Recording Engineer School

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    • What do I need for my home studio?
    • Why is your school so cheap? I’m skeptical!
    • Which microphone should I buy?
    • Do I need any equipment to take your course?
    • I don’t like the sound of my vocal
    • Why are my mixes thin and not as loud as commercial CDs?
    • I’m a beginner. Do I need any knowledge of electronics?
    • I have had some experience. Can AIA still help me?
    • How do I form my own record label?
    • Which software and which DAW is best?
    • What equipment do I need for a commercial studio?
    • How do I take the tests?
    • What’s the difference between a demo and a master?
    • What is mastering?
    • Will your course teach live sound engineering?
    • Do I need to soundproof my recording room?
    • What is the difference between a compressor and a limiter?
    • If you could choose only one compressor or limiter – which would it be?
    • How do I set a compressor?
    • What is an Equalizer?
    • Why do my drums and bass sound weak?
    • Should I monitor on headphone or speakers?
    • Is distortion okay?
    • Can I get a job in the industry?
    • How can I get my music played on radio?
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  • What do I need for my home studio?
  • Why is your school so cheap? I’m skeptical!
  • Which microphone should I buy?
  • Do I need any equipment to take your course?
  • I don’t like the sound of my vocal
  • Why are my mixes thin and not as loud as commercial CDs?
  • I’m a beginner. Do I need any knowledge of electronics?
  • I have had some experience. Can AIA still help me?
  • How do I form my own record label?
  • Which software and which DAW is best?
  • What equipment do I need for a commercial studio?
  • How do I take the tests?
  • What’s the difference between a demo and a master?
  • What is mastering?
  • Will your course teach live sound engineering?
  • Do I need to soundproof my recording room?
  • What is the difference between a compressor and a limiter?
  • If you could choose only one compressor or limiter – which would it be?
  • How do I set a compressor?
  • What is an Equalizer?
  • Why do my drums and bass sound weak?
  • Should I monitor on headphone or speakers?
  • Is distortion okay?
  • Can I get a job in the industry?
  • How can I get my music played on radio?

Recent Comments

  • Betty on Do I need to soundproof my recording room?
  • Stephania on Do I need to soundproof my recording room?
  • admin on Do I need to soundproof my recording room?
  • Gladys on Do I need to soundproof my recording room?
  • peter on Will your course teach live sound engineering?

School info

Audio Instititute

1. “What do I need for my home-studio?”

by admin on January 4, 2011 at 3:53 pm
Posted In: Questions

There are various levels of home-studios. The cost can vary from a couple of hundred dollars to many thousands.

The simplest home-studio set-up might be:

1. Microphone 2. Headphones
3. Computer with a Recording Program

Fortunately, these days home-studio equipment is practically the same as what the pros use in state-of-the-art studios. They just have more of it and know how to use it to its fullest capabilities.
Make sure all your equipment is of the same quality within that level. One weak link in the chain will destroy the higher quality that all the other pieces give.

In other words don’t buy a $2,000 recording program and a $20 microphone.

It’s not the quantity of equipment you have, and to a certain extent not even the quality, it’s how you use it.

Furthermore, the type of equipment you need is very personal and depends greatly upon your own particular music styles.

Quality and value are two key elements when selecting your recording equipment. And how much do you want to spend?

If you will be recording masters of your own songs for release to the public, then you will need a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) which is a combination recorder and mixer all in one unit.

But if you’re just recording demos of your own songs, a simple four-track combination recorder/mixer would be enough. Plus a single mic, a set of headphones, a small monitor amp, and bookshelf-sized speakers.

There is no such thing Easy Street when it comes to producing great-sounding tracks so don’t believe the manufacturers’ hype about their product making you an overnight star.

Beware of the “used-car salesman” approach. Many retailers make their money through commissions.

These days the amount of options are staggering, the various formats are confusing and new pieces of equipment are becoming available every day.

So what should you buy? What’s best for you? How do you hook it up? How does it work? What do you need to put together a complete studio? How do you select the correct equipment for your own particular needs?

Also consider whether your studio will be totally for your own personal use or might it expand to become a commercial enterprise?

And bear this in mind – about 90% of all people who put together their own home-studio will decide to expand their system within a fairly short time period. More expenses and space needed.

And be honest! How much – if any – prior experience do you have in recording? If you are a novice you must start simply. You cannot run before you can walk.

