Introduction: -- About This Book -- Foolish assumptions -- Icons used in this book -- Beyond the book -- Where to -- Part 1: Getting Started With Home Recording: -- Understanding Home Recording: -- Examining the anatomy of a home studio: -- Exploring the recording essentials -- Checking out recording system types -- Getting a glimpse into the recording process: -- Setting up a song -- Getting a great sound -- Recording -- Overdubbing -- Making sense of mixing: -- Cleaning up tracks using editing -- Equalizing your tracks -- Processing your signal -- Blending your tracks -- Adding the final touches: -- Mastering your mixes -- Putting your music out into the world -- Promoting your music -- Getting the Right Gear: -- Determining your home studio needs -- Detailing your digital options -- Computer-based digital recording systems: -- Finding the right computer setup -- Getting the sound in and out -- Choosing the right software -- Studio-in-a-box systems: -- Taking a look at the benefits -- Examining some popular SIAB systems -- Mobile-device recording: -- Android -- Apple iOS -- Windows -- Stand-alone Recorders -- Examining analog goodies: -- Tube stuff -- Tape saturation emulators -- Reality check -- Exploring sample setups: -- Live and MIDI studio -- MIDI-intensive studio -- Live studio -- Getting Connected: Setting Up Your Studio: -- Understanding analog connections: -- 1/4-inch analog plug -- XLR -- RCA -- Delving into digital connections: -- MIDI -- AES/EBU -- S/PDIF -- ADAT lightpipe -- TDIF -- USB -- FireWire -- Thunderbolt -- Sampling some studio setups: -- Audio with some MIDI -- MIDI-intensive setup -- Live audio -- Working efficiently: -- Taming heat and dust -- Monitoring your monitors -- Optimizing your room: -- Isolating sound -- Controlling sound -- Part 2: Recording 101: -- Meet The Mixer: -- Meeting the many mixers: -- Analog mixer -- Digital mixer -- Software mixer -- Computer control surface -- Understanding mixer basics: -- Examining inputs -- Checking out the channel strip -- Recognizing mixer routing -- Opting for outputs -- MIDI And Electronic Instruments: -- Meeting MIDI: -- Perusing MIDI ports -- Understanding MIDI channels -- Appreciating MIDI messages -- Managing modes -- Taking orders from general MIDI -- Gearing up for MIDI: -- Sound generators -- Sound card -- MIDI controller -- Sequencer -- MIDI interface -- Understanding Microphones: -- Meeting the many microphone types: -- Construction types -- Polarity patterns -- Assessing your microphone needs -- Deciding how many microphones and what kind: -- Getting started -- Movin' on -- Going all out -- Finding the right mic for the situation -- Partnering mics with preamps: -- Solid-state -- Vacuum tube -- Hybrid -- Considering compressors -- Analyzing some microphone accessories: -- Microphone cords -- Microphone stands -- Pop filters -- Caring for your microphones: -- Daily care -- Storage -- Part 3: Getting Ready to Record: -- Getting A Great Source Sound: -- Making sense of the signal chain -- Setting optimal signal levels -- Understanding pre and post levels: -- Interpreting the various levels -- Looking at examples -- Getting a great guitar sound -- Creating a killer keyboard sound -- Making the most of microphones: -- Placing mics properly -- Compressing carefully -- Taking A Look At Microphone Techniques: -- Singling out spot miking -- Detailing distant miking -- Assessing ambient miking -- Selecting stereo miking: -- X-Y pairs -- Blumlein technique -- Spaced pairs -- Stereo microphones -- Overcoming problems with stereo miking -- Creating miking combinations -- Miking Your Instruments: -- Getting a great lead vocal sound: -- Making the most of the room -- Choosing the best mic -- Getting good backup vocals -- Examining electric guitar miking: -- Using the room -- Getting the most out of the mics -- Exploring electric bass miking: -- Managing the room -- Getting the most from the mic -- Miking acoustic guitars and similar instruments: -- Making the most of the room -- Using your mics --Maneuvering horns mics: -- Understanding the role of the room -- Making the most of the mics -- Placing mics for a piano: -- Harnessing the sound of the room -- Managing the mics -- Setting up mics for strings: -- Making the most of the room -- Making sense of the mics -- Digging into drum set miking: -- First things first: tuning your drums -- Using the room to your benefit -- Picking up the kick (bass) drum -- Setting up the snare drum -- Tacking the tom-toms -- Handling the hi-hats -- Creating the best cymbal sound -- Miking the whole kit -- Getting your hands on hand drums -- Perfecting percussion miking: -- Exploring the impact of the room -- Choosing and using the mics --
Part 4: Laying Track: Starting To Record:
Understanding multitracking
Getting the sound you want
Choosing a monitoring sources
Sharing files with others
Performing your first take
Punching with a foot switch
Repeated punching (looping)
Keeping track of your tracks
Recording And Editing MIDI Data:
Synchronizing your devices:
Synchronizing two (or more) synthesizers
Synchronizing a computer sequencer and a synthesizer
Synchronizing a sequencer and an audio recorder
Using the transport function from one device to control another
Transferring data using MIDI
Part 5: Turning Your Tracks Into A Finished Song:
Editing Your Performance:
Understanding digital editing:
Finding the section you want to edit:
Editing to improve the sound of a performance:
Evening out a performance
Getting rid of distortion
Correcting pitch problems
Creating a performance that never happened:
Making composites of your tracks
Discovering other ways to use editing:
Adjusting the length of a performance
Getting started mixing your song
High- and low-pass filters
Starting with general guidelines
Placing sound in front or back
Adjusting levels: enhancing the emotion of the song:
Automation: riding the faders:
Choosing reference recordings
Dialing In Signal Processors:
Controlling loudness and softness with dynamics processors:
Introducing compressors/limiters
Targeting frequency ranges with multiband compression
Getting started using compression
Sampling some compression settings
Getting started using gates
Getting started using and expanders
Adding ambiance with effects processors:
Getting started using reverb
Getting started using delay
Introducing pitch shifting
Getting started chorusing
Paying a pro or doing it yourself
Hiring a professional mastering engineer
Mastering your music yourself:
Preparing for distribution
Creating Your Finished Product:
Getting into CD recording
Recording your music to CD-R:
Using different CD recorders
Recording for mass production
Having someone else do it
Understanding downloadable music files:
Choosing encoding software
Ten (Or So) Ways To Distribute And Promote Your Music:
Setting up your music website
Putting your music on a music host site
Engaging in social media networking
Connecting with an Email newsletter
Ten Invaluable Recording Tips:
Using an analog tape deck
Listening to your mix in mono
Doubling and tripling your tracks
Tapping the input of your mixer
Pressing record, even during a rehearsal
Leaving the humanity in your tracks
