantages of PCs.......151
Computer Dependent Gear.............................................152
Q: Aren't Macs More Reliable Than Windows Computers?...............................................153
Q: Aren't Macs Better For Recording?.............................153
Q: Brandon, What do you recommend? Mac or PC?......154
You Don't Really Record With The Operating System....154
Conclusion...................155

PC Computer Stuff........................................155

Calm Down!..................156
Computer Guts.............156
Recording Computer Demands.......................................160
Q: Should I update my operating system?......................163
Q: What Is A Chipset?...164
Q: Should I Go With AMD or an Intel Processor?..........166
Q: What if my computer doesn't come with USB 2.0 or Firewire?.....................................167
Quad Core Computer Power...........................................168
Keeping A Recording Computer Quiet............................170
UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply).................................177
Laptop Recording Considerations...................................178
Computer Performance Optimization............180
Dux nLited XP Pro .......180
Avoid The Problem In The First Place ............................180
Make A Carbon Copy Backup Of Your Operating System.................................................183
Stick with Good Ole, Reliable, Stable Operating System184
Use Multiple Hard Drives ................................................185
7200 RPM, 10k RPM, and 15k RPM Hard Drives...........186
Optimize The Operating System.....................................186
Should I Use Internet On My Recording Computer?.......187
12
How Much Should I Spend On a Recording Computer?.188
Take A Look At Servers.190
How Much Computer Power Do I Need?........................191
There Is Always A Way Out.............................................192
32-bit vs. 64-bit Operating Systems................................195
Where To Get Your Recording Computer........................195
Incompatible Audio Interfaces.........................................197

Cables........198

Different Types Of Cables................................................198
Should I Pay Top Dollar For High End Cables?..............202
Really, Really Bad Cables...............................................203
Short vs. Long Cables XLR.............................................204
Q: Should I Use Balanced (TRS or XLR) Cables Via Unbalanced Connections?............204
Beginner Studio Construction........................206

Q: Do I Need A Vocal Booth?..........................................206

Q: Should I Begin Studio Construction?..........................208
The Robo Basics of Soundproofing.................................212
Avoiding Electrical Noise.................................................218
How Pretty Should My Studio Be?..................................221
Form Is Function...........222
Gobo Construction........223

Ideas For The Ultra-Broke Recorder.............226

Q: Do I really need a condenser mic?.............................226
Q: Can I use my stock soundcard?.................................227
Q: Do I really need studio monitors?..............................228
Q: Do I really need a pop filter?.......................................228
Maxing Out An Old Computer..........................................229
Buy Used Gear When Possible.......................................230
Never Pay Interest Unless It's Profitable To Do So.........231
Always Have A Plan When Buying Gear.........................232
Be Skeptical Of Outsider Advice......................................233
You Will Never Be Satisfied.............................................233
Get A Used Standalone Recorder...................................234
Pirated Recording Software: Why I Don't Use It.............235

Troubleshooting.............................................238

Signal Flow...................238
Computer Troubleshooting..............................................239
Q: It seems that all seven tracks are recording the same thing? Why?...........................240
13
Q: I Can't Hear Any Audio On Playback? Why?............241
Q: No Audio Recording At All! Why?..............................242
Audio Only Records On One Side...................................245
MIDI Makes No Sound.245
Troubleshooting Clicks and Pops....................................246
Clicks and Pops With A Single Track...............................246
Clicks And Pops With Multiple Tracks.............................252
Clicks and Pops With Samples........................................254

MIDI............256

An Explanation of MIDI.256
The New Era Of MIDI...256
MIDI Doesn't Have To Be “Stiff”.......................................258
What Is A MIDI Sequencer?............................................259
What Is A Synthesizer?.260
What Is A Sampler?......261
Loops...........................262
MIDI Is Simple..............265
The Basics Of MIDI Routing............................................265
MIDI Messages.............269
Potential MIDI Problems..................................................271
Drum Programming......272
So which method of drum programming should you use? ...............................................275
My Basic Approach To Mouse Drum Programming........281
Q: Drum Samples: Are you worried about songs losing their individuality?.......................288
Q: Do you have to think like a drummer to program great MIDI drums?...........................290
Q: How Do I "Convert" MIDI To Wav..............................291

