Brand new to home recording

[Huntington]

Im a young musician (15) and have just started recording at home today (with an H4 Zoom. Don't laugh... Im planning on upgrading once I can get a job)

Anyways, I just need some general tips like...

-What instruments to record first? (out of drums, guitar or keys, vocals) Im planning on adding in bass electronicly since I don't have one yet.

-What's the difference between a double sided pop-fillter and a single side one.

Thanks.

And if anyone has any general tips, they would be greatly appreciated.

 

[CFox]

Hey, no one is going to laugh at your H4, its a good piece of gear. Are you using it as an audio interface into a DAW or as a standalone ? I ask because your post is not clear in this regard and its the difference between 4 tracks and numerous.

If you have a PC and you aint using Reaper then jump onto that pronto. Your H4 is fine as an audio interface.

Usually the rhythm gets laid down first. For a solo artist this means putting down your loops or drum beat then adding the bass then guitar then keys etc.

However no hard and fast on this. You may benefit from grooving out with your guitar and a scratch vocal THEN going back and tracking the drums then going back again and doing a proper vocal.

Whatever is driving your particular song is what you need to focus on. Just say you have a great keyboard groove but you take the life out of it by tracking the drums first then shoehorning the keyboard overdub to fit.

Capture the groove first.

 

[kcearl]

yeah I generally work from rhythm up..beat, bass, keys the onto the others...

I also find that regardless of what genre Im mucking about with its generally a chorus/16 bars of most of the tracks components first, then build it outwards from there...that way you can hear how its sounding at its busiest moment...but as mentioned theres no rules, just what works for you...

 

[Sirnothingness]

Click track. Or drums.

 

[Huntington]

Hey, no one is going to laugh at your H4, its a good piece of gear. Are you using it as an audio interface into a DAW or as a standalone ? I ask because your post is not clear in this regard and its the difference between 4 tracks and numerous.

If you have a PC and you aint using Reaper then jump onto that pronto. Your H4 is fine as an audio interface.

Usually the rhythm gets laid down first. For a solo artist this means putting down your loops or drum beat then adding the bass then guitar then keys etc.

However no hard and fast on this. You may benefit from grooving out with your guitar and a scratch vocal THEN going back and tracking the drums then going back again and doing a proper vocal.

Whatever is driving your particular song is what you need to focus on. Just say you have a great keyboard groove but you take the life out of it by tracking the drums first then shoehorning the keyboard overdub to fit.

Capture the groove first.

Hey, thanks.
I currently just use the H4 as a standalone. If I wanted to I could use it with garageband, however I would then only be able to record on days when Im the only one at home (beacause where my computer is, is way to in the open to record sound)

Oh and I've also got 1 more question.
As far as a real basic sound proof goes, what would I be best off getting? I was thinking of getting some of that black foam, with the cones sticking out, just to surround my drums with.

 

[moresound]

Nope, that sound proofing with the black foam is not going to work.
What are you trying to sound proof your drums from?

 

[Huntington]

Nope, that sound proofing with the black foam is not going to work.
What are you trying to sound proof your drums from?

Well there really close to the walls, and I've heard that if the sound bounces off them too much, it wrecks the sound a little.

 

[AbuseTheMuses]

I like to do a scratch track first of the guitar+vocal or bass+vocal depending on which instrument is the prominent thing. It gets a realness kind of feeling. I have seen a guy ride a tempo knob +/- a couple BPM on a drum machine to make it sound more like a real drummer, because leading with a click track will get you very easy to edit results favored by the lazy, but it will also sound like a machine.

Doing the song part first, the part that makes it recognizable as a specific song and not just a chord sequence and beat, it helps me know where I am in a song from a feel standpoint. Lows and highs, intensity or reservation. Drums are the last bit for me, but thats because we all have different style of music. If I was doing something more beat-oriented and less dynamic I would want a click track first, but I like my drums as supporting cast, emphasizing stuff instead of guiding it. Really that's just how you do your thing. I don't rap, but if I did I would be pretty sure I would want a beat to follow first. If I played blues I would want the 12 bar walking bassline behind me before I solo over it for 5 minutes of scale runs too. Whatever kind of music you are playing should give you some kind of idea where to go first.

 

[Capt Hair]

check out some of the auralex foam packages, I got one and set it up and it really reduces the echo that you hear from the drums. I think the basic kit runs at $60 and has 24 1'x1' pieces, you can find it on musiciansfriend.com, just type in "auralex".

You don't want to "sound proof" your drums or room (your talking thousands of dollars to do that), you just want to reduce that echo and bounce that the mics may pick up.

 

[c7sus]

Forget Aurelex, that stuff is a scam.

Knauf 2" soundboard or Rockwool/Roxul is the stuff to use.

Do a search for John Sayers Audio. He has drawings and very detailed tips on how to tune any room.

 

[gehauser]

Check out room treatment options at gikacoustics.com and realtraps.com .