SettingUp

concessions for your way of working, because many of them have not.

If you are on a very, very, very tight budget, and your needs are geared more towards the
recording sounds that do not require low latency monitoring, I can think of worse routes than
the USB microphone. However, if your needs are higher (particularly in the monitoring
category), I would double check to make sure that the USB mic can do everything you
think/assume it can.

The New Era of USB Recording

If you have made up your mind that you want to record with a USB microphone, you may
want to check out this doohickey. This adapter thingy allows you to use a standard
microphone within the USB realm. That way if you ever want to upgrade to a real audio
interface or sell the microphone you aren't stuck with the USB format.

What Is the Best/Most Affordable Mastering Plug-in?

I don't believe in "mastering" plug-ins, because they don't do anything different than "mixing"
plug-ins, which don't do anything different than "tracking" plug-ins. There are many big boy
hardware "mastering" equalizers that allow for more subtle, fine-tuning than the standard
models. I can't think of a good reason why a compressor that is good enough for a lead vocal
isn't good enough for the stereo bus (assuming it sounds right in either application).
Sometimes a lead vocal will require a certain compressor and color, but (so far) most of the
plug-ins contained in these "mastering" applications can be quite colored, too.

You may want to take a look at this:
http://www.recordingreview.com/blog/mastering/tracks-3-deluxe-mastering-mixing-plugins-
review/

Monitoring For Performers

I make a huge deal about monitoring in this book when it comes to audio engineers making

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accurate decisions about mic placement, gear selection, instrument selection, and mixing.
However, now I turn the attention to the person actually performing. Just as an engineer is
completely lost if they can't hear what they are doing, a musician is lost as well.

There are various methods for providing headphone mixes. Unfortunately, your options for
setting a headphone monitoring system require a bit more technical knowledge than we'd
probably prefer, but I hope to simplify this whole headphone mix mess.

I own a Presonus Firestudio audio interface. While not robo-expensive, it's towards the top of
the Presonus line. Because of the many features built into this audio interface, I have a
number of options when it comes to creating headphone mixes. Most budget audio interfaces
won't have features such as a DSP signal routing matrix or the ability to output up to 9 stereo
mixes. Then again, if a 2 channel audio interface meets your needs, you probably won't be
recording too many 9-piece bands live in the studio anyway.

Recording Software Monitoring

My first “go to” method is monitoring through the software. If I'm only recording a single
person I always use this method. So if you are recording yourself, this is the method I
recommend. Let's say we are recording vocals. The signal travels from the vocal mic >
preamp > analog to digital converter > computer > recording software.

In the recording software I can manipulate the audio as I wish by adding compression, maybe
reverb or delay, etc. I love having this control because I use the same exact model of
headphones listening to the same exact mix as the singer. The only difference between what
I hear and what the singer hears is the sound of their own voice is resonating in them. Other
than that, I keep everything identical in our headphone mixes so I can adapt to quiet sections
in the song, loud sections in the song, etc by simply moving a fader in my recording software.
I do have to say that there are some creative benefits to using certain reverbs and delays, so
don't rule those out and make sure to crank up the predelay extra high on reverb in the
headphones.

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After I've tinkered with the audio in my recording software, it flows back out the computer >
digital to analog converter in my audio interface > headphone amp > headphone extension
cable > headphones.

Requirements:
• Low latency audio interface - All of this processing is done in real time. In order for the
signal to flow through this gear so fast the singer doesn't notice any delay, I must have
a low latency audio interface/soundcard that gets the audio in and pull it back out of
the computer as quickly as possible.
• Capable recording software - You must have recording software capable of software
monitoring (which almost all do these days).
• Powerful CPU / Low overhead - Low latency always adds additional strain to any
computer. It's as if we have a whip out saying “Faster! Faster!” If you are already
pushing your CPU to the limit with a particular tune, you'll have trouble when you turn
the latency down to settings low enough to use computer monitoring. My computer is
fairly dated by today’s standards, and I have to pay attention to the amount of CPU
power I'm using, but seldom is it an issue. With lower latencies, the risk of clicks and
pops arises.
• Headphone amp – In this case, it would be simple to use the built-in single headphone
jack in my audio interface. However, I want to hear what the singer is hearing, and I
definitely want individual volume controls. So I feed all channels of Behringer 4-
channel headphone amp with the single stereo out signal from my Presonus
Firestudio. This is a luxury, and most people would be content using the headphone
output in the audio interface (if applicable).

Benefits:
• The singer hears exactly what is being recorded for the best possible performance.
• I hear exactly what is being recorded. If there are clicks and pops, I know about it. If
there are weird issues with the microphone, I know about it.
• If the singer wants to listen at rock concert levels, they can. I can be a wimp and live

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to hear another day by turning my own volume down.
• Adding any effect via plugin is a godsend. I don't track vocals without compression.

It's rare that I don't give the singer just a bit of reverb or delay. Sometimes the effects
inspire the singer to give an over the top performance.
• When using budget preamps to boost low-output signals, noise is often a problem, but
even worse, sometimes it's tough to get the signal out of the track you are recording
loud enough. One way to help is to use a healthy boost in the makeup gain on a
compressor (even if you aren't actually compressing anything) to get the level you are
looking for.
• No headphone amp is required if the audio interface has one built in.
• Software monitoring is the way that all guitar simulator plugins and virtual instruments
(synths and samples) work. If you are ever going to use any of these tools, there is no
other way to go. Users who are used to monitoring via hardware struggle with high
latency when attempting to utilize real time processes in the computer.

I consider software monitoring to be the way to go for anyone recording a single source and
who has the proper gear to meet all requirements. The fancy stuff I've mentioned like
separate volume controls for headphones and such can be ignored. For people recording
themselves, there is no need for such redundancy anyway.

DSP Routing Matrix Monitoring

My Presonus Firestudio is capable of recording up to 26 simultaneous inputs if I take
advantage of the ADAT inputs. My rig currently allows for 18 inputs. These inputs are
simultaneously sent to the recording software, but are also sent to the light-weight DSP
“mixer” (this may be a bit of a stretch), which allows me to create up to 9 headphone mixes
(Note: This would use 9 stereo outputs while my audio interface only has 4 stereo (8 mono)
outputs and one headphone output. An additional ADAT (8 mono channels) output would be
required to utilize all 9 stereo headphone mixes).

The “light weight mixer” works very similar to how aux sends work on a conventional analog

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board. Aux #1 goes to the drummer, for example. If I turn up the bass guitar for Aux #1, the
bass gets louder only in the drummer's headphones. This is easy enough to figure out.

Requirements:
 Audio interface with a DSP routing matrix
 Enough outputs from the interface and headphone amplifier channels to supply
individual mixes

Benefits:
 Allows for all band members to have individual mixes. (The importance of this is
debated by some).
 You don't have to spend a sizable amount of cash on a mixer with 4 aux sends, and
you don't have to spend the outrageous amount of cash required for a mixer with 9 aux
sends.
 I'm not aware of any mixer that allows stereo aux sends, but my DSP routing matrix
does and I'd expect most others to as well. In my opinion stereo headphone mixes
make it dramatically easier to hear what is going on in a more natural way.
 Latency is a non-issue. Because the audio bypasses the computer and goes straight
to the headphone amp, the latency is diminished to practically nothing. The audio
does have to pass through the DSP routing matrix, but that will add a tiny fraction of
what a Windows / Mac computer will add even with a real deal audio interface. The
recording computer could be set to using very high buffer settings and this could take a
big load off the computer.

Some downsides to DSP Routing Matrix Routing are that there are no effects without doing
some crazy routing in front of the audio interface or recording with those effects on in the first
place (which is seldom recommended). There is no compression, eq, reverb, or delay. You
simply get volume controls and that is it. That doesn't have to be a terrible thing, necessarily,
but I hate not giving singers compression in their headphones.

Note: Some brand new audio interfaces on the market have begun to introduce effects in

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their DSP routing.

Analog Mixer Monitoring

Back in the day when I started, there wasn't
any of this DSP routing junk. You had to
buy a conventional analog mixer, use it for
all your monitoring needs, and then split off
the individual signals with half-normalled
inserts and feed your audio interface with
that.

Here's how to split a signal from a mixer This method made it easier to learn how the
to an audio interface signal flowed in an audio chain, as this is
made quite obvious when you get the hang

of a mixer, but may not be quite as obvious in a software control panel. With that said, the

concepts are essentially the same and 10 minutes of manual reading (OH NO!!!) should make

this a non-issue.