Glossary.....294

A/D Converter .............294
Absorption Coefficients.294
Analog Inputs................294
Anechoic Chamber.......295
Arming..........................295
Arrangement ................295
ATA...............................296
Audio Interface..............296
Automatic Delay Compensation......................................297
Autotune.......................298
Aux Send.....................298
Axis..............................298
Bandwidth....................299
Bass Traps....................299
Bleed ...........................300
14
Boost............................300
Bounce.........................300
Breakout Box................300
Bus...............................301
Cardioid........................301
Chipset.........................302
Clipping........................302
Clock............................302
Chorus.........................302
Comb Filtering..............302
Condenser Microphone303
Control Room................303
Converter.....................304
Convolution Reverb......304
Copying and Pasting.....304
Cut...............................305
D/A Converter .............305
DAW.............................305
Decca Tree...................305
Delay............................305
Drivers..........................305
DI.................................306
Digital Inputs.................306
Direct Monitoring...........306
Dry...............................307
Dual Boot.....................307
Ducking........................308
Dynamic Microphone....308
Early Reflections...........308
Feedback.....................308
Flutter Echo..................309
Freezing.......................309
Figure 8........................309
Filter.............................310
Firewire........................310
Formant........................310
Fundamental Frequency..................................................311
Gain-Based Effects.......311
Gate.............................311
General MIDI (GM) ......312
Gobo............................312
Golden Ratio.................313
Harmonic Content.........313
Headroom ....................314
High-Pass Filter ...........315
Hi-Z Inputs...................315
IEEE 1394 ....................315
15
Impedance...................315
In The Box.....................316
Integrated Audio............316
Keying..........................316
Latency........................317
Low-Pass Filter ............317
Line Level.....................317
Map..............................317
Mastering.....................317
Microphone..................318
Microphone Preamp.....318
Mixing...........................318
MIDI.............................319
MIDI Controller..............319
Mixing Console.............319
Mono Compatibility.......319
Motherboard................320
mp3..............................320
Multi-track Recording....320
Noise Gate....................321
Null...............................321
Omnidirectional............321
ORTF...........................322
Overclocking................322
Overdub.......................322
Pad (microphone) ........322
Pad (synth)...................323
Panning Law.................323
Parallel Compression....323
Parametric EQ..............324
PCI cards.....................324
Phantom Power............325
Phase...........................325
Plugin...........................325
Polarity.........................325
Pop Filter......................326
Preamp ........................326
Predelay.......................327
Printable CD-Rs............327
Proximity Effect.............327
Punch In/Punch Out......327
Q..................................328
Quantized Grid..............328
Reamp .........................328
Reverb .........................328
Reverb Time.................329
Ribbon Microphone.......329
16
RMS Loudness.............329
Robo............................330
Roll Off .........................330
Room...........................330
Room Mode .................331
Room Node...................331
RT 60 ..........................331
RTAS ...........................331
Sampler........................332
SATA............................332
Sensitivity.....................332
Sequencer...................332
Shelf.............................333
Sibilance......................333
Sidechain.....................333
S/PDIF.........................334
Staccato.......................334
Studio Monitors.............334
Track............................334
Tracking.......................335
Transient......................335
Virtual Instrument..........335
Vocal Comping..............335
Voiceover.....................335
VST..............................336
VSTi ............................336
wav File........................336
Wordclock....................336
X/Y Miking....................337

