Building a Recording Studio

Studio Considerations

The magic of the recording studio has often mystified even the most seasoned professionals. With all the knobs, switches and buttons on various gear and large format consoles, no wonder confusion sets in to most non-techies. Many people, especially artists, composers, producers, and engineers, will end up putting together their own studio for writing and pre-production, with some eventually deciding to take the plunge and create a full-fledged recording complex that is capable of recording major albums. This article will try to shed some light on the considerations to take into account when making a studio, be it a small home studio or a professional recording studio.

Is size important? Some may say it is so but this is not always the case. The dimensions of the studio are very important. A room too large may become over-reverberant or full of unwanted echoes. A room too small may sound tight and unnatural. It is important that the room size and room sound is relevant to the type of music you are recording. You don't want to go into a very small tight room to record BIG rock drums. Although, big room sounds can be achieved by adding external reverb effects to simulate rooms at a later time when necessary.

It is best to find the room that suits the sound you are trying to achieve from the beginning of the recording process. The smaller the room, the smaller and tighter the sound will be; this is not necessarily a bad thing. Small tight rooms can be good for vocals, guitars and percussion if you are going for a tight clean sound. Larger rooms have more air for the sound to travel in, so it will be in fact a bigger more open sound. The sound has a longer travel time for the sound wave to move, therefore the reflection from the walls will take longer to bounce back creating a bigger more spacious sound. The decision of size and sound has to be made early on before the recording starts. One advantage that a larger room will have is the ability to be scaled down by closing up the room using modular baffles or gobos (go betweens). Gobos are structures that are partitions, that help to block sound by placing them in between the musicians, instruments, and microphones. Placing the gobos around the microphone at a close distance will help a large room with too much ambiance sound smaller. This will eliminate the reflections coming off of the walls that are further away.

Small rooms can produce big heavy tight sounds with the absence of the decay from the reverb that is caused from big rooms. Sometimes a large room can sound like it's washed out, or far away. With a good engineer any room can sound amazing with a little adjusting. A poor sounding room can be manipulated to sound good, although it requires much more work and time. Deciding on the proper room size for your needs is critical to the sounds that get re-produced. This will highly dictate the type of sound the microphones will pick up.

Clapping your hands in a room can give a good representation of what a room will sound like. The reflection coming off the walls will be picked up by a simple hand clap. The true test is to try out some instruments or vocals and position them in various sections of the room until reaching the optimum sound quality. If one side of the room sounds bad try a different spot or move around into a corner until the sound is improved.

Experimenting with different sections of the room also keeps the sound fresh when recording many instruments. If the acoustic guitars are recorded in the center of the room, when the time comes to record the electric guitars you may try recording them in a corner of the room for a different room sound. This gives clarity on the final mix creating separation and providing more distinction on various sounds.

If you are starting your own studio, remember that the bigger the studio the higher amount the bills will be. The benefit is that larger studios can charge more for their studio rates.

Getting the Necessities

If you happen to reach that elite 2% and become that million dollar, hit selling, famous producer or artist (or if you just win the lotto), then you might eventually think about buying serious studio gear and setting up your own producer paradise.

Acquiring the proper equipment and labor is key to a great studio and successful recordings. Studio gear is expensive and the knowledge of those who use the gear does not come cheap. Hiring the right people can save money and time in the long run. Studio designers also are specialty breeds that can make or break your studio. Your buddy Joe the carpenter may be able to help build it for less, yet if the studio is not properly isolated for sound it is a great waste of time, energy and finances.

The studio engineer is also the focal point of the sound that is created. Having an experienced engineer involved in the process will make your sound have a character of its own. He is the extra set of ears that gives another dimension to your productions. He is also a critical consulting partner when building or choosing to rent a studio. Let the experts help you with advice, it will create less of a headache in the long run. The experienced engineer can fill you in on all the equipment needed for recording the music that is relevant to your world. He can also give some guidelines on how the studio should be setup before having to consult a designer. There is no room for guessing or assumption on these issues.

Check List: Part 1

When purchasing studio gear it is wise to research only what is absolutely essential for your style of music. If you're not recording live drums in your studio, there is no need to buy a plethora of microphones for them. By being patient and shopping around for the best prices, a mass amount of money can be saved in the end. When you save to 0 bucks on each piece of gear it really adds up in the end, and there is a ton of gear needed to put a proper studio together.

Below is a basic studio checklist that will be discussed in further detail in later articles. These are the essentials of modern day recordings and the tools that are most commonly used in the best studios around the world.

The Studio Gear Checklist:

Recording / Mixing Console

The engineer or producer operates the console that controls all of the levels for recording, playback and mixing.

This is the big board that has all the buttons, switches, knobs, faders which control the levels and signal routing for each instrument. This could be referred to as a board, console or mixer. The most common consoles in major studios are SSL (Solid State Logic) or Neve. The console is the most important piece of gear in the studio. It controls the overall operations of signal flow and sound manipulation. The console allows for each instrument to be on its own channel on the board. Each channel may then have effects inserted into its signal path to enhance the sound. A signal may also be routed to external gear for further manipulation. Anything that can be imagined, can be done. There are no rules for experimenting with sound. A signal can be sent to reverbs, delays, compressors, guitar amps, speakers in hallways for re-recording

Each channel strip on a decent console will contain: Faders, Preamps, Panning, Equalization, Filters, a Routing Matrix, AUX Sends and Returns, Dynamics, Muting, & Solo.

