Is it worth the effort?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Miko
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Miko

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Hello, Home recorders!

I've already recorded one demo song with my band on a laptop.
If we want to keep recording, we've got to choose between a pro studio or HR.
Therefore, my question is: is it really a good idea to buy an audio interface,
probably drumkit mics and couple of other things? Shouldn't we rather go to a studio?

Of course, drums are the biggest problem. What is the fair minimum number of microphones
to get satisfactory sound quality?

Regards.
 
Welcome to the madness

the answer, i'm afraid, imo is both yes and no.

Decent pro studios will often get considerably better results than with simple home recording.

however....

home recording is now at the stage where, with some serious cash investment and experience, you can get great results. don't forget bands like "the Feeling", "David Gray" and "Gotye" have all had very big hits from stuff they've recorded at home.

Pro studios have the experience, the space, and the equipment to get great results from the off. the danger is that a lot of younger bands/those just starting out jump into the studio before they are ready and end up wasting a lot of their money.

My advice; get a simple home setup, record your tracks until you are happy with how the tracks work on a song by song level rather than production quality, and then when you're ready to go into a studio, find a decent studio with a good reputation.

in terms of the minimum number of mic's to record at home, i'd say between 4 and 5. an SM57 or equivalent for snare drum/electric guitar, a pair of SDC's for drum overheads/room mics/acoustic guitar, an LDC for vocals, and maybe a D112 or equivalent for kick drum/bass guitar (or another 57 or MD421)
 
I think full bands do better by either going to a commercial studio or a home/project studio that is fairly well appointed and tricked out for more involved recording (full bands)...
...while solo musicians can make it happen with a more simpler setup and in the confines their bedroom studio.

With a band you often need much more than a couple of mics and a simple interface to make the recording process logistically and technically possible. Sure, you can go ghetto and still pull it off at times, but unless you really know what you are doing with a bare-bones recording rig...it will just be frustrating. Something as simple as setting up a basic cue mix and headphone/talkback system for a full band can be a challenge for the simpler home setups, nevermind the need for multiple mics, preamps...etc...etc.

So...either you pony up some $$$ (and time) and build your own studio for band recordings, and then get the experience to make it work (which is OK, lots HR people do it well)...or just cut to the chase and pony up some $$$ and go to a commercial studio.
 
Thanks for your answers.
I realized that it's a good idea to gain some experience
with home recording and then to go to the pro studio.
 
One cool thing is that even a crude basic recording, at 'home or quickie in someone else's place can give you insite into producing and refining the material. I see this often (my own band's or others) where after they drop in with their best 'yeah we're ready effort it becomes obvious that we can all see how or where half the tracks should have/could have gone.
A rub comes in going through recording and not wanting to do it as if 'this has be the one'.
 
Let me throw in another thought.

Home recording is worth it if you enjoy the process and want to spend the time (and money) learning, practising and acquiring gear. I personally find the whole thing satisfying and fun--so I might as well spend my time doing this rather than watching TV.

However, if it's merely a chore for you, a means to get a recording done and not something you enjoy, then consider the commercial studio option. You can have fun playing and singing and leave the techie stuff to nerds like me!

As with so much, it really depends on you and what you want.
 
bobbsy took the words right out of my mouth:
Bobbsy said:
Home recording is worth it if you enjoy the process and want to spend the time (and money) learning, practising and acquiring gear. I personally find the whole thing satisfying and fun--so I might as well spend my time doing this rather than watching TV.

However, if it's merely a chore for you, a means to get a recording done and not something you enjoy, then consider the commercial studio option. You can have fun playing and singing and leave the techie stuff to nerds like me!
Click to expand...

For me in the beginning, it was all about writing. "hmm. I can either spend $100 bucks an hour to have equipment to write on. or I can spend $300 bucks and get a portastudio."

lol @ all the money ive spent at this point :facepalm:
But all the gear is a much better longterm investment than all the hours I could have bought.
And besides. I enjoy it! I'm a total nerd as well and have a love for the entire process. I've had more fun over the past year reading about soviet synths, Cubase, and the like than I've had writing :o
And I'm feeling it while building these callouses back :( i might have to switch back to .11s for a while. :guitar: (wtf is up with that smiley? no one plays acoustic guitar like that :eek::D)
 
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