Requirements:
 Analog mixer with enough aux sends for each individual headphone mix.
 Enough headphone amp channels to power all headphones

Benefits:
 Some people prefer knobs over computer sliders, but it's not like you need a ton of
“feel” when you are setting up headphone mixes.
 Adding effects like reverb and delay is easy with hardware effects.
 Zero latency
 Computer does not deal with monitoring in any way and can therefore be set to high
latency.

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If you don't mind mono headphone mixes and shelling out the cost for an analog board, there
is nothing wrong with the old school method. It'll take some routing creativity and hardware to
add non-destructive compression the way you can with recording software, but it is possible.

Studio Monitors: Pair Or Single Speaker?

When buying studio monitors, always make sure you know whether the price given is for a
single studio monitor or for the pair. Studio monitor prices can get outrageously high. Simply
because the price is up there doesn't mean that you get two for that price. Pay attention. I
know this is common sense, but I've heard too many stories of people who were confused
paying $50 to ship a single studio monitor back to the warehouse because they couldn't afford
the second one.

Better Instruments vs Better Recording Gear

Should a home recording person dump their cash into better recording gear such as mics,
preamps, compressors, and studio monitors or should a person purchase better instruments?
It's a common debate that is never easy to answer.

It comes down to whom you are recording, and the weakest links in your chain. If an
instrument is not capable of delivering the necessary tone, no high-end mic or preamp will
save it. It seems a bit silly to run an acoustic guitar that everyone involved in the recording
agrees is “bad” through world class mics, preamps, compressors, and converters. The
recording toys only really become important once you get the source exactly how you want it
in the room and that means the “right” instrument must be chosen first.

Note: I want to make it clear that the price of the instrument is a non-factor in this situation.
We are looking for the “right” sound and not necessarily an expensive sound. If a $99
acoustic guitar gives you exactly what you are looking for, you may as well have the
necessary recording toys to capture that in an as-flattering-as-possible way.

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In the end, I'm always looking for the “Wow!” factor. Changing mics has caused a “Wow!” a
few times from my clients, but not often. Changing preamps or converters has never incited
anything close to a “Wow!” from my clients. Switching from a modern digital guitar amp to my
various high-end guitar heads has given the “Wow!” response many, many times on a
consistent basis for all kinds of music. Using sample layering on drums has produced many
“Wow!” responses. So it's tough to say what is going to make the artist say “Wow!”

In the end, we are looking for the most obvious improvements in recording quality for as many
recordings as possible with limited funds. No one can really decide what is going to be the
best new investment for you, and few investments are going to apply in every situation
(except for studio monitoring). I say take a look at your weakest link and attack it. For most,
this is going to be studio monitoring, but there are definitely many other possibilities.

You really have to factor in how often this new acquisition is going to be utilized. For
example, when I purchased my electronic drum kit recently, I knew that not every band would
be willing to use it. Lets just say that half the bands insist on using the real thing. I went into
it knowing that the possibilities of electronic drums would be utilized by only 50% of my clients
and that made it easier when deciding how much to invest in an edrum kit. My electric guitar
amps have made their way on many, many recordings, but there may be a month where they
don't get turned on at all. There may be another month where I use them almost daily.

Things You Don't Know You Need

Headphone extension cables

Headphones cords seldom stretch more than 10'. If you are recording a 6' tall dude and your
rack is 4 feet off the ground, you essentially have nothing left. Buy name brand headphone
extension cables because I've had horrendous experiences with the generic brands. This is
definitely an item I wouldn't skimp on! Definitely purchase upper-mid grade on these. You'll
be glad you did.

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Adapters

1. 1/4” male to 1/8” male adapters
2. 1/8” female to 1/4” female adapters
3. RCA to 1/4”
4. 1/4” to RCA
5. 1/4” extender (to connect 2 1/4” cables together)
6. RCA extender (to connect 2 RCA cables together).
7. 1/4” to XLR male and 1/4” to XLR female (you could buy an adapter or just buy the

cable)

Of all the things I hate in life, I'd say the top 3 are socialist philosophies, war profiteers, and
1/4” to 1/8” adapters (with child molesters and various other sex offenders coming in fourth).
These damn adapters have caused me more grief at just the wrong time than any other
inanimate object in the universe. You'll know when it happens to you. The infamous “I can
only hear out of one ear” cliché is something I've heard a trillion times. It's caused by these
stupid adapters 99% of the time. The fix is usually shaking and twisting them. After an
adapter is really crappy, usually slamming it on the floor is the only way to revive
consciousness. Life is too short for this!

While these adapters are always going to be needed for various things, I highly recommend
you select gear that does not need them when possible (especially headphones). For the
gear that does, you'll just have to wing it.

When it comes to actually buying these adapters, I would be careful buying locally.
Consumer electronics stores are notorious for marking this stuff up by the bajillions. A simple
adapter should not cost $15 in my opinion. I recommend heading over to an online
electronics store and ordering at least one of each of all these. You may not need all of them
ever in your life, but the second you need one, you'll waste an evening tracking it down in
your hometown, waste gas, and end up paying about what you did for the entire package I
have listed here for a single adapter.

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Common uses of adapters are:
 The singer has his certain pair of headphones he/she likes (9 times out of 10 these
sound like something smelly my dog squeezes out of his body)
 Someone wants to play you a song with their Ipod.
 Someone wants to record the Wicked Witch of the East from a DVD and put it in one of
their songs.
 You want to reamp guitar, but your reamp box only accepts XLR female.
 You need to send signal to a video camera.

Extra blankets

Don't buy these. Find them! I'd say that 10% of the sessions I've done did not require a
blanket. I use blankets all the time for makeshift acoustic treatment. I have my infamous
Ninja Turtle blanket that I keep on a mic stand either behind or in front of the singer
(depending on whatever sounds better). I'd be lost if I didn't have three or four blankets
hanging around the studio.

If you can find a major label caliber studio that doesn't have blankets, I want their name, rank,
and serial number because they are up to something screwy.

Methods to stop a drum kit from sliding

If you find a drum kit that doesn't slide, go out and buy a lottery ticket because it is your lucky
day. No matter what, drum kits like to slide forward. One of these years, I'm going to screw a
2x4 into a piece of plywood. I think that would be the ideal solution (and it's nice to have a
hard surface under the drum kit). A $15 piece of carpet under the kick does an excellent job
of stopping the sliding, but it also absorbs all the high end from the bottom of the kit that I'd
otherwise prefer to have (particularly in smaller rooms). I've had luck with cinder blocks. I've
also had luck with batteries from a Caterpillar (I was going to build some UPS power supplies
and never got around to it). 15-pound weights from a weight lifting set did nothing. Good
luck. Put just a bit of thought into this beforehand and you'll save yourself from a bind. Also,

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keep in mind that when a drum kit moves, all that fancy measuring and mic placement goes
down the toilet. I've seen kick drums go out of phase because they have shifted over the
course of a session.

Phone book

If you are recording bands, always have a phone book handy. I can't stress this one enough!
I debated whether I should put this in here, and then I realized it's the single most important
bit of advice in this book. When bands ask for the phonebook, it means they are ordering
pizza! When bands make a trip to Burger King, 20% of them will offer to buy you a Whopper
or whatever. (If they do, actually work hard on their mixes, but if they don't, intentionally erase
half their session!) However, when bands order pizza, it's an 89% chance that you'll be
getting a free supper! Always have a phone book!

Music stand

No one knows their own lyrics. Everyone wants a music stand. I bought one on Ebay that
resembles an extremely long toothpick and a binder combined. Get a real music stand. It'll
make life easier. You will use it more than you think.

Duct Tape

Do I even have to explain this one! You will use it way more than you realize. For example, I
went through a phase where I recorded all my electric guitars with the volume on 10. This
was very fun. It also had enough pressure inside the guitar cabinet that it literally blew the
1/4” speaker cable out the back of the cabinet on a regular basis. The solution was simple. I
just used duct tape to reinforce it. I could probably name 45 other situations where I never
would have expected to use duct tape to save a session.

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Flash Drive

I think I may like flash drives better than Oscar Meyer hot dogs on white bread. I consider a
flash drive to be equal to the same hot dog on a real hot dog bun. Flash drives are a
godsend for anyone working on a computer that isn't hooked to the internet. Because the
internet is a blood sucking rapist of recording computer performance, it's great to have an
easy way to deliver files to and from other computers. All updates, new plugins, etc go
through the flash drive. All my early mixes go to the flash drive to be heard on my home
computer speakers. I've probably saved 500 cd-rs this year alone with my flash drive and
hours of time. Get one! I recommend spending a few extra bucks and getting at least a 4GB.
(I can't wait until when people are laughing at that one in 2015! If you don't have a teleporter
or flying cars quit laughing and shut up!)