Other Features Of The Console: Inserts, Outputs, Monitoring, Automation, Fader Grouping, Bussing, Splitting...

Patchbay

Allows the studio to combine interconnectivity with all the equipment by using patch cables. The patchbay can be configured for each studio's specific equipment requirements. All of the outboard gear, console and recording devices inputs and outputs are hard wired to the patchbay. The Patchbays can be be analog or digital. The most common is the bantam TT cable configurations.

Check List Part 2:

Microphones Microphones pickup the initial sound source. The mic is the first source in the recording process receiving and converting the sound wave into electrical energy to be amplified, transmitted and recorded.

Preamps Amplifies the original signal coming from the mic or instrument. Gives initial control of the recording levels. Preamps are located on the console or as external outboard gear.

DI Boxes The Direct box is used mainly for instruments such as keys and bass to be compatible with mic inputs. The DI box transforms line levels of instruments to mic level for console and preamp inputs.

Compressors Helps to further control levels and dynamics coming from the preamp or console. Usually comes in rack mounted outboard gear or software plugins for DAWs. Compressors keep levels from peaking into distortion levels and help to bring lower levels louder.

FX Processors For special effects like adding space, dimension, pitch and time delays on signals and recorded tracks. Usually comes in rack mounted outboard gear or software plugins for DAWs. Multi-FX processors may have reverb, delay, flangers, EQ, compression and more all in one unit.

FX Pedals Small floor foot pedals originally designed for guitar FX processing. These pedals are created for distortion and special effects, which add space, dimension, pitch and time on guitars mainly, but are an inexpensive alternative used as outboard gear for other instruments.

DAW The Digital Audio Workstation is like an entire studio inside of a computer. Protools, Logic and Nuendo are just a few DAWs that provide a digital multi-track recorder, a virtual console, a wide variety of effects, editing, and sequencing(musical programming) possibilities. The DAW uses software, hardware and computers in combination to operate.

Check List: Part 3

Control Surface The control surface acts as a console that controls a DAW or external machine. The control surface usually has faders, knobs and buttons that are controlled by the computer connected to a DAW. This makes operating the DAW similar to analog operations by being able to put your hands on faders instead of clicking a mouse. Some control surfaces have all the same features as a console. The most common control surfaces are made by Digidesign.

Clocking Digital recorders use different clocking formats to operate properly. Digital units sample the sound to be replicated. Clocking refers to the amount of time in between samples taken for reproduction. If the digital clocking is off it will sound jittery or add noise to the sound in the analog to digital conversion. A quality clock will improve the sound. Some common digital clock sources can be found in products made by Prism, Rosendahl, DCS, and Aardsync to name a few. Some clocks have sync generators built in to lock up with other machines.

Sync Generator Generates tones to allow communication between machines so that several recording devices can be synchronized together and operate at the same speed. Clocking works with synchronization (sync) when analog and digital equipment is combined. Sync uses SMPTE, MTC (midi time code), Midi Clock, MMC (midi machine control) to allow recording on several DAWs and tape machines to be linked up together.

CD Recorder Records and plays back compact discs. Gives the ability to record stereo mixes and playback these mixes on other CD players. CD standard for consumer playback is a sample rate of 16 bit and a sampling rate of 44.1kHz. Sony, Tascam, Alesis, and Yamaha all make good studio CD recorders.

Tape Machines Recording machines that use analog or digital tape for recording and playback of music. Some purists in sound recording prefer the sound of analog tape. There are many digital tape machines used for recording both music and video.

Cabling Literally miles of various cabling could be needed for a single studio. Common cables in sound reproduction are XLR balanced mic cables and Unbalanced 1/4 inch instrument cables.

Monitors / Amps Speakers in the studio are referred to as Monitors. Powerful clean amps are needed to run monitors. Many monitors are self powered, which means that they have built in amplifiers. Monitors usually consist of high frequency tweeters, low frequency woofers and cabinets that contain the speakers and components.

Headphones / Distribution By using a set of earphones this allows communication between the control room and the studio, also allows pre-recorded tracks to be heard during the overdubbing process. Headphones are also referred to as cans.

Instruments / Keyboards / Drums / Guitars These are more of the tools of the craft. You may have all the best studio gear in the world, but if the instruments sound bad you are starting in the wrong place. Anything could be considered an instrument if it makes noise that could possibly be recorded on a record.

Amplifiers This is often referred to as an amp. Amps increase the amplitude or volume of electrical signals from sound waves. These are used in powering speakers. Guitar and Bass amps can be used for many other applications such as running a vocal or snare drum through them.

Microphone Stands A wide variety of sizes and styles are needed for a proper studio. The mic stand helps to get the microphone placed properly for the best sound quality possible.

Studio Furniture There are many types of racks and furniture designed to hold consoles and outboard gear. The interior decoration of the studio completely sets the vibe of the working environment.

