So your child wants to learn to record, what now?

The days of giant tape machines and mixers that would not even fit in the back of a minivan are long gone. In fact, you can fit everything you need to have a recording studio into an average size back pack. What makes buying recording equipment so difficult is the millions of options you have to choose from. As a matter of fact, if you hop on one of the main recording equipment websites, you will find 256 different interfaces (one of the main parts of a modern studio). So out of the hundreds of options, which is right for you? That is what this article will explain.

We are just going to dive straight in. Here are the main categories you need in order to record. First, no matter what, you need at least one microphone. Microphones are what takes acoustic sound and turns it into electricity. This is 100% necessary in order to record. Next, that microphone has to get to some other device. This requires a microphone cable. Now, what you plug your microphone into can vary, but it will almost always be some device that has two main components; 1. A preamp, which makes the microphone louder, and 2. A converter, which converts the electricity coming out of the mic into a digital signal. In general terms, an interface is what you call a device that has preamps and converters. Now, once your signal has gone through your interface, it goes into a computer, usually via usb or firewire. Once the signal is in your computer, you have to have some software that can store that audio and let you change it around to sound good. After you have recorded audio onto your computer using recording software, you send it back out your computer and back to your interface. Your interface also has the ability to convert that digital signal back into electricity, where it is then sent out to headphones or speakers.

So, lets recap. Sound goes into the microphone, microphone turns it into electricity, electricity from mic goes through the mic chord into the interface, interface makes the mic louder and converts it to digital, digital signal leaves interface and enters computer, computer software stores and manipulates the sound, and then sends it back to the interface where it is converted back to electricity and sent to headphones where it is turned back in to acoustic sound. Phew.

 

Dynamic Microphone

Okay, so hopefully this is all pretty clear. Now lets talk about all those options you have when it comes to microphones and interfaces and software.

Microphones - There are a lot of different microphones out there and honestly, in a beginner price range, a lot of the are pretty similar. I do need to make one really important distinction. A Dynamic microphone is used to record really loud instruments, like a kick drum or loud electric guitar amps. They are also used when a band is performing live. A condenser microphone is more sensitive, sounding better in the studio for vocals or softer instruments like acoustic guitars or piano. Condenser microphones work well for recording instruments from far away too. If you are only able to afford a few microphones one or two condenser microphones is probably the way to go.

Condenser Microphone

When it comes to specific models of microphones, I am not intending on reviewing and comparing all the different options, but I will say you should expect to spend about $100-$200 per microphone. There are literally hundreds of different condenser microphones out there in that price range, most of them pretty good. One microphone that really stands out to me is the brand Studio Projects. They make a condenser microphone called the B1 and for $99 new I think it is amazing. I will also take this opportunity to say something you will surely here me say many times and that is avoid the brand Behringer. I have used a lot of their equipment and it has all been pretty terrible. A few brands that make condenser microphones in the $100-$200 price range that are probably pretty good are: Shure, Audio Technica, MXL, and Rhode. A few brands that may not be too bad but I would typically avoid are: Nady, M-Audio, and Tascam.

Console Interface

Interfaces - The world of interfaces is pretty wide, but I want to start with two very broad categories. Compact Interfaces and Console Interfaces. Let me explain... Most interfaces will be rectangular and relatively small with dimensions like 20" wide by 24" deep by 2" tall. Some interfaces however have a mixer, or console built into them. They would sit on a desk and have lots of faders like what you may picture when you think of a professional studio. I would strongly recommend steering clear of Console Interfaces unless you really know what you are looking for and have good reason for wanting one.

Compact Interface

So our compact interfaces are what we are focusing on. You plug microphones into them, have a few knobs that control how loud the microphone gets, and then a usb or firewire cable that connects them to your computer. Now, there are two common categories of compact interfaces, 8 channel compact interfaces and 2 channel compact interfaces. 8 channel interfaces mean you can plug up to 8 microphones in at once, 2 channel means you can only plug two microphones in at once. Which kind you get will obviously be partially impacted by how many microphones you plan to buy. 8 channels offers a lot more diversity than 2, but great recordings can be done with 2 channels. If you decide to go for a 2 channel interface you can expect to spend between $150 and $300. If you decide to go with an 8 channel interface, plan to spend $300-$500.  Most units in their respective price range are pretty similar, but I will say I have had pretty good results with brands like: focusrite, presonus, digidesign, and MOTU, while I have had less than positive experiences with brands like: Behringer, Nady, M-Audio, Tascam, and Alesis.


Computer - I will combine the type of computer you need and software into one section. In all honesty, you can record on just about any computer. I have recording on cheap Dell computers that I bought ten years ago for $200. I had a few problems but it worked. Most families looking at recording have some computer and most likely, that computer will work for recording.


With that said, there are a lot of different software programs designed to record music. Garage Band is a free program that comes with Mac's and it is very limited, but it gets the job done. A lot of interfaces come with a limited version of more popular programs. No matter what software you wind up with, you will be able to record and get the quality you had hoped for. Cubase, Digital Performer, Pro-Tools, Logic, Sonar, and Abelton are some of the more popular programs that have been vetting and work well. No one brand of software is necessarily better or worse than the other, they are just laid out differently and take different steps to get to the same result.


I hope this clears up some of the confusion that exists around setting up a recording studio. The ability to record yourself playing music, write new parts, share your music with friends and the world is a powerful tool. I can personally say that even though I started playing guitar when I was 12, it was when I got my first recording setup that I really turned into a musician.