This is one great article I've recently read on ultimate guitar website about effects pedals. Have a read and you will have great insights on pedals.
Having witnessed many a member submit articles on effect pedals, multi effects, and other tone-enhancing gadgets, I decided to submit my own article with my two-bits on the subject. First I have to note that I've studied this subject intensely and I am planning to open my own small home-based modding shop sometime soon. Many hours spent reading books on these things and many hours spent taking them apart to see how they work.
When it comes to buying effects, there are no static unconditional laws. I've heard many people say (friends, a few in music stores), for example, that Digitech X-series pedals are garbage. That's a lie right there, because what it all comes down to is: it's a matter of opinion, your other equipment (guitar, amplifier, pickups, other effects) and most importantly: your ear and what your "tone", to you, should sound like. Some people like organic and smooth sounding liquid phasing because it has personallity and it's pleasing to hear, I don't, that's because I prefer a "meaner" tone so a metallic overpowering phase is what I root for. That little anecdote right there proves that some generic guy that says "Oh, digital effects sound like as warm as a dead polar bear so therefore don't buy them" just doesn't know what your talking about.
Allright, so to the meat of the subject. In this article, I will try to explain to you, the reader, what these effects do and what they don't do, how they affect the sound, and how the "marry", or go together in a chain. Sometimes, I will have to bluntly state my opinion, even though thats not what I'm wrting this article about (my opinion that is), thats because I have extensively tried the pedal and have either found a great flaw or because that effect has something that makes it for one reason or another, stand out, and when I mean stand out I mean it has, say, a feauture that most other effects of it's category don't have. In Pt.1, I will discuss the most basic and important effects, such as distortion, compression, and delay. Enough! I'll start with what these mysterious little boxes do to the sound.
Distortion Distortion works by making the sound wave more jagged and linear. Sound waves and your end tone are very close together, as a smooth round wave (called a sine wave) is synonimous to a clean sound and a jagged more square-looking one is synonimous to a distorted signal. Even though I do believe most people on UG have basic knowledge of what distortion does and what it sounds like, as I also beleive most people on UG have an IQ of at least 75...you never really know. So in case you don't (pat on the back and props to the noobs, I'm kidding about the IQ thing), it's what you hear in most punk songs and metal riffs and solos, even most practice amps have built-in distortion.
Overdrive Very similar to distortion in many ways. First of all it can be obtained with some of the same electronic components and also it sounds very similar. Overdrive though, is the result of a "smoothed out", usually lightly distorted signal, so it souds less "in your face" and bluesier. Judas Priest, ZZ Top, and thousands of other musitians frequently use it, and since overdrive was first discovered by forcing an overwhelming signal through a Tube Amp, it's heard often since it's been around for so long. It's got "crunch" but not really "growl", even though you can get it to sound very mean if your equipment isn't limiting you.
Compression This is probably one of those effects that many people know by name but many also don't have a good idea on what it does. Compressors should be thought of as tools more than as effects as it applies more to the dynamics and the nuance of your actual playing as it does to the tone. I've also seen many writers try to describe what it does but not making it clear at all. So here's what it does: it basically makes things that are loud softer and things that are soft louder, but it does this in a very controlled and mathematical manner. So it can be very helpfull in some situations, say if youre playing a solo where you do a lot of tapping or where you need sustain (off the top of my head, One by Metallica or Eruption by Van Halen), it will help you because when you're tapping, the notes aren't as loud as they are when they're strummed with a pick, so therefore the effect will make the tapped not-so-loud notes more audible.
Another use of a compressor could be to "keep yourself in threshold", say your're playing rythm guitar, you want to be clearly heard but you want your overall volume to crowd the rest of the band or the lead guitar. If you're using a compressor, your volume will never go over a certain level, and this level you define by a knob on the pedal itself. One downside is that if your equipment is generating any noise or hiss, the compressor will pick it up and make that noise louder. Result: louder noise. I use an Electro-Harmonix Black Finger and even though it cost me my first born son and my soul it's, as allways in my opinion, "the" compact-size compressor, there are better ones for sure but they're more expensive and usually rack-mount effects, and whats the fun in a rack-mount, eh?
Reverb Plain and simple, reverb simulates a three-dimensional real-time environment. Even though you can make a reverb pedal with almost anything metallic from an old spring to an empty beer keg, most compact pedals use digital circuitry to simulate halls, rooms, and other enviroments. What defines the virtual boundaries and physics on this enviroment are defined with the pedals knobs. The "type" of reverb, like say hall reverb or large room reverb is just a combination of how long the effect lets the note trail off, how abruptly it cuts off that note, how loud that note is, etcetera. Very usefull effect, it's also used on vocals, drums, keyboards...hell, just about any instrument can benefit from it's spaciousness and added dimension.
