Setting myself up as a home studio engineer...help needed

it all starts with your acoustics.

start here: 

http://www.studiotips.com/

http://www.acoustics101.com/ 

http://www.proaudiodesign.com/ 
http://www.acoustimac.com...rtuemart&Itemid=21

http://www.readyacoustics...=index&cPath=26_11

http://johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=1

http://www.realtraps.com/index.htm




then ask questions.


next, quality monitoring is key.

but isn't worth upgrading, til you have your acoustics in order.
 
 
everything else, comes in way under all of this.

Batsbrew:
Thanks for the list of websites and your advice as to where to start. My monitoring is good and my acoustics will be a work in progress. But I will definitely follow your helpful leads, cheers.

Danny:
That's awesome - thanks for your answer - that's what I needed to know. 2 more questions for you: If I grab their project 'WAV by WAV', will it just be a case of putting them all to start at '1.0' in a project - or will I have to arrange them in a staggered order - so that the song is in its correct order? Would i have to request they 'keep the silence in' on each track so that all tracks equal the length of the song?

Also - you mentioned 'yousendit type places' - could you give me an example of one?

Thanks again,
Dave

When working long distance ... it would be good if you could set up an FTP site where your clients could upload the files at their leisure. Big files will take time. If you have the same DAW it's simply a matter of saving it as a Sonar bundle or as individual waves with other platforms. 

I have worked with a few people using bundles and then as we work just sending the waves as they are finished. 

but you need a site where people can easily upload those files, and you can use the same site to return the finished waves.

However, in mixing.... unless you have the exact same plug in and synths in your computer, you will have "missing plug in" notices and yo will need to replace them with the ones you have. 

Starting with locals is a good way to get started and it gives you experience as well as samples of your work to post..... (before and after for mastering) to show other paying clients you have a clue. 

Best wishes.

Daylaa


Danny:
That's awesome - thanks for your answer - that's what I needed to know. 2 more questions for you: If I grab their project 'WAV by WAV', will it just be a case of putting them all to start at '1.0' in a project - or will I have to arrange them in a staggered order - so that the song is in its correct order? Would i have to request they 'keep the silence in' on each track so that all tracks equal the length of the song?

Also - you mentioned 'yousendit type places' - could you give me an example of one?

Thanks again,
Dave

You're welcome Dave. :) If someone sends you wave files, they will need to export each wave with dead space in the beginnings so that when you import them, they will all line up. The last thing you want to do is slide stuff all around trying to get the timing right. So you always tell the client to export the entire file per track, not just a clip. Like for example, you know how a guitar solo ends up in the middle of the tune as just a clip? They'll need to export the wave with all the space before it so you can drop it right in and it will sync up. This is what's good about omf files...everything is in one project and all the waves are in the project exactly like they were in the other person's DAW. The only thing you lose in an omf is the plugins and routings.
 
For example, say I'm working on a project in Pro Tools. I need you to mix it for me. I have been experimenting with this project and have all my own plugins and options going on. I save the project and export it as a .omf file. When you get it and open it in Sonar, none of my plugs will be there...none of my bus routings...just the tracks in the project all lined up and named. It's basically a stripped down project that enables you to work with just about any DAW no matter what it was recorded with. (if the DAW software supports omf) So yeah, request they keep silience in for Wave files...but if you can get an omf, you won't have to worry about anything.
 
As for the yousendit places....lol...that's the name of it man. Yousendit.com
 
However, sometimes it's slow for uploads. I have been using Dropbox these days with all my clients. Dropbox is a server that also connects to your client by sharing folders on your system and theirs. For example, we both install Dropbox. I create a folder called Dave and send you an invite for the folder. When you accept it, that folder appears on the computer in your dropbox folder. Anything I drop in that folder autmatically uploads to the folder on your end that we share. When you delete something on your end in our folder, it deletes it from mine. When you upload something, it gets sent to my computer. So this is an awesome way to share with your clients and it uploads and downloads instantly without any wait time other than the time it takes to upload or download something. It's been rare for me that it goes slow other than for some that may be in another country. But even for my clients in China, Australia, Canada, England, Germany etc, we have never had any real problems with dropbox.
 
