GENRES

Greg Stewart is a graduate of the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Science, Tempe, AZ, studied the Music Engineering Program at Ball State University and spent time on staff at the famous Sound Kitchen Recording Studio just outside of Nashville, TN.  He has nearly 10 years of pro recording experience, and has recorded well known artists in nearly every genre of music, from guitar great Johnny Lang to Nashville Star Buddy Jewell.  His installments will be very valuable to helping you get the most out of your home demo recordings.  He is co-founder and chief recording engineer with Nashville based Veriphonic Records.  Greg's articles will be archived here on the site for future reference.

Recording A Demo?

Check out our product reviews for our look at recording gear.

Did You Know?

The World Wide Songwriters Association allows you to instantly collaborate with other members through our instant messenger.  You can exchange ideas and information through our member message areas.  Also, you can set up your own private inbox to send and receive messages from other members.  Check out the member collaboration areas here.

Member Gets Cut On Major Country Album

World Wide Songwriters Association member David Banning recently got his song "I'd Be Lying" recorded by Capitol Nashville Records recording artist Chris Cagle.  The song which Banning co-wrote with Cagle appears on the artists self titled album and also includes the hit singles "What A Beautiful Day" and "Chicks Dig It".  Congrats to David on his songwriting success.

Member Chosen As Finalist

VIP Member Phil McKernan has been chosen as a finalist in the 2005 Australian Songwriters Association Song Contest, with his song,  "It's Such A Long Way Home".  Good Luck Phil, you're already a winner with us.  The World Wide Songwriters Association is happy to see our members rising to the top, in the land Down Under!

Member Has Video On GAC

Our good buddy Jimbeau Hinson, who was previously featured in the WWSWA Spotlight, currently has his song "My Dog Thinks I'm Elvis" on radio and GAC TV.  The song is performed by Ray Herndon, who co-wrote the song with Jimbeau.  Not only did Jimbeau sing harmony on the record, but he also appears in the video.  Support your fellow member and request this song!  Way to go Jimbeau, you're back in the spotlight...!

THE MIGHTY MICROPHONE:
THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE

So you're looking to record a demo of your new song and, of course, you want it to sound as good on tape as you hear it in your head. For one or several of many possible reasons, you are thinking about recording it yourself at home. There are many things to consider when trying to get that perfect end result. There's using the right effects and compression on each track. There's finding the right placement for each instrument in the mix. There are timing and dynamic considerations. And if you don't have equipment yet, then there are other details added to those. What kind of format do I want to record to: digital or tape? Is 16 bit 44.1KHz good enough? What kind of speakers do I need? What kind of effects do I need? All of this is very important. However, there is one consideration that jumps ahead to the front of the line: the microphone.

The Microphone: Where It All Begins

The microphone is your first chance to make your recording sound amazing or your first chance to make it less than what it could be. So, then which microphone is the best for recording? It depends. It depends on what kind of source you are recording and what you want that source to sound like. Some really cool effects can be captured by using the cheapest mic that you can get at you local Radio Shack or Wal-Mart. Generally though, you want to capture a sound that is more true to the actual source. There are many different mics that are designed to do different jobs, however, there are two main categories that most microphones fall into: dynamic and condenser. Below is a chart of some general applications for each kind of microphone. These applications are by no means absolute, just guidelines.

Dynamic vs. Condenser

In short, the main difference between dynamic mics and condenser mics is phantom power. Phantom power is pretty much a +48 volt charge sent to a condenser mic to power it. This allows the condenser mic to be constructed in such a way that it is more sensitive and results in a more detailed recording. That is why, in general, the condenser mic is used in more critical recording situations. The dynamic mic on the other hand does not use any external power to work. By its design it creates a very small charge when sound hits what is called the diaphragm. Because of the dynamic mic's design, it is generally able to be used for louder sound sources such as the snare drum listed above.

So Which One do I Need?

Again, as I stated earlier, it depends. However, if you are only working with eight or less tracks and most of the recording you are going to be doing is vocal, guitar, keyboard, and drum machine...then I would suggest getting the best large diaphragm condenser mic you can afford. The only thing about a condenser is that it requires phantom power and most 4 and 8 track recorders do not come with that as an option. Therefore, you will probably need to buy a preamp that has phantom power. One that I am very happy with and does not cost a fortune is PreSonus' TubePre. It's about $100 and sounds great. It can also be used as a DI box since it has multiple outputs that can be used at the same time.

Onward to Great Recordings

To recap, the proper microphone is your first defense against bad recordings. There are two main kind of microphones dynamic and condenser. Dynamic mics generate their own power and can generally be used for louder sound sources. Condenser mics require phantom power and are generally used to capture a more detailed sound. For basic home demo recording, I would suggest that you buy the best large diaphragm condenser microphone that you can afford and also a decent preamp such as the PreSonus TubePre.

There are also other considerations regarding microphones that need to be taken into account. These would be the mic pattern and the placement of the microphone relative to the sound source. I will go into that in a upcoming article. Until then...

                                           Take care,

                                                  Greg