Delay This effect is my holy grail and my vulgar display of power, I almost allways use light delay for my clean sounds and also for my solos. All this pedal does is digitally record what youre playing then simultaniously playing it back while recording the next sample. In other words, lossless perfect echo. It's not the kind of echo you would get, for example, by screaming into a big lake and then hearing your voice come back at you, because the recording is digital, therefore there is no loss and what you hear played back is exactly what you played into the pedal. An outstanding Delay pedal is the Boss DD-6, which on top of being virtually noise-free, offers the best variety of irregular delay effects, like reverse playback amongst others. If you set a delay pedal to a very short (say 70 milliseconds) time, then boost the feedback/repeat rate, you get a double-track effect, something very good to have if you're a lead guitarist.
Saturday 28 December 2013
Audio editing software (By Justin)
One of the most important decisions you can make at the early stages is which software you want to use. There are two main choices, that I can speak of from personal experience, and if you want to get advice on recording from me and my freinds, you will need to pick one of these. Pretty much every studio I have ever seen or worked in has one of these two software packages, and usually both, because they both have strengths and weaknesses. There is an addition I will mention - Garage Band. There are other options I will discuss more a little later but these are your main choices.
Logic Express
Logic Express is the baby version of Logic with a lot less features than Logic Studio, but has the massive advantage of being a whole lot less expensive. This would be the software I would recommend for a beginner that wants to get into recording. It has far to many features to ever get bored with, it comes with LOADS of loops and cool plug-ins and is very easy to going with. For a beginner it is really great - a fairly smooth transition if you are familiar with Garage Band (the free Apple recording software). Apple computers come with audio in and out so it is kinda possible to use and Apple computer as your audio interface, but it is in little mini-jack leads, there is no mic input or phantom power... But Logic rocks for beginners, so make sure you check it out. Logic is not so fussy about which units you can use with it - but you need to check the interface specifications to be sure. Check out Logic Express at the Apple Web Site.
Logic Studio
Logic Studio is the real professional program, and it's considerably more expensive. It really is awesome and all the guys I know that do lots of programming, or work with film as well, pretty much all use this. It is not as good for audio (in my opinion) as Pro Tools, but has many more features, plug ins and the Midi editing is the bomb. I was very happy using this for manyyears, and switched to using PT early this year because I no longer do much programming, I am just recording audio, and all the studios I record in all use PT. Check out Logic Studio at the Apple web site.
Pro Tools LE
Pro Tools LE is the "Light Edition" and has less effects plug-ins and a lower track count. That said I know lots of guys making great recordings using LE. The main disadvantage with PT (vs Logic) is that the midi editing is pretty rubbish, it had got a lot better with the release of PT8, but it's still not a scratch on Logic. It also does not have built in loops, and the effects that you get for free are very limited. If you think you want to move to making real high quality stuff at some point, then you probably should get to know PT because it is the industry standard professional recording software. Check out Pro Tools LE on the Digidesign web site.
Pro Tools HD
HD stands for "High Definition" and the quality of audio in HD is really awesome. But it's expensive, you are looking at at least £5000 to get a basic HD rig. You have to buy the Digidesign hardware (Audio Interface) to use it. The great thing about PT is the stability of the system (very few crashes) and the simplicity of the audio editing. After using Logic for nearly 10 years, when I switched to Pro Tools at the strat of this year I just could not beleive how easy it was to edit the audio, and the quality of the sound running the system at 24bit 96khz is amazing (I noticed it especially on acoustic guitar), SO much better than when I was using Logic Studio and a MoTU 828 interface. Not recommended for someone getting into recording uless you just fancy blowing loads of cash on something you won't know how to use properly (Those that bought a Ferrari as your first car!). Check out Pro Tools HD on the Digidesign web site.
Garage Band
Garage Band, owned by Apple, comes installed on Apple computers, but is not a professional product. It's a great bit of software for getting a very basic understanding of recording, but is very, very basic. It is dead easy to play with loops and set up drums and bass and keyboard lines, but you have very little control over the editing and sound manipulation. You have to buy an apple computer to get into it (which I recommend anyhow, I don't get on with PC's at all), and most people will get bored with it pretty quickly if they want to do proper recording. Check out GarageBand at Apple Web Site.
Logic Express
Logic Express is the baby version of Logic with a lot less features than Logic Studio, but has the massive advantage of being a whole lot less expensive. This would be the software I would recommend for a beginner that wants to get into recording. It has far to many features to ever get bored with, it comes with LOADS of loops and cool plug-ins and is very easy to going with. For a beginner it is really great - a fairly smooth transition if you are familiar with Garage Band (the free Apple recording software). Apple computers come with audio in and out so it is kinda possible to use and Apple computer as your audio interface, but it is in little mini-jack leads, there is no mic input or phantom power... But Logic rocks for beginners, so make sure you check it out. Logic is not so fussy about which units you can use with it - but you need to check the interface specifications to be sure. Check out Logic Express at the Apple Web Site.
