About Fender Telecasters: Sheryl Crow and other demos

Gibson to acquire Cakewalk Recording Software company, Sonar X3 Announced

Guitar giant set to acquire Cakewalk Inc, and Sonar with it.

Gibson logoPress Release: Gibson Brands, the number one company in music and sound, has entered into a letter of intent with Roland Corporation and Cakewalk, Inc. for Gibson to acquire Cakewalk pursuant to definitive acquisition agreements to be negotiated by the parties. According to Gibson Brands Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, “If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Cakewalk must be very flattered that so many of their innovations have become industry standards. As an addition to the Gibson Pro Audio Group, Cakewalk will enhance their flagship professional products, pursue provocative R&D initiatives, and continue to serve the needs of musicians and producers world-wide.”
Following the closing of the proposed acquisition, a new brand, TASCAM Professional Software, will be created to support, promote, and publish Cakewalk’s current and future professional products. Cakewalk President Michael Hoover notes, “The world’s most iconic guitar, Gibson’s Les Paul, bears the name of the inventor of multitrack recording—and TASCAM launched a musical revolution by bringing multitrack recording to the masses. The combination will make a fitting home for products developed by Cakewalk.” TASCAM President Yuji Hanabusa states, “The future of recording is an intelligent, intuitive combination of both hardware and software. Cakewalk and TASCAM will have the power to realize this future.”
The Cakewalk staff and headquarters will remain in Boston as an independent division. Juszkiewicz concludes, “This isn’t just about wanting to acquire Cakewalk’s respected product line. We’re equally excited about what Cakewalk’s R&D labs are developing for current Cakewalk fans—as well as those who are about to become Cakewalk fans.”

www.cakewalk.com

Sonar X3 announced

Adds Melodyne, Addictive Drums and Gobbler integration

Cakewalk's new Sonar X3 family of productsThe newest version of Cakewalk’s Windows-based DAW, Sonar X3, does away with the Essential moniker for its lowest-priced product and endows its most affordable Sonar release to date ($99) with the same tools and track counts as its larger siblings. The versions, Sonar X3, X3 Studio and X3 Producer all feature the same 64-bit audio engine, support for VST3 plug-ins and multi-touch input, along with an unlimited number of audio tracks, MIDI tracks, busses and sends. In order to improve project management, tracks and buses can now be coloured for quick visual reference.

Comping has been streamlined in Sonar X3, and allows mouse-free auditioning and promoting of takes to speed up the production process. Sharing to YouTube, Soundcloud, Facebook and Twitter is also built right into the interface, as is integration with Gobbler, the cloud-based project backup and collaboration service.
The basic version of the software comes with 12 virtual instruments including Cakewalk’s Session Drummer 3. Where Cakewalk have differentiated their X3 products are in the number of instruments and effects offered. X3 Studio ($199) adds built-in Melodyne Essential monophonic pitch correction, time stretching and audio-to-MIDI conversion, all without having to wait for data to transfer into the editor. In total, X3 Studio offers 51 effects including linear phase mastering plug-ins and Nomad Factory’s Blue Tubes FX. There are also 19 virtual instruments with LE versions of Cakewalk’s Rapture 1.2.2 and Dimension Pro 1.5 synths among them.
At the top of the range is X3 Producer ($499) which adds several virtual instruments such as the “superbly thought-out and very playable” Addictive Drums by XLN Audio (http://sosm.ag/jul07-addictive), AAS Lounge Lizard modeled electric piano and Strum Acoustic Session.
Additional effects exclusive to X3 Producer include Tone2 BiFilter2 which provides 47 filter types, Console Emulator and the brand new Tape Emulator module the latter two of which both use Sonar’s proprietary Pro Channel plug-in format.
Sonar X3 is compatible with Windows 7 and 8, and existing users will receive discounts when upgrading.

www.cakewalk.com/products/SONAR/X3/

Fender Stratocaster vs Chinese Strat Copy ("Rocktile")

Reaper: Drum Editing, Part 1

Cockos Reaper Tips & Techniques

Published in SOS August 2012
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Technique : Reaper Notes

 

In the first of this two-part series on drum editing in Reaper, we look at getting your transients to land perfectly on the grid.

Kenny Gioia

 

 

In the first of this two-part series, we’re going to go through the steps of editing a multi-miked drum kit so that the drums conform to the grid. Basically, we’re quantising a live drum performance to be in perfect time. There are many reasons for wanting to do this. You might have a sloppy drummer who doesn’t play very tightly or in time; you might be adding the drums to pre-recorded parts that were played to a click; or you might be locking the performance to other electronic elements like loops, samples or programming that you need to stay in sync. 

 

 

To begin, determine which tracks you’ll want to detect transients from. In other words, what hits are going to land right on the grid and be timing references? Will it be simply kick and snare, or will you also include hi-hats and ride? Using hi-hats (or rides) may be more accurate but may also create a more robotic feel, and I usually find I can get away with just using the kick and snare, allowing the hi-hats to roam freely in the spaces. There may also be tom hits or fills that you’re going to want on the grid.

 

 

Well Suited

 

 

Once you have a good idea of what you’ll be placing on the grid, it’s time to adjust preferences and options. One of the best things about Reaper is how customisable it is, but that also means that each Reaper system can behave quite differently. It’s important that you’re using the right preferences and options so that your system responds correctly to the technique we’ll be using here.

 

 

Go to Preferences, and under Project/Media Item Defaults, un-tick ‘Create automatic fade-in/fade-out for new items’ and ‘Overlap and crossfade items when splitting’. Under the Options menu, un-tick ‘Auto-crossfade media items when editing’ and ‘Trim content behind media items when editing’. The ‘Trim content’ option makes it impossible to put multiple items on top of one another without replacing (or trimming) the first one. I normally leave this option on, but you’ll see in the following steps why it’s beneficial to turn it off for now.

 

 

Dummy Track

 

 

Next create a new track or ‘dummy’ track. You’ll only be using this track to copy the items you want to detect the transient information from. It won’t actually be heard or used past the editing stage. The purpose of doing this is to make it easier to see the transients from multiple tracks all in the same place. You could do it directly on the individual tracks that you have already, but then you’d have to deal with multiple stages of splitting (one for kick, one for snare, and so on) and work on items that have already been split. So it gets messy very quickly!

