The Recording Chain

1
The Recording Chain

• Types of Recording - Overview

2
Live Stereo Recording

• Record with a stereo microphone or two
  microphones into a recorder.
• The microphones pick up the overall sound of the
  instruments and the hall.
• This method also works well for small
  ensemble/solo recording in a good-sounding room.

3
Live Stereo Recording

• The instruments and voices make sound waves.
• The sound waves reflect off the walls, etc., and
  add a sense of spaciousness.
• The sound waves from the room and instruments
  reach the microphone and are converted into
  electrical signals.
• Microphone choice and placement are critical.
• Different microphones add a different color to
  the sound.
• Placement affects the balance of sound from the
  hall vs. the instruments.

4
Live Stereo Recording

• The signals from the microphones go to a recorder
  where they are converted to a magnetic pattern.
• The recorder can be a cassette deck, open reel
  deck, DAT, CD, mini-disk, or a hard drive.
• As a tape moves during recording, the signals are
  recorded on a track - Analog.
• On a hard drive they are recorded into Random
  Access Memory and then stored on the hard drive
  - Digital.
• DA recording uses much of the same terminology as
  analog recording.

5
Live Stereo Recording

• Headphones or a power amplifier and loudspeakers
  convert the magnetic patterns back into sound.
• The headphones or speakers allow the monitoring
  of the recording process.
• The speakers and acoustics of the listening room
  will affect the sound.

6
Several Mics and a Mixer

• Each microphone is placed close to an instrument
  or vocalist.
• Each mic picks up very little room acoustics.
• Gives a close clear sound - good for pop music or
  narration.
• All the mics plug into a mixer.
• The mixer amplifies the mic signal to a usable
  level.
• The mixer has a separate volume control for each
  mic and other aspects of the sound .

7
Several Mics and a Mixer

• Send the mixers output to a recorder.
• Two problems with this method
• If a mistake is made while mixing, the musicians
  have to play the song over.
• If recording a live gig, there is no second
  chance.

8
Multitrack Recording

• Place the mics near the instruments.
• Plug the mics into a mixing console.
• The mixing console amplifies the mic signals and
  sends the separate mic signals to separate
  tracks.

9
Multitrack Recording

• This method allow the recording of overdubs.
• After all the tracks are recorded, they are
  played back through the mixing console to balance
  the volumes, add effects, etc.
• Record the final mix on a 2-track stereo recorder.

10
Random Access Multitrack

• Among the types of random access recording are
• Multitrack recording software on a computer
• Hard disk recorder and a separate mixer
• HD recorder-mixer
• MiniDisc recorder-mixer.
• Big advantage a tape does not have to physically
  move to rewind or fast forward.

11
Random Access Multitrack

• The mics are plugged into a mixer or mic preamp
  to amplify the signal.
• If using recording software on a computer
• Plug the mic preamp into the sound card or A/D
  converter.
• Use the recording software to record the audio
  onto the HD.
• Overdub more tracks.
• Use the mouse or a control surface to mix the
  tracks.

12
Random Access Multitrack

• If using a HD recorder and separate mixer
• Connect the mixer to the HD recorder.
• Record the tracks on the HD recorder.
• Mix the tracks with the mixer into a 2-track
  stereo recorder.
• The maximum number of tracks is determined by the
  amount of processing power and storage.
• A combination of software and outboard HD
  recorders gives greater flexibility and number of
  tracks.

13
MIDI Sequencing

• Instead of recording an actual pitch, MIDI
  records all of the attributes of that pitch -
  duration, timbre, attack, decay, etc.
• Drum pads, keyboards, breath controller, or
  anything that sends a MIDI signal can be used to
  input the performance to the sequencing software.
• The performance is mixed using the software and
  then played back through the MIDI instruments and
  recorded.
• Some software will record both MIDI and audio.

14
Pros and Cons

• Live Stereo Recording
• Simple, cheap, and fast.
• Difficult for rock because balances cannot be
  adequately controlled.
• Good (and quite common) for orchestral
  recordings.
• Live-mixed Recording
• Fairly simple and quick.
• Better for rock but loud instruments may sound
  distant because of leakage between mics. (Often,
  done with a separate mixer connected via a
  splitter box.
• If the mix or performance has mistakes, the
  entire song has to be re-recorded.

15
Pros and Cons

• Multitrack Tape Recording
• Punch-in to fix mistakes.
• Overdubbing reduces leakage and gives a tighter
  sound.
• Mixing decisions can be postponed until after the
  performance.
• This method is more complex and expensive than
  live-mixed recording.
• Random Access Multitrack Recording
• Same advantages as tape plus instant access to
  any point during the recording.
• Some feel that digital is not as warm as analog.
• Save often or lose your tracks!
• Save often or lose your tracks!!!!!!
• SAVE OFTEN OR LOSE YOUR TRACKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

16
Quality Levels of Different Formats

• For the authors rankings see page 12.
• Regardless of what type of recording is done,
  each stage contributes to the overall quality or
  the recording.
• The final product can only be as good as the
  initial stages - bad sounding mics or bad mic
  placement cannot be fixed with EQ or in the mix.