Logic Studio
Logic Studio is the real professional program, and it's considerably more expensive. It really is awesome and all the guys I know that do lots of programming, or work with film as well, pretty much all use this. It is not as good for audio (in my opinion) as Pro Tools, but has many more features, plug ins and the Midi editing is the bomb. I was very happy using this for manyyears, and switched to using PT early this year because I no longer do much programming, I am just recording audio, and all the studios I record in all use PT. Check out Logic Studio at the Apple web site.
Pro Tools LE
Pro Tools LE is the "Light Edition" and has less effects plug-ins and a lower track count. That said I know lots of guys making great recordings using LE. The main disadvantage with PT (vs Logic) is that the midi editing is pretty rubbish, it had got a lot better with the release of PT8, but it's still not a scratch on Logic. It also does not have built in loops, and the effects that you get for free are very limited. If you think you want to move to making real high quality stuff at some point, then you probably should get to know PT because it is the industry standard professional recording software. Check out Pro Tools LE on the Digidesign web site.
Pro Tools HD
HD stands for "High Definition" and the quality of audio in HD is really awesome. But it's expensive, you are looking at at least £5000 to get a basic HD rig. You have to buy the Digidesign hardware (Audio Interface) to use it. The great thing about PT is the stability of the system (very few crashes) and the simplicity of the audio editing. After using Logic for nearly 10 years, when I switched to Pro Tools at the strat of this year I just could not beleive how easy it was to edit the audio, and the quality of the sound running the system at 24bit 96khz is amazing (I noticed it especially on acoustic guitar), SO much better than when I was using Logic Studio and a MoTU 828 interface. Not recommended for someone getting into recording uless you just fancy blowing loads of cash on something you won't know how to use properly (Those that bought a Ferrari as your first car!). Check out Pro Tools HD on the Digidesign web site.
Garage Band
Garage Band, owned by Apple, comes installed on Apple computers, but is not a professional product. It's a great bit of software for getting a very basic understanding of recording, but is very, very basic. It is dead easy to play with loops and set up drums and bass and keyboard lines, but you have very little control over the editing and sound manipulation. You have to buy an apple computer to get into it (which I recommend anyhow, I don't get on with PC's at all), and most people will get bored with it pretty quickly if they want to do proper recording. Check out GarageBand at Apple Web Site.
Recording electric guitar
There are many ways to record an electric guitar, and every engineer finds his/her own way to do it. I have purposely kept this overview brief so there is little room for confusion, all the techniques below are just the way I normally record guitar, and should serve as a good starting point for those of you that are new to the world of recording. Remember, the methods below are not rules, just guidelines, you should try to develop your own style once you feel more comfortable with the subject. Don’t forget there is no right or wrong, and I would encourage you all to experiment as much as you can, since you might find your very own techniques, which for you, may work better than anything else. Finally, as my intention is to keep this article as brief as possible I am not going to explain any of the technical terminology like Phase, Compression, EQ, etc, or the characteristics of different types of mics. There is plenty of free, easy to find information online about all of these subjects should you require it.
The guitar and amplifier used obviously play a major role on achieving a good sound. In a professional environment different amps and guitars are normally used to obtain different sounds, but as a home recordist I understand that this might not be possible, so just use whatever is available to you. If you are about to spend any money on equipment and your budget is limited, I recommend that you invest in good quality instruments rather than expensive recording gear. A crappy sounding guitar is always going to sound crappy regardless of whatever expensive recording equipment you might be using!
The room used to record is also something to keep in mind, try to place the amp in a relatively dead room and put the amp on a rug, which will take care of the more immediate reflections coming from the floor.
The microphones used are also an important factor, the ones I mention below are my usual choices, but take this just as a reference, as I understand that some of them might be out of budget for most of you. Don’t worry though, you can still achieve a good sound with less expensive microphones.
As for mic preamps, use what you have and try to get the best sound that you can with it!
EQ and compression are also a factor to keep in mind, sometimes adding or subtracting a bit of EQ can solve a problem. Personally I try not to rely on it too much, do your best to get a good sound with your amp and the techniques below. As for compression, sometimes I use it when a part is very dynamic, so I can keep better control over it, but be careful with over compressing as it will kill the dynamic of your guitar.
Recording with one microphone
In a home recording situation many of you probably won’t have a wide choice of microphones, preamps etc. This is nothing to worry about, since it is still possible to achieve a good sound with just one microphone. There are two obvious choices to mic up a guitar amp; close micing or distant micing.
A Dynamic mic is a good starting point, for electric guitars. The most popular microphone is the Shure SM57, this is a very versatile and inexpensive mic. In my opinion, every home recordist should own one of them, however if you are not ready to invest in one don’t worry, just use any (semi-decent) dynamic that you might have. You can also try a ribbon microphone, but please be careful, putting it in front of a hi SPL source (SPL is short for sound pressure level, in other words, volume) might damage it, especially old ribbon mics. Modern ribbons such as Royer, Shure, etc are built to take high SPL and should be ok.