 

 

If you’re going to use just the kick and snare track to detect transients, you can copy-drag your kick and snare items to this dummy track. (On the PC, hold down Control and drag. On the Mac, hold down Command and drag.) You can do the same with the hi-hat or ride if necessary. For tom hits that are used in fills (and used as a timing reference), separate them into items just in the areas where they play and drag them to the dummy track as well. If the drum part is complex, I encourage you to work on small sections at a time: intro, verse, chorus, for example. This way you can see and fix problems more effectively. If the process is going smoothly, you can begin to work on bigger sections at a time. 

 

 

 

 

Copying the kick, snare and tom fills to a separate ‘Dummy’ track (grey), makes it easier to split them when it’s time to use Dynamic Split. Choosing ‘Show overlapping media items in lanes’ will also help to make things clearer.

 

 

When you have multiple items on the same track, it may be hard to see them all at the same time. To fix this: 

 

 

Turn on ‘Show overlapping media items in lanes’ in the Options menu. You will now see each item in its own lane. 

 

 

Solo this track and make sure what you’re hearing is correct. (You should be hearing just the items that you’ve copied to this track.) 

 

 

Adjust the levels of the items so that they’re similar. You can do this visually or by ear. By performing this step, you will be making it easier for Dynamic Split (used in the following steps) to split the transients correctly, based on volume. For example, if the snare hits were louder than the kick hits, it would be more likely to split the snare hits, while ignoring some of the quieter kicks. Keeping them closer in volume should mean that Dynamic Split considers them equally. Adjust the item levels by grabbing and dragging down from the top of each item, which creates a volume handle. 

 

 

Select all the items on the dummy track and ‘Glue’ them using the command from the Items menu. You now have one media item with all of the transients you’ll be detecting from.

Turn off ‘Show overlapping media items in lanes’ and turn on ‘Trim content behind media items when editing’. As mentioned previously, I prefer to work with ‘Trim content’ turned on so that any items that land on top of another will replace (or trim) the items in those sections. This way we’re never hearing two items on the same track playing simultaneously. 

 

 

Better Together

 

 

You now need to group all of the drum items on all of the tracks, including the dummy item. This is important, because when you quantise a multi-miked drum kit, you don’t want to be moving items separately from track to track, as the spill will conflict between drums. In other words, if you move the kick item separately from the snare item (ungrouped), the kick spill from the snare item would no longer line up with the actual kick item, causing phase issues and other weird anomalies. It’s thus imperative to quantise all of the drum items together, using Reaper’s item grouping. 

 

 

Just select all of the drum items, right-click and choose Group/Group items. Then right-click the Item Grouping icon in the toolbar and make sure that the ‘Selecting one item selects group’ option is turned off. This allows you to select just the dummy item while keeping it grouped with all of the other drum items for editing purposes.

 

 

Dynamic Split

 

 

The next step is to use Dynamic Split to break up the item based on the transients that have been detected: 

 

 

 

 

Using Dynamic Split and adjusting the Threshold in Transient Detection Settings allows you to select the transients you want to Split into separate Media Items.

 

 

Select just the dummy track’s item, go to the View menu and choose Dynamic Split. This will open the Dynamic Split items dialogue box. 

 

 

Under the Split Points section, select the ‘At transients’ tick-box but de-select the ‘When gate opens/closes’ tick-boxes. 

 

 

Select (in the lower left) the ‘Set transient sensitivity’ button, which opens another dialogue box where you can adjust the Threshold that sets what Dynamic Split considers to be a transient. 

 

 

Adjust this parameter (there are green lines to help) so that all the transients you need are above the horizontal lines.

 

 

Close this window, go back to the Dynamic Split window and select the option ‘Split grouped items at times of selected splits’. This will split all of the drum items (grouped) even though the dummy item was the only one selected. Leave the Leading Pad and Trailing Pad parameter set to 0ms with the Fade Pad off. 

 

 

Hit the Split button. This will separate the dummy track’s media item (glued) and the drum items (grouped) at all of the transients. Confirm that it is visually correct before moving on.

Prepare For Landing

 

 

Finally, it’s time to quantise the items so that the transients that have been detected land on the grid:

 

 

 

 

After the items are sliced or split at all of the desired transients, as a group, choose Quantise to place them on the grid.

 

 

Delete the dummy track.

 

 

Go back to the Item Grouping icon in the toolbar and turn on the option ‘Selecting one item selects group’ by right-clicking its icon again. Now, selecting any drum item will select its entire group. Note that, because many pieces are created by splitting, you now have many separate groups as well, one for each transient that groups the entire drum kit.

Select all the drum items (one track will select them all), right-click, go to ‘Item Processing’ and choose ‘Quantise item positions to grid’, which will open the Quantise dialogue box. Leave all the tick-boxes unticked and choose the note value for quantisation: decide what the performance contains (1/16ths, 1/8ths, for example) and hit Process.

At this point, all of the grouped hits should be right on the grid. 

 

 

Listen back to the drum recording. It should sound tight, but you may well notice spaces in the performance where Reaper moved items but didn’t fill the gaps. Next month, we’ll be looking at how to smoothly fill those gaps. See you then!  0

Published in SOS August 2012

Online Guitar Tuner Add-on for the Chrome Browser

Free online guitar tuner right in your browser, use the microphone to tune your guitar. Guitar tuning made easy!
Easy to use chromatic guitar tuner. Tune your acoustic guitar using the computer's microphone or plug in your electric guitar.

Features: 

- Chromatic: Tune all tones of the chromatic scale.
- Automatic: The tuner detects the pitch automatically.
- Accurate:  +/- 1 cent of a semitone. 

The application requires Adobe Flash Player 10.1 or later. 

The application is tested by the developers in different operating systems, booth on Mac and PC. However, if you experience any problem please make sure that there are no other flash applications running, i.e other flash applications running in other browser tabs. Furthermore, if the tuner is showing strange results try to reload the page so that the application is restarted. If the tuner is not responding, please make sure the input source the tuner should listen to is selected. The settings is found by clicking the settings button (looks like a wrench). 

You can get the tuner at the Chrome Extensions link here:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/app/81-music-and-radio?hl=en-US

Some of the largest guitar collections

Joe Bonomo reportedly has one of the largest below.

Slash also has a large collection

and some others...

Online Guitar Tuner

One of the many online guitar tuners available is at http://www.123guitartuner.com/
With so many people having smart phones, this is easy to get to and use.

Link: http://www.123guitartuner.com/

Reaper Lesson: Non-stop Recording

Non-stop Recording

Cockos Reaper Tips & Techniques

Published in SOS September 2010
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Technique : Reaper Notes

 

Use Reaper to create an always-on recorder that captures all the inspiration, but none of the chit-chat.