Bulk CD-Rs

Some mixes are going to take you twenty tries to get right. It's the nature of the beast when
you are pushing the limits or struggling with your studio monitoring. I go through cd-rs like my
girlfriend goes through toilet paper. (Don't ask! I don't understand it either). You can save
some cash by buying a metric ton of cd-rs online, but I've actually found the best deals just by
taking a look at what is on sale at my local consumer electronics stores. There is usually one
brand that is on robo-clearance and costs 1/5 the regular price. Check online to see what the
going rate is and then check your local stores. You may be surprised.

Bottled Water

Singers always get sick right before a session. If you are lucky enough to pass through that
hurdle unscathed, you will still encounter a singer who is really dried out. Singers should be
guzzling water like they are hydrating for a marathon so always have bottled water around.
Just buy a bulk package and bury it in your kitchen. Always keep a few in the fridge.

No, tap water isn't good enough for any singer I know. Don't ask!

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Coffee

If you don't rely on a chemical dependency to keep you going during long sessions, you are
doing something wrong. Some say the love of coffee (and whiskey) was the downfall of the
Native Americans. If I were an Indian, I'd have to say it was worth it (except for all the
starvation and general betrayal imposed by the United States). I pretty much draw the line
after coffee, but obviously some artists take it much further. Even if you don't drink the stuff
(yet!) it's nice to have it around when people do need it.

Extra Chairs

It's always amazed me how for certain sessions, 15 people show up. Not only does this turn
me into a paranoid schizophrenic who is about to have a nervous breakdown, it also forces
those people to stand. It's always good to have a few extra chairs lying around if you record
others.

Then again, I must admit that after the session is over and I experience what Rolaids claims
to deliver, I get huge satisfaction knowing that a) I now have 15 people that no longer believe
in “studio magic” and b) I'll be lucky if 2 people show up, let alone 15, for the next session.

Guitar Tuner

You'd be amazed at how many people don't bring tuners to the studio. Why? I have no idea!
If you are on a budget, I know there are free tuner plugins out there. I prefer needle tuners to
strobe tuners generally, but unless you are a guitar nerd, a tuner is pretty much a tuner.

Guitar Strings

I always keep a few different sizes of acoustic and electric guitar strings around. I make my
views on the subject of new strings very clear throughout Killer Home Recording. It's not
worth the risk of putting your name on a recording that used 6 month old strings because you
were too cheap to invest $4 for a rainy day. If necessary, order them to save you a couple of

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bucks.

Entertainment For Bored People

There are two schools of thought on this one. Either you want the non-decision makers to get
bored and fall asleep during long mixing sessions, or you want them to be preoccupied. I
usually take the latter route. Depending on your clients, it's nice to have books with jokes,
funny pictures, animals mating, people mating, religious material, etc just to give people
something to do when you are fiddling with automation on aux send #5.

These sorts of things can be real icebreakers when working with new people. We discuss
that in Killer Home Recording: Vocals.

Things Not To Buy Yet

Some things you purchase for your studio are a no-brainer. You can't really buy the wrong
chair, for example. However, some things are a bit complicated and require a bit of
understanding before you dive in.

Anything Involving Acoustics

In “Killer Home Recording: Audio Engineering” you'll get a hardcore dose of why acoustics is
not as simple as stapling some egg crate foam to the walls.

Anything Involving Aesthetics

It's very possible that all of your pretty stuff will end up in the trash when you need to move
your Mona Lisa to make room for real deal acoustical treatment. Before you pour your
concrete, you may want to measure first. So figure out what you are doing before you finalize
it. Then if you want womanize your studio, knock yourself out.

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Studio Furniture

As I discuss later on here in “Killer Home Recording: Setting Up” and in even more detail in
“Killer Home Recording: Audio Engineering,” it's extremely important not to buy a 400lb desk
before you figure out where to place your studio monitors. Hint: It's not Feng shui!

X-Red Niner - Secret Recording Technology

There is this implication that X recording gear company has the secret Stealth technology that
the US military guards with guys carrying gigantic machine guns and fancy night vision. The
information is so sensitive that the Russians have attempted to infiltrate this Stealth audio
technology multiple times.

(Sound of needle scratching a record.) Wait just a minute! The audio amplifier has been
around since the days of Edison. This puts it in the technological era of the invention of the
light bulb. They had microphones and playback systems back when you had to carry water to
your house with a bucket and you crapped outside.

I once read that the most awesome set of studio monitors in the world were created in the
1950s. What? The 1950s? Didn't audio playback systems sound terrible back then? Yes
and no. The playback systems that my family could afford certainly weren't anything that we
would consider to be of tremendous fidelity today. However, trusted engineers who have
heard this system, which cost the price of a few nukes back in the heyday of the Cold War,
say that it's about as good as sound gets. In other words, audio fidelity reached its pinnacle
in the 1950s, and we haven't done a damn thing to improve it in half a century. Okay, maybe
there have been some improvements, but the real issue here is not what a $20,000,000
speaker sounds like. The issue here is what a $100, $500, or $5,000 speaker sounds like. In
the past half century, the quality of a $500 speaker has improved infinitely! So, as much as
we'd like to think that the best of the best technology has improved, it really hasn't, but the
accessible technology has improved tremendously for the price.

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In other words, really good stuff is much cheaper than it used to be.

Now when we think of the most popular recording gear on the planet, most big boy engineers
would love to get their paws on a Neumann U47, a Neve 1073, and a LA-2A compressor.
This is one hell of a signal chain! However, from a technology standpoint, we aren't exactly
cutting edge here. The U47 debuted in 1949. The Neve 1073 first showed up in 1970
(utilizing the brand new NON-TUBE transistor technology). The LA-2A appeared in 1965.

Note: The computer on the Apollo spacecraft from the era was 2Mhz.

Why in the world is this old junk so popular? You hop in a 1960 fighter plane. I'll jump in a
2008 fighter jet. We'll see who dies first. Okay, we both would crash, but you get my point.
My point is, in recording land, the best of the best hasn't changed in 40 years. The notion that
anything groundbreaking is going on in the world of audio gear went to the wayside before the
Vietnam War ended. They didn't even have microwaves! You had to boil your hot dogs back
then! AHHHH!

So, just remember that Presonus or RME Hammerfall are not leasing land in New Mexico to
test nuclear explosions. They are simply trying to get the sound of that 40-year technology in
a package that the average Joe can afford. The differences between all these various
companies hitting various price points appears to be very small. There are no innovations.
There is no secret technology. I'm pretty sure the patents on the holy grail gear ended years
ago. So don't overplay this gear thing!

How To Break Recording Gear

Whenever a person starts a new craft, they are always afraid for the worst. They are afraid
they are going to break something. When someone asks me to hold a baby, I look at them as
if there is a large venomous snake running around the room. My eyes grow wide. Panic
begins to set in. The only thing I can think of is “Don't break this thing! Don't break this thing!
(Deep breath) Don't break this thing!” (Calling a baby “this thing” goes over very well with the
mothers!).

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Then, when kids get big enough where I can knock them down for fun and I am supposed to
break them, I thrive. I come into my own.
So let's talk about what you have to be afraid of and what you can chill out about so you can
“come into your own”.

Irreversibly Breakable Things

Crushing

If you were to run over every item in your recording studio with a dump truck, the only thing
that would survive would be the SM57s. Other than that, all recording items are susceptible
to extreme weight.

Excessive Electricity

If you had a method for bumping your 110V signal up to something dramatically higher, you
could fry your gear. It is important to plug 110V gear into a 110V outlet and 220V gear into a
220V outlet. This isn't really an issue for those of us in the United States, because I've never
encountered any recording product that ran on 220V.

Using Exponentially Excessive Signals

If you were to plug in the speaker output of your guitar amp which is outputting 100 watts into
a line level signal that has a limit of something like 0.0001 watt, or whatever (I made that
number up), then you could have problems.
Basically, if you run enough electricity to kill a person through an input that was designed for
micro-level voltages, you are probably going to kill that device. So if you wouldn't touch your
cat with that signal, you probably don't want it to touch line-level recording gear either.

Flooding

It goes without saying that you don't want to soak any of your recording gear. Under this
category I will also include volcanoes.

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Deleting Windows or Program Files

Software obviously requires specific files to function. I've encountered computer beginners
who have no problem going into C:\Windows and deleting files randomly. This is the
equivalent to doctor taking a chainsaw to a person's chest when they are having ankle
problems. As long as you don't touch anything within C:\Program Files on a PC, you probably
aren't going to break it.
That's pretty much it. I can't think of any other way to cause permanent damage to your
recording gear off the top of my head. I didn't bother including tornadoes, earthquakes, or
hurricanes. That joke got old after volcanoes. Basically, with exception to mechanical stuff
simply breaking, for a person to destroy their recording gear, they have to intentionally set out
to break it.
In terms of anything that involves a low-output signal, you can pretty much plug it into
anything without any problems. In terms of software, there is never a need to delete program
files. You use the “uninstall” function for that.

