Recording: A Primer

Introduction
I've had some people ask me about my equipment recently, and I know that there are many of you here who are interested in auditioning for later contests and new generations of the groups that will be formed at the end of this contest. I thought that a rundown of some of the terms you'll hear around this board along with some tips on equipment and answering some general "How do I improve my quality?" questions might be useful for those of you who are either in the contest, a part of our ∂ew∂rops program, or wanting to audition at a later date. So, here you have it! A primer on recording, equipment, and we'll even briefly touch on mixing! (Though more comprehensive mixing tutorials will come later to this forum.)

I'm New to This Recording Thing
The only things you really need to start recording are your voice, a computer with a soundcard, and a mic that will plug into that soundcard (or USB port). But it's pretty tricky getting a decent recording if you don't even know how to use your equipment! And that is why I'm here to help inform you on some things you can do to improve your recordings, along with some things you can get or make to help you in your quest for the perfect vocal track!

First off, you may be wondering if your dinky plastic microphone (or mic) is good enough to make recordings with. The answer is: it depends. What kind of quality are you looking for in your tracks? Does your mic "top out" easily? Do you get alot of mic "puffs?"

"Topping out" happens when the vocals go over the loudest recordable sound, and all you hear is loud, heavy noise. The person's dynamic quality becomes eliminated and instead is just a loud, annoying noise similar to someone yelling. If you've ever yelled into a mic, you may have experienced topping out.
Mic puffs are strong bursts of air that happen while singing consonants that require alot of air behind them. The sounds "pah," "tah," "dah," "ha," and the like are notorious for creating mic puffs.

OK, But How do I Fix it?
So, you think you may have experienced these problems, and on top of it, your mic picks up incredible amounts of noise or even creates its own background noise that destroys your recordings? Don't fret! It doesn't take a $4,000 studio condenser mic to solve your problem!! There are many steps that can be taken, whether you choose to purchase a new microphone or not, to improve your recordings!

One thing that can help is to stand (or sit) farther away from your microphone. This will help to lessen instances of topping out. If that still doesn't work, you may have your mic turned up too loud on your computer. If you open your volume control (in Windows), go to Options > Properties. In the box that says "Adjust volume for" select the button that says "Recording" (it's usually set to playback). After you hit "OK," you should see a column that says "Mic Volume." There are two options under this column, Balance and Volume. Move your volume down (or up, if your recordings are too quiet despite how loud you're being) to a level that you can work with. It may take many test recordings and much fiddling with the mic volume to find a volume level that works for you. Don't be discouraged.

Another thing that can help protect against mic puffs is investing in or making your own pop filter. A windscreen can also help, but I personally prefer the pop filter to the windscreen. A windscreen is a small foam covering that goes over the part of your mic that you sing into. You may have seen these in TV shows like American Idol. They are mostly used in live performances, and sometimes in studios, but they are usually accompanied by a pop filter in the studio setting. Also, ask your dealer about whether your mic has a built-in windscreen, because many nowdays come with one built into the mic itself.
A pop filter is a circular device that has some sort of mesh covering it. This is placed in front of the microphone and sang through to prevent the occurence of mic puffs. You can usually buy them from anywhere between $15-$45, depending on where you go. However, you can also make one of your own using pantyhose and an embroidery hoop. An excellent tutorial is here.

But What If I Want Some Spiffy Equipment?
OK, so you've done both of these and are impressed by the increase in your recording's quality, but you've thought about it and have decided to invest in your own microphone. That's a good decision, but not one that everyone likes to think about. Microphones are expensive and so is all the equipment, or so you've been told. As with any hobby, yes, you might be investing a significant amount of money into your first set of equipment, but don't let that get you down. You're improving your recording quality and it doesn't always have to be so expensive.

Some other things you might think about getting are: a mixer, headphones, a microphone, and a mic stand. Depending on your mic, you may or may not need a mixer, and even if you think you might need one, there are other alternatives. For instance, I use a regular microphone (as in, not a USB interface mic), which doesn't normally plug into a computer soundcard. However, I bought a $4 converter for it and now it plugs directly into my soundcard. You can do this with any three-pronged mic.

Microphones, Shockmounts, & Preamps
So, what kind of microphone do you fancy? There are many different types of mics, the most popular being dynamic and condenser. A dynamic mic is capable of taking more dynamic ranges without the distortion of topping out, but a condenser offers the high quality of studio recordings. The difference is clear, and you may instantly say "Condenser, duh! That's for me!," but condenser mics are considerably more expensive than dynamics, which offer much clearer sound quality than your plastic desktop mic will, so it's all about what you can afford.