The first step is to find the center of the cone, if you can’t see it due to the grill cloth put a bright torch right against the cloth, this usually helps you seeing the cone and therefore placing the mic correctly. A good starting point is to place your dynamic microphone pointing perpendicularly on a 90º at the very center of the cone, about 1” to 2” from the grill, this will give you the brightest sound.
Start moving the mic to the side, off-center, you will find that the sound will become less bright and with more body, just keep moving the mic until you get the right sound.
Sometimes moving the mic off center might get rid of those aggressive hi-mid frequencies but at the same time make the sound a little dull. In this case try pointing the mic at the center of the cone, between 20º to a 45º angle. This should help loosing that harshness on the sound yet retain the right brightness. This is not an exact science and you will have to experiment with all the techniques explained until you get the sound you want.
If using a ribbon put it a bit further away from the cone than you would do with a dynamic, about 4” to 5”, and tilt it slightly so it is on an angle. By doing this you will minimize the effect of air movement from the speaker hitting the ribbon and (in the long term) damaging it.
Sometimes, for clean (not overdriven) sounds you might want to try a condenser mic, since the amp will generally not be very loud and a dynamic mic might not collect a sound as bright as you might want it to be. Just put a condenser mic in front of the amp and exercise any of the above techniques.
This technique can provide an interesting sound. Mic up the amp further away, this includes micing from several inches to several meters, I recommend a condenser mic like a Neumann U87 or cheaper equivalent, since you will be losing a lot of top end as you move the mic away from the amp (but by all means do try any other type of mic you fancy). As a starting point I put the mic about a foot away from the amp, pointing at the center of the cone on an angle (maybe 20º to 30º), this should give you a pretty direct and bright sound with a decent amount of body. As you move the mic away it will start sounding roomier and duller, which can create a very interesting sound. To increase roominess you can point the mic away from the amp, you could also change the pattern to omnidirectional and even stick a compressor on. There is a lot of room to experiment, so feel free to have fun with it. You can also combine a distant mic with a close one, getting a very detailed sound with a nice roominess to it.
Recording with two microphones
This is the technique that I normally use, you can choose different combinations of mics as explained below.
Boost both signals on your preamps so they are roughly the same level, making sure that both mics are on phase, otherwise the resulting sound could be very thin and not very desirable (unless that is what you are looking for). There is a quick and easy way to roughly test the phase. Once you have placed your mics play something through the amp and press the phase reverse switch on one of your preamps, if the sound suddenly thins out considerably it means that the positioning of the mics, in relation to each other, is right. Finally, I generally mix both sounds before going to tape (or computer, via a mixer) so I end up with just one track. If you prefer you can record both signals and play with the levels in more depth at the mixing stage, however, making that kind of decision at an earlier stage will make your job easier at the mix.
Another way worth trying is to put one of the microphones on an angle, for instance, having the 57 pointing to the speaker on a 90º angle and the 421 on a 45º, this time both pointing at the very center of the cone, with the result of having a brighter output from the 421 without loss of the body.
Finally, you can have both mics pointing at the center on a 45º to the speaker (so they are on a 90º to each other), this is a good way to smooth the sound out when what is coming out of the amp is too harsh (ear piercing!). I would normally start by trying to change the sound on the actual amp, but sometimes if you do that you loose too much of the tone you had, so is better to tweak the mic positioning.
This combination has been my favourite for the last year, I normally use a 57 and a Royer121, both pointing at the very center of the cone about 2” to 4” from the grill, again both at a 90º to the cone and as close to each other as possible. The 57 will collect the “bite” of the sound while the 121, being a ribbon, and therefore “thicker” and smoother sounding, will add the body.
You can apply same techniques used with two dynamic mics, the difference being and you should keep this in mind, that the condenser mic will have a better response on the higher frequencies. I would stick to the SM57 for the dynamic and maybe try a Neumann U87, U47 or an AKG414 (shown below) for the condenser. If the volume coming out of the amp is distorting the condenser, just flick the level pad switch on the microphone (if it has one…hopefully) to either -10 or -20 as needed.
Others
There is one more trick, which can come handy in some occasions. If you feel like you can’t get enough low end with any of the techniques described above, micing up the back of your cab can be the solution. This should be combined with any of the other techniques above (except for the distant micing), and can only be done with an open back cab. Just point the mic (any type, although I would personally use a dynamic) at the back of the cone at the same distance that the one at the front. So if your front mic is 2” from the cone, the mic at the back should also be 2” from the back of the cone. Then use the phase reverse switch on your preamp/desk and combine it with the signal of de other mic/mics. This should give you the body that you are missing, but before you do this please keep in mind that while it might sound great when you are listening to the guitar by itself, an over bodied guitar can be more of a nuisance once you are trying to mix it with the rest of the instruments and you might have to end up filtering that low end out. Just try to think ahead!
Remember, all that all of the techniques explained above are MY preferred way to record electric guitars, they are all tried and tested and work well, but experiment, make it work for yourself and try to have lots of fun on the way!
