Home Recording Basics Ep. 01
A new series starts today!
To begin, let’s first consider a few different ways to work with what you have, for cheap or free.
Instead of doing a written thing, it seemed like the best way to start was just to listen to some examples. Here's some personal favorite picks of great music being made with minimal gear:
Karima Walker “Waking the Dreaming Body”
Sufjan Stevens “Carrie & Lowell”
Bon Iver “For Emma, Forever Ago”
Brick (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
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You'll notice the exact balance of DIY to pro treatment is different for each example, but some level of professional work is common, even if it's limited to professional mastering at the end of the process.
It’s very uncommon to see “Written, Arranged, Recorded, Mixed, Mastered, Produced” all by the same person, for any record that’s successful.
That’s because team efforts make your music sound better, and if you want to stand out among thousands of songs being released every day, it’s gotta be the best. An amazing team of people all working together gets you to the best, over a single person, every time.
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Generally, working with minimal gear works best most often in the writing and demoing stages of recording, rather than tracking/mixing/mastering postproduction side.
But, no absolutes here. Knowing when and how to make these choices is a signature of the greats, and every project is different.
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Most of this series will focus on setting up a proper creative space, rather than mic techniques or specific software.
Why? Bang for your buck.
Especially if you’re demoing at home and re-recording elsewhere (recommended!), you don’t need to spend a ton of money on software or microphones. But, you do need to construct a space that allows you to get the most with what you do have. Acoustics, and setting up your space in a way that allows you to hear what you’re doing accurately, is a great way to maximum bang for your buck in a home recording setting.