Have Confidence!

Get in there and start playing. You may mess something up a bit, but the problem is usually
immediately solvable by plugging the cable into the correct input or resetting a few settings in
your recording software. Have fun! That's the only way you learn.

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Audio Interfaces

The audio interface is your gateway into the computer realm. If you are recording using a
standalone box, you won't need to bother with this chapter. If you are brand new to computer
recording or just planning your initial purchases, this is the chapter is for you!!

What Is An Audio Interface?

An audio interface (a.k.a. soundcard) is the device that lets you send audio into and out of
your computer. It is the hub of your recording rig that makes using a computer possible. I
always recommend a “real deal” audio interface designed for audio recording. Consumer
grade versions found at your local electronics store are not always cut out for music
recording.

Here are a few examples of audio interfaces:

M-Audio Delta 1010

Presonus Firestudio M-Audio Audiophile 2496

As you can see, an audio interface can come in many shapes and sizes with different options
for connections. Interfaces with several inputs are typically rack mountable and can connect
to your computer using USB, Firewire, or PCI.

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What Is Wrong With My Computers Stock Soundcard?

I'm often asked why it is necessary to purchase an audio interface when a w computer
already has a sound card. There is nothing wrong with your computer's stock soundcard for
playing back mp3s and other consumer grade activities.

However, that soundcard is not designed to convert the audio you are recording into a high
quality format that you can mangle with your recording software. Even that “upgraded”
soundcard from your local electronics superstore which I'm sure came with an amazing
graphic on the box won't cut it for home recording in most instances.

If you made it through the mine field with a fancy consumer soundcard, expect some really
bad luck tomorrow because this you've used all the good luck you can expect in a week.

Latency

Latency is the time it takes for your computer to process stuff. In audio land, this is usually
associated with the amount of time it takes for sound to go in, get processed, and come back
out of your computer's soundcard.

Let's pretend we are going to run a MIDI controlled keyboard into the computer. When we
strike a key on the MIDI controller, the MIDI data will flow through the computer to trigger a
synth or sample within the computer. In this example, we'll fire up some piano samples.

When we strike a key, there should be no noticeable lag in time. In other words, we should
hear the note immediately just like we are playing it through a standard keyboard or a real
piano. Your stock soundcard is probably going to take a while to process this note. It is slow
and cheap by design and will have to sit around and think about the note that needs to be
played.

I've seen stock soundcards take as long as 250ms to play a note. This means every note you
strike will be behind 250ms. It's impossible to play this way! The solution is to use a low
latency audio interface that can process this piano note in just a few milliseconds so the delay

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is not audible by the person playing.

The issue of low latency isn't limited to the playback of virtual instruments (synths and
samples) on your computer. This becomes an issue anytime you want to hear what you are
playing through the recording software. We'll discuss this later, but I prefer to monitor from
within my recording software because it gives me tremendously greater control of the
headphone mix. I monitor through my recording software every step of the way from the
tracking of the drums to the tracking of the vocals. This would be impossible without a low
latency audio interface.

Note: Some people do not monitor through their recording software, and are able to get by
on their stock soundcard, but I do not recommend this route. The reasons for this are
numerous. We'll get into them shortly.

When I fire up an electric guitar, the first thing I do is move the amp to an isolated area so I
don't have to listen to it. Then I slap up a mic and start listening to the guitar through the
studio monitors. This allows me to hear exactly what the mic is picking up and make
adjustments as necessary. This would not be possible without a low latency audio interface
as the sound of the guitar would lag behind what the guitar player is doing.

Electric guitar plugin emulators are becoming more popular each and every day but they are
next to impossible to use if the guitar player can’t hear what he’s doing in real time.

You may get lucky and find that your current soundcard is adequate for low latency recording.
Go ahead and try cranking the latency down to the point that it is acceptable for monitoring
vocals with no significant delay. If you can reduce the latency low enough without static,
clicks, pops, and the infamous “blue screen of death” you may actually be able to get away
with using your computers stock soundcard. Consider yourself lucky.

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Analog To Digital Conversion

The device that converts an analog wave to a bunch of numbers the computer can use is
known as an A/D converter. All A/D converters are not created equal. The higher the quality
of conversion, the less unpleasing distortion added to your recorded tracks.

Generally speaking, A/D converters are usually not as prone to subjectivity as other links in
the recording chain. In other words, there really isn't a case I know of where a person wanted
poor A/D conversion as a “cool effect”. I'm guessing that the guy singing through guitar
pickups or a megaphone on a major label recording is still being routed through high end
converters. Poor quality converters tend to sound harsh.

The effects of high end converters (which cost thousands of dollars) are fairly subtle. Some
people can't hear a difference at all. However, it's possible that the converters in your stock
soundcard are so bad that the difference would be quite noticeable. They may sound okay at
first to the untrained ear, but once you know what you’re listening for it’s easy to tell the
difference.

With that said, I don't want to overemphasize this quality difference. A pro could use the
converters in an $8 sound card and still smoke anything that 90% of people recording at
home are cranking out regardless if they are using multi-thousand dollar converters.

Lack Of Features

Audio recording has its own unique demands that few people outside the recording realm
face. This is why consumer grade stuff is not recommended. I'll break down all possible
audio interface features below.

Adapters

This may seems like a small issue, but the connections that you use hook up your recording
gear are not the same connections that are used in consumer land. I hate adapters with an
extreme passion. Consumer soundcards seem to always come with the dreaded 1/8” jack.

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(If this were a Will Ferrell movie, he'd yell some fear-related stupidity at the mere mention of
the word.) Here on Earth, we need to cure a few things: World hunger, Cancer, AIDs, and
1/8” jacks.

Audio Interface Features

Analog Inputs

Drums
For every separate track you wish to record simultaneously, you need an input. A person
recording a drum set with 8 microphones must have 8 inputs on their interface in order to
manipulate these tracks individually inside their recording software. A person overdubbing
acoustic guitar, vocals, or any other instrument which only requires a single microphone to
capture, may only need one input. I recently recorded an album for a band that did their
drums in a big studio. We recorded the rest at my studio one instrument at a time. I only
used one single input for the entire project.

How many inputs do you need? This is entirely dependent on your situation. For drums, I've
recorded with just 2 mics and I've recorded with 18 mics. It depends entirely on the sound
you are going for. This will be discussed in greater detail in Killer Home Recording: Drums.

Most people recording drums are going to use 8 inputs. Kick, snare top, overhead left,
overhead right, tom1, tom2, tom 3, and room. More advanced tracking such as recording the
snare bottom, using multiple mics on the kick drum, or using multiple room mics could add
tremendously to the number of channels used.

Live studio recording often requires a hefty number of inputs. The most I've ever used was
20. After the drums are miked up and you throw in the bass, electric guitars, and vocals, you
are easily pushing 14 tracks. If more complicated miking schemes are used on any of these
instruments, more inputs will be necessary. In my experience, few bands do their recordings
entirely live. There will usually be some overdubs.

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Hardware Synths

For people using multiple hardware synths without a mixer, it's a good idea to get a stereo
pair of inputs for every synth you have. This allows you to route MIDI from your recording
software to your synths and then route the audio back into your recording software. Those
using virtual instruments will have no need for this.

Hardware Gear

People who have hardware gear can still use these units in conjunction with most recording
software. For example, let's say you want to use a hardware compressor on a lead vocal
track. Most of the high end recording software will allow you to create an “external bus”,
however, you will still need to route that signal from the compressor back into your DAW.

For users who won’t be recording live drums, using numerous hardware synths, or mixing
with analog gear there is no point to getting an interface with an enormous amount of inputs.
A two input interface will be plenty for many home recording enthusiasts. The miracle of
multi-tracking allows you to record everything separately, overdubbing as many tracks as your
computer can handle.

*Note: Some audio interfaces have digital inputs which can allow you to record even more
tracks at the same time. We'll discuss digital inputs down below.

Preamps

Every microphone requires a preamp. A preamp is
a volume knob that allows you to boost the signal
from the microphone up to “line-level” so that other
gear can use it. This other gear includes

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This Presonus audio
interface comes included
with preamps.

compressors, A/D converters, etc. Again, a preamp is required for each microphone you plan
on recording simultaneously.

If you already have enough preamps, (like the trim knob on a mixer or external preamps) you
may be able to save money by purchasing an audio interface with zero built in preamps. If
you do not have preamps, you may consider purchasing an audio interface that comes with
your required number of preamps. It's always a good idea to have the same number of
preamps as analog inputs. An 8 input audio interface doesn't do you much good if you only
have 2 preamps.

