Schrödinger

Ｐｒｏｄｕｃｅｒ，ｓｏｎｇｗｒｉｔｅｒ  ＆  ｖｏｃａｌｉｓｔ  ｆｒｏｍ  Ｃａｎａｄａ. IG/FB/TW: @schrodmusic

[schrodmusic]

Basic Recording Studio Setup

I’ve been asked a number times what my recommendation for a starter recording studio setup is and how much it will cost. The truth is, it doesn’t matter what software you choose and the treatment of the room you record in will make a much bigger difference than the quality of equipment. So, keeping that in mind, here is my advice for a beginner looking to do some recording at home.

TL;DR Hardware/software: Scarlett Solo Studio (comes with condenser mic, Solo interface, XLR cable & Pro Tools First), pop filter, mic stand, and your computer. Then research the best DIY room treatment and mic placement options for the space you have. Minimum total budget: ~$310 CAD

Above: Photo by Jonathan Velasquez on Unsplash

1. MICROPHONE

Look for a medium-diaphragm condenser microphone that can pick up a wide range of frequencies, especially if you’re looking to record both vocals and instruments. Some microphones connect directly to your computer via USB but I would recommend one that uses an XLR cable because the built-in analog-to-digital interface affects the quality of the sound signal, which leads to…

2. ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL INTERFACE

This is the box that turns the recorded signal into a digital file your computer can read. One of the top industry standards is the Focusrite Scarlett Solo/2i2, which I use and love.

Above: the Focusrite Scarlett-2i2 Audio Interface (which I use)

3. POP FILTER, MIC STAND, XLR CABLE

A pop filter stops the plosives from your mouth from overloading the microphone with bursts of air. You can make your own by stretching nylons over a coat hanger, or just spring $15 for a new one that clips nicely to your mic stand. Any mic stand and XLR cable should do.

Above: Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash

4. MIXING HEADPHONES

In my opinion, you don’t need to splurge on fancy expensive mixing speakers, but you do need clear mixing headphones. These are different than listening headphones because mixing headphones are designed to replicate the different frequencies as honestly as possible, whereas listening headphones often only replicate certain frequencies and can have an additional EQ applied within them, which affects the sound. 

N.B. In addition to mixing with headphones it is important to play your final mix through a variety of systems, speakers, phones etc. to make sure it sounds good on multiple devices.

Above: Meme courtesy of @music_producer_memes on Instagram

5. DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION (COMPUTER PROGRAM/SOFTWARE)

Often beginners don’t even know which words to search for when looking for the right software for recording music. The term you need to be searching is DAW, which stands for Digital Audio Workstation. Your DAW does not affect the quality of your music, but it does affect your workflow so I would recommend taking time to research them and find the one that you think will be the best fit for your music and your budget. Some are free and most of the pricier ones have a demo or lite version you can try out. In general, Pro Tools is industry standard for recording live instruments, Ableton Live is preferred by electronic-based musicians who also want to perform their digital instruments live within the program, and Fruity Loops tends to be more hip-hop focused because of its built-in beatmaker. I use Logic Pro and I LOVE it. The interface is beautiful (which affects my creativity) and easy to understand since I was already familiar with Garageband. Cost-wise, it’s amazing. Apple slashed the price down to $200, making it a loss-leader for them because it is a Mac-only app, and it comes with a huge selection of high quality stock sounds, plugins and instruments, and the updates are all free. If you already have a Mac, start with Garageband (free) and once you’ve hit a the limit of what you can do, treat yourself to Logic Pro X. If you don’t have a Mac, try out Audacity (open source), ProTools First, or the Ableton Live 30-day Trial or Cubase 30-day Trial, all of which are currently free options to get started.

Above: Focusrite Scarlett-Solo-Studio Gen2 USB Audio Interface and Recording Bundle with Pro Tools First available on Amazon.ca

So that’s basically all you need and you can get all of it in the Focusrite Scarlett Solo Studio bundle, which at $269 CAD is an incredible deal. The only things missing are the mic stand ($26) and pop filter ($15).

HOWEVER, the MOST important thing for getting a quality recording at home is...

