BroKen_H
Re-member
The First Thing You Need To Learn (notes from a former n00b)
The very first thing you need to learn is how to learn. Let me give you five easy pieces that will make your stay at Home Recording much more pleasurable.
1) Grow some skin. There are people on this website that know a lot more than you do. Fact
When someone here says something that sounds like they're lashing out or attacking you, they're probably not (and if so, that's why there are mods: let them do their job and don't be a tattle tale-it's annoying). The natural tendency (and I've done it) is to lash back. Then we have an escalation and a problem. The problem is usually in your perception of what was said. Go back and read it over again. Wait for other replies. PM someone you trust and see if they can give a different perspective on what was said. Back away from the topic for a few days (or at least minutes) and retry your question in a different way.
When someone asks for something, they usually need it. If they ask what DAW you're using; can you post a sample; can you be more specific; it usually means there are lots of possible answers and they're trying to narrow it down.
There is no mother to cry to. There is no “He hurt my feelings, I'm going to take my football and go home.” This is the internet. Cry a river, build a bridge and get over it.
2) Get some knowledge. There is science behind the answer to the question you're asking. Learn the lingo at least enough to not confuse everyone. There are people on this site that know so much I can't understand what they're saying sometimes. IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY”RE WRONG!
Home recording is a WIDE topic. You need a lot of skills. Computers (or analog recording knowledge), music theory, (and applied music), specific DAWs, acoustics, tracking, mixing and mastering, broadcasting, podcasting, etc. etc. No one here is an expert at everything, but you can research before you ask. You might be surprised at how much you can learn on your own. Possibly the best question you can ask is “Where can I learn about {topic}?” You'll probably get some great links and have to do a bunch of studying and actually have to do some work, but you get to learn! Someone is not just handing you the answer.
Someone here knows your answer. Learn who to look to. “How do I do that?” If you have a question about mixing, go listen to people's mixes. The ones that sound best to you are the ones you should take advice from. If you have questions about mastering...same. If you want to mike your drums better, listen to people's drums in their mixes. If you have a computer question, be pretty sure of the answer before you ask and see what lines up.
Oh, and by the way, Read The Manual! If you don't have the manual, download the manual. If you can't find where to get the manual, ask "Where can I get the manual for my Cuisinart DLC-XPBON?" before you ask "How do you shred lettuce?" Here it is.
There is no majickz. There is no fairy dust. You must learn how it works if you want to do it.
3) Practice or experiment. “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?...” You need to practice your singing or instrument playing. You experiment with new ideas. The more you do, the better you get. They are skill sets that need honing.
Tracking, mixing and mastering are skill sets. Songwriting is a skill set. Podcasting is a skill set. There are two ways to have a skill. Applied theory, or natural ability. There are tools that will help you learn the skill. If you want to be a skilled performer, you can use a metronome, get a tutor, just jump right in and start experimenting. There are a myriad ways of learning a myriad of different instruments. But to play the piano, you need a piano. To track, you need a recording device. To mix, you need speakers. To master, you need ears. To trap acoustics, you need a meter. Simplifications, I know, but the point is: there's a minimum.
There is no “Best way to mix this track?”, “Best way to play this solo”, or a “Sucks/Awesome” knob for any skill. There's theory (science), and application (practice/experimentation). There is no substitute for hard work.
4) Look before you post. One of the biggest problems on this site are people coming in and posting questions about the wrong topic. Posting an mp3 in the singing or songwriting sections is not wrong, but be sure your question is not about critiquing your mix. If you don't know for sure, pick something and start with something like “I don't know if this is the right place for this question, but...” The mods will move it if necessary.
If you have a complex question, possibly try breaking it up into component parts. “How can I make my mix better?” is a lousy question. Too many variables. Are your acoustics good, is your performance good, was it recorded to weak/too hot, did you over compress, did you use the right microphone? Be specific. “How can I get the mud out of my mix?”, “How do I make the vocal stand out from the trumpet part?”
Use the search function. Your question may have already been asked (hundreds of times). After you post, look at the bottom of your thread for a little section called “Similar Threads”. READ THEM!
There is no “Best Microphone for...” “Best DAW”, “Best interface for...” There are resources.
5) Read the stickys. Read The Stickys. READ THE STICKYS!!! There's a reason they're there. Look for new stickys. If a sticky title you've read goes dark, there's new information. Look at the new information.
If you want an interface with midi and at least 3 preamps, go look at the Audio Interface Comparison Chart STICKY. If you want to learn how to mike an acoustic guitar read the Acoustic Guitar Recording 101 STICKY. If you want to change the blurb below your name, read the How do you change the blurb below your name? STICKY (well, maybe not all of it, but you get the picture).
There is no point in writing this post. Most who won't get their own information are not going to read a post this long.