Hi-Z Inputs

Direct guitar recording has become quite popular. One way to liven up direct guitar
recordings is through high impedance guitar inputs. Hi-Z (high impedance) inputs will help
make your guitar sound more alive and natural. Hi-Z inputs aren't really “enhancing” the tone.
They are just providing you an input with an impedance that is designed to be similar to that
of guitar pedals and amps. By optimizing the impedance, more of the guitar's natural tone is
captured. In other words, plugging a guitar into a standard low impedance input sounds like
crap. Plugging a guitar into a high impedance input sounds much like you would get through
a real amp. You can hear this in Killer Home Recording: Electric Guitar.

Here's your standard MIDI MIDI Inputs
connector.
This is the standard connection found on
conventional MIDI gear. The advent of a USB MIDI
connection has reduced the need for these cables.
If you plan on using a MIDI controller that still uses
this connection you will need to purchase an audio
interface that comes with a MIDI input or purchase a
separate MIDI interface.

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Connection

An audio interface must hook up to your computer in some way. There are 4 main methods.
There is no wrong or right here, only what works best for your needs. The connection type
has no direct correlation with the sound of an audio interface.

PCI

PCI is a card that plugs directly into your computer's

motherboard just like a network card. PCI cards

have been around for a long time and are usually

very reliable. They are capable of recording many

tracks and usually do so with low latency. PCI

The M-Audio Audiophile connections are less expensive primarily because of
2496 is an example of a their lack of portability. A PCI interface cannot be
PCI audio interface used with a laptop. If you have no intention of

taking your rig out of your studio, this interface is usually the most economical way of

recording a large number of inputs at high quality.

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Here's the USB 1.1 USB 1.1
Connection that you've
surely seen if you've used a A USB 1.1 audio interface is an older style and are
computer this decade. The typically inexpensive. USB 1.1 has a little higher
inventor even has his own latency and is limited to two tracks in and out
Intel commercial. (although a few manufacturers have managed to
squeeze four simultaneous inputs into these
lower latency. things). If you are on an extreme budget, and don't
need to record more than 2 inputs at the same
time, this is not a bad way to go. USB 1.1 is
portable and will work with desktops and laptops. If
you are using direct monitoring, you may be
happier going with a connection type that has a

USB 2.0

USB 2.0 is a much faster format than USB 1.1.
While USB 2.0 uses the same jack as it's
predecessor, it performs with lower latency. USB
2.0 allows for very high track counts and laptop
portability.

If this USB 2.0 image looks
SLIGHTLY similar to the
USB 1.1 it's for good
reason. There is no visible
way to discern a USB 1.1
and a USB 2.0 jack.

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Here's a Firewire (IE 1394) Firewire
jack.
Firewire is similar to USB 2.0 in terms of speed,
high track counts, low latency, and portability.
Firewire appears to be the most popular audio
interface connection method these days by both the
manufacturers and the consumers.

Software

Many audio interfaces come bundled with recording software. Usually these are the “LE” or
“Light” versions, but they are powerful enough to get a feel for the software and get your
audio interface up and working. In fact, some guys never bother upgrading from these “Light”
packages.

These LE versions of the software may not meet all your requirements in the long run, but
they are of considerable value! In fact, by choosing the correct bundled software, you may be
able to save enough money to more than pay for your audio interface. Let me explain:

Robo Money Saving Trick

The LE versions of software are designed to suck you in with a “teaser”. They want you to
buy the full blown version, which is often expensive. As of this writing, Cubase 4 costs $800
at Musician's Friend. However, practically every software manufacturer is willing to give you a
break for upgrading directly through the manufacturer. Recently, Steinberg had a deal where
you could upgrade for half the price found at Musician's Friend. The $400 Cubase 4 Studio
was only $199 and the full blown Cubase 4 was $399. It's cheaper to buy the interface and
upgrade than it is to purchase the software on its own!

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Digital Inputs

You can supplement the number of analog inputs in your audio interface with digital inputs if
your particular audio interface supports any of the various digital input formats. Listed below
are the 3 main digital formats. With digital inputs, you are on your own in regard to preamps
and AD conversion. You'll have to buy additional gear for that. (Only about a million of us got
screwed on that deal!)

After the signal has been converted to digital it can then be sent to your audio interface to
increase your total number of inputs. I repeat. Your digital inputs are useless on your audio
interface until you purchase external hardware (converters and preamps) to feed a digital
signal into them.

S/PDIF cables are the S/PDIF
same as RCA cables used
on DVD players and such. S/PDIF is probably the most popular form of adding
inputs to an audio interface. S/PDIF is limited to just
interface. two inputs so you are not going to gain many inputs
with this format. S/PDIF is typically supported to
allow the input of a higher quality AD Converter. I
use S/PDIF to send a digital audio signal from my
Mytek AD96 to my Presonus Firestudio audio

Here are some fancy ADAT Lightpipe
looking versions of the
ADAT Lightpipe cable. ADAT Lightpipe can deliver up to 8 audio channels
per input. Some audio interfaces allow for multiple
Lightpipe inputs. You'll find many 8 channel
interfaces on the market that allow you to connect a
single ADAT Lightpipe cable to instantly add 8 more
channels of simultaneous inputs. I use an M-Audio
Octane to send 8 channels of digital signal to my
Presonus Firestudio.

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AES

AES is typically used on more high end systems.
You are less likely to deal with AES in home
recording land, but MOTU and a few other
manufacturers often include it.

AES generally uses an XLR cable to pass a digital

As you can see here AES signal. This means it works much the same as
cables use XLR cables. analog in that only one digital signal can flow
through a standard XLR cable. This, however, can

be a hair confusing because with AES you often see DB25 connectors used to create a snake

that can house multiple channels. These resemble a printer cable from the 1990s.

Multiple Monitor Mixes

Some audio interfaces allow you to setup multiple monitor mixes. This is handy if your
drummer wants a different mix than the guitar player (in a live recording setting). This is
usually a bigger deal for recording bands than recording yourself as a solo artist. Many of the
upper end audio interfaces have a “DSP routing matrix” which in English basically mean you
have absurd routing possibilities. Any combination of inputs can be routed to any output. You
may not see the point in this now, but my DSP routing thingy has made life dramatically easier
for me.

For example, I use the S/PDIF outputs on my audio interface to go to an external Digital to
Analog converter which feeds my studio monitors. I also send this signal to my headphone
amplifier so the singer can hear what he or she is doing. Using the DSP routing matrix, I
simply assign the same “mix” to the S/PDIF outputs and outputs 1 and 2 on my audio
interface. Just for the hell of it, lets assume that the band was making a documentary and
wanted an audio feed. I could assign the same mix to outputs 3 and 4 and run that to their
video camera.

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There are a zillion other possibilities. Most of the time, I don't need to use anything special
with my DSP routing matrix, but when I do it's very nice to have it.

Mac, PC, or Both

This one is fairly straightforward. There are audio interfaces that can work with just Windows,
just Mac, or both Windows and Mac. If you use both types of computers, it may be in your
interest to purchase an audio interface that can work with both.

Bus Powered

If you plan to do your composing or recording on the beach, out in the woods, or some other
postcard caliber location, you may want to look into picking up a bus powered audio interface.
They receive their electricity via a USB or 6-pin Firewire jack. (Only 4-pins are required for
standard Firewire operation, but the other two pins provide the power).

Home Recording Soundcard Wizard

After running my recording forum at RecordingReview.com for about a year, I became tired of
being asked “What's the best soundcard for me?”. It's not that I mind helping people, there
were just too many “if this, than that” type of situations.

So, I read a few tutorials on PHP programming and made the Home Recording Soundcard
Wizard. What used to take 10 days can now be completed in 10 minutes.

http://www.recordingreview.com/soundcard/soundcard_wizard.php

Q: Which audio interface sounds the best?

A: I'm of the opinion that all audio interfaces in the same price range will sound pretty much
the same. There are no audio interfaces that stand out as being an incredibly great value.

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When I switched from M-Audio Delta 1010 audio interfaces to the Presonus Firestudio
(because I needed portability) I noticed no obvious difference in sound quality. To take it even
further, the difference in sound quality between my M-Audio Delta 1010s, my Presonus
Firestudio, and my mega expensive Mytek AD96 converters was very subtle. I can hear a
difference, but none of my clients seem to care.

Don't believe me? Take a listen! This is illustrated in numerous Interrogations in Killer Home
Recording.

