Humility?

:cool:

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

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? :)

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?

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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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!

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.

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

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

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

I forgot something.

It is all about the music. Not the gear, not the studio, not the reputation, not the money.

Also the musicians can really make all the difference. Your job is to capture the music.

jason

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

To find knowledgeable people and then to fearlessly ask them questions. Humility was a great answer. Study your ass off. No formal training needed but it's nice if you can intern with an experienced engineer. Record as much as possible and you'll learn something new daily. Find good tools and then learn to use them properly. You can't tell if a mix is good unless you have a decent room and good monitors. Don't be afraid to try something different after you've learned the basic way things are usually done. Listen to the best mixes you can find and then try to emulate them. Listen to the panning, the eqs, the effects, stereo imaging, the changes in levels, amount of compression, the punch, the clarity, the beauty, and ask yourself how you can mix to make your product sound as good. Don't overdo reverb and learn subtractive eqing. Don't build your house (mix) on a weak foundation. If the basic rhythm tracks aren't right redo them until they are. If the band can't play in time or sing in tune then learn how to edit and fix what's broken or decide that life is just too short to waste your time recording crappy bands. Learn to do your best with what little equipment you may have. Your most valuable piece of equipment is your ears. Keep them protected and maintained. Most importantly learn how to cover your ass when you accidently erase a great take. ;)

When purchasing a studio item, consider what it does on that particular date, at that particular moment in time to be all it will ever be capable of doing.

Such as Paris perhaps?

Most important for a newbie is that he/she should understand that it's rather "clever" to ask a "stupid" question.

A real pro will be happy to answer any newbie question. :p

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

As a certified (certifiable?) newbie - things I would do different are:

1. Start with a 4 track and mic (or 2). Wring every last drop of performance out of it, before you buy a desk/channels/fx/daw etc.

2. Buy a decent set of headphones, not only will your neighbours thank you but your ears will to.

3. Don't buy a rack full of gear and then have to work 10-15 hours a day in your regular job to pay it off, leaving no time to learn any of the kit. One piece at a time and learn it completely.

4. When you do get a DAW or Desk/Recorder - get as many inputs as your budget will allow and then some - don't skimp - you can always leave i/o unused but when you run out its a pain.

5. BUY A PATCHBAY - and get your studio organised. Only having to worry about one panel of cables is liberating.

6. Don't forget its all about the music - you are capturing that, not the sound of a AKG C414 into a Avalon VT-737SP.

7. Never stop listening to music.

1) Listen to as much live music as possible. Even if you have no intention of recording string quartets, go & check out a clasical concert (string beds are popular in Hip Hop, etc....)

2) Learn how to get along with clients. "Ease of operation" will have folks coming back. Keep a level head even when all else is falling apart around you.

3) Try to be as open minded to new techniques as possible.

4) Learn from the past experiences of other engineers.

5) Have fun!!

Give up drinking and smoking! ;)

I know it's already been said, but I feel strongly about it.

Seriously, ask lots and lots of questions and apply what you've learned and then - ask lots and lots of questions again.

Remember that everyone was a newbie at some point.

Ethan says:

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

Sounds fairly basic but when I think about it, there are some steps im sure I don't understand as well as I could, is there a faq that covers this? or a particular forum that is really well suited for "audio signal flow"

I'm working on the humility :p

note2scott,
this is the perfect forum to ask these types of questions. But it is the wrong thread... start a new topic and I will be happy to answer any of your questions regarding signal flow / sound chain theory. Kurt

The best advise to give is too know who you are talking too(he sounds like a pro--but lets hear his mixes)

If you are blabbing out all sorts of absolutes you better have a song mixed and produced by you that I can hear--otherwise its just the blind leading the blind.

I took all sorts of advise from people I later realized blew. (by going to their websites I found their mixes sounded like Hitler in a woodchipper)

Another thing for the learner--you cant build a mix on "Tips". If I gave you some tips on building a house--like make everthing level and have a strong foundation ect ect ect--would you be able to build a house?

Hell no. You better have a better plan than visting every forum or reading every article(which by the way are all generalized crap--how many times can you describe what a threshold is)

For the love of God you gotta use soundclips not words to describe sound

Maybe more along the business side of things:

ALWAYS be on your toes and pay attention to the hands that you shake.

My most high profile work is a result of a random conversation I had with someone in a bar. I was bartending as a second job when I was starting out in audio. One day I was lucky enough to have a freelance camera op who was in town to shoot for CBS sit at the bar. That conversation several years ago led to my most exciting work to date, and the most impressive on my resume (and a few free drinks for him, needless to say).

Networking is for real. Take it seriously, and NEVER blow anyone off, no matter where you meet them or what they say.

Use your ears, not your wallet! The music is your focus. If it works dont fix it!

Lots of good suggestions already. Here are a few more.

1. Decide what you are trying to accomplish. Is it for songwriting, demos, project studio, do you want to go pro?

2. Figure out your budget. This is VERY important.

3. Make your equipment choices carefully. Figure out what you NEED, not what you want. Spend a few extra ducats on something of the best quality that you can afford that will last you a while. Don't go for the "Fad" toys. Read, ask questions, check out all the advice and opinions on this site. Oh, by the way, remember to set aside about 1/5 to 1/4 of your funds for the really important stuff; power, cables & patch bays, a nice comfortable chair (you will hopefully spend many hours in it), and studio furniture like rack mounts and something to put your board on.

4. Listen, listen, listen. Train your ears. Listen to "classic" albums where the engineering and producing are top notch (Steely Dan's ASIA taught me alot). Listen to music you don't normally listen to.

5. Listen, listen, listen. Train your ears. Can you hear that out of tune guitar, the horrible ring from that floor tom, the singers case of cotton mouth?

6. Try to reproduce sounds from existing recordings. It is a good way to learn your gear and also to find cool work arounds and tricks.

7. Don't be afraid to experiment.

8. Remember that it's very simple..... but there is A LOT of simple.

9. Be brutally honest with yourself. Don't be defensive. Accept constructive criticism and learn from it, but always take it with a grain of salt. Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one and they all stink.

10. Never burn bridges. It's easy to make enemys but very hard to make friends and even harder to forge good business relationships.

GOOD LUCK!!!

The best gig in the world is a packed bar on a Friday night. Reason? Everbody got paid and everyone wants to get laid. Any band that can't get over on a Friday night should be shot!

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

Good monitors and good room!!! I spend more than a year turning around and getting no where :mad: . How i will know if something good or not?. I changed mics, monitors, pre, looking what was bad in my tracks... my room !!! It took me too much time.
Any book give the real value of a good setup room.
I'm a newbie and now is really when I start to grow up.
Lionard