Building A Home Studio, Revisited

Sound and Recording
B. Thomas Cooper
Editor

Once upon a time, not too long ago, mind you, building a respectable home studio' required a rather substantial investment in time and money.

Back in the day, so to speak, we were still recording in analog, and a decent eight track tape machine cost a few thousand dollars at a minimum. Then there was the console (desk, mixer, etc.) consisting of perhaps twenty-four channels, which cost another couple grand. Of course, no home studio was complete without at least a couple racks of outboard gear. We had doozles and raddoids and multiple compressors and delay devices, each guaranteed to muddy up the mix. All of this was then routed together with cables and wires and strewn about in disarray. Getting it all to sound good was never an easy task.


Nick Gill in Studio A

These days things are little different. The advent of digital technology has changed much about how we record sound and music. Oh, we still have our share of doozles and raddoids, but now they are called add-ons' and they are included with the recording software. Most of the clumsy cables have long been chucked into the trash. We like to run a clean shop

Over the years, I have designed and overseen the construction of countless studios. It's one of those things I do. From coast to coast, from sea to shining sea. Big rooms, little rooms they are all the same. The trick is to create an environment conducive to the recording process. The best advice I can give is learn to keep your sound pressure levels under control. Deafening volume levels are not a good idea in small enclosures. When in doubt turn it down.

There are numerous companies offering digital recording software at reasonable prices. The choice is yours. For starters, I recommend Sonar for the initial recording process and Sound-Forge for the mastering process. It's really not as hard as it sounds, and these days even a caveman like myself can afford it.

In any studio, a bad headphone mix is as inexcusable as it is predictable. How in the name of Marilyn Manson can anyone expect to lay down strong basic tracks if you can’t hear what the other musicians are doing? The same holds true for the overdub process. A musician is only as good as his (or her) ears. If the sound in your cans doesn’t rock, your not apt to perform at your best.

For this, I recommend Samson 4 C-que 8 headphone amplifier, ideal for small studio applications, addressing many of the problems associated with typical inferior headphone mixes.

With a retail price of around $149.00, the Samson 4 C-que 8 is a safe and affordable solution. It fits nicely on the desk or console, and my unit has yet to throw me any curves. This is a quality device with no apparent drawbacks. I would recommend the Samson 4 C-que 8 to anyone serious about their workstation or studio headphone mixes.

Obviously, you will also need reliable headphones. Again, you are only as good as your ears can hear. I suggest a couple pairs of Sony V600’s These are a fine offering by Sony, a sturdy set of headphones, with firm, comfortable ear pieces and a warm, desirable frequency response. In simple words… a good investment for anyone looking for a reliable set of headphones.

You will also need an array of dependable microphones, but this subject is covered in great depth in a separate article. Also available at Helium. If you are new to recording, take a few minutes and read a few articles on the subject. You just might learn something!

Microphone Placement for Recording Amplified Guitar

Sound and Recording
B. Thomas Cooper
Editor

I recently spent a couple of very short hours advising some rather talented friends of mine on the fine art of properly ‘micing’ a guitar cabinet for recording. Over the course of the evening it occurred to me even the finest seasoned musicians can use a refresher course on common sense every now and then. Myself included.



Fortunately, this group of guys tend to be sensible by nature, a rare commodity for musicians as a whole. Our goal was to record ‘scratch tracks’ of the lead guitar lines for two tunes, and ‘keeper tracks’ for a third. We were recording in Sonar Studio Pro, I believe, an inexpensive, but highly recommended digital recording software.

Scott, the guitarist for the project attended the ‘old school’ of ‘big rock‘, if you catch my drift. We’re talking the classic, early sixties Gibson SG through a Marshall half stack. Of course, the Marshall ‘four twelve’ cabinet needs to be kicked pretty hard, just to get the old girl to bark. (translation: the amplifier needs to go to eleven) This is where our story really begins.



We are set up in a living room, with the computer and various interfaces off to one corner. The Marshall amplifier has been rolled into an adjoining bedroom. The occupant of room, along with his pet Salamander, have been given the boot.

We set the cabinet in the bedroom pointing the speakers toward the right side of the corner, across the length of the bed. We are careful not to point the cabinet directly at the wall, or directly into the corner, as both may produce unwanted response. Sound travels much like water. A pebble in still water will create even concentric ripples, whereas a larger stone is apt to make quite a splash.



At higher decibels, sound also tends to make quite a splash. Especially so, in cramped quarters. One of our greatest concerns will be avoiding the afore mentioned, and truly dreaded ‘square wave’.

The cabinet is about three feet from the edge of the mattress, at perhaps a forty degree angle. It is obvious the old Marshall tube amp will not produce the desired tone at a lower volume, so we don’t even drive down that alley.
Instead we concentrate on controlling the physical properties of sound.

A small collection of throw pillows are arranged on the edge of the mattress to create very subtle baffling. I don’t throw a blanket, or any other object around the cabinet. It normally isn’t necessary.