I wish I could tell you that after listening to zillions of mixes on "Bash This Recording" at
RecordingReview.com I've noticed that X audio interface seems to always sound better or
even sound better most of the time. The truth is I have absolutely no idea which audio
interface a person is using when I hear the finished mix. If you are looking for an absolute
leader, think again. The human factor is essentially everything in regard to sound and the
difference between similarly priced gear is essentially non-existent in almost all cases.

So when it comes to selecting an audio interface I wouldn't put too much stock into sound
quality. They all sound good. Instead, focus on getting the features you need, reliability, and
compatibility with your system.

Q: Do I need a soundcard and an audio interface?

A soundcard and an audio interface are the exact same thing. Some people believe that an
audio interface is an external box (breakout box) and a soundcard is something inside the
computer, but the truth is they both perform the same function. It's become very popular to
use breakout boxes, but there are definitely high quality, low latency audio interfaces that fit
nicely inside the computer.

Generally speaking, a soundcard refers to just about any device capable of sending audio
signal to and from the computer while an audio interface is more specifically geared to the

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needs of home recording with low-latency and such.

Q: I want to record my entire band live. How do I
add more inputs?

A: First of all, see the digital inputs section above. If your audio interface has ADAT Lightpipe
inputs, you can purchase a simple 8-channel preamp A/D converter that will allow you to add
8 inputs instantly to your audio interface. External preamp / converters with S/PDIF will give
you 2 extra inputs.

If your audio interface does not support a large number of digital inputs, you can always hook
multiple soundcards together. I read today in my recording forum of a person who had
hooked 3 Presonus Firepods together for a total of 24 analog inputs. I've linked 2 M-Audio
Delta 1010s together with an extra 2 channels to each via S/PDIF for a total of 20 inputs.
Currently, I use one Presonus Firestudio, with 2 extra channels via S/PDIF and 8 extra
channels via ADAT from my M-Audio Octane. This gives me a total of 18 inputs. I can add
an additional ADAT device for another 8 inputs.

In some cases, it may be less expensive to buy another audio interface than it would to
purchase the additional preamps and converters. It is highly recommended that if you are
going to use multiple audio interfaces simultaneously that you use the same brand and
model. It'll make your life much simpler when you are dealing with drivers and computer
issues. The one downside to using multiple audio interfaces could be the DSP monitor matrix
(if applicable) not working the way you expect it to. Make sure to research that one first. This
is the main reason I went with the ADAT Lightpipe method.

Q: Why does my audio interface only have 8 inputs
even though it advertises much more?

A: I've always considered this a semi-dirty trick. The audio interface manufacturers realize

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that bigger is better. It sounds better to get the X26 than it does to get the X8. The
manufacturers are adding the digital inputs and analog inputs to come up with this number.

If an audio interface claims to have 26 inputs, it probably has 8 analog inputs, 2 ADAT
Lightpipe inputs (for a possible 16 channels), and then a S/PDIF connection for an additional
2 inputs.

I've always felt this is misleading because a person who doesn't know any better may assume
they are getting more usable inputs and factors that into the price when choosing one audio
interface over another. As mentioned previously, it isn't always cheaper to simply add an 8
channel preamp / A/D converter. Sometimes it's cheaper to purchase an entire audio
interface.

So, it's always better to do your homework and make sure you are selecting the right gear for
your needs. You can read my rants on this issue on the Home Recording Blog at
RecordingReview.com. Search for “Fraud and Idiotic Audio Interface Descriptions”.

Are the preamps in an audio interface as good as
the preamps in a mixer?

For a person just getting started in home recording, I think there are a billion other factors that
are more important than preamps but if you really want to see for yourself, check out all the
preamp Interrogations in the other Killer Home Recording systems. Generally speaking, the
preamps found in an audio interface are very comparable to preamps found in mixers in the
under $1,000 category. They usually don't provide extreme amounts of gain and they often
do get a little noisy when you drive them extra hard.

Is Firewire better than USB 2.0?

Based on the number of users of each I deal with on the forum, I would say they are both

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adequate for home recording. In almost every situation, it comes down to the quality of the
drivers associated with the interface that determine the reliability of the connection.

The tech guys lean in favor of Firewire, but I swear I've heard great sounding recordings via
USB 2.0.

Before You Buy

Before purchasing an audio interface, always perform a detailed search of the manufacturer's
website and/or Google to determine their issues with specific chipsets!

I'm not aware of any interface that doesn't have major problems with at least one chipset.

Every connection type requires a chipset to function and audio interfaces don't play well with
the wrong chipsets. I can't stress how important this is. It's so important that when I build
custom recording computers I always force the client to purchase the audio interface first so
that I can select my computer components.

These chipsets can be found on a motherboard, features built into the motherboard (USB,
USB 2.0, Firewire, etc), or external PCI and PCIe cards.

Have I scared the hell out of you? If so, that may be a good thing. We'll get into this concept
of the chipset more later. We'll get more into what a chipset actually is, how to find out what
chipsets your computer has, and hopefully calm your fears a bit.

Mixers bundled with audio interfaces

In the past few years, there have been an explosion of audio interface / mixer bundles. It
seems that just about every mixer manufacturer is including USB, USB 2.0, or Firewire
outputs in their mixers. For anyone in the market for both a mixer (presumably for live use)
and an audio interface, it's very possible to save a few bucks going this route. However, there
are a few things you should know before you jump in with an audio interface / mixer bundle.

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Pitfalls:

Do you really need a mixer?

For studio use, only a tiny minority of people will get any benefit from a mixer. This is
discussed in "Do I Need A Mixer For Home Recording?"
While having a mixer on a desk does look more like a conventional studio, it's an
unnecessary link in the chain. In most cases, an audio interface is all you need. Scan over
"Audio Interface Features" and make a note of all that you require and compare that with any
mixer / audio interface bundles you may be looking at.

How many inputs?

Make sure you research mixer / audio interface bundles thoroughly as they are known for
being masters in the guessing game when it comes to their I/O connectivity. It's often a
mystery whether the mixer has a stereo output or separate outputs for every channel. You
wouldn't be the first person to assume wrongly that a 16 channel mixer would allow you to
record 16 independent tracks. Shipping prices are high and RMA numbers are annoying to
obtain.

Q: I was thinking of getting X audio interface, but
just a few hours ago I read someone had a
problem with it. Should I get something else?

A: You will never find an audio interface that has had zero problems. They don't make one.
This is no different from cars, TVs, or neck ties. The important thing is to figure out why a
person had problems. Was the unit simply unreliable? Was there a hardware conflict? (Which
I consider to be the fault of the user for not doing adequate research.) Was there a software
conflict? Was the user using a dirty operating system? (We'll get into this “dirty operating
system” business in Eliminate The Dirty Operating System in Computer Performance
Optimization)
If you know why the interface had problems you can better address whether the problem was

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the user or the product itself. I know this complicates things considerably, but 95% of all
audio interface problems stem from systems that are not setup properly or what I call "user
error". So take this in mind when you read about a single person who has problems with X
audio interface.
In the end, you are looking for a series of patterns in reviews. Hopefully, you won't have any
trouble reading more reviews than you can stand. Then you'll have a much greater idea of
the quality of the product.

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Recording Software

When it comes down to it, there is no piece of equipment you will spend more time using
other than your recording software. If you're mixing "in the box", (not using an external mixer)
pretty much everything will be self-contained in your recording software. Because your
recording software is such an integral part of your workflow, it's important that you drive
yourself crazy choosing the right one...right? Maybe not, lets find out.

Placing Too Much Stock In Recording Software

I don't get it. Just ten years ago (as of this writing) 99% of major label albums were recorded
on analog tape. With analog tape, you have functions like: play, rewind, fast forward, record,
and arm (so that track will record when you hit the record button). That was it. If you wanted
to move a chorus from one section to another, it involved the razor blade. I know for sure that
I would feel a little more inclined to just record the dumb song the way I wanted it than to pull
out my sharpening stone.

Fast forward a decade and now people get into heated fights about Pro Tools this and
Cubase that. Logic is the best. No, Sonar is the best. Bla, bla, bla, I think there is this arms
race to acquire the "best" software and it has very little to do with actually making music.
Don't ask me how recording software turned into a manhood length contest. It certainly has!

Every recording program I've ever seen has the ability to play, rewind, fast forward, record,
and arm. Kids who write recording software in their basement have those features
conquered! So it is no surprise that real recording software made by professionals has all the
features required to make your favorite albums of all time (at least from back in the analog
tape era). Dark Side of the Moon was made with play, record, and rewind! So if your needs
are relatively simple, just pick something!

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Note: I am not saying you shouldn't put any thought into your recording software. I am
saying that it's hard to make a bad decision when selecting one. Again, Dark Side of the
Moon was made with play, record, and rewind! Then again, so were the Bananarama
albums.