A dynamic mic can cost anywhere between $20-$200, sometimes even more than that. A condenser, however, is more in the $150 (for the hobbyist condenser BLUE makes) - $5,000 (for high-quality recording studio investments) range. As hobbyists, I doubt anyone here would want to spend as much as $5,000 on their microphone. Vee was lucky enough to come across a lower-end condenser (still better quality than a dynamic) USB mic for $80. It really depends on the brand and type of mic as to how much it's going to cost, and there are many resources you can consult on the internet about microphones.

Another thing you'll want to think about with condensers is how finicky they can be. These are very high quality mics that can pick up the tiniest vibration, even the one coming from your computer or monitor! So, a desktop mic stand is pretty much out of the question. However, there is a remedy for this problem with condensers. Firstly, try to eliminate any sounds that the mic may pick up that are unneccesary, such as a fan blowing or a loud air conditioner, the cat, etc. Another thing you'll want to do is invest in a shockmount (I told you condensers were more expensive!). Anyone who uses a condenser will want one of these, because it will eliminate the hiss that the mic picks up from any wierd random background noise there may be and also from any vibrations the mic can pick up (like the thumping bass of your brother shredding guitar in the next room or your aunt who loves to stomp everywhere). These are usually custom-made for the model of mic you purchase and can run anywhere from about $20-$50 or even $60. The more expensive your mic was, the more expensive the shockmount will most likely be.

Chances are, if you bought a USB mic, you won't be needing a mixer or preamp. However, if you can't find a way to plug your three-pronged mic into your computer, you may need to invest in a preamp. A preamp is just a way to convert your analog sound (the mic) into a digital sound that your computer will recognize. Mixers, on the other hand, can do the same, but sometimes come with built-in effects, like echo or slapback. There are many preamps that go from analog to USB that can plug into your computer with no problem available on the internet and in stores. Mixers and preamps are pricey and start at about $80 and can go much higher than that. Professional mixers can be the size of a couch and cost much more than I would know to estimate! >.>;

Mic Stands
As for a mic stand, there are two popular varieties: the mic stand and the boom stand. A boom stand differs from a regular mic stand in that it's about half the height and where the normal pole that would be a mic stand is, an arm crosses it to heighten the mic stand, but also makes for easy placement if you're playing an instrument of any kind. I personally purchased one because it makes it easier to use your computer keyboard to flip through lyrics than using a normal mic stand. A good mic stand should not cost you more than $35. If you're shopping in a place that has them marked any higher than that, I would not be doing any sort of business with them, because it's two hunks of cylindrical metal with a base. There's no reason for it costing more than that.

Headphones & Why You Need Them
Lastly, you might be thinking about headphones. Why do you need headphones for recording? It only makes sense! When you sing along with music to help you get your vocal track timed correctly, it only makes sense to use headphones to hear your guide music, otherwise the background music gets mixed in with your vocal track, which destroys your quality, especially if you intend to use any sort of effects like an echo on the track. The ideal pair of headphones should fit over your ear and form a sort of cup, to keep sound in (i.e. the music track you're listening to) thus preventing your mic from picking it up. You can opt for regular headphones or noise-canceling headphones, but the noise-cancelers will be more expensive, I guarantee it (think like spending $60-ish for a set. Ouch!)

Also, the ideal pair of headphones should have a flexible band where it fits over your head so you can slide one side off to hear yourself, otherwise you're completely tone-deaf when recording because you cannot hear yourself! I personally reccomend the right ear being the monitor for your singing, because you discern sounds more clearly with that one (according to my music teacher, anyway.) I personally reccomend both Sony and Panasonic headphones, which are about $30 for a NICE pair if you go to Target or Wal-Mart, but any pair will do as long as they cover your ears.
Note: I suppose you could use ear-buds, but I would think that would be terribly uncomfortable. But then, it's up to you and whatever you feel is easiest!

Effects, Noise Reduction, and Volume
So, you've done all these and you're ready to record, but you feel that your mixes are missing something. Something's just not quite right yet. But you've spent all this money, what could it be?! Well, chances are you might want to spice things up with some effects or maybe remove some background noise from your vocal track.

One of the most popular effects that you'll encounter in songs is the echo or reverb effect. Most, if not all, Hello! Project songs have some sort of reverb or echo effect in them. If you're using Adobe Audition (formerly Cool Edit, so any of those will work with these instructions as well), some nifty effects that I personally love are the Full Reverb and Quickverb effects. The presets that I prefer under Full Reverb are the MediumVocalPlate, which is something I use on alot of songs, admittedly, because it's so versatile and not very noticeable. I think it fits my voice nicely, and it blends with the background track to where your voice pops, but isn't like singing into the grand canyon with a karaoke machine in the background. ^_^ I think it's a staple and has become my go-to effect. Another one I personally prefer for slower, ballady tracks is under QuickVerb in Audition. It's called LiveReflectionChamber. I first discovered this while recording "Shiawase desu ka?" orig. by Sexy8, because it had a very unique echo to it, and this emulated it almost perfectly. Experiment with some of the presets if you have this program, and you'll really see what a wonderful tool Audition/CoolEdit can be!

