Recording Secrets for the Small Studio

 

PART 1

One Source, No Mics

 

CHAPTER 1

Recording a Machine

 

 

Although much of the magic in many productions stems from a marriage of live performers and microphones, I’d like to start this primer by eliminating both these variables from the proceedings, so that we can first concentrate on the bedrock studio techniques you’ll need for pretty much every recording job you attempt. As such, our first goal will be learning to record samples from playback machines that directly output an electrical signal—things like radios, TVs, CD players, and mobile devices. On the face of things, this might seem a rather unedifying prospect, but bear with me, because it’s actually the quickest way to fast-track your basic technical skills. If you can ...