Recording Software All Sounds The Same

Some beginners choose to believe that one program sounds better than another. While it's
possible that some mixing algorithm is 0.000001% different than another (the calculations
necessary to combine audio tracks when doing the final mixdown), these differences are
excruciatingly tiny when compared to the big picture. I'm going to go out on a limb and say
there is no appreciable difference, especially for anyone just getting started.

If you expect the software to have a direct impact on the sound of your recording, think again.
An $800 program or even a $2,000 program is not going to sound any better than a $300
program or even a free program. An expensive recording program should allow you to do
more stuff and that's it!

No Bad Recording Software

I've never encountered recording software that I'd consider bad. There is software with better
features (which you may or may not use), or that may look prettier (which means ZERO to
me!) but in the end even really cheap stuff is very solid. With that said, I probably wouldn't
recommend you purchase your recording software from the same place you purchase socks
or flat screen TVs.

There are certain things that are easier with “better” programs. For example, I started with
Sonic Foundry Vegas and recorded well over 500 songs with it. Vegas was not known for
being exceptionally good recording software, but it certainly worked. It was like a tape
machine for me.

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Let's say I had 10 tracks on the drums and we needed dead silence during a break down. In
Vegas I had to cut this silent chunk out of each and every track individually. This wasn't really
a huge deal but when I switched to Cubase, I tossed all the drums in a “folder” track and just
cut the single folder one time. I performed the same task in 1/10th the time. This isn't going to
make the recording sound any better, but it did save time, effort, and energy.

I would say that Cubase is quite a bit more efficient, but I certainly can't say that Vegas was
bad. A recording rig is only “bad” when you require the ability to do something and you simply
cannot do it. I do think there are programs that make the music making process easier these
days.

Powerful Recording Software

I'll mention the term “powerful recording software” from time to time. I'm referring to software
that is designed to handle any situation with maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Software
that makes your life easier allowing you to focus more on music and less on mundane tasks.

Powerful recording software has features that you will probably never use. This is a good
thing because it means that anytime you encounter a tricky situation, you can handle it.

Off the top of my head, the MIDI sequencer in Cubase has a “logical editor” which allows me
to randomize velocities (the intensity in which a note is struck), or slightly randomize the
timing of notes struck to give them a less robotic feel. This is a fairly advanced feature that
you won't find in non-powerful recording software.

Will you need it? Who knows. Personally, I'm recording folk music one day, death metal the
next, and then programming MIDI orchestrations after that, so it's extremely important to me
that the software I use is designed to handle any situation I can throw at it.

Some people avoid powerful recordings software because of the learning curve. In the
example above, yes, I did have to learn what a “folder track” was and how to use it. It did

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take about 4 seconds to master. The very first time I cut silence on drum tracks, the feature
paid for itself (in terms of time it took to learn it). I think it's safe to say there are several
hundred features in Cubase that dramatically improve the workflow in my studio compared to
what I started out with.

Don't look at the powerful recording brands out there as intimidating. Look at them as being
helpful. The good stuff has made concessions to handle just about any task and problem you
can toss at it. Be glad that such possibilities exist!

Powerful Recording Software Examples

I consider all of these to be powerful recording software programs. They are mature, have
been well thought out, and it's safe to say they will be around for quite a while.

A: Just to name a few:
• Cubase
• Logic
• Pro Tools
• Digital Performer
• Sonar

The Recording Software Commitment

When you decide that you are going to go with X or Y brand of recording software you must
be in it for the long haul. If you just want to record one song, one time, don't bother going with
a powerful piece of recording software. It won't be worth your time to learn the specific
“system” of that software. However, if you plan on making music for the long haul, it's way,
way, way better to go ahead and jump in with what you plan on sticking with.

I personally hate wasting the time learning a new piece of software unless there are huge
gains for me. I could never understand the people that like to brag on the recording forum

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about how they have used eight different recording programs. That never made any sense to
me. The gains from thoroughly learning a killer recording software program inside and out
are exponentially greater than scratching the surface with many programs.

Keep in mind that you don't have to go with the big boy robo software right out of the gate.
Few people do and even fewer actually require the big boy stuff. I recommend you pick a
“system” and work your way up. Moving up from Cubase LE to Cubase 4 Studio to Cubase 4
is a logical, intuitive upgrade. Time spent learning Cubase LE is not a waste of time unless
you plan to switch to an entirely different platform. Many platforms allow you to work your
way up in a similar fashion.

Going back to this commitment idea, if a program is “mature” and the company has been
doing this for decades, they probably have a system or method in place to handle anything
you would ever need to do. Once you have committed to X software it's simply a matter of
learning how to perform the required task.

While the general method of working in recording software is pretty much the same across
the board, the little things can be quite a bit different. Maybe they crammed the EQ plugin in
each channel strip window. Maybe you have to click an extra button to open the EQ. That
kind of stuff is the only real difference. In the end, there are probably going to be those who
like the way that Logic handles their windows and there are going to be those who prefer the
little Cubase windows. This is known as the “user interface”. This is irrelevant as long as the
workflow does not trigger your serial killer switch. In other words, as long as the method Mr.
Software company has employed doesn't get in the way of your noisemaking, who cares!

I believe it's the job of the software company to make sure their programs are easy to use in
the heat of battle. I rely on them to give me the most efficient system possible. As long as I
don't feel that my ruckus time is held back, I don't think about it. There are people who make
the claim that one is way better than another. It doesn't make sense to me to try them all.
Maybe test driving a car takes 10 minutes. Test driving recording software takes 10 days. I
don't have the time!

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There are definitely software genres out there that have a more intuitive interface and are
easier to jump into than others. Recording software is not one of these genres. I don't care
what anyone says, powerful programs are seldom intuitive right off the bat.

Use Paint (bundled with Windows) your whole life and then jump into Photoshop. Photoshop
is a nightmare when you first jump in. It's not that Photoshop is necessarily complicated.
Photoshop simply has specific way of handling tasks (whether they are very simple or way
over my head). Once you learn the Photoshop system, you quickly realize why it is such an
outrageously powerful and popular graphics program. Removing a background from a picture
in Paint may take 4 hours. The same task can be done in Photoshop in literally 4 seconds.
It's worth taking the time to learn a high end software system!

I feel that recording software is the same way. So if jumping into a new recording program
frustrates you, join the crowd! Just make sure you aren't complaining because your high end
recording software doesn't function like paint!

Q: Isn't The Recording Software Commitment Risky?

A: So you are worried about jumping in face first with one recording software and then not
liking it. I think you shouldn't have any worries. If you go with a powerful recording software
platform, you will like it when you get the hang of it. I'm confident. There is a reason that I'm
calling this level of recording software “powerful”. It's good!

I think the greatest risk of all is halfway learning 3 or 4 recording programs and at the end of
the year have no music to show for it. You could end up not being proficient at any of the
programs. This would be a total waste of time.

If no one before you had ever used the recording software in question I'd say you may be
taking a risk. You don't have to worry about being the guinea pig. Millions of people use the

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big, powerful recording software. It's already been done.

Since I don't see people running from Sonar with their arms flopping in the air and their guts
falling out while screaming bloody murder, I think it's safe to say that Sonar is an effective tool
for recording music even though I've never used it. Somebody is using the thing and liking it!

The sooner you get to the audio engineering side of the fence, the sooner you'll be cranking
out great recordings of great music. Remember that the learning curve for recording never
really stops. I've been doing this years and years and I still find audio engineering to be very,
very, very challenging. A person can take it as far as they'd like.

Because there is so much to learn and because powerful recording software is so well
thought out, I don't think you can go wrong. All the recording software programs I've
mentioned on are of very high quality and should meet your needs indefinitely. Again, the
biggest risk is wasting too much time being the master of none. We'll all be dead soon! I
figure I have between 1-60 years left. I have to get with it! Make music!

So figure out exactly your needs, ask around on forums stating exactly what you plan to do,
read reviews, and choose a piece of recording software. If you don't feel comfortable going
with a super expensive version yet, that's okay. Go with the middle of the road or even the
“Light” version at first. If you grow out of your recording software, you can always upgrade to
the higher end version. You may be happy with the “Light” version and never need an
upgrade. This is fine too.

There is some old proverb that says "any decision is better than indecision". Just jump in.
You'll figure it out.

Q:I plan on using crappy software now, but
upgrading later. Is this a good idea?

A: This depends on how you define “crappy”. I highly recommend you select recording
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software that you can grow with. Instead of going with el cheapo recording software from a
place that sells dramatically overpriced TV cables, it may be best to go with the “light” version
of something the big boys are using.