Table Of Contents

Killer Home Recording: Electric Guitar..............7
Warning!...........................7
Intro..................................7
I Keep Saying “Capture”...7
There Is No Tone in EQ....8
The Clean Tone Test.........9
Electric Guitar Amp Isolation.............................................10
Shure SM 57 ..................11
Mic Placement with the 57 and Beyond............................12
Get the Source Right First.................................................13
The Turd Perspective......14
SM57 Proximity Effect ...14
Be Aware Of Your Brain..15
Direct Guitar Recording..15
The Old Fizz...............15
The New World of Direct Guitar Recording ..................16
Impulses ....................16
Hi-Z Inputs .................17
Modeling Amps...........17
Solid State Guitar Amps..18
Great Amps Aren't Always Expensive................................19
Versatile Amps Dilemma ..................................................21
Should I Have My Guitars Setup Properly?.......................23
How Much Low End?......25
What Pick Should I Use?26
Do I Need New Strings?.27
Should I Use High End Guitar Cables?.............................27
How Crucial Are Guitar Speakers?....................................28
Dealing with Crappy Speakers..........................................30
Every Speaker Sounds Different.......................................31
Should I Use A Room Mic?................................................32
Do I really need a $2,000 guitar amp head?.....................32
Capturing Tone vs. Creating Tone.....................................33
The Power of Small Amps.................................................34
5
Smaller Speakers.......35
Low Wattage...............35
Different Tubes...........35
The High Gain Midrange Dilemma....................................36
Layering Distorted Rock Guitars..........................37
When Not To Double .39
The Chorus Sound ....40
Excessive Frequency Buildup ......................................40
Hesitation to Double...40
What About 4, 8, or 16 layers of guitar tracks?.............41
Should I Use Different Tones On Each Guitar Track? Maybe a Les Paul on one side
and a Strat on the other?...............................................43
Instead of real doubling, can I just copy and paste a mono track to each side? What if I
delay one track slightly?................................................44
Is there an advantage to recording 4x12 cabinets versus 1x12 cabinets?..........................45
My electric guitar rig sounds great live but sucks for recording...........................................46
How do I get a fantastic guitar sound out of an SM57?....47
Will a condenser microphone do something magical to my guitar recordings?...................47
Should I dump $1,100 on a Royer R121? Is an SM 57 good enough?..............................48
Keep It Simple, Dummy..50
Different Amps, Difference Phase.....................................56
Complicated Systems Save and Waste Time...............57
Equalizing: Before or After the Amp?................................57
Delay: Before or After the Amp?........................................59
Anything: Before or After the Amp?..................................59
Should I Record Guitars with Effects?...............................60
What If I Don't Like the Effect Later?.................................61
What If The Guitar Player Isn't Happy With His/Her Tone?.................................................62
Gigantic Warning Sign62
No Relying On Mixing.....63
Can I add delay and reverb to make guitars sound huge?..................................................65
Guitar Reamping.............66
Can you produce feedback through amp simulators on computer?....................................67
Can I use wah-wah pedal and other hardware effects while playing through guitar amp
emulator plugin?.............67
I'm recording distorted guitars at home. How do I get powerful guitar sounds at bedroom
levels?............................67
Avoiding Noise in Distorted Electric Guitars......................69

Interrogations

Multiple Mics On A Cabinet

What's the deal with using more than one mic on an electric guitar cabinet?

Your Benefit:
Find out immediately if there is any obvious boost in your guitars sounds by using multiple mics!

Guitar Speaker Cable Wars

In Killer Home Recording: Electric Guitar I tried out four different speaker cables.

Your Benefit:
You find out if there is any significant change in tone when using a cheapo cable. If anything is lost by using a super long cable. You'll see if anything is gained by using an expensive name brand cable.

Taking Away The Toys

In most of the shootouts for Killer Home Recording: Electric Guitar I used my Manley TNT preamp through my Distressor compressor into my Mytek AD96. How big of impact does all this crap have on electric guitar recordings? What would happen if I just plugged straight into a Presonus Firestudio.

Your Benefit:
You'll hear the real world benefit the high end gadgets have on the recorded electric guitar tone. You'll get to put into perspective the impact of these gadgets on a tone which you've heard numerous other factors change (mics, mic placements, amps, etc).

Royer R121 vs The World

In Killer Home Recording: Electric Guitar I toss the Royer R121 in the ring with numerous other popular electric guitar mics.

Competitors: Shure SM57, Royer R121, Sennheiser MD421, Cascade Fathead, Shure SM7b

Your Benefit:
You'll find out if the Royer R121 is the undisputed kind of metal guitar tone or just another flavor. You'll see if any mics that cost a fraction of the cost can give the Royer a run for its money. You'll be knowledge to decide if the Royer R121 is worth the money.

Power Tube Distortion vs Pre Amp Gain

I compare the effects of power tube distortion vs pre amp gain on a metal guitar tone.

Your Benefit:
You'll find out if it's worth all the trouble (loud volume, cops showing up, divorce, etc) to crank up an amp to incredibly loud levels.

