The recording stage should be sacred for artists and engineers. A good recording is the difference between capturing a clean vocal and catching “The Simpsons” playing on the TV down stairs. Mistakes or problems here can have drastic implications on the quality of your final track.
Here’s what we have found to be some of the most common recording mistakes that, if you are aware of and understand, will help you improve your recordings.
Planning
This may seem obvious but many recording sessions suffer as a result of this, or the lack of it. You should always know exactly what is needed for a session and have contingences in place. Nothing kills the vibe more than when a musician is waiting 30 minutes while you run round looking for a cable or can’t configure the I/O correctly.
Don’t record in the red
In the digital world, red is the universal color that says “f*ckin stop”. In the analog world this becomes, “use caution”. Understanding this difference is the foundation of producing quality recordings.
If you are recording to tape or through analog gear then you know that pushing the input signal hard can add subtle compression, saturation and even harmonic distortion. You can’t beat slamming a transformer or a tube. T his is the only time that recording hot will ever sound good, so enjoy.
When recording to a DAW like Pro Tools the rules are not the same. Pro Tools can only handle audio up to a certain threshold (0db) and any audio that goes over this threshold is clipped and distortion will occur. Not compression, not saturation, nothing fun, just filthy digital distortion.
If the signal hits the red at any time in the digital world, just pull back on the level. It’s that simple.
Poor miking techniques
Miking in itself is an art form where centimeters can make a significant difference. Yes, you can just stick a mic in the first place it lands and press record, but that’s not going to yield the best recording possible. For example, if you want more bass frequencies to come through off an acoustic guitar or vocalist then move the mic closer to the source, don’t just stick an EQ plugin on later. Record a take and assess how it sounds. Oh, there’s too much room coming through on the drums. Then lowering the overhead mics might solve it. It’s all problem solving. Solutions are found through trial and error.
And remember, just because you’re not recording in a world-class facility doesn’t mean you can’t get great results. A well-positioned sm57 will sound better that a microphone 10 times its price positioned poorly.
Double tracking!
Double tracking is not essential or even needed on every track but it does have huge benefits. Nobody wants to sieve through 30 guitar takes and 30 vocal takes but at the same time no one wants to be limited to just one. Double tracking allows you to put emphasis on key phrases, thicken up parts and can create chorus / widening type effects without the use of plugins. Even playing a doubled vocal track quietly under the original can add a huge amount of depth to a performance and if you don’t like it, then don’t use it. At least you had the option.
When you finish recording and all the equipment is put away it's nearly impossible to capture the exact same tonal characteristics as you did before. This is where those doubles come in! Oh the piano player hits a bum note in the bridge that we missed. Instead of having to record it again or even worse, be stuck with it, we can copy that section out of our doubled track and paste it back into our original. Congratulations, you have just saved yourself countless hours of hassle by recording one extra take.
Check cables
I can safely say that if you have ever recorded audio of any kind, this will really piss you off! And if it hasn’t affected you yet, it will. By taking proper care of your cables e.g. not slamming them on the ground, standing on them or using them as a jump rope, you will lower the chance of problems arising. There is a common misconception, mainly by beginners, that a cable is just a cable. Well, here’s a fact, “Man did not create all cables equal”. In a perfect world we would all have brand new Vovox Sonorus cables at all times but sadly not everyone can spend that kind of money on cables. In the real world, you use what ever you have available to you.
Firstly, do a visual inspection of the cables you will be working with. You don’t need to be Einstein to know that a cable with exposed wires and duct tape all over it can be an issue. If you don’t have any cables to replace it then just make a mental note of it so that if a problem does arise you know to check there first.
If you are hearing a buzz / hum or something like that and you suspect it’s the cable, then give this a try. SWAP THE CABLE FOR ONE YOU KNOW WORKS. This only takes a few seconds and will factually tell you whether it’s an issue with the cable or not. Trace the problem from the source and work back.