Getting sounds into your computer (By Justin)
One of the first things you need to think about buying is an Audio Interface (AI) which is how you are going to get sound into the computer. Some computers have a built in soundcard (and Mac's have an audio input) but they generally don't sound too good, and you can't normally plug in a "proper" microphone (or use a condenser mic).
The descision about which software you will run and which interface you will use will probably be co-dependant and will influence each other. Lets look at some of the basic units and explain a bit about the features you need to look for.
Common Features
Inputs and Outputs
This is the first thing you need to check for, how many channels in and out can you have. If you are starting out you probably don't need more than two channels out (they just go to your speakers). And you probably don't need more than 2 inputs either (unless you want to record drums and are prepared to buy a load of microphones too!). So what you are looking for is propably something with 2 ins and 2 outs, preferably with the two inputs being microphone inputs. Most units have sockets that can take both a microphone lead (XLR) or a guitar jack lead.
Sample rate and bit rate
The Sample Rate is how many times the music is sampled each second. And the bit rate is how many bits of information is recorded with each sample. Big pro studio record at 24 bit, 192k sample rate (yes that is 192 thousand times a second!), but that is way over the top for a project studio. As you record at a higher sample rate the files get bigger too, so it's not a good idea unless you are doing serious recordings and have ample hard drive space. CD's play back at 16 bit, 44.1k so there is not much more point in trying to get better than that unless you are doing serious stuff. But a 24/48k would be great. Bit rate is always 16 or 24 bit, and the sample rate normall has a k or kHz after it.
Interface
The main choice here is how you want to connect it to your computer. I would recommend USB or Firewire over the PCI based cards, they are simple to use, portable (you can usually use them with a laptop) and require less mucking around.
Phantom Power
Microphones come in two main types, Dynamic and Condenser. Condenser mic's are usually more detailed and much better for vocals than dynamics. But condensers need +48v of power to be sent from the AI down the lead to the mic, and this is called Phantom Power. You probably want this because I would recommend that you get a condenser mic as soon as you can afford to!
Major Brands
There are hundreds of people that make audio interfaces, but there are some of the major players who make good stuff. I may add some more here as time goes by, but I like to speak from experience more than reputation, and these are the brands that I have used!
Digidesign (Pro Tools)
Pro Tools is one of the industry standard recording software platforms, and to run it you need to buy hardware (real things) that are compatible. Digidesign make a range of Audio Interfaces that start at simple portable and not too expensive units (M-Box) to more Prosumer units (003) to full professional systems (HD). You don't need an HD rig if you are just starting out, but the M-Box is great and I used one for a long time. It's both Mac and PC compatible, connects by USB cable and means that you can run Pro Tools LE (Light Edition) software. I think the Digidesgn stuff sounds great for audio but not so good for people using loops and stuff, so might not be best for the beginner recordist. If you buy Digidesign hardware you can still run Logic software through it, so it's great to buy if you want to use both Logic and Pro Tools too! See the Digidesign Web Site for more info.
MoTu (Mark Of The Unicorn)
Motu make a great range of AI , I used the 828mkII model for many years. It has many great features and is dead easy to use, sounds great and is moderately priced. They have cheaper units than that one, but it is a great unit for someone starting out that has a little more for the budget! Pro Tools will not sun with this unit, but Logic will and Motu also has thier own software that come with it, but I have never used it or even seen anyone using it, so I can't say anything about it, other than it is not very popular! MoTu Web Site.
M-Audio
M-Audio have a huge range of bidget interfaces available, many of which ar "M-Powered" meaning that you can run the Pro Tools LE software with them (I think they are owned by Avid, which also owns Digidesign). They come as PCI cards that you install into your machine, or as USB or Firewire versions. Which one you go for will depend on your budget, the more expensive models add more inputs (how many things you can record at the same time). I have quite a few students with these and they work. Not a good quality of sound to me as the Digidesign units, but considerable cheaper. M-Audio Web Site.
Apogee
These guys make serious high end gear, but have also released a potable little unit called The Duet, that is simple but sounds great. I know loads of guys that rave about this thing, though I have not used it myself. It is designed to run perfectly with Logic, and won't work with Pro Tools. It's not cheap but rave reviews. Apogee Web Site.
So what should YOU buy?
Well to be honest, I don't know what you should buy. I would recommend starting off with a medium budget, a unit that you can grow into, not get bored of it's limitations too quickly, but not something so expensive you have to sell your car.
But if you are on a very small budget the M-Audio FastTrack unit looks pretty good, and will work with both ProTools and Logic (I think, please check).
If you decide you like the look of Pro Tools - then pick the digidesign unit that fits your budget! The 003 is excellent medium price unit.
Don't by Pro Tools HD if you are just starting out - it will be a waste of money! Learn using Pro Tools LE.