Next comes the actual ‘micing’ technique. ‘Micing’ is the term used to describe the process of microphone placement. More often than not, microphone placement is a forgotten art form. It is a process often neglected, or simply misunderstood.

There are no hard and fast rules. Use your imagination. That having been said, let’s discuss our situation before progressing any further. Simple guitar tracks, right? Perhaps.

One microphone, or two please? Would you like your sound dry and boxy, or would you prefer a tad of ambience? In other words, do we place the microphone close to the speakers, or far away. How close, or how far away, and why? Does the type of microphone make a difference?

For this situation, I highly recommend an ordinary, medium priced Dynamic microphone. Nothing fancy, mind you. Here’s my reasoning. The polar pattern of most dynamic stage mics responds most favorably within five to fifteen inches of the sound source. Get much closer, and the mic starts to get a little punchy. Back off too far, and the mic doesn’t reproduce transients. Transients are those are the little things, the stuff of which your sound is made of. We really don’t want to lose them in transmission.

The cabinet we are ‘micing’ contains four standard twelve inch Celestion speakers. Our goal is to place the mic close enough to catch the little things but far enough so as not to do the freak. Here’s a few quick don’ts. Don’t ever drape the mic over the front of the cabinet. Sound doesn’t work that way. Don’t ever put the microphone directly against the grill cloth or speaker.
Don’t ‘mic’ the center of a four twelve cabinet, and don’t point the microphone directly at the center of the speaker. That round looking thing in the center of the speaker, well, that’s a dust cover. It does not reproduce sound. Whenever possible, aim the microphone at an angle parallel to the paper of the speaker cone.

We set the mic about s foot or so from the cabinet, and after a quick listen, we moved the microphone forward perhaps two inches. It was all very simple, and very productive. Very little time was squandered twittering knobs and wiggling stands.

The session was a success on multiple fronts. Scott got to keep his tone, and Jon, the producer, got to keep his sanity. It was a pleasant evening for all. The moral to this story? Think about what you are trying to accomplish, take your time, keep it simple, and by all means, enjoy the process.

Choosing the Right Microphone

When choosing the right microphone for a particular application, an array of external variables come into play, including room acoustics, microphone placement, frequency response, sound pressure, etc. For this reason, different types of microphones are designed to address different sonic properties.

A microphone works by converting acoustic energy into corresponding electrical voltages, through a process known as transduction. There are various methods by which this process can be accomplished, however, the two most common types of microphones used in recording are the dynamic and the condenser.

With a dynamic microphone, a moving conductor cuts the magnetic field of force to produce electricity, or signal. There are two basic types of dynamic microphones, the ribbon mic, and the more popular, moving coil dynamic, in which a coil of wire is suspended within a magnetic field. Sound-waves strike the diaphragm, causing it to vibrate. This in turn causes the coil to vibrate, generating the desired signal. With a ribbon microphone, a thin strip of metal foil (the ribbon) is suspended within the magnetic field. Again, sound waves cause the ribbon to vibrate within the field, resulting in transduction.

There are dozens of companies who manufacture dependable, reasonably priced studio microphones. So many in fact, it would be nearly impossible to discuss all of them in this article. Therefore I will limit my suggestions to a handful of the more popular microphones
readily available at an affordable price.

Shure Bros. SM-57 & SM-58

Manufactured by Shure Bros. for decades without ever undergoing any notable changes.,
these two dynamic microphones have been the foundation of countless legendary recordings. Every studio, no matter how large or small, should seriously consider keeping a couple of these little workhorses around.

The SM-57 produces a unidirectional pattern, limiting unwanted noise, while capturing a warm, fat response. This mic is great for recording loud guitar amplifiers, horns, vocals, etc. and can usually be purchased new for around $100.00

The Shure SM-58 produces an omni-directional pattern, and is great for lead vocals. I have used this microphone for nearly every imaginable recording at one time or another. When all else fails, the SM-58 can always be depended upon for a clear, even response. Like the SM-57, this mic is also available new for around a hundred dollars, and is worth every dime.


The Electrovoice RE-20, another workhorse of the industry, and found in nearly every major studio in the country. Created especially for critical recording, broadcast and sound re-inforcement, the RE-20 produces a flat but fat response over an unusually wide frequency range. This is the microphone most often associated with radio broadcast (disc Jockeys, etc) and is ideal for applications involving sound pressure in excess of 160 dB.
The RE-20 can be purchased for around $400.00.

I would also recommend the AKG C-414. With five polar patterns, this is indeed a versatile microphone, although some may find it a little pricey, as it usually sells for just under a $1,000.00 This microphone is ideal for vocals, brass and woodwinds, and is often a favorite for film scoring.

Predictably, as you become more familiar with the recording process, you’re microphone collection will grow accordingly. Don’t be afraid to experiment with whatever mics you may have available, as there are no hard and fast rules. Information on the subject is vast and easily obtainable, but nothing beats good old hands on experience. Recording should be fun.
Take your time, and enjoy the experience.

B. Thomas Cooper