Recording in an Apartment vs. Studio

[Cloneboy Studio]

However, you need to read more and pay attention, dude. What I've said is that we'll be doing a 3-4 song demo first to use as a demo to get gigs, see how that goes, then we'll go on to a full-length CD using the same apartment set-up. If the sound isn't acceptable, then we will go the long route of building a studio space (in the country) over the coming months.

Honestly, you should just build the studio out in the country if you have the will and means to do so.

It's not the idea of recording yourselves that scares me, but the concept of doing it in an apartment. It is such a non-ideal location for recording!

 

[Soundog]

Jack Russell,

Here's my humble suggestion : Look into getting yourself a second hand audiometric testing booth from one of your local hospitals ( Get the biggest one possible that you can fit in your apartment ). Before you do though - make sure your building is strong enough to take it and that it won't fall through the floor. I've got one ( in my apartment in the city ) and find that it cuts out traffic noise - and the general noise of the city to an acceptable level. Attenuation at 100Hz is approx 20db rising to 60 db at 8KHz and above. The exception is very low frequency thumps that occur when people slam doors close by, but I can usually equalise them out and that doesn't happen too often.

The sound is extremely dry, but you can put wood panels inside them to liven them up slightly. My preference will always be for a really good live room, but for the stuff I'm attempting, it works perfectly when augmented with good ambient processing.

Then when you finish your country studio, you can dismantle the booth and set it up in the country as your drum room or vocal booth.

Mine is made by www.eckel.ca - fantastic design.

 

[Strryder]

I suggest that you just go to the house in the country with a portable setup and do all of your basic tracking there, don't worry about the "not so perfect" room.

Just go for DI's on the GTR/BASS tracks if you can't isolate amps properly, concentrate on the drum sounds, a couple of hundred dollars worth of U-Haul moving blankets can make a nice big tent to enclose the drums and have enough room for a couple of other people, while not soundproofed at all, this will cut down on the room sound in a big way if the room doesn't sound too good.

When the drums and other basic tracks are cut, do the overdubs in your apartment.

If you get to the country house before noon on a saturday and spend the better part of that day getting the drums to sound good, you can surely track an album's worth of basic tracks on a sunday if you're rehearsed and ready to record.

Bring a good 100 foot snake so you can setup the recording stuff far enough away from the drumset so that you can actually hear what the drums sound like through the mics, a couple of hours dialing in the drumset and mics should get you all set to go.

 

[Jack Russell]

Look into getting yourself a second hand audiometric testing booth from one of your local hospitals ( Get the biggest one possible that you can fit in your apartment ). Before you do though - make sure your building is strong enough to take it and that it won't fall through the floor.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

 

[Jack Russell]

Thanks all for the tips and suggestions. I am humbled. If you would like to visit my website, see what I look like, and listen to my band's current tracks (done in 2002 to ADAt in a basement), visit interiorgreen.com.

Then you can also send me an email if you'd like to give me criticism constructive or otherwise. Your opinions are welcome, as I can learn from you all.

(My name is John, BTW)

Cheers!