These and many more questions will be answered in your course. You and your instructor will be able to make the correct equipment choices that fit your own personal needs when the time comes.

Click here to check out our webpage for a basic mid-priced home-studio set-up with which you could create pro-quality recordings. (There are 28 more pages on this subject in your course).

 Comment 

2. Why is your school so cheap? I’m skeptical!

by admin on January 4, 2011 at 3:52 pm
Posted In: Questions

Because we’ve been in business for over twenty years, we’ve absorbed all the costs associated with forming a new school. We want to pass these savings along to our students.

Furthermore, now that we are offering the Online version, we have no printing or mailing costs anymore. That saves us tons of money.

And we don’t have to build classrooms or residential units for our students to live in while they are taking our course.

To be quite honest and blunt – we totally believe that many of those high-profile residential recording schools are just ripping you off. BIG TIME! They have dozens of employees whose only job it is to manipulate the system and secure you a massive student loan which you are burdened with for the rest of your life.

We implore you – just ask some of their graduates. And find out the truth – how many of their graduates actually get a solid job worthy of all that tuition money they’ve spent?

 Comment 

3. “Which microphone should I buy?”

by admin on January 4, 2011 at 3:52 pm
Posted In: Questions

It’s a real microphone jungle out there! Hundreds of different types of mics are available. Which one is right for you?

The small home-studio needs only one or two. A professional studio will have dozens if not hundreds. Each mic has a distinctive sound and is used for a particular purpose.

There are two main types of mic. The dynamic mic and the condenser mic. If you can afford only one for your home-studio then let it be a dynamic.

Shure SM57

For around $100, the Shure SM57 or SM58 is most highly recommended. It will record almost everything successfully including vocals.

But if you can afford a second mic, it may cost a little more but get a condenser mic. It’s better than a dynamic for some delicate acoustic instruments and it actually does a better job on most vocals.

Every different musical instrument is best captured by just one or two particular microphones. In our course you will learn how to select the correct mic for each job.

Once you have learned which mic to use for a particular job, you must know how and where to place it in relation to the sound that is to be captured. This is the art of microphone technique.

Rode condensor mic

You can’t just plonk down a mic anywhere and hope for a good result. It’s not as simple as you think. You will learn how to select and position the right mic for each particular job.

Miking vocals is also a special art. How many times have we heard: “I don’t like the sound of my voice.”You will also be encouraged to experiment and discover new ways with which to produce your own unique sounds. (30 more pages on this subject in you course)

 Comment 

4. “Do I need any equipment to take your course?”

by admin on January 4, 2011 at 3:51 pm
Posted In: Questions

Protools recording program

We have actually had successful graduates who have not had any equipment at all, and yet they have had no trouble understanding our program and following the lessons.

This is how user-friendly and down-to-earth the lessons are presented to you.

But if you do have a home recording set-up, no matter how simple, even your tone-deaf grandma will be able to immediately notice vast improvements in your recordings.

If you are seriously thinking of becoming one of our students, PLEASE DO NOT run out and buy any equipment right now. Here’s the reason:

There is so much stuff out there that you will probably select equipment that may not be quite right for you. What you need depends upon your style of music. We can advise you exactly what would be best for your own personal music needs.

Yamaha digital audio workstation

Just to give one example as to what we mean by this, it may come as a surprise to many, but in most producers’ opinions, Pro Tools is NOT the best program to use for recording rap or hip-hop music.

What is? Join our school and you’ll find out! (More in the course!)

 Comment 

5. “I don’t like the sound of my vocal.”

by admin on January 4, 2011 at 3:50 pm
Posted In: Questions

You’re not alone! Most singers hate the sound of their own voice when they hear it recorded for the first time. Trying a different microphone can sometimes make the world of difference.

The Neumann mic pictured here is probably the most used vocal mic in the world.

Neumann mic

If that doesn’t work you don’t have to run off and take singing lessons! There are many things we can do to make it more appealing:

Equalize it.
Compress it.
Add reverberation or echo to it.
Double it or add a harmony to it.
Combine it with an effect such as chorusing or flanging.
Make it totally in tune with the band.

All of these changes can be made even after the vocal has been recorded. There are various plug-ins that are specifically designed to take care of every one of these modifications. (There are many more pages about vocal recording in our course).

 Comment 
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