Electricity

Nothing will work without electricity unless you're jamming at the local drum circles down on the beach. Electrical installation studio power is often overlooked. Studios will setup a "clean feed" that is a separate breaker from the rest of the general power that is being used for air conditioning, lighting and the basic necessities of the rest of the building. Have you ever plugged something in and heard that horrific buzzing sound coming from the speakers or guitar amp? This is usually due to bad electrical wiring, which causes ground noise. This is the first thing to listen for when going in to a studio session. A simple solution to the problem would be to use a simple ground lifter on the gear or lift the ground from a direct box which can also solve the problems. We will go into details later.

Isolated electrical circuits for each individual room are a must in a recording studio. The proper amount of amperage is also a must. Not enough amperage will surely cause your breakers to blow. Consult with an Electrician who is familiar with studio setups to insure that wiring and voltage is regulated and conforming with local codes.

Unregulated Power Supplies (UPS) should also be in place just in case there is a power failure. This will insure that valuable equipment will not blow up or cause a fire. If there is a case of a power outage the UPS will provide enough time to backup important computer files and safely turn off your equipment. Some studios will have complete generator systems in place to keep the studio running for the remainder of the session.

Improper lighting can also cause buzzing ground issues, especially fluorescent bulbs. Avoid using these in any studio. Dimmers can also cause many problems. The average household dimmers will surely put a damper into a clean sound. Make sure that professional grade dimmers are installed to avoid ground noise. Always listen carefully to signals being recorded before committing to a final take. There are a countless number of accounts that the engineer discovers electrical noise on takes during the mix process.

If you are serious about your studio, may I suggest balance power or a separated panel with neutral power conditioning. The evil problems of ground issues are a direct reflection of sources returning or looking for a different ground. Voltage potential between neutral and ground will certainly change your way of looking at things... for example, .5 volts between neutral and ground is the maximum allowance by UL code that electronics will operate optimally without potential induction issues. I would suggest having a meter installed to rate this. Logging this information and having a good rapport with the local electric company would not hurt at all.

Air Conditioning/HVAC

This is another very important area that is often not considered. Studio gear gets very hot. The lack of adequate cooling could result in equipment failure or damage. Blowing up equipment is no fun and it gets very expensive. Some recording studios have a separate Machine Room for computers, tape machines and power amps that is highly air-conditioned to keep everything cool. This also cuts down on the noise from the fans on such units, which can distract concentration from listening in detail in the control room. Having too much air conditioning could also result in moisture or condensation build-up that may also damage the gear. Water in general is bad for electronic gear.

The return air system is used to pull heat out of needed areas and also provides an air intake for the AC units. These are placed in key areas where there is a build-up of heat from the gear, for example near the console or in the machine room.

Separate Rooms: Control Room

Most studios have several isolated areas for recording, mixing, and production. Soundproofing is the main agenda when creating multiple rooms in a studio. To achieve this, the main objective is to make the rooms airtight. If air cannot leak in or out of a room, there will be less chance of sound leaking in or out as well.

Most pro studios have double doors that create a sound lock to help prevent noise leakage. They also have very thick double walls with interior air gaps to also help trap unwanted sound. The floors in the studio should also be floated which means they are lifted from the ground to help further prevent extra vibrations and leakage.

The first focus would be the Control Room where the mixing console and outboard gear are contained. This is where all of the recording and mixing is controlled, hence control room. The acoustics in this room should be designed for hearing the exact sound that is being recorded or mixed. The sound of the room should be as natural as possible for accurate representation of the original sound translated to the speakers in the room.

The first rule for an appropriate acoustically treated room is that there should be no parallel walls .If you were to clap your hands in a room with hard parallel walls you would here the sound bouncing back and forth, this is known as a flutter echo. This is neither good for recording or mixing. The trapping of unwanted bass is important for a room to sound great as well. Twenty five percent of the room should be assigned for bass traps for an adequate mixing room.

Separate Rooms: Live Rooms

The next focus of equal importance would be the Live Room where the music is recorded. This is where the musicians and vocalists perform on the microphones. Live rooms should have more versatility to be able to adapt to different recording situations. Wood floors for example are great for reflection of sound, which creates a brighter tone. If a warmer tone is wanted, one could simply place a rug on the floor. Many live rooms also have a great deal of glass to see between rooms for communication. This is also very reflective. Many studios use curtains to control the amount of reflections coming off glass or hard walls. Non-parallel walls are again needed to eliminate any flutter echoes.

Some studios also contain a vocal booth within the live room. This would be a smaller room designed for vocals. They may also be used for guitar amps and other instruments. There are no rules for what this can be used for; its main purpose is for additional isolation during the recording process. Glass doors or windows are used for visibility of the artists and those working in the control room.

Many elaborate studios may have multiple control rooms and production suites. Lounges and proper bathroom facilities are important in keeping the creativity flowing. A dining area and kitchen are also a consideration if budgets permit. Many hours are spent in the studio when working on projects. It is important to have all the comforts of home to keep everyone happy.

A few proper offices are necessary for the client to be able to have private internet access and to handle business without any distractions. All studios are designed differently. Whatever can be imagined can be created. There are no rules, only guidelines.

