Recording & Mixing - The Home Recording Studio

24Apr 2022 by Jon

Recording the sound of nature: Stereo microphone shootout

Blog, Field Recording, Home Recording Blogs, Microphones, Recording, Sound Effects, Techniques

Stereo Recording Shootout In this stereo recording shootout I test two different stereo recording techniques. One, a mid-side (M/S) stereo setup costing over $2000. The other, a pair of inexpensive stereo omni-directional mics. Can these $100 microphones compete against the higher priced alternatives? So, join me for this stereo recording shootout as I record the sound of nature. The Location I recently visited the Welsh countryside and took the opportunity to record the sounds of nature. Understandably, it's difficult to make good recordings near cities or towns. For example, traffic, and other noise can easily ruin recordings. So, while I had the chance I compared two stereo recording techniques. Read on to find out how I made the recordings. Listen to the results In the video below I explain the…

18Apr 2022 by Jon

The Ultimate Lo-Fi Plugins?

Blog, Composing, Home Recording Blogs, Recording & Mixing, Techniques

Are these the ultimate Lo-Fi plugins? Introduction In this post I take a look at Vulf Compressor and Tupe by Goodhertz and ask the question: are these the ultimate lo-fi plugins? Whether you make lo-fi hip hop, chill-wave or vaporware there are a growing number of lo-fi tools. Tape emulations, vinyl emulation and vintage compression, for instance. Some of my personal favourites include:- Waves J37 & Lo-fi SpaceChow DSP Chow TapeArturia Tape Mello-fiCaelum Audio Flux Mini and Tape Cassette,Klevgrand DAW CassetteYum Audio Lo-fi Pitch Dropout I've had good results with these tools (many of them are free) but I have often wondered if there are better options. Read on to find out more, including a secret 50% discount! Goodhertz? I have heard good things about Goodhertz plugins for quite some…

22Jan 2022 by Jon

Why you should be using reference tracks

Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Mixing, Recording & Mixing, Techniques, Uncategorized

In this post, I’m going to talk about reference tracks – why they are important, how to use them and where to find them. When we mix our own music there is a danger of never having an end goal in sight. You might have an idea of what you want your music to sound like but sometimes we lose perspective. Our ears are very good at fooling us especially if we have listened to our own mix for a long period of time. If we don’t remind our ears exactly what we are trying to achieve we may just keep chasing our tails round and round. So, read on to find out more about how you can use reference tracks to up your mixing game. https://youtu.be/8Iyk9jmgRm8 Watch the video…

29Aug 2021 by Jon

How to fit acoustic foam tiles

Acoustic Treatment, Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Mixing, Recording, Recording & Mixing

If you've ever thought about improving the sound in your home studio you may have considered using acoustic foam. In this post, we explore how to fit acoustic foam tiles. For many home studio owners sticking foam panels to the wall is a worry. If you are renting a space then you might not want to damage the walls. Likewise, if you decide to move rooms or change your studio layout then you may want to move the panels at a later date. Let's take a look at some of the options in this video. https://youtu.be/AP4tNcLTv8s The benefits of using acoustic foam tiles are:- Medium to high frequency sounds are more controlledImproves recording of acoustic instruments and vocalsImproves mixing when monitoring on speakersLooks great on the walls! Depending on your…

03Jul 2021 by Jon

What is a Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone?

Blog, Home Recording Blogs, Microphones, Recording

What is a Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone? In this month's post we will answer the question: what is a Large Diaphragm Condenser microphone? Some characteristics of a large diaphragm condenser microphone are:- It is good for recording quieter sounds, instruments or the human voiceDelivers warmth and clarityHas a wide frequency response (Low to high frequencies)It has an extended dynamic range (Quiet to loud)Requires Phantom Power This type of microphone is designed for increased sensitivity. Therefore, it requires phantom power. It is likely that your recording device will have an option for turning phantom power on or off. Most importantly, always make sure you turn phantom power on after connecting the microphone. Typical uses Spoken Word (e.g. Audio Books)Narration or Voice Over for moving imagePodcastingRadio Studio recording or broadcastingVocals for music…

31Dec 2020 by Jon

How to use Audio Watermarks

Blog, Pro Tools, Recording & Mixing, Sound Design, Sound Effects

For this post I’m going to look at Audio Watermarks and how to add them to your audio files. What is an Audio Watermark?Why do I need one?How do I create my own audio watermarks?How do I add audio watermarks to my tracks?Is there an easier way?Is there a way to automate this task?Audio Watermarking ApplicationsConclusion What is an Audio Watermark? An Audio Watermark is a short piece of audio which is repeated over the top of a piece of music (or other audio recording) to signify that it is a preview. It also serves as copy protection so that other people cannot illegally copy the audio. Not to be confused with digital watermarks, which are usually undetectable, audio watermarks are meant to be heard and noticeable. Why do I…

04Dec 2020 by Jon

10 Of The Best Home Recording Studio Blogs

Blog, Field Recording, Home Recording Blogs, Podcast, Pro Tools, Recording & Mixing, Sound Design, Sound Effects

Do you want to learn more about home recording but are unsure where to start? The Home Recording Studio blog is here to help but there are many sources of information out there. I’ve been thinking about websites, blogs and podcasts that I find useful for my own continuous learning and development. Through years of research, I’ve built up a selection of websites that I trust to give me top quality information. So here are some of the best online resources that I use on a regular basis:- Sound on SoundProduction Expert / Pro Tools ExpertWorking Class AudioWeathervane MusicCreative Field RecordingTonebenders Mindful Audio (George Vlad)Pro Sound Effects BlogProduce like a pro (Warren Huart)The Six Figure Home Studio Sound on Sound Sound on Sound is a long-standing monthly publication and it…

18Sep 2020 by Jon

5 Things that have improved my recording & mixing

Blog, Recording & Mixing

Lately I’ve been thinking about what has made the biggest difference to my home recording and mixing. Here, I’ve come up with a list of 5 things that I think have improved my recording and mixing at home and taken me to the next level. Audio InterfacePreampsMonitoringMicrophonesPlugins 1. Audio Interface. A few years ago, I decided to make an investment in a good quality audio interface. I had a budget interface but some technical issues with this interface, which almost ruined a recording session I was doing for a band, prompted me to reconsider. So, I wanted something that wouldn’t let me down. I also needed at least 8 inputs and the ability to connect my Focusrite Octopre ADAT interface to give me 16 inputs in total. This is a…