Many novice musicians who do not have the opportunity to record in the studio and want to try their hand at home recording their own songs are interested in where to start and what equipment to use in order to get acceptable sound quality at home. First and foremost, the quality of a home-recorded song will depend on which microphone you are recording with, whether you have a mixing console and preamp, and whether you can master the finished recording.
Instructions
Step 1
Of course, the foundation of any voice recording is your vocal skill. Choose a good studio microphone for recording, in which the amplitude of the oscillations does not go beyond the operating range of the sound in the capsule, in order to reduce frequency distortion. If you sing softly, sing closer to the microphone. If you are singing loudly, on the contrary, move away. Such sensitivity of the microphone will give the sound a special brightness and beauty.
Step 2
The price of a good studio microphone starts from a few thousand to several
tens of thousands of rubles. For $ 300-400, you can get a decent condenser mic, which should be enough for a good home vocal recording.
Step 3
For a condenser microphone, in contrast to a dynamic microphone, it is imperative to purchase a separate windproof filter so as not to spoil the sensitive membrane. You can also buy a less expensive dynamic microphone, but the color of the sound in the recording from such a microphone will be paler. The frequency response of your microphone should be approximately 60 Hz - 18,000 Hz.
Step 4
Handling a sensitive microphone forces you to pay attention to the little things that at first glance were invisible in the vocals - in particular, the harsh sounds that appear in the recording when the vocalist utters sibilant consonants (P, T, F, and others) with a sharp release of air. These intermediate sounds can be too powerful and harsh for the microphone's sensitive membrane, so you need a windscreen filter for good recording and proper microphone operation.
Step 5
However, the windscreen will not eliminate the background noise that is inevitable if you are recording in an apartment rather than an isolated studio environment. To reduce noise during recording, prepare the room for recording - hang walls, windows and doors with various fabrics and other soft materials that absorb sound, and remove from the room all things that can reflect sound and distort it. To record vocals, the room should be as deaf as possible, so that later, during mastering, you can apply any effects to the recording.
Step 6
Also, for high-quality recording, you need a preamplifier that amplifies the microphone signal. It is best to use a good tube preamp that will give you the deepest, most natural, and clearest sound to your computer. The budget option of this device will be an amateur mono mixer with line and amplified inputs.