As for removing background noise, most recording programs come with some sort of noise reduction filter. I hated this filter for the longest time because I never understood how it worked, but once I discovered how it is supposed to be used, it is an invaluable tool that I think everyone can use to improve their tracks! In Audition select a part of your track where there are no vocals (the intro, during an interlude, or during the outro are perfect places) and go to Noise Reduction. Select "Noise Reduction" (I know that sounds redundant, but there's also a Click & Pop Eliminator, a Clip restorer, and a Hiss Eliminator among other things.). From there, you'll want to click on the button saying "gather profile from selection," select "select entire track," and modify the level, previewing it until the noise reduction is at a level where your vocals aren't lost along with the noise but the noise is removed enough that the backing track masks it. Some people reccomend 100%, but I personally think about 60%-85% is fine and won't kill your softer, less dynamic vocals.

Another thing that can also help in mixing is to lower the volume of the backing track (instrumental, karaoke, whatever you kids are calling it these days.) considerably. A mistake that many new recordists make is to leave the backing track volume @ 100% right along with their vocals, making it almost impossible to hear them in many parts. For Audition, I usually lower the sound level to at least -6 and as low as -8.5. What you want is for your voice to pop, but to still be able to hear the background music. When you think you've got it, start at the opening of the song and listen to yourself - not just for mistakes, but to see if you can still hear the music along with yourself. If it's reasonable and you can hear every note you sing, then you're good to go! Otherwise, play around with things like your vocal track's volume until you find a sound level you're satisfied with.

Closing & Helpful Links
So there you have it! A quick primer on recording and how you can improve, along with a guide to recording equipment and how it is used. I hope my information was useful, and I shall leave you with links to some online stores I personally like, along with some tutorials I found while constructing this brief introduction and even some audio programs I'd reccomend trying. Happy recording, and remember: you don't have to spend incredible amounts of money to have a decent recording. If you get to know your audio program well enough and learn all the right tricks, your recordings will sound more professional. You don't need a studio budget to get a decent vocal track!

Online Music/Recording Stores:
http://www.zzounds.com <--I really like this store. Their info. is very helpful!
http://www.micguys.com/page.php?11
http://www.topdjgear.com/microphones.html
http://www.amazon.com/
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation?N=100001+304601
http://www.samash.com/

Quality Mic Manufacturers:
http://www.bluemic.com <--mostly high-end studio mics, but has hobbyist-priced mics as well.
http://www.shure.com <--highly reccomended
http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/
http://www.cadmics.com/
http://www.behringer.com/
http://www.neumann.com/

Learning about Microphones:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphone <--breaks down all the types of microphones out there!
http://arts.ucsc.edu/EMS/Music/tech_backgr...0/teces_20.html

Some Audio Programs to Check Out:
Adobe Audition: http://www.adobe.com/products/audition/
GoldWave: http://www.goldwave.com/
GarageBand: http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/ (NOTE: Only for Mac OS)
Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Cubase: http://www.steinberg.net/
Vegas: http://www.venturaes.com/sonydigital/index.html

Wow, this really helped a lot, because my microphone would
always make weird noises, well I have a question though. I use
Goldwave, and I don't now what to do to make my mixing better,
like youknow singers, they sing one part at a time,
but when I record, I have to sing the whole sold in one time,
or else it won't become a song. I don't know how to mix it properly!
Could you help me? haha thanks

A programme like Adobe Audition will let you put the individual sections in, and you can drag them forwards or backwards until they are exactly in time with the instrumental track :)
I personally hated goldwave. My adobe programme broke, so I'm currently using Audacity. But Adobe audition is easier to use. With audacity I have to insert silences in order to get the vocal in line with the instrumental. It's not too hard, but if you're new to these programmes it might be a bit daunting. My original programme crashed (that i bought) so I've been going through the free ones teaching myself how to use them until the trial runs out, then getting a new one! XD
Also, recording in chunks is good cos if you mess up a bit you can go back and do it again, whereas in a one-shot, if you make a mistake you're stuck with it!!

The word I've always used for "Topping out" is "clipping" ^^0

Goldwave's actually pretty easy to use. I used it before I started using Adobe Audition.

You record it in parts and then open up the instrumental, press Ctril+M and use the M:S thing to arrange it where you want the vocals to start. It's a good idea to check on the instrumental beforehand around what time the singing starts to save time.

Then you can use the up and down arrows to move the milliseconds to get more accurate.

When you record, I liked to play the instrumental while I was singing to get it timed right.

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