20 Recording Tips

1. Use EQ filters (highpass & lowpass)
2. Do not have headphones too loud (to avoid leakage)
3. Cut the room down with sound absorbtion (for vocals)
- a small space for vocal will give a more full recording.
4. Listen before recording (record silence to get a noise profile)
5. Point the Null of the microphone where there is noise.
6. Turn off cell phones and other unnecesary lights and electronic
devices to avoid static or buzzing.
7. Filter out low and subsonic frequencies (on all instruments except kick drum and bass)
8. Dont overdo midranges, human hearing is most sensitive to this.
9. High ranges give the vocals or guitar "air" which gives it definition.
10. About one-hand length away from the microphone as a starting
point, but depends on the song and vocalist
11. No digital clipping
- all peaks should be kept below -3db. Some digital meters lie.
- have the gain at a "sweet spot", not turned all the way up
- clipping cannot occur on any level, track, or mix
- use compressor or limiter to lower peak (it can kill dynamics or
smooth out punchy pieces)
- try out compression on drums (parallel compression)
12. Cut most bass frequencies from instruments that are not the bass (high pass filter)
- frequencies that arent important to the mix shold be cut
- individual tracks wont sound as good solo, but a good mix is the goal
- panning, tasteful reverb, and delay can be used to eliminate overlap of tracks.
- bass instruments and drums usually left in the center
13. Good final mixes should be punchier than the final master
14. The final mixes will not sound like a commercial master
15. Avoid excessive high frequencies.
16. Well balanced mixes are necessary
17. Reverb is crucial to acheiving certain sounds, but simple reverb is not the answer to
huge sound. Use Predelay for a fuller sound, but not so it effects the dry track.
18. Drums recorded in a bigger room generally have a better, fuller, tone.
19. Put 4 bars in before the beginning of the recordings to allow preparation time.
20. Use compression and EQ on drums, but do not eliminate the pulse all toghether.