Recording Software
What recording software should I buy? There isn't a beginner in audio recording land who doesn't ask this question!
For someone looking to purchase their first recording software, I have one mega bit of advice. Don't pay for it! No, I'm not advocating wearing a ski mask and doing the digital equivalent of shoving a software box down your pants and running out of the store. I'm recommending that you let the manufacturers give it to you for free. How?
With audio recording, there have been like probably 3 cases out of about 17,000 on the audio recording forum where I haven't recommended the purchase of an audio interface. The audio interface is pretty much an essential tool to practically anyone doing this whole recording thing. Well, an overwhelming majority of audio interface manufacturers bundle excellent recording software into their audio interfaces at no additional cost to you.
In most cases, this is the light version of Cubase, Sonar, Logic, Pro Tools, or whatever, but it's not uncommon for even experienced users to be more than happy with Cubase LE4 or whatever. So don't be too concerned. More advanced users may require the more heavy hitting Cubase 5 or equivalent however, I've never met anyone who needed this advanced functionality the first day of recording.
I like this whole software thing because it's one less thing you have to worry about when initially selecting your recording equipment. Just use the free stuff. If you really hate it (this rarely happens to anyone who puts any real effort into learning their software) you can always go with something else.
If you aren't in the market for an audio interface and you are on a tight budget, I'd check free recording software.
Upgrading Recording Software
In the event that the light version of your recording software isn't doing it for you, just upgrade. It's safe to say that virtually every recording software manufacturer will give you a hell of a bargain for upgrading directly through them. I know Steinberg has offered upgrades from LE to their mid-grade model (Cubase 4 Studio at the time) for half price. Not bad!
Recording Gear Quiz
Can you really hear the difference between a $5,000 signal chain vs a $100 signal chain? Take the recording gear quiz!Getting Started With Home Recording
A beginner's guide to everything you need to get started recording music at home and will hopefully allow you to avoid some pitfalls.Bit Depth Wars
Are 24 bit recordings superior to 16 bit recordings? Can you even hear a difference? We'll tackle this heated subject head on.Guitar Rig 2 vs Real, Expensive Recording Rig
How do the guitar emulators compare with the a high end amplifier and expensive signal chain? Find out.My Electric Guitar Secret Weapon
It's no secret that many big boy recordings come from cranked amps. However, here's my secret to cranking amps at home.Electric Guitar Microphone Shootout
What mics sound best on electric guitar? Who knows! However, I wasted an evening comparing mics in multiple places to help shed some light on the subject.AD Converter Shootout: Mytek AD96 vs Presonus Firestudio
What's a high end analog to digital converter going to do for you? Here are a few examples than can shed some light on the subject.10 Things Every Band Should Know Before Recording
The emphasis on recording always seems to be on the engineer. That's baloney! It's on the band! Do not step into a recording studio until you've read this!Voiceover Microphone Shootout
I'm not voiceover stud but I did go through most of my mics to see which mic worked best on my voice.Guitar Reamping: Test #1
Myth: You must stack up multiple amps to get a great sound. Find out if there is any significant benefit to blending multiple amps together for huge rock guitar tones.MIDI Troubleshooting 101
Having problems with MIDI? MIDI can be confusing at first, but this troubleshooting guide will help get you started.Presonus M80 vs Vintech 1272 Metal Guitars Preamp Shootout
Here's a head to head competition of the Presonus M80 and Vintech 1272 on high gain metal guitars.George Massenburg's Room
Check out the inside of one of the most innovative and unique control room designs in the world.Getting Started With Midi Sequencing
Not sure what MIDI is or if it can even benefit you? Start here!
Are you new to recording and not exactly sure what gear you need? RecordingReview.com specializes in helping beginners jump into the world of recording. There are about 2,000 traps that can easily waste thousands of hours of your time. Recording Review focuses on giving you the info you need to make the right decisions for you. This is what the Getting Started With Home Recording Guide is all about.
MIDI production is not just for techno and dance music anymore. The use of MIDI has become an integral part of the recording process in rock, metal, and even country. In fact the only genre's of music that don't utilize MIDI that often are Folk and Bluegrass!
With that said, MIDI can be confusing at first. MIDI brings up a big, new list of definitions to learn and MIDI just seems to play by a different set of rules than convention computer recording. Luckily, I've created the Getting Started With MIDI Sequencing Guide to help you burst through the learning curve and reap the benefits of synths, samples, and MIDI production.
For a rock guitar player, there is something about a killer distorted guitar sound that becomes a passion, or maybe even an addition. Of guitar, many beginners in the home recording world have trouble with recording electric guitars. In this member only guide, I'll talk about my secret weapon for recording huge electric guitars.
Before any band walks into a recording studio, they had better prepare themselves. There is a lot to learn about the recording process, but taking a few minutes to read this guy could save you thousands of bucks!!
10 Things Every Band Should Know Before Recording is my attempt to get you up to speed on the process of recording extremely quickly! If we can immediately rule out beginner mistakes and make sure you have a clear idea on how the process REALLY works, the odds of your next recording being successful are improved immensely.
Don't let peer pressure convince you that you need to dump thousands of dollars into a high end microphone preamp. Let your ears decide! Maybe after listening to this preamp shootout, you can decide if the subtle change in character offered by a preamps is going to be worth the cash.
Take a listen to my Preamp Shootout. With preamps such as API, Great River, Vintech (Neve 1272 clone), Presonus M80, and Mackie 1604 you can listen to the difference between super expensive and super cheap preamps and decide for yourself if you want to drop the cash on a preamp yet or not.
Do you really need a super high end microphone to get great sounding electric guitars? Here is a shootout I put together with the Royer R121 ribbon microphone, Shure SM 57, Audio Technica AT4033, Sennheiser MD 421, and Soundelux U99.