Acoustics

Sound is a wave, much like the ripples on a still body of water when a rock is dropped into it. The larger the wave, the lower the tone. Lower tones, known as bass frequencies, travel in wide long waves while higher tones known as treble frequencies travel in a tighter, shorter wave. Frequencies heard by the human ear range from 20Hz to 20K. Just as an indication, a piano's range, probably the widest range of any instrument, is from 39Hz on the low note and 3Khz on the high note.

Sound is measured in decibels also represented as dB. An average concert is about 95-100 dB while a heavy rock concert or hip hop concert could reach levels of 130dB. This is above the threshold of pain; so don't forget to wear your earplugs which are designed to protect your hearing when in extreme sound levels. Interestingly enough, whales can actually produce levels of up to 180dB. It should be remembered that taking care of your ears is the most important thing you can do to prevent damage and have a sustained career. So don't hang out with any whales and put some protection in your ears when exposed to loud volumes.

Absorption is the act of a sound wave being soaked up by a particular material. This is measured by co-efficient ratings. The higher the sound absorption co-efficient rating, the more sound that is being eliminated from troubled spots in your room. Different section of the room may require different co-efficient ratings. Remember that studios start off as an empty shell. Hard surfaces and walls need treatment to provide for a great sounding room. For example, 20 gauge theater curtains are commonly used in studios. They consist of a thick velvet material, which is excellent for absorbing high-end frequencies. The thinner materials soak up higher frequencies.

The thicker materials soak up lower frequencies. This is why thick bass traps are very large and contain ports or holes to trap low-end frequencies. The larger the port, the lower the frequency absorption.

There are endless amounts of products and designs that are used in the industry. Wall panels are also commonly used to absorb sound. These are made from a fiberglass product wrapped in a cloth material. Various sizes and thickness are used for problem frequencies. Again the thin materials eliminate high end and thicker materials absorb low end.

Reflection is the opposite of absorption. Think of the sound as a wave hitting a mirror and bouncing back. This can be used as an advantage for a brighter tone. If a room has too much absorption causing the room to sound too dead, hard surfaces such as wood panels can be placed in strategic locations to add a more live sound to the room.

Some studios have reversible hanging panels that can be flipped between reflective and absorptive to change the room sound at will. For vocals the room may need a more dead sounding absorptive room. Drums may require a more live sounding room. John Bonham, from Led Zeppelin had an amazingly huge live reflective drum sound. This became the goal for the big Rock drum sound.

Prince is underestimated as a drummer. He has a great tight drum sound on his first record where he played all of the instruments as well as the drums. The drums have just the opposite effect using absorption in a small tight room creating a very in your face heavy Pop drum sound.

These are not rules, only guidelines. Using your ears is always the key to getting the best sound.

Designing a studio is quite an undertaking to do professionally. Each room is completely separated and isolated from one another. The most common method is to actually build a room inside of a room. The inner walls do not touch the outer walls, which creates an air gap that traps sound. Each wall can be many feet thick and multiple layers of thick glass and doors divide the rooms.

The floors in each room are floated from the ground with spacers that also create an air space to lower vibrations and help to trap unwanted sound leakage. All floors have different characteristics in the way sound waves bounce off from their surfaces. While wood floors have a warm tone, concrete and tile have a brighter tone. This also holds true for walls.

A solid plan is needed to run cabling between rooms so that each room can be interconnected with each other for microphone signal lines and headphone communication systems. Custom made cable troughs or PVC tubing is used to send groups of microphone cables from a panel to the control room. From the control room the Headphone lines would be run through the walls for communication between all of the rooms.

Materials and Tools

Drywall is needed for walls. The more layers of drywall added will increase the thickness of the studio walls. By using varying thicknesses of drywall stacked and shifted, alternating at the seams will help minimize sound transmission between rooms. Many drywall screws and a good electric drill will definitely come in handy if you are building a studio.

Fabric is used for making wall panels and ceiling clouds that control the absorption in the studio. There are specific fabrics that are designed for different frequency absorption. Each thickness and texture has varying co-efficient ratings at multiple frequency bands.

AC Duct Board and other fiberglass products are wrapped in fabric with spray glue to create absorbing panels called Wall Boxes and Bass Traps. Thermal Fiber or Fiberglass Insulation is inserted in between two sets of walls and ceiling to create an additional thickness providing an alternate texture, containing fiberglass, which is superb for capturing sound.

Sand is also an excellent alternative choice for filling walls to prevent sound wave transmission. Wood provides the skeleton for frames that hold the panels and boxes. Larger Bass Traps with large ports could be made from wood or fiberglass. RPG panels are a series of wooden slats mathematically designed to absorb and refract, or soak up and scatter sound inside a room. Wood can also be used to create custom racks to hold the outboard gear, console and patchbay. Custom studios can be designed for any situation and style.

Doors, Walls and Windows

Doors and walls are the single most important item where recording studio sound bleed is concerned. A small 1/4inch air gap at the bottom threshold of a door will release 30% of the sound. Creating airtight rooms are the first step in sealing all the gaps for optimum sound proofing. The transitions between where the rooms are connected have more possibilities for sound leakage. All corners, gaps and frames for door and window cutaways must be sealed with a silicon or caulking material. Keep in mind that if air can escape through any passage then sound will surely go through as well.