Malcolm Jacobson

All of the ‘Save live output to disk’ options are available from the one window.

Photo credit

Remember those spontaneous performances when everybody is relaxing during the break, or those moments of inspiration that come while you’re auditioning one of 300 synth patches? It’s a fair bet you weren’t recording when they happened — so wouldn’t it be great to have a recorder that’s always on, ensuring that you never miss an opportunity again?

When DAT tape became a cheap recording method, I got into the habit of always leaving a DAT machine in record, patched across the mix bus, whenever a session was taking place. In addition to proving an interesting archive of all of the studio chat, it provided a backup recording of the performances that happened in between takes. There were many times when the ‘always running’ live recording managed to capture creative ideas and inspirations and, on a few occasions, these moments even made it to the final CD.

In this article, I’ll show you how to use Reaper’s ‘Save live output to disk’ feature so that you can capture these moments of inspiration whenever they happen, using your own ‘always-on’ recorder. First, to set up background recording, select File / Save live output to disk (bounce) or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Alt-B.

All of the ‘Save live output to disk’ options are available from one window, which offers a surprising number of background recording options. We’ll start with the basic settings.

Output Formats

The first thing you need to decide on is the output format. By default, the background recording runs at 24-bit in WAV format, but you can change this to any of the uncompressed or lossless formats that are supported by Reaper.

Select your preferred format from the Output Format drop-down list. You can also downmix to Mono, or output to up to eight channels by selecting an option from the Channels list.

Selecting WAV as the output format presents you with a further list of options for the bit rate and file format. I usually choose 16-bit, Wave64, as I don’t need full resolution for these files and I don’t want to keep coming back to change settings if the recording ends up running for hours.

If you’re restricted for space, try selecting MP3 or FLAC, or lower bit depths for WAV, to limit the file size.

Finally, click the Browse button to select an output file and directory.

In The Background

When you’re ready to start recording, click the Start button. The window will disappear and any audio that passes through the master bus will be recorded to the selected file. You’ll soon forget all about the recording that’s happening in the background.

Since there’s no visible indicator in the Reaper user interface to show that the ‘Save live output to disk’ function is on, it’s easy to forget that you started it minutes, or possibly hours earlier. Even with a large reserve of hard drive space, you might wonder if you’re setting yourself up for one of those nasty ‘Out of disk space’ error messages. Luckily, some of the other options in the ‘Save live output to disk’ window will help you avoid this situation, by automatically limiting the file size.

Selecting the ‘Save output only while playing or recording’ option will halt the recording whenever the transport is stopped. This is a great option if you don’t need to record the chatter between takes, but still want a backup of the playback or recorded audio. Be aware, though, that there won’t be a gap between pauses in the output file, so don’t use this option if you want clean recordings of the output from the master bus.

Selecting ‘Stop saving output on first stop’ will automatically stop the recording the first time you stop the transport, after starting the background recording. This option might come in handy if you’re using the ‘Save live output to disk’ option as a backup while recording a live performance.

Voice Activation

Selecting the ‘Don’t save when below’ option turns Reaper into a level-activated recorder, ideal for dialogue-recording situations where you need to capture everything people say, but don’t need to record the pauses in between conversations.

Reaper will pause the recording each time the master bus level drops below the threshold value, for the selected duration, then recommence recording once the level rises above the threshold.

In the example, the final file runs for just on two minutes, even though the ‘Save live output to disk’ option was enabled for over half an hour. Using the ‘Don’t save when below’ option generated quite a small file from over 30 minutes of recording.

Using the ‘Don’t save when below’ option generated quite a small file from over 30 minutes of recording.

Since large-capacity drives are now readily available for little more than a nominal investment, it might be a good idea to purchase a drive to keep your always-on recordings separate from your main projects. With so many situations where an always-on or level-activated recorder can come in handy, it’s quick and easy to have this operating as a permanent feature of your Reaper recording setup.  0

In The Spotlight

Nudge/Set: Precision editors will love the new Nudge dialogue introduced in version 3.60, accessed by selecting ‘Nudge selected items’ from the right-click Item menu. Items can be offset from their current location (in either direction) by the selected Nudge amount, or moved to a defined timeline position by using the Set option.

Nudge/Set operations can be applied to the item start, end, trim, position or contents, and can also be used to create duplicates of the selected item at the defined position. Adjustments can be made down to the sample or frame level.

Better Transport: The mouse wheel can now be used to adjust the start, end and position of time selections when hovering the cursor over the desired field in the transport. Pressing Alt while using the wheel adjusts the value in beats. The project tempo and time signature have also been added to the transport, and can be edited without having to go to Project Settings.


Source: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep10/articles/reaper-workshop-0910.htm

Reaper Lesson: ReaGate Noise Reduction

ReaGate Noise Reduction

Cockos Reaper Tips & Techniques

Published in SOS May 2011
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Technique : Reaper Notes

Reaper’s ReaGate has hidden talents that make it much more than a simple noise‑reduction facility.

Mike Senior

In my view, a lot of DAW users unduly neglect the humble gate at mixdown, dismissing it as merely an outmoded noise‑reduction utility. This is a shame, because ReaGate, in particular, does so much more besides this that I usually have several instances going on every mix I do. So in this article I want to give a few examples of this plug‑in’s hidden talents. There’s not space here to cover the basics of gating, so if you’re new to it, check out the article back in SOS April 2001: it’s free to view in the SOS article archive at www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr01/articles/advanced.asp. Assuming, then, that you understand how the Threshold, Attack, Release, Hold and Range controls of a gate can be used to remove noise and spill in a recording, the only thing to clarify in the first instance is that, although ReaGate appears to have no Range control, you can still implement limited‑range gating using its Wet and Dry sliders.

Pre‑open, Hysteresis & Side‑chain Filtering

The first thing that sets ReaGate apart from many other gates is the Pre‑open control, which causes ReaGate to respond earlier than it would normally.

The secret to ReaGate’s most useful mix applications lies in its ability to select an external side-chain input, which you can see here. Other features that make ReaGate stand out from the crowd are the positive values available on the Hysteresis control and the Pre-open parameter, which provides a ‘lookahead’ function — great for preserving the attack of close-miked drums even when there’s lots of unwanted spill.

This is great for reducing spill on snare‑drum close mics, because it lets you set a high threshold to avoid the spill without the risk of the gate opening late and clipping off the drum’s initial transient.