Electric Guitar Mic Placement

If I had a million dollars for every time someone had asked me where to place a mic on an electric guitar cabinet, I'd have more than $5. In Killer Home Recording: Electric Guitar I shed some light on this.

Your Benefit:
You'll find out the sonic personality of an electric guitar speaker. I 'll show you the sweet spots on an electric guitar speaker

High Gain Electric Guitar Preamps

I tossed 11 different preamps on doubled high gain modern rock guitar tracks. Preamps ranged from nearly from $8 to $3,000.

Competitors: Vintech 1272, Presonus Firestudio, Great River MEQ-1NV, Manley TNT, Martech MSS-10, M-Audio Octane, Presonus ADL 600, Presonus Digimax D8, Presonus Studio Channel, RNP, True Systems P-Solo

Your Benefit:
You'll know the difference between high end preamps, budget preamps, and a bunch of preamps in between. You'll find out if a high end mic preamps are a solution to your guitar tone problems.

Guitar Layering Experiments

I go through 16 layer variations of electric guitar.

Your Benefit:
You'll hear the possible benefits of a whole bunch of layers, the benefits of active octave power chords, the benefits adding all kinds of random jibberish, the benefits of blending different tones, and you'll know if all this junk is really worth it.

DI Inputs Put To The Test

I compare several different DI inputs.

Your Benefit:
You'll know the difference between Hi-Z inputs and standard inputs. You'll hear the difference between Hi-Z inputs on a Presonus Firestudio, M-Audio Octane, and Great River MEQ-1NV.

Clean Electric Guitar Preamps

I test numerous mic preamps on a jazzy guitar sound.

Competitors: Manley TNT, Martech MSS-10, M-Audio Octane, RNP, Presonus Studio Channel, Trident S20, True Systems P-Solo, Vintech 1272, Presonus ADL 600, Presonus Digimax, Presonus Firestudio, Great River MEQ-1NV

Your Benefit: You'll hear the difference between mic preamps ranging from robo cheap to turbo expensive. I 'll make it a little easier to decide which preamp is right for you and your clean guitar sounds. You will compare this shootout with the High Gain Electric Guitar Preamp shootout and decide if all guitars benefit from the same preamp.

Overdoing The Gain

There is much talk about how a person should avoid overdoing the gain, but seldom is this ever put into any real context. Some genres require quite a bit of gain. In Killer Home Recording: Electric Guitar the goal is to shine some light on the issue.

Your Benefit: You'll know what happens with too much gain. You'll knoow a quick and easy way to determine if too much gain is being used.

Electric Guitar Microphones

Competitors: Alesis AM51, Audio Technica AT2020, Audio Technica AT4033, Audio Technica AT4040, Audio Technica AT4050, Audix I5, Behringer C1, Cascade Fathead II, Gefell M930, Groove Tubes GT57, Karma K58, Karma K10, Karma K6, Karma K35, M-Audio Nova, MXL V63M, Neumann M147, Oktava MK219, Oktava MK012, Peluso 47, Peluso 251, Royer R121, Sennheiser MD421, Sennheiser PL-20, Shure SM57, Shure SM7b, Shure SM27, Studio Projects B3

Your Benefit: You'll know if expensive mic required for electric guitar recording? You'll know if an SM57 good enough? You'll know if an Audix I5 be better? Find out if ribbons like the Cascade Fathead II, Karma K6, or Royer R121 stack up against dynamics like the Sennheiser MD421, Shure SM7, SM57, or Audix I5? Find out how a budget microphone Behringer C1 or MXL V63M handle electric guitar?

Layering

I wish I had a million dollars for every time I 've fought about layering high gain guitars. Some people insist that two hard panned layers is all you need. Others like to add a third layer down the center. Others say that four hard panned layers is absolutely required.

Your Benefit: You'll immediately know the differences between 2, 3, or 4 layers of high gain electric guitar. You'll never waste time recording 4 layers of electric guitar when you'd be happier with two. You'll never settle for less when four layers is exactly the sound you are looking for.

20 Layers

I tracked 20 layers of a metal guitar riff to illustrate the benefits, if any, of playing the same riff 20 times.