Room Treatment and Mic Placement

The needs for this vary depending on your room and what you are recording. For example, the room I’m in now has some weird frequencies that bounce off the ceiling so I’ve essentially constructed a fancy blanket fort to stop that sound from getting into my vocal tracks. I also find my current mic picks up some annoying nasal frequencies in my vocals that I can avoid by recording with my mic hanging upside down and angled slightly away from my face so I get more of my mouth and chest sounds. Get to know your mic’s polar pattern (where it picks up sound), and play around with where in the room you place it and how you record into it. A general rule of thumb is to have it in the middle of a room with the least amount of hard, flat surfaces around, such as in a carpeted bedroom, or in a closet with clothes to buffer the reflection sound of the wall. You don’t want it to sound like it was recorded in a room at home, and being able to get a dry as possible sound will allow you to control the reverb so you can get your mix as clean as possible.

Happy recording!

xx Schrödinger

[schrodmusic]

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Now I have a madinda again 😊 #kontakt #sampler #musictutorial #logicprox #nativeinstruments https://www.instagram.com/p/Bslz8bXhOsH/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1eaxctf49rc8m

[schrodmusic]

5 Excellent Reasons Why Every Canadian Songwriter Should Already Be A SOCAN Member

1. They Pay You Your Royalties (at no cost to you)

If you are a Canadian and you create music, you need to become a SOCAN member. SOCAN is the Performing Rights Organization (PRO) for Canada. You register your songs with them and they pay you your royalties for your songs.

2. They’ll Give You An IPI Number

Above: Frank Dukes discusses working with other artists

As a music creator, membership doesn't cost you anything if you apply online and SOCAN will give you a nine-digit IPI number, which is kind of like an international social security number, but for songwriters. And you want an IPI.

So say you're a songwriter and you did a collab with some famous musician who's a lot bigger than you and they want to release the song. After you've agreed on what percentage is accredited to you they will ask you for your IPI number so that they can register the song with their affiliated Performing Rights Organization. And they might be with someone different - if they're American they might be with ASCAP, SESAC, or BMI, but that doesn't matter to you because as a Canadian creator SOCAN will collect your royalties from whomever they're with and pay you. And SOCAN can do direct deposit straight into your bank account.

3. They Collect Both Performance AND Reproduction Royalties

Canada used to have two PROs and in 1990 they merged into one, SOCAN, which is great for us. SO-CAN stands for The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of CANada. Americans have three PROs to choose form, and they're all slightly different and not all non-profit. So being Canadian is fantastic because SOCAN IS not-for-profit, has your back, and not having to choose a PRO is one less thing to worry about so you can get back to your creating.

In fact, just this year, in 2018, SOCAN acquired SODRAC, who previously collected reproduction royalties, which are different than performance royalties, so that SOCAN can streamline your royalty revenue. Previously, performing or playing music was one thing, and reproduction, such as making a CD, was another, but now performance and reproduction have become linked due to the rise of online distribution and streaming.

4. You Even Get Paid For Performing Your Own Music

Above: Scott Helman Performs at the SOCAN office in Toronto

SOCAN works with a government-appointed independent body called the Copyright Board of Canada. Basically, SOCAN operates on behalf of you, the music creator and copyright owner, by negotiating tariffs for live music venues, TV networks, radio stations etc. so that you can receive royalties each time your music is played or performed. SOCAN then collects the payments and distributes it to you.

You can even receive royalties/payment for performing your own music! Every time you do a live show you should make a note of your setlist and the venue and date so you can submit it online to SOCAN. In order to be a live music venue they are already paying a license to play tax and they royalty payment you get comes out of that pool of money. It's already yours and is just sitting there unless you claim it.

5. You Can Stay At Their Houses For Free

Above: CBC News looks inside the SOCAN House in Los Angeles

Other perks of being a member include SOCAN houses in LA, Paris and Nashville. Basically Airbnb for SOCAN members, except it's free to stay there. You just have to pay the cleaning fee. They also have rooms in other cities, such as Vancouver, where you can hang out and meet and collaborate with other musicians.

Through the SOCAN foundation they also have grants, awards, and programs to help support your creative endeavours.

In the words of SOCAN itself, "SOCAN serves and champions music creators, music publishers, and visual artists. We advocate for them, and we work to defend and protect their rights, so that they can be compensated for their hard work – the music we all love to listen to, and the artistic work that we appreciate, love and prosper from spiritually to economically." -http://www.socan.com/about-socan/