The Hysteresis control is also great, because it effectively creates independent threshold levels for opening and closing the gate. A negative setting here lowers the closing threshold relative to the opening threshold, and is a well‑known method of combating sporadic bursts of opening/closing (often called ‘chattering’) when a signal hovers around a fast‑attack gate’s threshold level. However, ReaGate is very unusual in that it offers positive Hysteresis settings too, and if you max out the Hysteresis slider you effectively turn the gate into a triggered envelope generator, which can be very useful in certain scenarios. For example, an old mixing trick is to set up a gate as a send‑return effect, fed from the kick drum, and then to set it up to create a little 10‑20 ms ‘blip’. Adding this to the mix increases the drum’s attack, and you can easily adjust the frequency content of that attack by EQ’ing the ReaGate channel. However, if your kick drum has any level variation in it (as live parts certainly will), you’ll get undesirable variations in the length of the ‘blip’, and therefore the nature of the added attack. Add positive Hysteresis, however, and the added attack becomes completely consistent.

What really gives ReaGate its power, though, is the control it gives you over the signal that’s sent to its internal level detector (or ‘side‑chain’). For a start, the built‑in filters can quickly remove kick and hi‑hat spill from the side‑chain when you’re gating a snare close‑mic recording, improving the triggering reliability. It’s easier to hear what you’re doing if you click the Preview Filter Output button to audition the side‑chain on its own. However, if these filters aren’t man enough for the job, you can use ReaEQ instead.

First select Auxiliary Input L+R from ReaGate’s Detector Input drop‑down, and then insert an instance of ReaEQ above ReaGate in the effects window. Click ReaEQ’s routing button (labelled ‘2 in 2 out’). Now click the little plus sign in the routing window to increase the number of Track Channels, and then change the plug‑in’s output setting from 1+2 to 3+4.

You can route a send to ReaGate’s external side‑chain input by sending it to Track Channels 3+4.

Automated Mix Balancing

Nice though all these things are, the most useful application of ReaGate for me is in automated mix balancing. Let me explain. Imagine you have a drum overheads recording where the cymbals are overpowering the snare. Most people’s first instinct is to rebalance this by using the snare’s close mic, but that mic usually just goes ‘donk’, rather than sounding like a real snare drum. A better solution is to boost the level of the overheads during each snare hit, giving you more of the natural sound of the snare in the room.

The way to do this is to insert ReaGate into the overheads channel and then feed its side chain from the snare close‑mic. Switch ReaGate’s Detector Input to ‘Auxiliary Input L+R’, and then drag the snare track’s IO button to the overheads track to create the required send. When the little send controls window pops up, take the opportunity to do two things:

Change the ‘=> 1/2’ setting to ‘3/4’, using the ‘New Channels On Receiving Track’ submenu. This ensures that the snare close‑mic signal is fed to the ReaGate side‑chain inputs.

Change the ‘Post‑fader (Post‑pan)’ setting to ‘Pre‑FX’. Although this isn’t strictly necessary for triggering purposes, it does mean that mix tweaks to the snare channel won’t make a nonsense of your ReaGate settings.

Now adjust the ReaGate controls to try to get a reliable burst of overheads signal occurring on each snare hit. Once you’ve achieved that, pull the Wet slider right down and set the dry signal to 0dB, so that the gate is doing precisely nothing. From this starting point, slowly inch up the Wet slider during playback until you get a better snare level in the balance. Bear in mind, though, that there’s only so far you can usually go with this dodge before the gating begins to sound unnatural (above about 6dB, usually), and you may also need to work a little with the ReaGate Release control to get the most musical‑sounding snare decay.

Ducking At Mixdown

An extension of this auto‑balancing idea is made available by the ‘Invert Gate’ tick box under ReaGate’s Wet slider. What this does is polarity-invert the wet signal relative to the dry signal, so that they phase-cancel whenever the gate is open. The practical result is to turn the gate into a ducker, a processor that is rare in software form but extremely useful at mixdown.

The unassuming little ‘Invert Gate’ tick box converts ReaGate into a ducker, which is another very useful, and frequently underestimated, mix processor.

The classic application for ducking is clearing space in a guitar‑heavy mix for the lead vocals; it makes the singing clearer by turning down the guitars during vocal phrases. You set it up almost exactly as in the previous snare example:

Insert ReaGate on your guitar submix channel, feed its side‑chain from the lead vocal, and activate the Invert Gate facility.

Set up reliable triggering from the vocal. To hear what you’re doing clearly, keep the Wet slider at 0dB and pull the Dry slider all the way down.

Once the triggering’s sorted out, pull down the Wet slider and set the Dry slider to 0dB, then play back your mix and slowly increase the Wet level to subtly introduce the ducking.

If you want to know how much you’re ducking, check the Range table. Again, you can usually only push this effect so far before it sounds unnatural, but that’s not too much of a bind, as even a decibel or two of ducking can still make a considerable difference to the vocal sound.  0

Audio Files Online!

For audio demonstrations of these techniques, go to www.soundonsound.com/sos/may11/articles/reaperaudio.htm.

MIDI Output

It’s easy to generate MIDI notes from a drum part using ReaGate’s Send MIDI On Open/Close option, whereupon you can use the simple ReaSamplOmatic sample player to trigger a replacement sound.

Although there are now many sophisticated software drum replacers available, I have to say that I still end up using ReaGate for this most of the time. All you have to do is tick ‘Send MIDI on Open/Close’, and the plug‑in will squirt out a user‑specified MIDI note whenever the gate opens. Follow ReaGate with ReaSamplOmatic5000: for quick results in ReaSamplOmatic5000, load in a sample (from the Browse button), select ‘Sample’ in the Mode drop‑down menu, and untick the ‘Obey Note‑off Messages’ option. Admittedly, ReaGate doesn’t provide any fancy MIDI velocity options, but I rarely miss those in practice, and what ReaGate does offer is masses of features aimed at making its triggering reliable, which I find much more important in most situations.

Source: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may11/articles/reaper-tech-0511.htm

ReaGate Noise Reduction | Media

Cockos Reaper Tips & Techniques

Published in SOS May 2011
Printer-friendly version

Technique : Reaper Notes

 

Using Reaper’s ReaGate Plug-in: Audio Examples

In May 2011’s edition of Sound On Sound, we looked at using Reaper’s bundled gating plug-in — ReaGate. Here, Mike has supplied audio examples to demonstrate the techniques used in the workshop, which can be read in full by going to www.soundonsound.com/sos/may11/articles/reaper-tech-0511.htm.