There are some very inexpensive programs out there that are getting better and better
reviews all of the time. While I would still rather start out on X Software's awesome “light”
version, some of these free online solutions look very tempting for people on a budget.

If budget is a robo issue, check out the free software out there. If you don't have any money
yet, start somewhere.

Q: Is Pro Tools The Industry Standard?

A: This depends. What is the industry? If you are in the industry where you record Jay Z's
vocals in New York and then fly out to LA to mix on an SSL console, and then catch a flight to
Dallas to catch Three Doors Down on tour so you can do a few quick overdubs before
heading back to San Francisco to mix another song, then yes, Pro Tools is the “industry
standard”. There is no doubt about it. The guys who fly to their recording gigs rely on the
studio they are working in to have Pro Tools. You can pretty much guarantee it with rare
exception.

A Pro Tools HD rig usually costs about what a brand new Honda Accord will. It's usually
placed in a control room that can fit a Honda Accord without too much trouble as well. The
ceilings are usually tall enough to stack several Honda Accords on top of each other. You get
the idea. Big boy studios are obviously not home recording studios (duh!) and they have
dramatically more uses for the popular Honda product.

Pro Tools was first in big boy land and by the time the computer recording thing exploded, Pro
Tools had a firm grasp on the high end recording market. Anyone who wanted to interface
with a big boy studio could bet that Pro Tools was going to be used at that studio. It doesn't
mean that your music will turn out any better on Pro Tools than it would on any other

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recording system. It's actually not uncommon for major label releases to be done in Logic,
Cubase / Nuendo, and just about any other major recording software as well, but the odds of
any given studio using any of these is fairly small.

If “industry standard” means guys who make killer recordings in rooms that could easily turn
into a baby's bedroom, I think it would be tough to call Pro Tools the industry standard. I'd call
it a “major player” in the home recording game. The playing field is leveled in home recording
land. All the major players in the home recording software game have large user bases.

At home, the need to interface with other recording studios is greatly diminished. I've never
opened a session in another studio with tracks I had recorded at home. I have gone to other
studios (some of them Pro Tools studios) to track drums and added then exported the tracks
to finish the recordings up at my place. It was clear that it didn't really matter what I was
using.

After recording over one thousand songs, I've still not had a need for Pro Tool's #1 selling
point. The point is moot to me. The bandwagon technique is effective, but I can't help but
think it's an insult to your intelligence.

You Pay For Pro Tools

Pro Tools LE is excellent software, but it can get expensive. Digidesign, the makers of Pro
Tools, know that a big chunk of their sales comes from people who want to interface with the
big boys (or simply use what the big boys are using). They have used this to their advantage.

They often charge very high prices for what appear to be fairly simple feature upgrades. For
example, the OMF Export function which allows you to open a session tracked in Pro Tools in
another recording program costs $500. Pro Tools LE has a number of upgrades that you will
pay dearly for.

Cubase SX3, my software of choice at this time, only cost me $400 (as an upgrade), has the
OMF export built in, and (from what I hear) has a much better MIDI sequencer. It has all the

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functionality that would require multiple $500 upgrades if using Pro Tools LE. This isn't a
factor if you don't need these features, but in the event that you do, you will be paying dearly
for them.

Personally, I'm convinced that the only real reason to go with a Pro Tools system is for the
need to walk into another studio and immediately fire up a session you were working on at
home or a different studio. Aside from that, there isn't any reason to think of Pro Tools as
being “superior”.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking Pro Tools. Pro Tools HD is the most popular recording
platform for major label recordings and I'd like to think that the big boy recording people aren't
totally brain dead zombies. They use Pro Tools HD for a reason, and I'm sure most of this
incredible software will spill down into Pro Tools LE. I just don't think the reasons that make it
so popular translate to the guy making music at home nearly as often as is implied.

It just seems a bit silly to me to pay more with the only outstanding benefit based on this
notion of “industry standard” that applies to an “industry” that we are not even a part of.

Q: What's the best software?

A: The best software for you is the lowest priced software that meets all of your needs. No
one can really say what the best software is for you without knowing a whole lot more about
you. While I could recommend high end software that I'm sure will meet your needs, it won't
do you any good to waste a chunk of your budget on features you simply don't need. So what
are your needs? What are you trying to do? Read on.

Features To Look For In Recording Software

Warning! Software Companies and Stupid Definitions

I'm going to do my best to explain all the features to pay attention to when choosing your
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recording software. Each manufacturer puts their own stupid name on features to make their
product sound more cool than the other guy. It may help them make more money, but it
makes it difficult to explain definitions!

MIDI Sequencer

Even to this day, not all recording applications come with a MIDI sequencer. Even if you don't
think you'll ever deal with synths and samples in this fashion, I highly recommend that you
take a look at recording programs that have MIDI capabilities for 2 reasons:

• Any recording software that has omitted a MIDI sequencer has probably omitted many
other features that you haven't even thought of yet.

• You never know when your needs will change or if your client will have special
demands.

MIDI is more than just techno and rap music. Importing a screwy click track the band created
in Guitar Tab Pro is not something you'd expect, but it's something my clients have requested.

Replacing a snare drum with a sample is an extremely common request in modern music. I
do this with MIDI. Not all MIDI sequencers are created equally. If MIDI is a priority to you,
ask around to find out if the software you are considering has a sequencer that people like.

Unless you are positive that every sound you ever record is going to be coming through a
microphone or line in, a MIDI Sequencer is an extremely useful tool to have.

Limits In Track Counts

Some recording software will limit the number of tracks you can record with. I've seen some
“Light” programs that limited a person to only 8 tracks. In other words, you could record with
4 tracks for drums, 1 track for bass, 2 tracks for guitar, and 1 track for vocal. If you want
background vocals, you'd have to get creative.

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Most recording programs are going to offer at least 16 tracks. From what I read, Pro Tools LE
is limited to 32 tracks (which should be plenty of tracks a majority of the time for most people).
Some recording programs impose no limit to the number of tracks. I don't make too big of a
deal about this.

In my younger days, I did have some tunes that got up into the 70 track range, but I could
have easily knocked that down to 30 without much trouble. The big track count just allowed
me to put off making a decision.

Limits In Inserts

You may be familiar with the term “inserts” from a mixer. A mixer allows you to “insert” effects
(usually gain based effects such as EQ and compression) on a specific channel. In recording
software, you will have a “virtual mixer” which allows X amount of insert slots for effects that
will be applied to this one specific channel or track. My current recording software limits this
number to 8, which is a fairly high number. This means I could place a compressor, an EQ, a
de-esser, and a distortion plugin on a vocal and still have 4 inserts left.

Limits In Auxiliary Sends

Aux sends allow you to send the signal from a track somewhere else. Common uses are for
time based effects like reverbs or delays but this is also how parallel compression is used.
The more aux sends, the better. My current recording software allows for 8 aux sends per
channel and I can't remember ever coming close to that amount even with my wildest mixes.

Plugin Format

There are multiple plugin formats such as RTAS, VST, Audio Units and Direct X. If your
recording software supports VST plugins you can have access to a huge supply of quality,
free plugins in addition to an enormous array of premium plugins. There doesn't seem to be
any quality difference between the various plugin formats. Most premium plugins come in
multiple packages anyway. In the end there are plenty of plugins for all major plugin formats.

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Just be aware that specific programs have specific plugin format requirements.

Routing

Unfortunately, it's not exactly easy to compare the routing abilities of various recording
software. For the most part, routing preferences are subjective and you will simply want to
ask around to see if people are happy with the routing options in their recording software.

For very simple, natural forms of music, a mixer may not need advanced routing. But, being
able to send a signal virtually anywhere can be a huge convenience and even a necessity for
some mixing tricks. In general, advanced routing is for more advanced mixing engineers.
However, even if you don't require advanced routing now, you may eventually.

It may not be obvious to you why routing is super important now, but we'll cover that in Killer
Home Recording: Murderous Mixing.

Automation

I love the fact that my weapon of choice can automate practically everything. If I want to turn
an EQ off during the chorus, it's no problem. If I want to ramp up the amount of reverb in the
verse, no problem. Some plugins even allow you to automate individual knobs. For example,
with certain plugins I could “twist” the depth knob throughout the song. Automation
capabilities are not something you will read about on a box even though they are extremely
important to a guy like me. You'll want to ask around.

Support

With any computer system, there are likely to be bugs that appear. The best recording
software manufacturers have active support forums and are quick to respond to your support
issues. One advantage of going with a recording software program that has a large user
base is you can get help from a number of other sources. The less reliance on tech support,
the better! Obviously, the more people who use the program, the easier it will be to get help
with your specific troubles.

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