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Help Make Your Own Beats - Software Packages and Tools

Like a beat maker you will find other tools you should think about to consider you into that next stage once you have selected your sequencer (or Digital Audio Workstation). First, before I recieve any more, I must help remind you that you will always hear others declare that a particular tool is preferable to another. Like I pointed out earlier, it's type of such as the Mac versus. PC discussion: it's rarely ending! Exactly the same is true for beats, be it MPC versus. MV3000, Reason versus. FL Studio, or Cubase versus. Logic. There's no better only good for you. Do not get swept up into all that, because ultimately everything comes lower for your ability being an artist to apply your creativeness to produce something, while effectively using the tools you've available. A great producer should have the ability to be a master of his very own tools.

A great way see whether you will need to expand your production toolbox is as simple as searching at what you have and design for music you want on creating then determining what's restricting you. This is actually the easiest way of gauging whether you should purchase new gear because hardware and software isn't cheap and trading either in or these two things often means around 200 or 1000 of dollars spent. This free guide is all about making beats on the tight-pocketed budget, so I'll detail things i did and strictly outline some costs incurred consequently. After I did this evaluation myself in early stages, I recognized the most restricting factor was the range of sounds I'd which clued me into things i needed at that time, that was more sounds to utilize.

Sounds:

Additionally to that contains almost all the various tools you will need to start making beats, FL Studio also includes some stock sounds to obtain your production game began. Bundled up with FL Studio is a few drum kits, bass tones, and many other sounds for example strings, synths, percussion, etc. While these sounds might help enable you to get began, sooner you will find that they get used and re-used fast and you will need to load on some more recent sounds to remain creative.

Tried Sounds:

Acquiring more recent sounds could be completed in a number of ways. A typical strategy is by sampling old records and it has been made popular by producers for example Kanye, Pete Rock, and also the RZA. You will find several techniques used when sampling music. While many people loop grooves and breaks, others decide to segment or "chop" aspects of the initial loop to produce something different compared to original. An expert of the strategy is DJ Premier. By staring at the seem of DJ Premier you'll notice that he barely just loops his samples and rather chops them up to the stage in which the original is barely identifiable. Answer to sampling is getting a great ear for which to sample. For this reason record hunting or "crate digging" is really a complex art by itself. Record enthusiasts also called crate diggers are continually looking for records for any seem or a mix of unique sounds to produce their beats. It could be a horn stab, an ethnic instrument's seem, or perhaps a drum break, like a stylish hop producer, you need to create a keen feeling of collecting, using, and changing sounds. FL Studio has various tools to complete exactly this. You are able to record sounds into FL Studio with either your personal seem editor, or while using mixer in FL Studio. If you're a producer who intentions of doing lots of sampling, you might want to consider buying a turntable and mixer. You should also avoid wasting cash for that records you will be sampling from!

Seem Modules:

Seem modules are electronic instruments which contain a bank of sounds that depend with an exterior interface (like a keyboard controller or perhaps a sequencer) to trigger its internal sounds. Usually this is achieved through MIDI, a protocol typically utilized in electronic music. An entire book could be discussed MIDI, onpar gps, and advantages consider this informative guide should really enable you to get began instead of confuse you already, I'll ensure that it stays brief. The bottom line is, MIDI means Guitar Digital Interface and it is a business standard communication protocol in electronic music. It's employed for communication between interconnected electronic music products through MIDI messages (no audio is moved), sent in the delivering device towards the receiver. So with regards to seem modules, MIDI messages are sent from either the sequencer or perhaps a keyboard controller to trigger the sounds around the module. Essentially, these MIDI messages could be sent by means of musical notes, and frequently dictate how they'll be performed through the seem module. A good example of the qualities MIDI messages can send are such things as velocity, volume, timings, etc. Seem modules, in rack form, make the perfect option since they're usually less expensive than purchasing the laptop keyboard version which basically consists of exactly the same sounds for example drum kits, bass, along with other instruments.

For instance, The Yamaha Motif ES seem module is several 100s of dollars less expensive than it's keyboard counterpart, but lacks some features the laptop keyboard version offer, particularly the secrets, slider mobile phones and knobs, and more compact display. While seem modules ranges from the couple of $ 100 to many 1000, there's another solution for all of us attempting to stay with a good budget, and that is where the field of VSTs prove useful. If you are thinking, "Damn, another term I have reached remember" but you will be glad to understand that one. VST means Virtual Studio Technology and it is essentially software substitutes legitimate hardware instruments. Many instrument companies who've typically made hardware instruments are actually putting them in software form as VST plug-inches. These VST plug-inches may then be loaded like a funnel into FL Studio and performed as though it were a hardware device connected via MIDI cable. E-MU, who initially arrived on the scene using the Proteus 2000 hardware seem module, no more produce it and also have now come forth with the Proteus X which costs about 0. The Proteus X features exactly the same Composer seem bank because the original Proteus 2000 produced in 1999. Additional seem banks could be bought through E-MU's website like the Mo'Phatt and The World for just that have been both popular hardware seem modules.