Download | 3 MB

The first set of audio examples show how the side-chain filtering and Pre-open facilities of Reaper’s ReaGate can be used to deal with a challenging spill-reduction task.

Snare01_Ungated

Here’s a live snare-drum close-mic recording. As you can hear, there’s masses of hi-hat and kick-drum spill, which I want to reduce.

Snare02_Gate

For this file, I’ve applied ReaGate, using 0ms Attack and 44ms Release settings so that I can hear the triggering action clearly. (I’ve also dialled in 3ms of Hold time to reduce gate chattering, in the light of the fast attack/release times.) I’ve set the Threshold to -27dB, which is as high as I can get it without losing any of the snare hits, but despite this both the kick and hi-hat parts are causing the gating to misfire.

Snare03_Gate_SCFilters

To improve the triggering, I use ReaGate’s built-in side-chain filtering options to reduce the levels of kick-drum and hi-hat spill in the detector signal. Setting the Highpass slider to 674Hz and the Lowpass slider to 4869Hz does the trick, as you can hear in this example: the gate now opens only when it should.

Snare04_Gate_FilterListen

In order to set up ReaGate’s side-chain filters for the Snare03_Gate_SCFilters example file, I engaged the plug-in’s Preview Filter Output button so that I could audition the filtered detector signal directly and refine them by ear. Here’s what the side-chain signal sounded like by the time I’d finished refining the Highpass and Lowpass settings. Although it sounds nasty and boxy, it does give the snare a balance advantage for detection purposes. Compare this with the Snare01_Ungated file to remind yourself of the original unfiltered spill levels.

Snare05_Gate_PreOpen

Although the gate in the Snare03_Gate_SCFilters audio example is now triggering only on the snare hits, its Threshold has had to be set so high that the gate is slicing off a little of the initial snare transient, even with a minimum 0ms Attack setting. ReaGate’s Pre-open facility provides a way to improve this aspect of the processed sound. In this example I’ve applied 6ms of Pre-open, which helps the drum onset sound crisper.

Snare06_Gate_Smooth

So far I’ve deliberately kept ReaGate’s Release setting short and its Dry slider all the way down so that I could easily hear the finer points of the gating action. However, in practice a longer release time will give a more musical-sounding snare decay, and the gating range needn’t be nearly so extreme: some spill between the mics in a drum kit is usually beneficial to the sound, so all you really want to do is reduce the spill on this snare close-mic to a more suitable level. In this audio example I’ve attended to both these issues, setting the Release to 115ms and reducing the gating range to 8dB (Wet slider at -4.4dB, Dry slider at -8dB). Compare this to Snare01_Ungated to hear how far we’ve come from the original recording.

Kick01_Raw

This audio example contains a section of the kick-drum close-mic track of a live drum recording. As you’d expect of a real performer, there is some inconsistency in the bass-drum levels through the track.

Kick02_ParaGate

One way to add low-end attack to a kick-drum sound is to set up a fast gate as a send effect to isolate a little ‘blip’ from each hit, EQ that blip primarily into the low-frequency region, and then mix it back in with the unprocessed kick sound. This audio example demonstrates the kind of sound such a gated send channel would have when fed from the kick-drum track in the Kick02_Raw audio file. The processing comprises an instance of ReaGate (Attack: 0ms; Hold: 22ms; Release 6ms) followed by a 940Hz low-pass filter in ReaEQ. Note that the weight and tone of the blip changes from hit to hit in response to the inherent level changes in the live performance.

Kick03_ParaGateMix

This audio file shows how the gated send in the Kick02_ParaGate example enhances the raw kick-drum sound of the Kick01_Raw file when they are mixed together. Again, note the inconsistency of the low-end attack.

Kick04_ParaGateHysteresis

This file demonstrates how the ‘blip’ in the Kick02_ParaGate example can be made to sound more consistent when ReaGate’s Hysteresis is increased to its maximum value of +24dB, effectively transforming the gate into a triggered envelope generator.

Kick05_ParaGateHysteresisMix

Here you can listen to the effects of the Kick04_ParaGateHysteresis file’s improved gated send processing when it is mixed with the unprocessed kick-drum recording of the

Kick01_Raw file. Compare this with Kick03_ParaGateMix to hear the difference in consistency at the low end.

Overheads01_NoGate

Here’s an example of a drum overheads track, recorded from Toontrack’s Superior 2 virtual instrument, where the cymbals are overpowering the snare-drum sound.

Overheads02_Gate

Inserting an instance of ReaGate on the overheads channel and then triggering it from one of the snare close-mics is able to significantly increase the snare level in the overheads balance.

Ducking01_NoDuckingFullMix

This section of a full mix contains a lot of overdriven guitar parts, which make it difficult to retain vocal clarity.

Ducking02_NoDuckingGtrsSolo

Here are the two main guitar parts within the Ducking01_NoDuckingFullMix file. Note that they are currently pretty consistent in level throughout this section of the production.

Ducking03_DuckingGtrsSolo

Inserting ReaGate on the guitar tracks, switching the gate’s operation to ducking using the plug-in’s Invert Gate tickbox, and then feeding the detection side-chain from the lead-vocal part results in the following ducked guitar sound. Notice that the ducking is pretty obvious when heard in isolation like this.

Ducking04_DuckingFullMix

Here’s a version of the full mix previously heard in the Ducking01_NoDuckingFullMix example file, but with the guitars ducked along the lines audible in the

Ducking03_DuckingGtrSolo demonstration. Note how the ducking is much less obviously audible within the full-mix context than when the guitars were soloed, but nonetheless significantly increases the sense of lead-vocal clarity.  0

Published in SOS May 2011

Source: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may11/articles/reaperaudio.htm

Not tried Reaper yet? You should.

Brought to you by Computer Music

Related Links

• The 15 best DAW software apps in the world today
• 9 ways to create better sounds in your DAW
• The beginner's guide to: DAWs

12 Reaper tips and tricks you need to know

Computer MusicMay 6, 2010, 15:57 GMT

MusicRadar users dig Reaper - in fact, you recently voted it your favourite DAW. This cross-platform application has a tiny installer (just 8MB, in fact), yet boasts powerful features that put it on a par with many of its more expensive rivals. What's more, those who've been frustrated by other DAWs frequently report that it's easier to use.