If you like the look of Logic (which is really great for starting off with) then check out the MoTu 828 or pro tools units that will fun with ProTools.
The descision about which software you will run and which interface you will use will probably be co-dependant and will influence each other. Lets look at some of the basic units and explain a bit about the features you need to look for.
Common Features
Inputs and Outputs
This is the first thing you need to check for, how many channels in and out can you have. If you are starting out you probably don't need more than two channels out (they just go to your speakers). And you probably don't need more than 2 inputs either (unless you want to record drums and are prepared to buy a load of microphones too!). So what you are looking for is propably something with 2 ins and 2 outs, preferably with the two inputs being microphone inputs. Most units have sockets that can take both a microphone lead (XLR) or a guitar jack lead.
Sample rate and bit rate
The Sample Rate is how many times the music is sampled each second. And the bit rate is how many bits of information is recorded with each sample. Big pro studio record at 24 bit, 192k sample rate (yes that is 192 thousand times a second!), but that is way over the top for a project studio. As you record at a higher sample rate the files get bigger too, so it's not a good idea unless you are doing serious recordings and have ample hard drive space. CD's play back at 16 bit, 44.1k so there is not much more point in trying to get better than that unless you are doing serious stuff. But a 24/48k would be great. Bit rate is always 16 or 24 bit, and the sample rate normall has a k or kHz after it.
Interface
The main choice here is how you want to connect it to your computer. I would recommend USB or Firewire over the PCI based cards, they are simple to use, portable (you can usually use them with a laptop) and require less mucking around.
Phantom Power
Microphones come in two main types, Dynamic and Condenser. Condenser mic's are usually more detailed and much better for vocals than dynamics. But condensers need +48v of power to be sent from the AI down the lead to the mic, and this is called Phantom Power. You probably want this because I would recommend that you get a condenser mic as soon as you can afford to!
Major Brands
There are hundreds of people that make audio interfaces, but there are some of the major players who make good stuff. I may add some more here as time goes by, but I like to speak from experience more than reputation, and these are the brands that I have used!
Digidesign (Pro Tools)
Pro Tools is one of the industry standard recording software platforms, and to run it you need to buy hardware (real things) that are compatible. Digidesign make a range of Audio Interfaces that start at simple portable and not too expensive units (M-Box) to more Prosumer units (003) to full professional systems (HD). You don't need an HD rig if you are just starting out, but the M-Box is great and I used one for a long time. It's both Mac and PC compatible, connects by USB cable and means that you can run Pro Tools LE (Light Edition) software. I think the Digidesgn stuff sounds great for audio but not so good for people using loops and stuff, so might not be best for the beginner recordist. If you buy Digidesign hardware you can still run Logic software through it, so it's great to buy if you want to use both Logic and Pro Tools too! See the Digidesign Web Site for more info.
MoTu (Mark Of The Unicorn)
Motu make a great range of AI , I used the 828mkII model for many years. It has many great features and is dead easy to use, sounds great and is moderately priced. They have cheaper units than that one, but it is a great unit for someone starting out that has a little more for the budget! Pro Tools will not sun with this unit, but Logic will and Motu also has thier own software that come with it, but I have never used it or even seen anyone using it, so I can't say anything about it, other than it is not very popular! MoTu Web Site.
M-Audio
M-Audio have a huge range of bidget interfaces available, many of which ar "M-Powered" meaning that you can run the Pro Tools LE software with them (I think they are owned by Avid, which also owns Digidesign). They come as PCI cards that you install into your machine, or as USB or Firewire versions. Which one you go for will depend on your budget, the more expensive models add more inputs (how many things you can record at the same time). I have quite a few students with these and they work. Not a good quality of sound to me as the Digidesign units, but considerable cheaper. M-Audio Web Site.
Apogee
These guys make serious high end gear, but have also released a potable little unit called The Duet, that is simple but sounds great. I know loads of guys that rave about this thing, though I have not used it myself. It is designed to run perfectly with Logic, and won't work with Pro Tools. It's not cheap but rave reviews. Apogee Web Site.
So what should YOU buy?
Well to be honest, I don't know what you should buy. I would recommend starting off with a medium budget, a unit that you can grow into, not get bored of it's limitations too quickly, but not something so expensive you have to sell your car.
But if you are on a very small budget the M-Audio FastTrack unit looks pretty good, and will work with both ProTools and Logic (I think, please check).
If you decide you like the look of Pro Tools - then pick the digidesign unit that fits your budget! The 003 is excellent medium price unit.
Don't by Pro Tools HD if you are just starting out - it will be a waste of money! Learn using Pro Tools LE.
If you like the look of Logic (which is really great for starting off with) then check out the MoTu 828 or pro tools units that will fun with ProTools.
Microphone Guide by Justin
As well as an Audio Interface you will also need to buy a microphone. It is possible to plug in an electric or acoustic guitar right into an Audio Interface but it generally sounds rubbish and should avoided.
