Third Take

Most of us get into home recording because we want to record ourselves or our band. We soon realize that there is a steep learning curve, and making a recording that sounds “professional” is hard. If you are just starting out, your biggest obstacle is not lack of gear, software, or plugins, but lack of knowledge. You can make a good recording on minimal equipment, but if you don’t know how to work effectively, it can be very frustrating. There is nothing worse than getting several hours into a project and realizing that a mistake you made at the beginning has doomed your recording. Here are a few techniques to help you get off to a solid start.

Make a Click Track

Use a metronome. You can use your DAW’s built-in metronome or just record one. You can also use MIDI drum sounds to make a “click track.” Keep this track around for the duration of your project, muting it when you don’t need it. Not only will it prevent timing issues and tempo drift, but it can help players come in at the correct time after a pause in the music.

Also, make sure your project tempo is in sync with the metronome. This is a non-issue if you’re using the built-in metronome, since you have to set the project tempo to get the metronome at the right speed. However, if you’re recording a hardware metronome, make sure the metronome and the project tempo are set to the same BPM and line up the clicks with the measures in the software. This will make editing much easier - especially with MIDI - because you can use the snap-to-grid functions.

Use Scratch Tracks

Just because you record something doesn’t mean it has to end up in the final mix. If you’re recording one instrument at a time, you’ll likely end up with a dilemma: if you record the guitar first, it’s hard to play (or program) drums that match up exactly. However, without being able to hear the guitar, it’s nearly impossible to play (or program) the drums.

The solution is to record a “scratch track” - record the guitar (or keys), playing along with the metronome. It doesn’t have to be a perfect performance, or even a good recording. It does have to be in time, and free from serious mistakes.

Use this scratch track as a template to lay down the bass and drums, and then go back and record the “real” guitar tracks. When you go to put down the real guitar tracks, be sure to mute the scratch. You don’t want the imperfect scratch track to influence the real take.

I often record scratch vocals as well - that helps me come up with additional instrumental parts and fills that compliment the vocal melody. I’ve really gotten used to the creative freedom of composing at the DAW. Even if I’m not recording a “real” track, I use my DAW constantly when I’m writing.

Don’t be surprised if you occasionally capture a “magic” scratch track, and end up using it in the final mix.

Shy Away from Commitment

Don’t commit to any mix decisions earlier than you have to. Tools like EQ, compression, and effects are essential in the final product, but you want to delay their application until you have all the instruments recorded and you go to mix the project. For example, even though you will probably use compression on the kick drum, try to record it dry if possible. That way, you can decide how much compression to use after you hear the kick in the mix with the other instruments. Likewise, a thick vocal reverb might sound great when you’re singing along with an acoustic guitar, but muddy and sloppy once you get the other instruments recorded. You don’t want to hit a brick wall while you’re mixing because you committed to something too early.

This applies to mixing decisions; I’m not saying to change the sound of an instrument you’re trying to record. For instance, if an electric guitar is using delay to create a certain sound, you want to record that sound. Don’t try and record the guitar without delay and add it back later.

The idea is to record whatever a musician brings to the performance, and make the best recording you can. Then, after everything is recorded, you can make decisions about eq, compression, and effects within the context of the mix.

These are three basic, non-technical tips that can improve the quality of your home recordings.