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.
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 minimum requirement if you want to record a full band including drums, guitars, bass and vocals.
So after looking at all the options I finally decided on the Universal Audio Apollo 8. This was a substantial investment but one I felt was right. What tipped it for me was the DSP processing. I have a mac mini (late 2012) and it doesn’t take long for Pro Tools to fall over once you have a full session with lots of plugins eating up the computer processor. Having that extra DSP for UAD plugins was a bonus. There are still times I have to conserve processor power by freezing tracks in Pro Tools but I have more freedom now with the DSP on the Apollo interface.
2. Preamps.
Preamps are usually built into your audio interface, but you can also use separate preamps before feeding them into your interface (at line level).
Having good quality preamps can really make a big difference to recording – sometimes just as much difference, if not more so, than the quality of the microphone. The preamps on my Apollo interface are good just on their own but also have a little trick up their sleeve! You can use UAD Unison Plugins to emulate classic hardware preamps, opening up lots of choices to help shape the sound you are looking for.
On my most recent single release ‘Hit the wall’ I used just a Shure SM58 mic on the lead vocals. It sounded great when I put the 58 through my Apollo interface and used a Neve Preamp emulation to record with.
As well as my built in Apollo preamps, I also own a couple of Golden Age Projects Pre73’s. These are based on a design similar to the Neve 1073 which is a legendary preamp.
The first time I recorded through these preamps and compared them to my old budget audio interface it was like someone had switched on a light! The difference was huge.
3. Monitoring.
If you want to improve your recording and mixing then seriously consider your monitoring. After all if you can’t accurately hear what your mixing decisions are doing to your overall mix then you will end up chasing your tail! Getting a decent pair of studio monitors has made a big difference for me.
For years I struggled with a pair of Tannoy Reveals active monitors and found they had limitations, especially in the low end. I had to do a lot of test mixes, trying tracks through different playback systems (in the car, home stereo, etc) and the mixes were not consistent. My current monitors are a pair of Neuman KH120’s which have helped me out enormously. My advice would be to spend at least $1100 (£800) and do some research on how the monitors handle low frequencies.
Acoustic Treatment
Good quality monitor speakers will only get you so far if your room sounds bad. The room I mix in isn’t ideal: it’s a small loft conversion so the ceiling is sloping; and I have a big window right behind me and a wardrobe off to one side. We can’t always be too picky about which room in the house we have to use as a studio.
Using acoustic room treatment can help. I did a lot of research and finally went with GIK acoustics. They are based in the US but have a small factory over in England close to where I live. So I actually collected the acoustic panels myself and saved on shipping.
They make a lot of different accessories so if you need wall mounts, or floor stands, or the ability to hang them off microphone stands, there’s usually an option to suit everyone.
Headphones & Room Correction Software
An alternative to monitor speakers is to mix on headphones.
This method is not without disadvantages, but it can be better than struggling with poor quality monitors in an untreated room.
The final icing on the cake for me was using Sonarworks Reference software.
Basically, for the software to work you need to calibrate it to your room. This involves using a measurement microphone and playing a series of test tones over your speakers.
The software then calculates the frequencies in your room that are building up too much or are lacking in other areas.
An EQ curve is generated to compensate for this and then you can place this EQ on the final master output track of your DAW (this must be bypassed before exporting the mix).
Using room correction software like this helps give you a more accurate picture of what you should be hearing – rather than fighting your room acoustics.
4. Microphones.
I love microphones but one microphone is never enough! Different mic’s are needed for different recording situations. With vocals you need a few different options because you might want to record other vocalists or styles of vocal. For my latest vocal microphone I decided to go with a tube microphone. I like the idea of the microphone adding some character or colour to the voice. I didn’t just want a transparent, clean representation. Plus I’m also fond of ‘darker’ sounding microphones, that help tame harsh, high frequencies. After some research I went for the Avantone CV12 tube mic. Often referred to as the ‘Taylor Swift Mic’ because she recorded some very early songs with it.
As with any microphone it’s good to try it out before committing to purchasing it. I was able to do this through a supplier called SX Pro Audio who let me have the mic on a trial basis first. The Avantone is now my favourite vocal microphone!
5. Plugins.
I like to have lots of different plugin choices: reverbs, delays, EQs, compressors, multiband compressors, Saturation, Distortion, etc. The truth is I have a mild plugin addiction!
As mentioned earlier I have a UAD Apollo interface which allows me to run plugins on the built in DSP chips. UAD plugins are some of the best out there at recreating analogue hardware.
But you can still get great mixes with just the stock plugins included with your DAW, and there are lots of great free plugins out there too.
If you want to improve your recording and mixing I suggest you focus on a core set of plugins and get to know them really well. Then you can decide what else you might need.
Here are some of the best plugins I have been using lately on a consistent basis.
My Favourite Plugins
Izotope RX 7 Standard. Great for cleaning up vocals with the included modules: Breath Control, De-click, Mouth De-Click, De-ess, De-plosive, De-hum and Spectral De-noise. Can be used either as a plugin within your DAW or as a Stand Alone app.
Syncroarts Vocalign. Really helps to line up vocal doubles or backing vocals with the lead vocal. The plugin simply analyses the original track, then the track which you want to match the original. Then it processes the track by making small changes to the timing so that both tracks line up perfectly.
Oeksound Soothe. Soothe is a plugin that is hard to categorise. It’s not an EQ or a compressor or a de-esser. What it does is something far more subtle. It removes some of the harsh frequencies of a track while still keeping the fundamental sound in tact.
You can control the depth of how ‘hard’ you want the plugin to process the sound but it’s very transparent usually. I love it on acoustic guitars and vocals but it will work on almost anything.
Conclusion
In conclusion, these 5 areas of music production have brought about some big improvements to my recording and mixing.
It was during the production and mixing of my latest album, ‘Super Giant Helter Skelter’ that I really saw my recording and mixing skills improve.
But it’s not just about the hardware and software. It’s also about practicing and getting better over time. If you’re not happy with a mix, put it aside and come back to it at a later date. I’ve done this before sometimes months or years later. With a fresh perspective, new skills and tools, and I have finished the mix.
I hope to address these 5 areas in more detail in later blog posts. In the meantime, get in touch with any messages you might have or subscribe to get future updates.
Take it easy!