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Friday, March 26, 2010
Home Recording
12:08 AM | 
Posted by
fire
Nowadays, making music is quite less expensive than it used to be. The development in technology, especially in music recording making everyone including ones with less musical background can record their own music even from their own room. Home recording technology seems to get better and cost less every year. I will try to provide some background information regarding to home recording and explain some common terminology that related to it.
Mentioning about home recording, we have to know the term "DAW" (Digital Audio Workstation). It simply refers to a general combination of audio multitrack software and high-quality audio hardware. High quality? Don't worry. Like I mentioned before, they cost less every year. This audio hardware includes an audio converter unit for of analog-to-digital (ADC) and/or digital-to-analog (DAC) signal conversion and sometimes a DSP (Digital Signal Processing) system for processing digital audio externally from the host computers own processing.
DAW generally refers to computer systems which have high-quality external ADC-DAC hardware, and professional audio software such as a hard-disk multitrack recorder. But, using a computer (sound card) is good enough if we do not have much money to buy those high-quality hardwares. Most modern computers should be powerful enough to get you started. And whether you prefer Windows, Linux or a Mac, there are software options that should meet your needs.
DAWs generally come in two varieties:
- Computer based DAWs; which consist of a computer, an audio converter, and digital audio editor software. The computer acts as a host for the sound card and software and provides processing power for audio editing. The sound card acts as an audio interface, typically converting analog audio signals into digital form, and may also assist in processing audio. The software controls the two hardware components and provides a user interface to allow for recording, editing and playback.
- Integrated DAW; which consist of a mixing console, control surface, audio converter and data storage in one device, such as a hard-disk multitrack recorder.
Much of the functionality of DAWs are just like analogue recording technology.Therefore, computer-based DAWs tend to have a standard layout which includes transport controls (play, rewind, record, etc.), track controls and/or a mixer, and a waveform display. Perhaps the most significant feature available on a DAW that is not available in analogue recording is the ability to 'undo' a previous action. That is, it is most unlikley to accidentally erase, or record over a previous recording.
Commonly, DAWs will handle multiple tracks of audio in the same piece of music, allow you to add special effects to your recording, and also have a mixer so that you can adjust the relative levels of each audio track.
If you like to do some basic recording, like recording your music collection (from reels or tapes to digital format), you may use a more basic audio editor. Audacity is one good example (and it's free!). If you use Apple Macintosh, you may use GarageBand. It's an easy to use and inexpensive to get start with. And if you want a better one, you can use LogicPro.
Linux user may choose MusE, Qtractor or Rosegarden. In Windows, there are lots of option to choose, but many recommend Sony ACID and REAPER.
Here are the list of some digital audio processing softwares based by their operating system:
| Operating System | Softwares |
| Multi-platform | Audacity, LMMS |
| Microsoft Windows / Mac OS X | Cubase, Live, Nuendo, Pro Tools, REAPER, Record, Riffworks, Soundbooth, Studio One, Tracktion |
| Microsoft Windows | ACID Pro, Audition, FL Studio, Kristal, MAGIX Samplitude, MAGIX Sequoia, Mixcraft, n-Track, Podium, Pyramix, SADiE, Sonar, Soundforge, WaveLab |
| Mac OS X | AudioDesk, Digital Performer, GarageBand, Logic Pro |
| Linux / Microsoft Windows | Jokosher |
| Linux / Mac OS X | Ardour |
| Linux | MusE, Qtractor, Rosegarden |
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