Good ways of recording a demo?

[Xianne]

I am a totally new at recording and have no idea of how to record a good demo. I was wondering how do you make a quality recording of a band? How is it done proffessionally and how could it be done at home? What is the process? Also, what is mixing? and how does this and equalization make instruments sound better?

[snoop-au]

To record a GOOD demo you need several mics, a mixer and a recording device. If you're recording live then you don't need an MTR (multi-track) - in fact you can just input it into a computer if you don't have a dedicated recording device.

For drums you can get by with a single mic. I use 7 mics.

Guitar/bass amps can hopefully plug straight into the mixer if they have DI or rec outs.

Vocals, one mic per vocalist unless you want to share with someone else (can get nasty).

If you can't get hold of a mixer then you'll have to go with a single mic for the whole band. It's nasty, but that's what some people do ... and with a bit of tweaking on the computer you can make it sound ok.

Equalisation is about adjusting the gain (positively or negatively) in varying frequency bands. On my mixer, I have two shelving EQ knobs in the low and high end, and a peaking knob set where you can select a frequency in a range to add or reduce gain on (for each input channel - which for a mixer like mine means you have 48 EQ knobs) You use this, along with panning, to distribute your sounds in the soundscape. It's a bit of a science, bit of an art. Some good books out there about it - which I suggest you look into if you're interested in the topic.

[Laetus]

I am a totally new at recording and have no idea of how to record a good demo. I was wondering how do you make a quality recording of a band? How is it done proffessionally and how could it be done at home? What is the process? Also, what is mixing? and how does this and equalization make instruments sound better?

Well.. There's a number of ways to record a demo at home - but to make it a quality one you will need cash.. And to be honest, you're better off making crap demo's at first with as low an amount of cash spent as possible. (I mean, it's pointless investing in a load of stuff to figure out that you're **** at something)

This is what I use to make home recordings:
Line6's Toneport UX1
Cubase SX3 (Do not get this unless you know how to use it! It is expensive and difficult)
My ibanez guitar and Dimavery bass.
Fruity Loops Studio 5 with Drum Kit from Hell samples

My advise is..
Start as cheap as possible - read a lot about it and try your way foward.

[snoop-au]

(I mean, it's pointless investing in a load of stuff to figure out that you're **** at something)

Weeeell, obviously if you're at the point of wanting to record demos then you think you're a bit alright on your instrument ... so really, it's up to the producers who decide whether you're good enough for the rest of the world to hear. And if you're not, doesn't mean you're **** at something

:thumb:

[Laetus]

Weeeell, obviously if you're at the point of wanting to record demos then you think you're a bit alright on your instrument ... so really, it's up to the producers who decide whether you're good enough for the rest of the world to hear. And if you're not, doesn't mean you're **** at something

:thumb:

Well it was in regards of recording and mixing, not playing the instrument(s).. I've met too many people who has invested way too much, time and money, in it only to figure out that their end result was terrible.
The thread starter wrote that he/she has never done it before, thus my advise is, start low - end high, read up a lot about it and don't invest too much to begin with.

[snoop-au]

^ Yep, absolutely right. You'd be lucky to get half of what you paid if you needed to sell all your expensive gear once you realise that it ain't workin out. You can get decent results with cheap stuff. I mean, are you really recording demos to send to EMI? :)

[Fretboardninja]

To make something professional sounding you really dont need so much.

Get a line6 podxt for guitars and basses (u can use it for bass)
convince your drummer to program his parts using drumkit from hell or BFD rather then play them live, this will make it sound better and save loads of money on mics and a multitrack recorder.


get a mic preamp and a cheap condenser mic and have it go into ur pc via the pod.

run it all through cubase sx3



btw u can "find" cubase and drumkit from hell online


all of this stuff can make pretty good sounding results... here is some of my work.

myspace.com/broomofdoom305

"funk vs the machine" is the best mixed one on there

[Auberge le Mouton Noir]

I'd say for maximum ease of use, fun, and learnability, you'd be best with a pair of cheap behringer condensers, a mixer and a Tascam Porta 02 tape recorder (OR) a £50 audio interface.

EDIT:

If you went all behringer, you could get all of that stuff (inc a USB interface) for £124, including a pair of phones for monitoring with.

[Xianne]

Hey, i was wondering if a mixer was necessary if i could EQ on the computer after recording.

[Auberge le Mouton Noir]

Hey, i was wondering if a mixer was necessary if i could EQ on the computer after recording.

You need somehting to pre-amp and phantom power (possibly) the mics.

[Xianne]

yeah, but if i had a mic preamp, wouldn't increase the volume? also, what is phantom power?

[Laetus]

yeah, but if i had a mic preamp, wouldn't increase the volume? also, what is phantom power?

Being lazy I did: Define: preamp with google. :p

# an electronic device designed to amplify extremely weak electrical signals before they are fed to additional (usually more powerful) amplifier circuits; any such signal-boosting device; short for "preamplifier".
www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/reference/glossary.html

# A small amplifier that is used to raise the gain on a signal before the main amplifier in a system. Some Mic Pre's are very sought after because of the sound qualities they lend to mics.
www.01xray.com/store/mic_glossary.htm

# the low-level amplifying stages in a guitar amplifier. This is where the tiny signal from the guitar pickup is amplified and shaped for the desired tonality before being sent to the power amplifier, which generates the high power signal needed to drive the speakers.
www.aikenamps.com/AmpTerms.html

# Short for preamplifier. A weak signal produced by a microphone or camera pickup device may need to be strengthened by a preamplifier before they can be used.
www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/cpt/main/definitionfolder/definitions.html

# A preamplifier (preamp), as its name suggests, is an amplifier which precedes another amplifier.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preamp

--

More being lazy.. Phantom power:

A means of powering condenser microphones. A current of (usually) 48 volts is sent along the mic cable from the mixing desk or, where the mixer does not have phantom power facilities, from a phantom power box, into which the mic is plugged and which, in turn, plugs into the mixer.


(Often you can get a lot of questions answered just by doing define: 'word' in google :p)

[Xianne]

okay okay, so i used your 'tech' defining mixer and condenser mic, and i still don't see why do i need a mixer if i can EQ on the computer? and phantom power, isn't that sent by the PA system into the speakers also?

[Mekkalayakay]

I record with a $20 mic I bought at a video rental store, Cubase SE, and my instruments of course, and I can make a better sounding demo than half the local sXe kids here who actually spend money to have it done by someone else.

[10571z]

If you want to record a demo from scratch and you dont no anything about recording i suggest get $300 and go to studio:chug: ... Most likely your recording will suck if you attempt and you will spend alot of money on equiment.