Gnome Recording

By Doug Lloyd, Jr.

Welcome to Gnome Recording. In each issue of The Metro Gnome the Gnome will do his level best to answer your questions about recording and to discuss some of the basics of personal recording. Professional recording is best left to the professionals, I think you’ll agree, but many musos have the itch to record themselves or their band in a much more relaxed and less expensive atmosphere. Gnome Recording is for you if you want to record live performances of individuals or groups, or if you want to do home ‘studio’ recordings.

The Gnome wants to help you to make good recordings, and encourages you to use the Gnome Recording section of the Musician’s Forum to ask and answer questions about recording. All subjects related to recording technique and tips are open for discussion, and each will be explained in as much detail as possible. The Gnome will make sure the forum stays on track and within bounds.

Of course the internet is loaded with information on recording. The Gnome uses the internet a lot to get answers, and will share the link to any good information source. For instance, a simple search for acoustic recording techniques leads to http://www.humbuckermusic.com/acguitrectec.html which has an excellent write up by Michael Cooper. Michael is [apparently] a professional recording engineer, and the information in this article about mic placement is especially useful. At the same time though, Michael is talking about microphones mostly over US$500. The Gnome will concentrate on techniques and tips. You can get good results by using good technique even with less expensive equipment.

Alright – let’s get started….

Q: I record my acoustic guitar at home using an inexpensive cardioid mic. I’ve noticed that sometimes my recordings sound much better than at other times. What would cause this?

Now there’s a question we can really get into! The main question here is consistency of results, although the Gnome is pretty sure the total goal is consistently good quality recording. Consistency, however, can be considered independently, and it is important, so let’s give that a try. Here’s a list of things to consider:

1. Always record in the same room;
2. Always have doors, windows, curtains, and everything in the room in the same place and conditions (i.e., curtains always closed);
3. Always sit or stand in the same position in the room;
4. Always position the mic the same way;
5. Always use the same trim, volume, equalizer, etc., settings on the recorder.

Getting the idea? The way to consistent recordings is consistent surroundings and recorder settings. You could add ‘Always use the same equipment, including instrument, mic, recorder, cables, chair, music stand…’ If you are serious about consistency - and you should be - write down everything about the room, equipment and settings that you can. Create and maintain a checklist.

Consistency is necessary, of course, and should become second nature. Consistency is relatively easy in a home recording environment, because all of these elements can be controlled.

In the next Gnome Recording we will talk about improving the recording you do at home, once you’ve found a consistent method. There are things to consider about each of the items mentioned above, and we’ll talk about those things.

Gnome Links:

* If you are really interested in recording, then microphones will really important to you. Here is a great overview of microphones: http://arts.ucsc.edu/EMS/Music/tech_background/TE-20/teces_20.html