| Hope you have been practicing singing in the past | | | | you'll still need to get the sound into the computer for |
| week and your vocal chords are now prepared to | | | | audio mastering, burning, MP3 upload or whatever else. |
| take on the nuances of getting on with the real thing- | | | | If you want to get it in a high quality, some of the |
| the actual recording. | | | | factors to look for are types of input, quality and |
| Moving on from where we left off the last time around | | | | connectivity. |
| - here are the rest of the gadgets you will need to set | | | | Let me tell you what the difference between digital |
| up your personal recording studio. | | | | and analog is. Analog is the actual sound transmitted in |
| Gadget 2 - Your Microphone: | | | | wave form, while digital translates the sounds into a |
| Be aware that your standard windows microphone is | | | | numeric code for transmission that is then |
| not adequate for top quality music recording. You'll | | | | re-converted to analog at the listener's end. What ever |
| need one that will record your music perfectly. | | | | you sing, the analog signal of your actual sound has to |
| Microphones are the most important feature in | | | | be translated into the digital format so the computer |
| recording your music because their quality varies | | | | can record it. The sound card does that translation. |
| widely and they are what you hear. The most famous | | | | Your digital multitrack can send its music out digitally, so |
| and best budget microphone ever is the Shure SM58 | | | | it is better to have a sound card that can accept digital |
| Microphone. For its cost it sure beats many of the | | | | data as well. The standard formats are called "spdif", |
| several times more expensive ones, like the thousand | | | | and come in two categories, requiring two different |
| dollar Neumann, hollow. | | | | types of cables: optical (spdif/o) and electronic (spdif |
| There is a wide range of microphones available such | | | | e). |
| as condensers, dynamics, tubes and many more .It has | | | | Gadget 4 - Studio Headphones, Playback Gear: |
| been observed that live mics are not always great for | | | | As you will be playing the new vocals with the backing |
| the studio. Generally, wide diagram condensers are | | | | tracks you have to make sure your backing tracks |
| what you want for vocals. Remember that if you are | | | | are synchronized to the device you will be recording |
| going to record in groups, or different types of | | | | your vocals to. |
| instruments, you'll require more than one microphone. | | | | A computer program generally does this automatically. |
| Here again, there is a negative for using computer | | | | If, however, you are using a multitrack with a computer, |
| microphones. The connectivity is likely to be a problem | | | | your synchronization may need to be tweaked a wee |
| here, as many microphones have a balanced output | | | | little bit. While doing your home recording, all you will be |
| cable. You are likely to be on the right lines if your | | | | required to do is connect the computer and multitrack |
| sound card or audio interface has the corresponding | | | | via a MIDI cable and then specifying on each (the |
| input slot. If not, you will have to go in for an alternative | | | | program and the multitrack) which sync signal (MMC, |
| like running it through a mixer or a pre-amp. Another | | | | MTC, SMPTE) is sent/received. Besides, you also |
| possibility is to acquire a pair of good dynamic | | | | need to check the frame rate, which device is the |
| microphones that use an unbalanced jack which you | | | | master (the one that when you press play on it, the |
| can insert to get the desired output. You could also get | | | | other plays as well), and whether pressing 'Play' on the |
| an adapter for your sound card. As far as recording | | | | master starts playback at the beginning or at the song |
| into digital multitracks is concerned, it should not be a | | | | position of the master (depending on what you want). |
| problem as they are usually made for all microphones. | | | | Happy singing and happy recording! Hope to see your |
| Gadget 3 - Audio Interface Recording Sound Card: | | | | name soon amongst the list of successful singers of |
| Much as we have seemingly maligned the computer, it | | | | this world. |
| is still required even if you'll be recording externally as | | | | |