Your Benefit:
You'll know any possible benefits of recording an electric guitar track 20 times. You'll know the difference between the way two different high end preamps known for their electric guitar preamps stack (Vintech 1272 and Great River MEQ-1NV). You'll know the real answer to the big time debates I 've heard about this high end preamp and that high end preamp in a situation where the tonal qualities of each preamp should be perfectly clear if you subscribe to the preamp stacking argument. You'll know if this preamp stacking argument is a crock or not.

Amps N Emulators

I tossed together some random clips of DI guitar either reamped through a real amp or ran through various emulators.

Your Benefit: You'll know if emulators are ready for real deal recording yet.

Room Mics

I tossed a Royer R121 6' in front of a guitar cabinet with its null facing the amp in a typical room I all are likely to be recording in.

Your Benefit: You'll know if there are any benefits to recording distorted elecrtric guitars with a room mic

Table Of Contents

Killer Home Recording : Vocals.........................6
Intro..................................6
Warning!...........................6
The Performance...........................................6
Like It Or Not, You Are Producing!.......................................8
Don't Think Of A White Horse............................................10
Singers Are Weird...........12
Get The Singer FEELING The Song.................................14
Vocals Are Over The Top .....ALWAYS!!............................15
The Vocal Headphone Mix................................................16
When The Singer Is Uncomfortable..................................22
Vocals Mic Placement.....25
Microphone Selection.....27
Microphone Pattern Selection...........................................29
Preamp Selection...........30
Vocal Mic Upgrades - Myth................................................32
Best Vocal Mic For $300, $500, or $1,000??....................33
What Is a Neumann Going To Do For Me?.......................33
What Are I Looking For In A Vocal Sound?...................34
Avoiding Sibilance..........35
Should The Singer Hold The Microphone?.......................36
Should The Singer Use Headphones?..............................38
Vocal Layering / Doubling..................................................40
Comping Vocals..............41
Pitch Correction..............43
Should I Use A Hardware Compressor?............................45
Backing Vocals...............49
Q: Are emotions possibly linked to getting a good vocal sound? ........................................50
Is There Any Benefit To Stereo Miking Vocals?.................50

Interrogations

Vocal Mic Placement

I tossed a Peluso 251 in front of our female singer and put it in five different positions.

Your Benefit: This is THE most valuable shootout / illustration in this entire book. If you skip the concepts laid out in this illustration, you die...almost!

Vocal Microphone Shootout Four

I tossed 16 mics on a soft pop chick vocal.

Competitors: Studio Projects B3, Shure SM27, Shure SM7b, Peluso 251, Peluso 47, Neumann M147, M-Audio Nova, Karma K6, Kama K58, GT AM51, Gefell M930, Behringer C3, Audio Technica AT4050, Audio Technica AT4040, Audio Technica AT4033, Audio Technica AT2020

Your Benefit: You'll know what a ton of microphones sound like on a soft pop chick vocal. You'll know the benefits, if any, of buying an expensive microphone. You'll hear the difference between a mic that costs $26 and a mic that costs $2,600.

Vocal Preamp Shootout Three

I tossed 10 preamps on a soft pop chick vocal.

Competitors: Vintech 1272, Trident S20, RNP, Presonus Studio Channel - Drive 10 Presonus Studio Channel - Drive 0, Presonus ADL 600, Presonus Firestudio, Martech MSS-10, Manley TNT (Tube, Solid State, and a variety of impedances and modes) , M-Audio Octane, Great River MEQ-1NV

Your Benefit: You'll know 10 different mic preamps ranging from $8 to nearly $3,000 can do on a pop vocal chick. You'll know if budget preamps can give the most desirable preamps in the world a run for their money. You'll know if there is anything magical about the two tube preamps in the shootout. You'll know if there is anything to the clean vs dirty preamp debate.

Vocal Microphone Shootout Three

I tossed 11 mics on a country male vocal.

Competitors: Gefell M930, Karma K58, M-Audio Nova, Neumann M147, Peluso 251, Peluso U47, Royer R121, Shure SM57, Shure SM7b, AT 4050, Studio Projects B3

Your Benefit: You'll know the sonic differences on numerous microphones for a pop/country male vocal. You'll find out if you prefer the $26 mic or the $2,600 mic or something in between.

Vocal Preamp Shootout Two

Listen to 10 different preamps on a male voice doing hippie music.