If you're just getting acquainted with the software - or you're considering trying it for the first time - here are 12 things to bear in mind…

1. Pitch up

If you're stuck with a dodgy vocal take, don't panic - you might be able to get away without re-recording it. Reaper includes a handy little plug-in called ReaTune, which works in a similar way to Antares Auto-Tune. Simply set the correction mode to a scale and key, and the plug-in will do the rest. Alternatively, the manual correction mode can be used for more in-depth pitch manipulation.

2. System overload

When using lots of plug-in instruments and effects, you may find yourself running out of CPU power. Thankfully, Reaper's Performance Meter window offers the most advanced performance analysis we've seen, showing you exactly which tracks are consuming the most power. It can be accessed from the View window.

3. Chained up

One cool way to streamline your workflow is to save commonly-used combinations of instruments or effects as FX chains. To do this, right-click the FX window and select Save FX Chain. These can then be added to any track by right-clicking it and selecting Add FX Chain.

4. In a jam

Stuck for inspiration? Reaper includes a great tool for online collaboration in the shape of ReaNINJAM. This plug-in enables users to jam together over the internet. For more details, head to the NINJAM website, where you can access the NINJAM community forum.

5. Window of opportunity

These days, many DAWs eschew multiple floating windows and instead opt for a single-window approach. Reaper gives you the best of both worlds: by default, the MIDI grid editor, performance meter and so forth all open in new windows. However, they can also be docked at the bottom of the screen by right-clicking them and selecting the Dock option.

6. Double take

Need to beef up a track in a hurry? Give Reaper's Tracks»Duplicate Selected Tracks function a whirl. This creates identical copies of any and all selected tracks, making it perfect for doubling MIDI lines, or for performing parallel processing on audio parts.

7. Curve Ball

Reaper offers a variety of different automation curves. To select a curve type, right-click an automation point and pick Select Shape For All Selected Points from the menu. You'll be presented with a choice of several well thought-out curve types, which can help make getting that perfect sweep or fade that little bit easier.

8. Locking up

With complex projects, it's easy to get confused and edit items you might not mean to. In order to avoid this, check out Reaper's lock function. Open the Appearance»Media section of the Preferences menu and ensure that both Locked and Unlocked in the Media Item Icons panel are selected. All media items will now display a lock icon that enables you to fix their position.

9. Causing ripples

Another useful feature when working with complex or longer projects is Reaper's ripple mode. This is activated by pressing Alt+P, or via the Options»Ripple Editing menu entry. With ripple edit mode activated, any audio object you move on any given track will also move everything else on that line.

10. Taking a sample

One of Reaper's best-kept secrets is the ludicrously-named ReaSamplOmatic 5000 instrument. A basic sampler, it's nothing particularly out of the ordinary, but its modest CPU usage requirements and straightforward interface make it worth checking out. It can only load a single sample, but you can use multiple instances for multisampled patches and drum kits.

11. Power trip

If you're struggling to keep those CPU cycles down, consider using Reaper's clever Render Selected Tracks To Stem Tracks (And Mute Originals) function, in the Track menu. This quickly creates a bounced version of each track, including any effects processing. With the original tracks automatically muted, your CPU is freed up for other tasks.

12. Cash register

If you continue to use Reaper after the 30-day evaluation period, you really should register it. Not only will this help fund development of the DAW and give you a nice, warm feeling inside, but once you've done it, you won't have to wait for the irritating countdown timer each time you launch it.

For a complete guide to using Reaper, check out the May issue of Computer Music (CM151) which is on sale now.Source: http://www.musicradar.com/tuition/tech/12-reaper-tips-and-tricks-you-need-to-know-250130

Although I'm in the Android camp, you have to give Apple credit for putting a polished product like Garage Band into the iPhone/iPad market. Enjoy.

How to Record Guitar Using Your iPhone/iPad

Make Pro Recordings for as Little as $75

By Dan Cross, About.com Guide

Do you own an iPhone or iPad? Do you also play guitar? Did you know that for as little as $75, you can use your iPhone or iPad to make professional-quality recordings of your guitar playing, complete with effects, keyboard and drum tracks? The following feature outlines the tools you'll need to make recording your guitar playing on your Apple device a snap.

iPhone/iPad Recording Gear Cheat Sheet

Here is a quick overview of the tools you need to begin recording on your iPhone. More information on each product is available below.

• iPhone 4/4s:

  • Electric instruments only - Apogee Jam Guitar Interface, Garage Band (app)
  • Electric/Acoustic/Vocals - Apogee Jam Guitar Interface, Blue Mikey, Garage Band (app)

• iPhone 5 (and even newer models):

  • Electric instruments only - Apogee Jam Guitar Interface, Lightning to 30-Pin Adapter, Garage Band (app)
  • Electric/Acoustic/Vocals - Apogee Jam Guitar Interface, Blue Mikey, Garage Band (app)

• iPad (1st generation, iPad2, 3rd generation)

  • Electric instruments only - Apple Camera Connection Kit, Behringer Guitar Link UCG102 USB Interface, Garage Band (app)
  • Electric/Acoustic/Vocals - Apple Camera Connection Kit, Behringer Guitar Link UCG102 USB Interface, Blue USB Microphone, Garage Band (app)

• iPad (4th generation, iPad Mini, and even newer models)

  • Electric instruments only - Apple Camera Connection Kit, Behringer Guitar Link UCG102 USB Interface, Lightning to 30-Pin Adapter, Garage Band (app)
  • Electric/Acoustic/Vocals - Apple Camera Connection Kit, Behringer Guitar Link UCG102 USB Interface, Blue USB Microphone, Lightning to 30-Pin Adapter, Garage Band (app)

Hardware/Software for Recording Guitar on your iPhone/iPad:

Apple Camera Connection Kit (iPad users only)

Plugging this simple little Apple connector into your iPad (the unit does not work with iPhones) provides you with a USB input, into which you can plug a myriad of different devices. Some of these (microphones with USB out, guitar inputs) are listed here, but there are hundreds of others available. My daughter's electric keyboard, for example, can interface with the iPad using this kit. Note that although the Camera Connection Kit (often referred to as CCK) does work on iPads with lightning connectors, you'll need to have a "Lightning to 30-Pin Adapter".

Behringer Guitar Link UCG102 USB Interface (iPad users)

Requires the Apple Camera Connection Kit. A simple little device that converts your analog electric guitar signal to USB, which can then be plugged into your iPad. Just run your standard 1/4" guitar cable directly from your instrument into the UCG102, and you can plug that into your iPad (via the Camera Connection Kit). The device features a high/low gain switch and a clip warning light.