Seem Libraries and Sample Compact disks:

Last, and surely most famously, another potential source for brand new sounds come from Seem Library Compact disks. Seem Libraries are generally a couple of tried sounds, for example drum kits, bass tones, percussion, stabs, or seem effects collected and put together through the vendor, usually in .wav or .aif format. These vary broadly in prices and could be between to hundreds of dollars, based on the standard and just how extensive the seem library is. As I haven't bought any seem libraries on Compact disc before, I've heard individuals who depend a good deal in it and also have without doubt they prove useful. A really intriguing sample Compact disc is a known as "All of the Breaks" which consists of 300 drum breaks all-in-one Compact disc for the sampling or cutting up pleasure. Using the insightful each one of these news sounds available you might find you'll need a more effective method of who audition them and playing them. This is when getting a MIDI controller may prove useful.

Pay attention to Audiobooks Online - History Repeats Itself

I've attempted to convince many buddies to hear audiobooks online. This really is no different to reading through a normal book, with the exception that another person's voice will the reading through for you personally. Apparently the change from the 'traditional book' to some compact disk or mp3 has led to a sizable number of skeptical individuals who doubt that you'll be able to truly appreciate a singular by listening, instead of physically reading through. Funnily, it's really the more youthful people who are not as easy to convince to give it a try.

Because my grandmother had developed hearing tales told around the radio she was willing to hear audiobooks online - actually, she thought it was an enjoyment as she could sit quite easily, do her mix stitch or perhaps perform the gardening while she learns the tracks. Audiobooks have been in existence for any very very long time, actually, a number of our grandma and grandpa was raised hearing the British Broadcasting Company using its serialized classics. History implies that as soon as 1933 an anthropologist J.P. Harrington investigated and recorded the dental histories from the Native American tribes.

The American Congress saw a necessity to supply extra assets for those who have sight impairment, and consequently the "Books for that Adult Blind Project" was started. This project was the walking stone for audiobooks or 'talking books' and before lengthy the mass reproduction of these started. Later in life the nation's Library Service provided a significantly needed public-service for blind people across America by recording countless books within an audio format.

Audiobooks and Popular Culture

Massive advancement in technologies have driven the audiobook online format in to the achieve of customers who accepted the expansion with enthusiasm. It had been in early 1960's when the development of the portable cassette player recorder permitted simplicity of use. This coincided using the ever growing recognition from the pursuit for self-improvement. This kind of tracks, with focus on training or educational subjects, grew to become extremely popular. Self-help audio-books were well and truly in style and also the initiative was broadened to incorporate audiobooks on a multitude of general subjects like the humanities.

Audiobook tracks grew to become a great deal larger and rapidly an industry was produced that focused for individuals attempting to rent popular game titles. Hearing audiobook online grew to become a multi-big industry and producers assisted the grow by presenting high-quality tracks completed with large casts of voices.

Today, the audiobook concept has accepted innovative technology that has made the merchandise a lot more available to everyone than in the past. The huge variety of product available is now able to easily downloaded on the internet and it is formats integrated into any digital listening device for example mobile phones, Audio players and apple ipods. Cellular this contemporary and leading edge tools, it's highly likely the youthful people nowadays could even gain an affection for any classical author for example Jane Austen or William Shakespeare.

It's ironic the creation of the audiobook online hasn't fully changed printed books version but rather only has outlined the fun of books generally.

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The Blending Desk P-Mystified: Using It

You're either looking at a mixer or thinking of buying one but either way you need to know exactly what it's for and how to use it. Few bits of band kit carry more mystique than the mixing desk - it comes with its own language and resembles the flight deck of a large airliner. Don't be put off by the jargon and the complexity, its really quite a simple beast once you've played around with it a little - and trial and error is the way that most of us come to terms with our mixers. Trial and error though can lead to costly errors and waste valuable time. I recently tried to record my band live but couldn't be both playing and on the desk, and only discovered afterwards that the engineer hadn't sent the signal to the DAW... All the complicated setting-up and checking was right but two and a half hours of live gig weren't captured at all because a simple matter of pressing one tiny button was overlooked - but... there you go, it's that easy to go wrong.

If you already have one, read this article with it in front of you. If you have yet to take the plunge, look up the one that interests you and check the specification, keep this handy while you read.

What is a Mixer?

A mixer, mixing console, mixing board or desk is a device that allows you to balance, position, effect and equalize various different audio channels into one sonic image - a mix. You can add FX to selected channels, position instruments to a location in the stereo field (pan), route channels to external FX units and shape the sound of each channel with a dedicated equalizer allowing you to adjust the bass, treble and mid range.

The first piece of 'band' kit we bought, as opposed to individual pieces of kit, was a Behringer mixer. Lots of venues have their own, as an integral part of the PA system, but many don't, or - if they do, they often turn out to be less than perfect - with channels that don't work, sticky faders, dodgy connections. The first gig we played, we found on setting up that the house mixer didn't work at all ie - no PA. We simply plugged in our trusty beast and left it to our own sound engineer to sort out. At other gigs it's proven a better desk than the resident one or it's mixed our stage sound for us. Inexpensive digital mixers, like ours, include microphone pre-amps, phantom power and the ability to record from the desk. It can be used to get tracks onto a home pc for DIY recording projects and a wide variety of loops, samples and FX that can be triggered live. Get one. Now. What follows will make a whole lot of sense if you are looking at a mixer - and hopefully much more sense than the manual does.