Competitors: Great River MEQ-1NV, Manley TNT (Tube Channel and Cool Channel), Martech MSS-10, Octane, Presonus Studio Channel, Presonus ADL600, Presonus Firestudio, Trident S20, Vintech 1272

Your Benefit: You'll know if it's worth it for hippies to take a brake from peace and love to get a job and buy some kick ass mic preamps.

Vocal Microphone Shootout Two

I tossed 17 different microphones on hippie male vocals.

Competitors: Studio Projects B3, Shure SM57, Shure SM7b, Shure SM27, Peluso 251, Peluso 47, M-Audio Nova, Gefell M930, Neumann M147, Karma K58, Groove Tubes GT57, Audix I5, Audio Technica AT71, Audio Technica AT4050, Audio Technica AT4040, Audio Technica AT2020, Alesis AM51

Your Benefit: You'll know the differences between mega cheap mics, mega expensive mics, and everthing in between on male vocals.

Cheap Preamp Expensive Compressor

I ran a vocal recorded through two different preamps (Martech MSS-10 and Presonus Firestudio) through a Distressor EL-8x.

Your Benefit: You'll hear if an expensive compressor can make up for the sonic differences in budget preamps.

Cheap Mic - Expensive Compressor

I took a cheap, M-Audio Nova (a whopping $28 on Ebay), and ran it through a Waves Rcomp and a Distressor EL-8x.

Your Benefit: You'll find out if the Distressor can make the Nova sound more expensive.

Vocal Preamp Shootout One

I toss 12 different preamps on a female vocal.

Competitors: Vintech 1272, Great River MEQ-1NV, Manley TNT Cool Channel, Martech MSS-10, M-Audio Octane, Presonus Studio Channel, Presonus ADL 600, Presonus Digimax D8, Presonus Firestudio, RNP, Trident S20, True Systems P-Solo

Your Benefit: You'll know the difference between super cheap preamps, super expensive preamps, and preamps in between on female vocals.

Vocal Microphone Shootout One

Take a listen a kajillion/bajillion mics on female vocals.

Competitors: Shure SM57, Shure SM27, Shure SM7b, Royer R121, Peluso 251, Peluso 47, MXL V63M, Oktava MK219, Studio Projects B3, M-Audio Nova, Gefell M930, Neumann M147, Karma K58, Karma K35, Karma K6, Alesis AM51, Groove Tubes GT 57, Cascade Fathead II, Behringer C1, Audix I5, Audio Technica AT4050, Audio Technica AT4040, Audio Technica AT4033, Audio Technica AT2020, AKG 414

Your Benefit: You'll know the difference between 25 different microphones raning from $28 to $2,600.

Microphone Polar Patterns

I tossed our female singer in front of 2 different microphones (Peluso 251 and Groove Tubes GT57) and had her sing through three different polar patterns.

Your Benefit: You will know the EXACT benefits of using the three different polar patterns at different times. This is one of the most powerful shootouts in Killer Home Recording!

Microphone Distance

I recorded vocals a 1", 3", 6", 12", 24", and 36" using both a Peluso 251 and Groove Tubes GT57.

Your Benefit: You'll find out the impact of varying the distances from a vocal microphone to shape tone. You see how this effect changes with different microphones. EVERY serious home recorder MUST know this! Don't miss out!

Vocal Compression

I tossed seven different compressors (4 plugins, 3 hardware) ranging from cheap to robo expensive.

Competitors: Spectrasonics Complimiter 610, Empirical Labs, Distressor EL-8x, Presonus Studio Channel, Waves Rcomp, Oxford Compressor, URS 1980, Waves C1

Your Benefit: You'll hear the impact of hardware compressors vs plugin compressors. You'll hear how aggressive hardware compressors sond against clean hardware compressors. You'll hear the difference between big time bucks in compression land. You'll see if the colored compressor plugins can run with the colored hardware compressors.

