Home Recording For Musicians For Dummies

Tune in to this fun and friendly guide and get great sounds!

If you're ready to record your own musical masterpiece, then you need this fun and friendly guide. Updated to cover the latest technologies and recording techniques, this new edition shows you how to set up a home studio, record and edit your music, master it, and even distribute your songs. Experienced musician, recording engineer, teacher, and author Jeff Strong provides easy-to-understand explanations of figure out mic placement, adjusting compression, and recording a variety of instruments.

With this guide, you'll learn how to compare studio-in-a-box, computer-based, and stand-alone recording systems and choose what you need. You'll gain the skills to manage your sound, take full advantage of MIDI, do overdubs and replace missed notes, understand the mastering process, and prepare your music for duplication. You'll also get up to speed on tools that let you record on the go or lay down tracks on a tablet computer.
* Reviews the equipment you need to get started and have "plug and record" capability
* Blends tried-and-true recording techniques used in studios with affordable options you can use at home
* Presents recording advice for working with a mixer, connecting electronic instruments, and choosing the best microphones
* Walks you through laying down tracks, working with multitrack recordings, capturing audio, and more
* Features tips for editing tracks, mixing, mastering, and adding effects

Whether you're a beginning musician or a pro, Home Recording For Musicians For Dummies teaches you home recording basics so you can begin recording music at home and create great sounds.

Discover the techniques and gear that will turn your music into great–sounding recordings You love making music. If you're ready to start recording your tunes, this is the place to begin. Learn about the many types of digital recording systems and how to use them, essential engineering techniques, professional mixing and mastering tips, how to turn sounds into songs, and what it takes to assemble and release an album. Sound good? Building your studio — consider the type of recording you want to do and what your physical space will require Gear up — compare computer–based recording systems, studio–in–a–box, tablet systems, and portable recorders Meet mic — explore different types of microphones and which work best for various instruments MIDI and more — get a handle on using MIDI, synthesizers, and software instruments Welcome to the mixer — learn about mixer options based on your choice of recording equipment Makin' tracks — understand multitrack recording, overdubbing, submixing, and bouncing Putting it together — clean up and edit your tracks and professionally master your songs Get it out there — create CDs and MP3 files, distribute your music online, and learn how to promote your product Open the book and find: What to consider when choosing equipment Tips for getting a great source sound Mic setups for commoninstruments All about equalizing and blending tracks Hints for synchronizing devices How to create a performance that never happened How to record on a tablet PC Ten innovative ways to promote your music Learn to: Record with a PC, studio–in–a–box, or tablet Create recordings for demos or commercial releases Capture sounds from guitars, drums, piano, horns, and vocals Edit tracks, mix, master, and distribute your songs

Introduction 1 Part I: Home Recording Studio Basics 7 Chapter 1: Understanding Home Recording 9 Chapter 2: Getting the Right Gear 19 Chapter 3: Getting Connected: Setting Up Your Studio 49 Part II: Recording 101 81 Chapter 4: Meet the Mixer 83 Chapter 5: MIDI and Electronic Instruments 99 Chapter 6: Understanding Microphones 115 Part III: Getting Ready to Record 143 Chapter 7: Getting a Great Source Sound 145 Chapter 8: Taking a Look at Microphone Techniques 159 Chapter 9: Miking Your Instruments 173 Part IV: Laying Track: Starting to Record 197 Chapter 10: Multitrack Recording 199 Chapter 11: Recording Audio 209 Chapter 12: Recording and Editing MIDI Data 217 Part V: Turning Your Tracks into a Finished Song 233 Chapter 13: Editing Your Performance 235 Chapter 14: Mixing Your Music 255 Chapter 15: Dialing In Signal Processors 281 Chapter 16: Mastering Your Music 305 Chapter 17: Creating Your Finished Product 319 Part VI: The Part of Tens 339 Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Distribute and Promote Your Music 341 Chapter 19: Ten Invaluable Recording Tips 355 Index 361

Jeff Strong is a veteran musician, recording engineer, and teacher, as well as founder of The Strong Institute, which creates products to assist in therapy through music. Jeff is also the bestselling author of Pro Tools All–in–One For Dummies and Drums For Dummies .