Why do we need a mixer?

Acoustic sounds - voices or musical instruments - are often collected through transducers - microphones and pick-ups. These produce weak electrical signals which must be amplified to line level. Amplification is performed by a pre-amplifier ("preamp"). At line level, signals can be more easily manipulated by devices such as mixing consoles and tape recorders. Manipulation at line level is what the mixer desk is for - it takes a number of signals (vocals, guitars, bass, drums etc) and allows you to balance and blend them into an audio mix, an output signal blended from all those inputs. Output signals are then sent to a power amplifier, where they are amplified to levels that can drive loudspeakers, which then convert the signals back into sounds that can be heard through the air. When you consider the variety of different sounds (vocal, percussive, electronic etc) and volume levels that a band produces, the need for a mixing desk to put it all together as a cohesive, balanced sound is easy to see.

Mixer Terminology

So, you're looking at the desk, a bewildering array of knobs and sliders with strange, alien names. Sound engineers excel at creating new names for otherwise familiar things and concepts - our sound engineer once stared blankly and uncomprehendingly at a question I raised about 'output leads' and after several minutes of this said cuttingly - "You mean 'feeds'. You should have said so". There were other words, mostly shortish ones denoting body parts and sundry related activities. Such are sound engineers. So, you're looking at the desk and you ask...

... What is a Channel?

A channel is an audio input that goes to a fader. A typical mixer channel will have an input selectorfor choosing mic (microphone) or line signals (such as a guitar output), a trim knobfor adjusting the input level (volume), and dedicated EQ(equalization) controls to alter the bass, midrange and treble bands of the signal (see above). A channel usually has sends which send part of the signal to an FX (effects) unit (or other destination). Finally a channel may have a bus selector switch which switches the channel output to a bus.

... What is a Fader?

A fader is a sliding level control that can be used to vary the loudness of any mixer channel. The name comes from "fading in" and "fading out" tracks. Look at your mixer - Is there a little "infinity"symbol at the bottom? Infinity means "zero" in mixer-speak. I did warn you about Sound Engineers' terminology... See the heavy line nextto the solobutton? That is the marker for 0dBvu, sometimes called the "nominal" or normal level. It signifies that at that point the signal that exitsthe fader is the sameas the signal that enteredthe fader. If you lowerthe fader from that point you attenuate(ie reduce) the signal. If you raisethe fader from that point you add gainto (or boost) the signal.

... And What's a Bus?

A bus is a faderwith its own dedicated output. You could also say that a bus is a major pathway from all channelsto a single faderconnected to an output. You can send everything going to that faderout of the mixer to another piece of gear - You can also bring the signal back in to the mixer on spare channels. Why would you want to do this? External FX processing for example - sending the signal for effects to be applied by an external unit then returning the processed signal so it can be sent on to a pa or other destination. On mixers with buses, there are routing buttonson each channel that lets you route the whole signal to one of the buses. The main busis often called the 'L/R bus'. Other buses are often grouped in pairs, like the 1-2 bus and 3-4 bus. There may also be another switch that lets you route these bus fadersto the 'master fader'. Typical uses of buses are to send a track (or groups of tracks) to a digital multi-track, or to a sound card or audio interface. Yet you can also be very creative with them, sending them to samplers, groove-boxes with analog inputs, surround encoders, separate compressors etc. Some buses may have channel inserts.

... Channel Inserts?

An insert is a pathway out and then back again into a single fader, letting you return the external signal to the mixer without using more channels. Use an insert to patch in an external piece of gear that only affects that one channel. Typical uses of inserts are patching compressors, outboard EQs, exciters, pedals, multi-track recorder input/outputs, and FX boxes. Lots of people route channel inserts to a patch-bay where they can plug in various devices conveniently. A well-featured mixer will have inserts on individual channels, busesand the master fader.

What is a Pan Pot?

Easy! A pan pot, is a little knob marked 'pan'... OK, you'll want to know what it is for - it is a panoramic potentiometer and it allows you to place the signal it applies to (see 'channel') anywhere in the stereo field, from extreme left to extreme right, and all stops in between. It helps you separate the sounds in the mix - very handy when you find yourself with flute, sax and harmonica playing guests.

What are the Mute/Solo buttons for?

The mute button silencesthe audio on a channel (so you can hear other stuff in the mix, from other channels). A solo button silences everything exceptthe signal on a channel so you can hear that channel in isolation. Our (un)sound engineer has been known to mute a channel not currently being used (lest someone inadvertently wreck his mix by coughing on a live mic or smacking a guitar into a mic stand. It's reasonable, but not when he goes off in search of more beer and the next song up requires that channel... be warned.

What are Routing Buttons?

Routing Buttons switch the audio signal down the pathway to the buses. Think of them as an output selector. If you press the '3-4' routing buttonand pan it (rotate it) all the way to the left / counter clockwise, the signal goes out by bus out 3. If you press the '1-2' routing button and pan it all the way right / clockwise, the signal only goes out bus 2. If you press 1-2, 3-4, and L-R and pan to the center point, the signal goes out through all 6 outputs. I recommend you try all these options just to know what the results are - we had our desk for 6 months before we realised how useful this could be.