Table Of Contents

Warning!...........................8
Intro..................................8
The Drummer's Performance..............................................9
The Room......................15
The American Drum Sound...............................................19
Reverb Doesn't Make Up For Dead Rooms......................19
Reverb VS Room............20
Small Rooms CAN Rock!..................................................22
The Sweet Spot Of The Room..........................................24
Drum Tuning...................25
The Thick Drums Myth....28
The Window Of Accepted Chunk.......................................29
Over-Reliance On Close Mics...........................................30
Get The Overheads Sounding Great.................................31
Underheads...................36
Dealing With Huge Drum Kits............................................37
Minimal Drum Micing......42
Drum Kits And Phasing...49
Unhappy With Drum Sounds.............................................51
Punchy Drums................51
Cardboard Kick Drums...53
Reducing Snare Ring......55
Build Your Own Subkick..59
Kick Drum Attack............60
Snare / Hi-hat Isolation...62
EQ During Tracking........64
The Kick Drum Front Head................................................65
Start With An AC/DC Beat.................................................65
Kick Drum Tonic..............66
When Drums Slide Around................................................67
Getting Started With Drum Micing.....................................68
Placing A Room Mic Within The Room..............................72
Room Mic Selection........74
6
The ExtraTrash Microphone..............................................75
Hi-hat Mics: Should I Use Them?.....................................76
Drum Tracking In Action..77
Drum EQ 101..................82

Table Of Contents

Intro..................................6
Warning!...........................6
The Source......................7
Acoustic Guitar DI...........10
Acoustic Guitar Zones.....11
Mic Placement................13
Match The Mic With The Acoustic Guitar..........................16
Doubled Acoustic Guitar.18
Crazy Mic Placements To Avoid Boom..............................18
Can A Ribbon Mic Work On Acoustic Guitar?...................19
Q: Will it sound cool if I blend an acoustic guitar DI with the mic'd signal?.........................20
Mic Selection.................20
String Noise....................21
Tracking Singers / Acoustic Guitars At The Same Time....22
Tuning Effects Frequency Response................................25
When Acoustic Guitars Go Wrong.....................................26
Acoustic Guitars Change28

Table Of Contents

Warning!...........................6
Extremely Sensitive To Talent..............................................6
Amp vs DI........................7
Bass Amps vs Room Acoustics...........................................9
Bass DI Really Can Sound Good!.......................................9
DI Nothing vs DI Emulators...............................................10
Blending Bass DI with an Amp..........................................10
Q: Do I really need a DI box or can I just use a preamp for bass?......................................12
Bass Strings: New Or Old..................................................12
The Balanced Bass.........14
When One Note Leaps Out...............................................15
Active vs Passive Bases.15
Active EQ.......................17
Bass Tuning: Should Bass Be Recorded Last?.................17
Bass Tuning: Forget The Tuner........................................20
Bass Tone: Should The Bass Be Recorded Last?............21
Bass Recording Challenges..............................................22
Mic Placement................24
Disappearing Distorted Bass.............................................26
Bass And EQ..................27
Bass And Compression..31
Self Recorder: Pick vs Fingers.........................................32

Interrogations

Bass Amp Micing

I go through some random trial and error to illustrate a number of concepts in recording bass at home.

Your Benefit: You'll know the possibilities of micing a bass cabinet's woofer and also micing its tweeter. You'll know how different basses sound when ran through the same amp. You'll know how to identify the terrible effects of crappy rooms on bass cabinets.

Old vs New Bass Strings

I try extremely old bass strings and compare them to brand new bass strings

Your Benefit: Find out the actual impact of recording with new and old bass string.

Amps vs Ampeg SVX

I compare a real bass amp with a bass DI using Ampeg SVX.

Your Benefit: You'll know how Ampeg SXV compares with the real thing. You'll see if there is any real, objective quality difference between amps and Ampeg SVX.

Bass Nerd Stuff

Imagine paying for the most nerdie, anal, and opposite-sex repelling night of bass experimentation in the world.

Your Benefit: You'll learn any potential benefits of using an Eden or Carvin cabinet. You'll learn the sonic differences between an 800RB and a QSC power amp. I'll bore the crap out of you!

Modern Bass Options

I illustrate numerous possibilities provided by modern bass options.

Your Benefit: You'll know the possibilities of micing an amp, blending the amp with a DI, compressinng both the amp and DI, using a De-esser on a bass, using just the original DI, smashing the DI with compression, and using Ampeg SVX. You'll be able to make sense of all these stupid options so maybe you can get a better idea of the route you want to go and where to put your $$.

Bass Mic Preamps

I tossed 12 different mic preamps ranging from robo expensive to robo nothing in cost on a Mesa Boogie bass cabinet.