Dynamic vs Condenser
There are two main types of microphone: dynamic and condenser. And you will probably end up needing one or more of each type, they have different strengths and weaknesses.
Condenser MicrophonesCondenser mics are the most common type of studio microphone. They capture a wider frequency response than dynamic mics, and have a better transient response (the ability to capture faster moving sound waves). They generally require Phantom Power (+48v) to be supplied by the mixing desk, audio interface or microphone pre-amp. Condenser microphones are considerably more expensive than dymanics, and cheap ones generally do not sound good and are best avoided. Wiki has some infor on how condenser mics work.
They come in two types: Large Diaphram and Small Diaphram. Large Diaphram (Neumann U87, AKG 414, Rode NT2) are used for vocals, drum overheads and guitar bodies and can have a big or fat deep sound. They are sensitive to volume change and not suitable to record loud sounds (like electric guitar) and you will need to use a pop shield to stop bursts of air (plosives, like "p" and sibilence like "sh") causing distortion. Small Diaphram (Neumann KM184, Rode NT5) or "pencil mics" are better for guitar necks, close micing strings, drums and more, they have a better transient response and are often used in pairs to create a stereo spread.
My favorite mic for acoustic guitar is a medium diaphram: a Neumann KM86, which is an old mic that is no longer made, but to my ears it sounds FAR better than any other mic or combination of mics on acoustic guitar and is worth searching out if you are wanting the best acoustic guitar sound possible, but they are not cheap (£1000+).
The classic vocal condenser microphone is the Neumann U87, which sound great, but are quite expensive (£2000, $3500). You don't have to spend that but there is a certain clarity that you find in Neumann mics that others just can't seem to capture. I used a Rode NT2-A and got some great results, in general I have found the Rode brand to make excellent quality microphones that are very good value (actually I just had the NT-2, the older version)...
Valve condenser mics are also available at considerable extra cost, and add a real warmth to the sound.
When choosing a vocal mic it is important to try out a whole heap, because sometimes the most expensive won't sound the best for you. You need to borrow as many as you can from a store and then try them all out - or go book a studio for a few hours and try all their vocal mics) and see which one suits you. Don't miss out that step - try out loads and find the one that works FOR YOU!!
There is not a massive difference between medium and very expensive mics. The more expensive mics will certainly sound a little better, have better definition - but is it worth it for you? The Neumann KM184 and Rode NT5 are essentially the same model but the Neumann is more than 4 times the cost. The Neumann is better IMHO, but if you are starting out you would be crazy to spend so much more for such little improvement in sound, they are VERY similar.
Dynamic Microphones
Dynamic mics require no "phantom power" to be sent from the Audio Interface and the most common type of microphone for live use. They are generally tougher and suited to live use and have very few parts. Wikipaedia has quite a lot on how dynamic microphones work too.
Probably the most common is the Shure SM57, a fantastic microphone for electric guitars, drums and many other applications and is not expensive (£60, $90). You will probably find many of these mics in pretty much any pro studio, and it's unlikely you will ever see a live show that doesn't use at least one. Some people even use them for vocals if they want a little bit of a crunchy sound (Mick Jagger likes them apparently).
The Shure SM58 is another common model - mostly used for live vocals, not so much in the studio. There are many hundreds of other dynamic mics, but the SM57 is the standard, just get one!!
Ribbon Microphones
Just as a side note there is also a type of microphone that I like a lot for guitar called a ribbon mic. They seem to take sharp edges off sounds, and I loved the Royer 121 for recording electric guitar. Took nasty sounds away and made it sing. I have T-Bone cheap ribbon mic too - which I have used a few times, but it's not the same league as the Royer.
Imprtant note: DO NOT USE PHANTOM POWER WITH RIBBON MICS - you will probably cause them a lot of harm, especially if they are vintage.
So what mic should you get?
So your choice will come down to budget. Ideally I think you will need one dynamic and one condenser at least. You can probably find cheaper if you look around, but you'll probably want to improve your sound after not too long - and I always think... buy cheap, buy twice.
Look second had too,you can save a lot and ofetn old stuff sounds better!! Also check out Madooma (great vintage mics and excellent customer service IMO).
So here is my rough guide, but it is very subjective - lots of people like different things, so it's your call, ask around your friends and try some out if you can and see what works for you and how much money you have to spend.
Cheap as possible
Large (Behringer C-1) + Dynamic (M-Audio Souncheck Dynamic)
Cheap but useable for a while...
Large (Rode NT1) + Dynamic (Shure 57)
Medium price
Large (Rode NT2 or Neumann TLM103) + Dynamic (Shure SM57)
Expensive
Large (Neumann U87) + Dynamic (Shure SM57) + Pencil (Rode NT5 or Neumann KM184)
I've got too much money...
Large (Vintage Neumann U87) + Medium (Vintage Neumann KM86) + Small (Neumann KM184) + Dynamic (Shure SM7) + Ribbon (Royer 121).
