Building a Home Recording Studio | Part 5

We've covered some basics on what mics to purchase. Then we discussed some options for recording drums. Today I'd like to focus just on the kick drum. The biggest drum seems like the easiest drum to mic, but this big fella can be tricky at times. You really have to pay attention to the music. The tone of the kick drum needs to match the tone of the music. This requires selecting and placing the right mic in the right spot to capture the tone that you need.

There are a few options I recommend. The Shure Beta 52 is a rock solid mic for any recording. It provides depth, punch, clarity, and snap that works well with virtually every recording. You can never go wrong when using this microphone to record your kick drum. I've tracked many rock & metal bands with this mic and the results are exactly what I wanted. With the right placement, this mic can record kick drums that don't need much EQ and compression to sit well in a mix.

At a modest price of $189, this mic is affordable and will be worth every penny you spend on it.

My backup mic is the AKG D112. This egg-shaped mic is versatile for many recording applications, so it's an excellent choice for those of you on a tight budget. This mic is great for tracking a lighter kick drum sound. Blues & Jazz music seems to bloom naturally when this mic is on the kick. Besides kick drum tracks, this mic works well for recording any instrument that has a lot of low-end detail. I've used this microphone to record congas, bass guitar, trumpets, horns, and vocals. So for the $199 price tag this mic carries, it's well worth the investment.


The third microphone that I recommend is a little unorthodox. The RODE NTK is a secret weapon that I like to use when I need a bit more slap in the kick drum. It's a tube-based condenser that has a magical sound when placed in just the right spot. Usually I find that spot slightly off-center in front of the drum head. The $529 price on this mic does put it in the slightly expensive category, but this mic can do it all. From vocals to acoustic guitar, this mic is excellent on almost any recording.

Hope this helps you get better kick drum recordings. Please leave comments and questions here and we'll start up the discussion. Happy tracking.

Building a Home Recording Studio | Part 3

Microphones are the pulse of a studio. They capture the sound and deliver it to the interface. This is the first point of contact where the sound is captured and harnessed to be preserved for eternity in the digital realm. Every mic has its advantages and disadvantages. In the right situation, a good recording can be made with a handful of SM57s and one large diaphragm condenser.

That is exactly where you should start. The Shure SM57 is a tank & a workhorse. It's great for recording almost everything. This dynamic mic can take a beating and still give you great recordings. It's ideal for recording snare drums and guitar amps. Each SM57 has a different sound, so it's a good idea to have a few in your mic locker.

Focus on getting a decent vocal mic that can be universal for other applications. The RODE NTK is a great place to start and will be a handy mic to have when you start to build up your mic collection. This large-diaphragm tube mic has warmth and character that gives vocals the texture they need to fit nicely into a mix. RODE has a long lasting reputation as a microphone manufacturer and I've had my NTK for 15 years and the beast is still getting use everyday in the studio.

Sweetwater has some great reviews and a wide selection of microphones. If you're going to be recording drums, the AKG D112 is a popular mic for kick drums. The D112 is also great for recording horns and brass instruments. The Shure Beta 52A is another great mic to have in your locker for tracking kick drums. If you're going to be doing Voice Over work for TV or radio commercials, the Shure SM7B is the primary mic you should be considering. This mic has become legendary in the world of VO production. I use the SM7B to narrate all my YouTube videos.

There are so many options that it is impossible to keep this post short and still pack in all the details about microphones. If you're considering a mic for your studio, leave a comment below and we'll start up a discussion about it. Stay tuned for Part 4 tomorrow.

Recording Guitars & Amps

Recently recorded a project that had some heavy guitar riffs. The guitarist wanted to get that overdriven tone, but still retain clarity. This is always a challenge for any engineer. Mic choice and placement are crucial. Amp volume rears its ugly head in your face and can create a nightmare for you in the mix. Here's how I did it without spending a lot of time trying to get just the right take in one shot.

Setup a few mics in front of the cab. I like to use a Shure SM57, Shure SM7B, Sennheiser e606, and Sennheiser 421. Put one in front of each cone slightly off-axis and pointing away from each other. Then run the guitar to a DI for tracking the clean signal and then thru to the amp head. Based on how many mics you setup + the DI, you'll have a decent amount of tracks to work with. Normally, I don't use all the tracks, plus there can be phasing issues. All I need is one good track from the take and we're golden.

The first take should be at the level of over-driven tone that the guitarist prefers. Then re-amp the clean signal with the amp at a slightly lower volume. This should give you more clarity from the performance. You can keep doing this routine until you get enough layers to blend in the desired sound for the guitar tone. Pan out the different takes and adjust volume levels to widen the mix.
This is just the concept. You'll need to experiment with your setup to find out what works best.

More recording techniques and info on our site: http://shineonstudio.com

Mixing Vocals | Adding Distortion and Lo-Fi

Vocal distortion can be the glue that pulls your vocal tracks together. Just a simple side-chain with the vocals being processed through a distortion plugin or amp head can pull the vocals coward in the mix and at the same time find the right pocket for the vocals in the mix. You may be saying to yourself, "I don't want my vocals all fuzzy and gritty." Not to worry, by side-chaining the effect, you can blend in the dry and wet vocal signals to a level that works best for your mix. The distortion will add just enough color to the vocals so they feel like part of the music and not just ambiguously floating above the music. Slap some EQ on the distortion track to get a brighter or darker tone to your distortion coloring. Just don't go overboard with the vocal effects, unless that is the goal for the track. Happy mixing!