What's a Send - and a Return?

A send is a major audio path that goes out of the mixer. There is, usually, a knob on each channel for each send so you can direct variable amounts of that channel to the pathway. These knobs send a variable amount, a little or a lot of each channel to a single mono output. A send can function as a separate monitor mix and is used forstage monitors. In a recording situation, the send typically goes to an FX unit. The signal is brought back to the mixerby the returns, and can be added to the main signal. A send is effectively a sub-mix. You don't have to bring back the sends to their returns. You can bring them back to an empty channel and continue to process with EQ, or on to a bus fader. You can use the returns like any other line input, patching in synths, other mixers, computer sound-cards, a CD player, decks and anything else you can think of.

Can you use a live console/mixer for recording to your DAW(digital audio workstation)?

Yes! Use the buses (now you know what they are) to get an isolated signal to your DAW, sound card, or audio interface. They all work the same way. Or use the inserts to connect to the DAW with unbalanced cables (see below and also your mixer manual will explain these). Shut off the global EQ. Things to look for - does the mixer have all the ins and outs you need? Does it have enough buses? Do you need direct outs? How many sends and returns, pre-amps, do you need? How is phantom power implemented? Are all the connections balanced (see below)? Which are not? This is a recording issue and beyond the scope of this article but any good home recording guide will give you the information you need. 90% of the digital mixers now available will do the job well - the size of the mixer, in terms of the number of inputs, is likely to be the variable factor but then - how many channels will you need to record at once?

How Big a Desk Do We Need for our Live Work?

The number of inputs is the key issue but note that 24 channels may only give you 12 analogue inputs and those are the ones you need for your mic's and any Dis (direct inputs). Bear in mind that if you are mic'ing drums that could involve 3 to 5 mic inputs or more. Behringer typically indicate the specification of the mixer in the model name - for example the Xenyx 2222 has a USB interface (that's the Xenyx bit), 22 channels, 2 buses and 2 master outs. The 2442 has 24 channels, 4 buses and 2 master outs. The former gives you 10 analogue inputs, the latter 12. Not all manufacturers use such descriptive model names however so be sure to read the specification data first.

Balanced and Unbalanced Cables

The XLR (mic') lead is balanced, similarly speaker leaders, and the guitar/instrument lead is unbalanced. Three wire system, balanced, and two wire system, unbalanced. In the balanced lead the positive and the negative don't contact the earth whereas in the unbalanced lead the negative and the earth are one and the same thing. The earth - (ground) is exactly that. The green earth wire goes to a copper stake in the ground so that any short circuit between the positive and earth will send the current to ground, but because the positive and the negative don't contact the earth it is said to be floating 'above ground'. The shield acts as a protection from interference by sending any extraneous electrical interference like hum, to ground. Unfortunately in the unbalanced circuit negative is ground! This makes your choice of stage box (multi-core cable) important as good ones feature a built-in 'ground-lift' that cancels that irritating hum which can drive sound engineers to distraction - and beers.

Unbalanced

The two signals of an unbalanced connection are referred to as "signal" and "ground". The ground is the zero reference while the signal has a voltage level that is above or below zero. This voltage level determines whether the signal is a 1 or a 0 (VGA, Audio & Video are Analog signals, the analog signal can have a voltage level anywhere between the high and low voltage levels). Coax cabling reduces exposure to cross-talk.

Balanced

Balanced signals are often called "current loop" signals and travel on "twisted pairs" (UTP for Unshielded

Twisted Pair or STP for Shielded Twisted Pair). The two signals in a balanced pair are like opposite charges of each other. What that means is if one wire has 12 volts, the other wire will have -12 volts. As the signal travels the pair, one wire radiates a magnetic field but as its partner wire generates an opposite field, the two fields cancel out. This cancelling is how balanced signals eliminate 'cross-talk'. Since Twisted pair wire is usually cheaper then Coax wire, balanced signals are more popular. Make sure that you have the appropriate cables and always have back-up. As with so many things in your live set-up, the cheap buy often turns out to be the most expensive over a period of time but a misplaced boot can swiftly kill the best shielded cable.

Your mixer can make a huge difference to your band's on-stage sound and getting to grips with it will teach you a lot about sound engineering and how to get the best out of your kit. It can also lead you into the fascinating world of recording - and be a huge help in writing and developing your own songs. Along the way you can discover the fun to be had with samples and other ways to enhance your live sound. Good luck!

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Woodwick candle lights come in several fragrances. For that holidays, stock on Pure Vanilla, Almond Orange, Evergreen and Gingerbread. Christmas particularly means burning the gorgeous Noel candle, which emits a spicy scent that's a enjoyable combination of brighten, spiced berries and spicy cinnamon. For crisp fall nights, cuddle track of a blanket and become lulled by Woodwick candle fragrances including Pumpkin Butter, Spiced Plum, Fireside, Cinnamon Chai, Applewood and Caramel. Spring and summer time seasons could be accompanied with fragrances for example Cucumber, Cotton Flowers, Lemon Sage and Honeysuckle.

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