Dynamic vs Condenser
There are two main types of microphone: dynamic and condenser. And you will probably end up needing one or more of each type, they have different strengths and weaknesses.
Condenser MicrophonesCondenser mics are the most common type of studio microphone. They capture a wider frequency response than dynamic mics, and have a better transient response (the ability to capture faster moving sound waves). They generally require Phantom Power (+48v) to be supplied by the mixing desk, audio interface or microphone pre-amp. Condenser microphones are considerably more expensive than dymanics, and cheap ones generally do not sound good and are best avoided. Wiki has some infor on how condenser mics work.
They come in two types: Large Diaphram and Small Diaphram. Large Diaphram (Neumann U87, AKG 414, Rode NT2) are used for vocals, drum overheads and guitar bodies and can have a big or fat deep sound. They are sensitive to volume change and not suitable to record loud sounds (like electric guitar) and you will need to use a pop shield to stop bursts of air (plosives, like "p" and sibilence like "sh") causing distortion. Small Diaphram (Neumann KM184, Rode NT5) or "pencil mics" are better for guitar necks, close micing strings, drums and more, they have a better transient response and are often used in pairs to create a stereo spread.
My favorite mic for acoustic guitar is a medium diaphram: a Neumann KM86, which is an old mic that is no longer made, but to my ears it sounds FAR better than any other mic or combination of mics on acoustic guitar and is worth searching out if you are wanting the best acoustic guitar sound possible, but they are not cheap (£1000+).
The classic vocal condenser microphone is the Neumann U87, which sound great, but are quite expensive (£2000, $3500). You don't have to spend that but there is a certain clarity that you find in Neumann mics that others just can't seem to capture. I used a Rode NT2-A and got some great results, in general I have found the Rode brand to make excellent quality microphones that are very good value (actually I just had the NT-2, the older version)...
Valve condenser mics are also available at considerable extra cost, and add a real warmth to the sound.
When choosing a vocal mic it is important to try out a whole heap, because sometimes the most expensive won't sound the best for you. You need to borrow as many as you can from a store and then try them all out - or go book a studio for a few hours and try all their vocal mics) and see which one suits you. Don't miss out that step - try out loads and find the one that works FOR YOU!!
There is not a massive difference between medium and very expensive mics. The more expensive mics will certainly sound a little better, have better definition - but is it worth it for you? The Neumann KM184 and Rode NT5 are essentially the same model but the Neumann is more than 4 times the cost. The Neumann is better IMHO, but if you are starting out you would be crazy to spend so much more for such little improvement in sound, they are VERY similar.
Dynamic Microphones
Dynamic mics require no "phantom power" to be sent from the Audio Interface and the most common type of microphone for live use. They are generally tougher and suited to live use and have very few parts. Wikipaedia has quite a lot on how dynamic microphones work too.
Probably the most common is the Shure SM57, a fantastic microphone for electric guitars, drums and many other applications and is not expensive (£60, $90). You will probably find many of these mics in pretty much any pro studio, and it's unlikely you will ever see a live show that doesn't use at least one. Some people even use them for vocals if they want a little bit of a crunchy sound (Mick Jagger likes them apparently).
The Shure SM58 is another common model - mostly used for live vocals, not so much in the studio. There are many hundreds of other dynamic mics, but the SM57 is the standard, just get one!!
Ribbon Microphones
Just as a side note there is also a type of microphone that I like a lot for guitar called a ribbon mic. They seem to take sharp edges off sounds, and I loved the Royer 121 for recording electric guitar. Took nasty sounds away and made it sing. I have T-Bone cheap ribbon mic too - which I have used a few times, but it's not the same league as the Royer.
Imprtant note: DO NOT USE PHANTOM POWER WITH RIBBON MICS - you will probably cause them a lot of harm, especially if they are vintage.
So what mic should you get?
So your choice will come down to budget. Ideally I think you will need one dynamic and one condenser at least. You can probably find cheaper if you look around, but you'll probably want to improve your sound after not too long - and I always think... buy cheap, buy twice.
Look second had too,you can save a lot and ofetn old stuff sounds better!! Also check out Madooma (great vintage mics and excellent customer service IMO).
So here is my rough guide, but it is very subjective - lots of people like different things, so it's your call, ask around your friends and try some out if you can and see what works for you and how much money you have to spend.
Cheap as possible
Large (Behringer C-1) + Dynamic (M-Audio Souncheck Dynamic)
Cheap but useable for a while...
Large (Rode NT1) + Dynamic (Shure 57)
Medium price
Large (Rode NT2 or Neumann TLM103) + Dynamic (Shure SM57)
Expensive
Large (Neumann U87) + Dynamic (Shure SM57) + Pencil (Rode NT5 or Neumann KM184)
I've got too much money...
Large (Vintage Neumann U87) + Medium (Vintage Neumann KM86) + Small (Neumann KM184) + Dynamic (Shure SM7) + Ribbon (Royer 121).
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