FIRST STEPS

[Kurt Foster]

What is the most important thing a newbie needs to do / learn to get them off to a good start?

[HiString]

Humility?

[Ethan Winer]

Fats,

> What is the most important thing a newbie needs to do / learn to get them off to a good start? <

1. Understand audio signal flow, which really is no more complicated than house plumbing.

2. Learn to take audio manufacturer's claims with a grain of salt.

2a. Don't believe everything you read, even if said by a famous engineer and printed in a big name magazine.

--Ethan

[jaredbyline]

Don't believe everything you read, even if said by a famous engineer and printed in a big name magazine.


Ha thanks a lot. Where was that a month ago?

[lessthandmb]

what are some of the first steps? I just started getting into recording and there are a a few things that I dont totally understand. I dont know why but I find MIDI to be very confusing. Can someone help me out on this topic? snyths? controllers? what are these?

[Kurt Foster]

Jeremy,
This particular thread is more of an opinion poll rather than a thread for questions. That question would be better suited for Nate in the keyboard forum. I'm a guitar player myself and am not totally versed in the ways of MIDI and controllers. If you like you can post other questions here at "Small Steps" on a separate thread. Don't be afraid to start a new one. Kurt
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[jimistone]

im kind of a newbie and i think the some important things i have learned are...

to make the sound source you're recording sound as good as possible before you record it, be it guitar, percussion, drums, or a voice

to have the signal you're recording as hot as possible without clipping

to erase all the junk like room noise out of the spots where there is supposed to be silence on a track before you mix.

and finally, when you are monitoring a track you just recorded, with a mic that is in the same room with the recorder........don't forget to turn off your monitor speakers before you hit "record" again!

[jimistone]

one thing i forgot to add...
when you put a mic in from of something to record it, if the results are not what you desire, don't immeadiatly assume that you have the wrong mic. Try playing around with distance and positioning and sometimes you will get stellar results.

[Mark Burnley]

Just a few thoughts...

1. I agree Jimistone, get the sound good at source, it makes life much easier.

2. Take time to learn- listen to what you do and keep a copy of all your work. Listen to the stuff you did a year ago and be amazed! (hopefully :D but it makes you understand how your tracks will travel.

6. It's not all about gear. You've only got one mic. But there's a million ways to use it. You've only got a few types of reverb. Dive into the menus and learn how to tweak the ones you've got. As you learn, you'll understand what you need more, and you'll make better purchase decisions. Having lower spec gear doesn't mean you'll make bad recordings. You'll just have to learn its' limitations and work with it. Lower spec gear is usually less forgiving, so get to know it well! Which brings me on to...

7. Gain structure...making the most of it! In a signal chain between for example the mic and the recorder, there will be at least one gain control, maybe more. If you optimize these levels, you'll have a recording without hiss and noise due to a too-low level setting, and without distortion/clipping due to too-high a level. This is even more important with digi. equipment because you have 0dB headroom, and lower level signals are using less available resolution.

8. Listen to other peoples records and be critical...just because it's been released doesn't mean it's well recorded! :roll:

And enjoy your work :tu:

Mark

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"Oscillators don't, amplifiers do....."
Anon.

[spratz]

Listen. Listen to the sound, your gear, your environment, and everyone who listens to your product (good and bad).

Understand signal flow. The ability to troubleshoot is a great asset. It also crosses over into other parts of life.

Enjoy it. Don't plan to get rich at it. My advise is to do it because you love it.

Be a life long learner. The moment you think you know it all it's over for you.

Listen some more. Figure out what you like and don't like. As someone once told me... Take your least favorite song and listen to it 100 times in a row. Once you think you know it really well, listen to it ten more times.

jason