Blue USB Microphone (iPad users only)

Requires the Apple Camera Connection Kit. I love this odd-looking and relatively inexpensive little microphone for quickly and easily recording acoustic instruments. You simply plug a USB cable from the microphone into your iPad (via the CCK) and you are ready to record. I've used the Blue for recording acoustic guitar, full bands, spoken audio, and some lead vocals, and have been impressed with the capture quality. A three-stop setting on the microphone allows you to control gain.

Apogee Jam Guitar Interface (iPhone/iPad users)

The first generations of devices designed to allow you to record electric guitars through your iPhone shared a common flaw - they used the analog audio-in via the phone's headphone jack. This resulted in low-quality recordings plagued by "crosstalk" and other technical issues. The tiny Apogee Jam, although slightly more expensive than some of these cheaper options, uses the iPhone/iPad's 30-pin dock connector for a much higher quality data transfer. In simple terms, this allows for a much higher quality recording. With the Apogee Jam, you can plug your electric instrument in to one end of the unit via a standard connect 1/4" cable, and into the other end plug your iPhone/iPad, using the provided 30-pin connector (if you have an iPhone/iPad you'll need the Lightning to 30-Pin Adapter). And, as simple as that, you're rigged to record on your iPhone.

Blue Mikey (iPhone)

Full disclosure - I haven't tried the Blue Mikey. But the microphone does look promising - it interacts with the iPhone's 30-pin digital port, rather than the inferior analog audio-in accessible through the iPhone's headphone jack (which is what allows Apple to include a microphone in their headphones). Using this microhpone, you'll be able to record any analog sound on your iPhone - acoustic guitars or other instruments, vocals, etc. Note that iPhone owners with lightning connectors will need to own one of Apple's "Lightning to 30-Pin Adapters".

Lightning to 30-Pin Adapter (iPhone 5/iPad 4th generation/iPad mini users)

If you have a newer iPad or iPhone with a "lightning" connector instead of the older 30-pin connectors, you'll need this adapter to interface with many of the items listed here.

App: GarageBand (iPhone/iPad users)

Once only available for desktops, Apple's GarageBand is now available for the iPhone and iPad. The functionality they've packed into this low-priced app is truly impressive - for $5 you get multi-track recording, effects pedals, "smart" drum and keyboard tracks, and much more.

App: Audiobus (iPhone/iPad users)

Although not an essential purchase for those just getting their feet wet in recording on their iDevice, Audiobus is a handy tool that allows different audio apps to interact with each other... for example allowing you to record the guitar sound you've dialed in via the AmpliTube app using the GarageBand app.

App: Guitar Tuner (iPhone/iPad users)

Here is a straightforward, free app that allows guitarists to tune their instruments via their iPhone. Pretty handy stuff.

Source: http://guitar.about.com/od/recording/tp/How-To-Record-Guitar-Using-Your-Iphone-ipad.htm?nl=1

Home Recording on a Budget

Getting big sound on a limited budget

From Joe Shambro, former About.com Guide

Recording on a Budget

Pro Tools photo courtesy Digidesign

See More About

• studio basics
• audio interfaces
• microphones
• budget gear

It's seriously never been cheaper to start your own home recording studio. Having a limited budget for your home studio doesn't have to mean inferior recordings! In fact, believe it or not, there's some really amazing recordings that were made on a strict budget and without the "latest and greatest" in recording technology.

Simple is sometimes better

Before agonizing over not being able to afford the latest multitrack recording or highest-input Pro Tools system, consider this: some of music's most amazing recordings were made on systems with limited options.

Consider one recording that I use when teaching multi-track recording: Marvin Gaye's epic hit, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". This recording was made in a recording studio on only a four-track recorder; in total, four tracks were recorded to make this epic song, and it was good instruments, good microphones, and even better musicians that came together to make this recording -- no Pro Tools editing, no Auto Tune, and no 24-bit sampling.

My point is this: if you're confident about what you're recording, and you've got great chops on your instrument, it doesn't matter how you record; you'll still have a product you'll be happy with. And if you take some time to put together the perfect recording rig for your budget, you can offer the best representation of your talents, even with limited spending.

Select your space

First, start by reading the tutorial about setting up your studio space for recording. After you've got your room selected, it's time to stock your studio.

Choose your medium

The first thing to figure out when setting up your home studio is what you wish to record to.

Do you plan on recording with a computer, or with a stand-alone recording device like a digital multitrack? Each way has it's advantages and disadvantages; however, the most bang-for-the-buck today is computer recording, especially if your computer was made anytime in the last few years.

If you aren't computer-savvy, consider a product like the Fostex MR-16HD ($399), an all-in-one digital recorder capable of recording four tracks simultaneously, and mixing up to sixteen tracks per session.

If you're going for a computer-based interface, the options are limitless. The most popular interfaces are FireWire interfaces by manufacturers like M-Audio and Presonus. The things to look for when selecting an interface are pretty basic: at least two microphone inputs with preamps (which allow you to plug in high-quality microphones and use them without a mixer), speaker and headphone outputs, and of course, compatibility with your current system. From there, choose whichever software you wish to use.

Pro Tools vs. everything else

Digidesign's Pro Tools software suite is the standard of almost every major commercial and project studio in the world, and with good reason. Pro Tools is highly stable, offers limitless expansion, and the industry-standard compatibility means you can start a project in your home studio and quickly take it to almost any studio in the world for completion.

For most of the tutorials here, I'll be referencing Pro Tools because of its widespread use. Pro Tools comes in three versions: M-Powered, for use with lower-cost M-Audio interfaces; LE, which is designed for use with the MBox and Digi 003 products; and HD, which is meant for use with higher-end systems.

When using Pro Tools, it's necessary to work with a compatible interface. Pro Tools M-Powered is a fantastic version of Pro Tools that's designed to work with many of M-Audio's less expensive interfaces; the software alone will run you close to $250, but it's well worth it. You can use M-Powered Pro Tools with interfaces such as the M-Audio Fast Track Pro ($349).

Pro Tools LE requires the purchase of either the Digidesign MBox 2 ($450 new, less if purchased used) or the Digi 003 ($2195)/Digi 003-Rack ($1369).

The only exception is Pro Tools Free, a version limited to 8 tracks with limited capabilities; however, it'll work with an on-board sound card and doesn't require a specialized interface.

Other software options

If you choose not to go the Pro Tools route, there are many additional options you can consider, well within any budget.

