Use your Musical Capabilities to Their Hilt

If you are a party animal and have been drawing praise all your life for your lovely voice, maybe it is time your spread the wings of your talent. Use your voice to reach out to more people, and gain fame and recognition by using the simple tips given here.

Live recording is done through what is called "audio" which is an actual music recording of a live sound, just like a tape recording. Let us see what all gadgets are required to fulfill your dream.

a. Digital multitrack recorder

b. Microphone.

c. Audio interface/sound card.

d. Studio headphones

Gadget 1 - Get your digital multitrack recorder or software multitrack sequencer.
Decide where you want to record your audio. Here are some of the considerations. If you wish to use your computer's program, that's great and lot of money is saved. With a good quality sound card, you can record at very high fidelity.

Using a computer as a home recording studio has its ups and downs. While convenience and economy are the biggest positive, as you don’t have to look around much for laying your hands on one, be aware of the possible negatives as well. First and foremost, computers are sometimes unreliable, especially if you are using an older version for high end work that needs more memory. You are unlikely to enjoy losing lots of time and hard work when the computer freezes that becomes more likely the more you demand CPU power for multiple tracks and adding things such as reverb and echo. Go for upgrading your computer with a bigger hard disk and RAM as well as an additional Audio/Graphics card to enhance your work experience. If buying a new computer, go for a high-end processor for the best results.

Further, it is somewhat inconvenient to mix your digital music recording on a computer with a mouse. It can be done for starters, however, and for simple 4 to 8 track projects, you'll do just fine.

On the other hand, using an external digital multitrack recorder has many advantages – as they are more reliable, easier to mix with because they have those old familiar faders, and generally are of higher sound quality. They also come with internal effects such as reverb, delay, chorus, which can crash the computers. The disadvantages are of course the cost, albeit not so bad, and the limited number of tracks (usually 8 to 24).

A proper connection and synchronization with the computer has to be looked into while deciding on an external device. You need to look into the capability of the device to record numerous versions of the bass and choose the final product you desire.

Once you've analyzed your needs, you can go and get the home recording studio recorder or program you wish to work with. An external controller board is required if you are using a software analyzer which will give you real faders for mix down, which can relieve you of the inconvenience of the mouse.

In part two of this article, we shall examine the rest of the essential gadgets required by you for successful music recording, i.e., the microphone, the audio interface/sound card, and the studio headphones and recording gear.

Till then, keep practicing those wonderful vocal chords to prepare for the ultimate experience you have always dreamed of.