Competitors: Martech MSS-10, M-Audio Octane, RNP, Presonus Studio Channel, Trident S20, True Systems P-Solo, Vintech 1272, Presonus ADL 600, Presonus Firestudio, Great River MEQ-1NV, Manley TNT Cool Channel, Manley TNT Tube Channel

Your Benefit: You'll know the potential sonic improvement delivered by various preamps. You'll have a frame of reference to decide if those potential improvements are worth your cash.

Hardware Compression On Bass

I tossed three different hardware compressors on bass.

Competitors: Spectrasonics Complimiter 610, Empirical Labs Distressor EL-8X, Presonus Studio Channel

Your Benefit: You'll know any possible positive benefits hardware compression can have on bass. You'll know ways in which a bass track can be manipulated via different attack and release times.

Input Impedance On Bass

I recorded bass DI using five different input impedance settings.
1M ohms, 3M ohms, 10M ohms, 100k ohms, 300k ohm

Your Benefit: You'll hear the effects of DI input impedance on bass recordings.

Bass Preamp DI

I recorded a bass DI through x preamps ranging from $8 to nearly $3,000.

Competitors: Vintech 1272, Manley TNT Tube Channel, Sansamp / Martech MSS-10, M-Audio Octane, RNP, Presonus Studio Channel, Trident S20, Presonus ADL 600, Presonus Firestudio, Great River MEQ-1NV, Manley TNT Cool Channel

Your Benefit: You'll hear the sonic differences in bass DI. You'll be able to determine if a high end preamp/DI is worth your green stuff.

Bass AD Converter

I compare the Mytek AD96 to the stock Firestudio AD converter.

Your Benefit: Find out if the tonal benefit of expensive analog to digital converters is worth your cash.

Bass Humans

I let different bass players play the same riff.

Your Benefit: You will hear the SHOCKING tonal differences in the hands.

Bass DI vs Ampeg SVX

Not sure what a modern emulator can do for your bass sounds when compared to a straight bass DI?

Your Benefit: Immediately find out if those amp sounds you desire are obtainable in the dramatically more convenient world of bass amp emulator plugins

Different Basses #1

Not sure if your bass is adequate for job? Think you may need to spend more? Afraid you've got the wrong bass for the job? You might! I played the same funky part with a number of different basses at a number of different price points to illustrate the impact that price, make, and model have on bass tone.

Competitors: $200 cheapo Fender P-bass, Fender Jazz USA, Schecter Diamond Series, Musicman Stingray, Warwick Streamer

Your Benefit: You'll know the sonic differences from the various families of bass guitar. You'll see how a cheapo bass fits within the ranks of big boy expensive basses.

Different Basses #2

In Different Basses #1 I played a funky thing. In Different Basses #2 I played a thing us rock guys are more likely to record.

Competitors: $200 cheapo Fender P-bass, Fender Jazz USA, Schecter Diamond Series, The most mistreated Schecter of all time, Musicman Stingray, Warwick Streamer

Your Benefit: You'll get a further idea of what different basses can give. You'll find out how cash fits into the picture and you may be surprised how well an entirely mistreated bass fares.

Bass Microphone Shootout

What's the best bass cabinet microphone? I hear this question all the time. To answer it I tossed up 28 different microphones on the same reamped bass track.

Competitors: AKG 414, Alesis AM51, Audio Technica AT2020, Audio Technica AT4033, Audio Technica AT4040, Audio Technica AT4050, Audix D6 Audix I5, Behringer C1, Cascade Fathead II, Gefell M930, Groove Tubes GT57, Karma K10, Karma K35, Karma K35, Karma K6, M-Audio Nova, MXL V63M, Neumann M147, Oktava MK219, Peluso 251, Peluso 47, Royer R121, Sennheiser 421, Shure Beta 52, Shure SM27, Shure SM57, Shure SM7b, Studio Projects B3

Your Benefit: Find out exactly what a $30 mic, a $2,700 tube Neumann, and everything else sound like on a bass cabinet. You'll never have to be afraid ever again that the mic you currently use on bass cabinets is holding you back.

Bass Microphone Placement

Not sure where to place the mic? I give you real world examples of the difference between numerous mic placements.

Your Benefit: You never have to worry about micing your bass cabinets up in the wrong place ever again.