Apple's built-in GarageBand software is fully capable of multitrack recording, although the mixdown options are somewhat limited. If you have a recent Mac with OS X, GarageBand is many times included for free.

Apple's Logic software is quickly gaining a reputation for great quality multitrack work as well. Other software packages include Cakewalk and Cubase. One thing to remember is that it's very easy to over-buy when getting started. Stick to something that's intuitive when you're just starting out and that will have the ability to expand as you do over time.

The other gear

Once you've selected your interface and software, it's time to procure the other things you'll need. How "fancy" your equipment is depends on your budget and needs. At the very least, you need a microphone and monitoring speakers.

Which microphone you select, again, depends on your needs and what interface you're using. If you're not using an external interface which includes a microphone connection, you'll want a microphone that's either self-powered or USB powered. Mics like the Samson C01U ($299) simply plug in to your USB port.

A good starter microphone like the Audio-Technica AT2020 ($99) or the Shure SM57 ($99). Both are perfect for instruments and vocals. From there, it's up to you what you want and what you can afford. Check out this link for more great microphones for under $200 each.

Monitoring speakers serve a very important purpose: allowing you to hear well and mix your project to the very best. Choose something within your budget that sounds the best to your ears; your local music store should be able to help you audition the speakers in a controlled environment before purchase. From the Sony MDR-7506 monitor headphones ($99), M-Audio BX5a ($299/pair) to the JBL Nearfield Monitors ($2400/pair), there should be something that works perfectly for you in every price range.

For more must-have accessories for your home studio, check out Five Things Every Home Studio Needs.

Suggested Reading

• Five Things Every Studio Needs
• Five Microphones Under $200
• The Basics of Mixing Your Music

Related Articles

• Home Recording: Set Up a Dorm Room Studio
• Building Pro Tools 9 Studio on a Budget
• How to Start Recording: Tips for Starting Recording & Mixing Your Music at ...
• Starting a Home Recording Studio: The Basics
• Guide: Mixing In Pro Tools | About.com Home Recording

Source: http://homerecording.about.com/od/homestudiobasics/a/quickstart.htm

How To Select an Audio Recording Interface

From Joe Shambro, former About.com Guide

MBox 2 Mini

Courtesy Avid, Inc.

See More About

• audio interfaces
• studio basics
• budget gear

The heart of any good home recording studio is your choice of audio interface. This piece of equipment handles input and output of audio from your computer; it's a lot more than just a sound card.

One of the best parts about selecting a recording interface is the fact that there's so many available, and they all offer stellar recording quality for the price. The downside? Selecting one from the many is hard! With this quick guide, we'll go down the list of questions you should ask yourself before buying an interface.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 5 Minutes or Less

Here's How:

1. Do you need Pro Tools compatibility? Digidesign's Pro Tools is the industry-wide standard, but being compatible, even on the smallest offering, comes with a premium price. Digidesign's cheapest Pro Tools HD offering, the MBox 2 Mini, rings up at $329, offering only a single microphone input and two line inputs. From there, you can move up to the Digi 003, at around $1600 for 8 channels.
   
   From there, remember: if you don't need Pro Tools and plan on using another software program, you don't need Pro Tools hardware, and don't need to pay the premium. Remember, too, you can use Pro Tools HD with any interface.
2. How Many Inputs Do You Need? What type of music will you be recording? Do you need more than one input? More than two? Some interfaces that are cheaper offer less inputs. You want, at very least, two microphone preamp inputs - that way you can do vocals and, say, guitar at once. If you plan on recording drums, you'll need at least four preamp inputs for kick, snare, and stereo overheads. Chances are you'll want much more for good drum sounds. But don't overdo it - you can get by with less if you don't need it.
3. Are You Using Garage Band? If you use Apple's Garageband, you can get by with the internal soundcard and a special adapter for instruments. Another great option is the new Samson USB microphones; it's very simple to plug-n-play. Garage Band is very powerful and versatile for beginners, and products like Samson's USB microphone make it unbelievably easy. For better quality, you can find something like Apogee's ONE ($249) if you only need a one-channel interface. And don't underestimate Apple's built-in quality, either. You can use adapter cables to record directly in if you're using a Mac and Garage Band.
4. Firewire or USB? Firewire interfaces, as a rule, are more expensive than USB. If you're only doing one or two channels at a time, high speed USB is a must, otherwise you're limited to using a Firewire interface. Original slow USB cannot safely support the large amount of bi-directional data. Larger, more professional interfaces have dedicated internal cards to interface with the computer.

Tips:

1. Remember, the most expensive interface isn't always the best for your needs. Most interfaces on the market today are "future proof", meaning that they go far beyond the current 16-bit standards into 24-bit recording. Don't be talked into buying more than you need, especially if you're just a hobbyist. Large chain stores like Guitar Center may not always have the most knowledgeable staff; they're just looking to make a quick commission. Don't feel like you're "cheaping out" if the best option for you isn't the most expensive.
2. No matter your needs, always assume on the high end when it comes to inputs. You'll be surprised at how your needs seem to mysteriously expand somewhere between when your return policy ends and the first credit card bill arrives. It's better to have extra inputs if you can afford them. As you get better at recording, you'll be ready for more inputs as you tackle multiple instruments at once.
3. Most places will accept a return after 30 days, so don't be afraid to go back to the drawing board if your needs aren't met. Find a salesperson you trust, and don't be afraid to ask for help in picking out an interface. Like we said before, go for retailers with the most experienced salespeople -- you want to buy from a fellow engineer, too.
4. If you need to buy your software package separately, please, don't pirate your software. Aside from technical support, by not buying your recording software, you're doing a huge disservice to those who make their living by making your software.

What You Need

• Determine Your Software
• Choose Audio Interface
• Microphone & Cabling
• Computer

Suggested Reading

• About.com: Start a Home Recording Studio on a Budget
• Before You Record: Dorm Room Recording
• Building Pro Tools 9 Studio on a Budget

Suggested Reading

• Home Studio Basics - Getting Started From The Ground Up
• Product Reviews - The Latest Gear Reviewed
• Home Recording: Five Recording Studio Essentials

Suggested Reading

• Before You Buy A Microphone
• Gear Buying Guides
• Microphone Placement Guides

Related Articles

• Build Your Home Studio: Get Started Recording Today!
• Many Multichannels - Home Recording
• Interfaces - Digital Home Recording
• Interfaces - Home Recording
• Review: Avid Mbox Mini Recording Interface (Updated Model)

Source: http://homerecording.about.com/od/homestudiobasics/ht/howto_interface.htm