If you're completely new to recording your own music, this post is for you!
It can be daunting knowing where to start when it comes to recording your own music, there's a few factors to consider before you begin.
1. What computer and software should I use?
2. What do I need to start for my own recording needs?
To answer the first question, I will always advocate for using what you have when it comes to a computer. Both Mac and Windows systems can be used and each operating system has many Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) available for purchase. A DAW is the recording software used within your computing system. It's the ultimate tool that allows home recording to be possible, it captures your audio recordings and allows you to edit and manipulate them with effects. Just keep in mind that not every DAW is available for all operating systems.
Here's a list of some of the mainstream DAWs available on the market today:
● Pro Tools (The big one to learn for commercial studio environments) ● Logic Pro ● Studio One ● Ableton ● Reaper ● Cubase ● Nuendo ● Fl Studio ● Reason ● LUNA ● Audition ● Audacity ● Garageband
I can elaborate on some of the advantages of these DAWs in the comments below, but I encourage you to do your own research to see if the software meets your personal needs. Most of them have overlapping features with each other, but will have key differences in workflows. Like any tool, some might be better at some tasks whereas another might be better at other tasks. The only one I'll highlight is Pro Tools as it is the most widely used in professional facilities. If a full-time career in one of these facilities is your goal, there's no better DAW to learn.
As far as your computer specifications go, each DAW listed above has minimum requirements recommended for use. A good general rule of thumb is to make sure you have adequate RAM and a good CPU in your computer. Recording software can be intensive on your computer's resources, higher RAM numbers allow you to have more tracks in a project generally and higher CPU numbers allow you to have more audio effects on your tracks.
For the second question, there's a few things to consider before beginning. What do you want to accomplish? You have to consider if you want to be more of an electronic music artist, or a drummer, or an acoustic guitar player, or a singer, or an engineer or all of the above. The answer to this question will affect what gear I would recommend investing in outside of your DAW and computer. One such piece of gear is an audio interface. An audio interface is a piece of gear that allows you to convert acoustic signals from a microphone (voice, guitar, drums) into a digital signal that your computer can interpret as an audio file in your DAW. If you're an electronic musician, you might not even need an audio interface because a lot of software exists where you can make the music within your computer and never need to invest in other equipment. On the other end of the spectrum, drummers may need to spend the most money on an interface that can accept the input of multiple microphones. This is why considering what you want to record is so important when setting up for your own goals.
If you have any questions about your own particular recording needs, drop a comment below and I'll be happy to help you get started on the right path that works for you.
Further posts will go into the art of recording practice!
Musicians
If you're completely new to recording your own music, this post is for you!
It can be daunting knowing where to start when it comes to recording your own music, there's a few factors to consider before you begin.
1. What computer and software should I use?
2. What do I need to start for my own recording needs?
To answer the first question, I will always advocate for using what you have when it comes to a computer. Both Mac and Windows systems can be used and each operating system has many Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) available for purchase. A DAW is the recording software used within your computing system. It's the ultimate tool that allows home recording to be possible, it captures your audio recordings and allows you to edit and manipulate them with effects. Just keep in mind that not every DAW is available for all operating systems.
Here's a list of some of the mainstream DAWs available on the market today:
● Pro Tools (The big one to learn for commercial studio environments)
● Logic Pro
● Studio One
● Ableton
● Reaper
● Cubase
● Nuendo
● Fl Studio
● Reason
● LUNA
● Audition
● Audacity
● Garageband
I can elaborate on some of the advantages of these DAWs in the comments below, but I encourage you to do your own research to see if the software meets your personal needs. Most of them have overlapping features with each other, but will have key differences in workflows. Like any tool, some might be better at some tasks whereas another might be better at other tasks. The only one I'll highlight is Pro Tools as it is the most widely used in professional facilities. If a full-time career in one of these facilities is your goal, there's no better DAW to learn.
As far as your computer specifications go, each DAW listed above has minimum requirements recommended for use. A good general rule of thumb is to make sure you have adequate RAM and a good CPU in your computer. Recording software can be intensive on your computer's resources, higher RAM numbers allow you to have more tracks in a project generally and higher CPU numbers allow you to have more audio effects on your tracks.
For the second question, there's a few things to consider before beginning. What do you want to accomplish? You have to consider if you want to be more of an electronic music artist, or a drummer, or an acoustic guitar player, or a singer, or an engineer or all of the above. The answer to this question will affect what gear I would recommend investing in outside of your DAW and computer. One such piece of gear is an audio interface. An audio interface is a piece of gear that allows you to convert acoustic signals from a microphone (voice, guitar, drums) into a digital signal that your computer can interpret as an audio file in your DAW. If you're an electronic musician, you might not even need an audio interface because a lot of software exists where you can make the music within your computer and never need to invest in other equipment. On the other end of the spectrum, drummers may need to spend the most money on an interface that can accept the input of multiple microphones. This is why considering what you want to record is so important when setting up for your own goals.
If you have any questions about your own particular recording needs, drop a comment below and I'll be happy to help you get started on the right path that works for you.
Further posts will go into the art of recording practice!