In the event there IS a problem with it though, you have yousendit.com or any place that allows for free files to be shared and there are lots of them all for free. But, because you are in business now, it's always good to have your own domain with your own server space. Some of my clients don't want to install dropbox, so for them, I create a directory for them on my dd.com site and they have a name and password so they can upload and download there as well. You always want to be one step ahead in this business and have as many emergency exits and entries as possible because you just never know what you'll be faced with. :) Hope this helps...good luck!
 
-Danny

Daylaa from Derby ("That's not a hat, its a genuine Derby" [pronounced der-bee], Curly of the three stooges).

I always have other studios send the wav files set from 0 and most people leave a bar or two of silence.  Most places will do this for you.  If they have SONAR, you can just have them send the file and their settings should appear.  But you want the raw wav files - and most people won't send you (for free) their rough mix and settings.  I wouldn't, unless it was someone I knew.  SONAR is relatively easy to export individual channels.

There are several stages to studio work as you say in your first post.

Mixing - you are set up for this.  And since you've had stuff placed on BBC I suppose it and you are good.

The next best thing you can do is clean up your room.  You may not have a bad room, but treatment will give you a flatter perspective so your mix translates elsewhere.  Same with the speakers.

The next thing to upgrade would be your DAW.  HS7 is good, but SONAR (no sense in changing horses in the middle of the stream) is better in many ways.  SONAR Expanded even better, since you have plenty of FX included, killer EQ, the prochannel 1176 comp and the bus compressor, convolution reverb and the entire suite of useable SONITUS stuff.  IF the new concrete limiter is good, that would be another piece you end up needing.  Finally, the Softube suite is very nice and rounds out a collection, including different EQs and the algorithmic reverb, which I like better than most of the stuff included in sonar.  The softube stuff mainly makes it quicker to find something that works when the regular offerings don't make the sound better from the get-go.

The next level up is recording.  Most interfaces will work fine and aren't too shabby.  You'll need a couple of mics, too - a 57, large condenser and small.  Those will cover most instruments.  If you are serious about it, a nice channel strip for input will really improve things.  It might not be night and day difference at first, but most engineers come to appreciate high-headroom, lots of gain and some minimal control going in.  At the very least, pick up a decent preamp for your single channel recordings.  You can spend from a couple of hundred to a couple of thousand here.  Many guys track in a real studio and then mix and overdub at home.  having a nice input helps w/ this method.

Next up the latter in the studio world is band recording.  This is a different beast and requires a quantum jump in space and start up costs.  You'll need at least 3 rooms.  Most bands will want the drums individually mic'ed, which means 8+ inputs, each with a mic and cabling, plus whatever else they use for the rhythm tracking.  That being said, I do some drums here at home, and get by with 3 mics (two overheads and a floor pzm or large condenser set in an equalteral triangle to the sm condensers).  A good drummer sounds very good indeed, although I wish I had higher ceilings.  A not so good drummer with little dynamic control can sound a little trashy.  But that is how they used to mic in the 60s, and all in one room to boot.  Didn't stop them from getting incredible recordings, even if the drums weren't so upfront.  Di the bass and mic the guitarist in the hallway and I can usually get a decent rhythm track.  Then we can overdub whatever.  I have a nice channel strip here at home and even in the bedroom I've gotten great guitars, vocals, fiddles, sax etc.

Another thing to look forward to is a second channel strip or stereo comp to run your mix out to and then record back - instead of just exporting w/in the computer.  If you have good enough outboard, this can add a bit (or more) of the analog touch to your recordings.  Again, you can get similar sound inthebox, but it takes work and experience - moreso than just experimenting w/ outboard.

Lastly, mastering.  Most studios (both pro and bedroom) can "master" your recordings and I highly recommend playing at it.  Just be aware that real mastering engineers are a differnet breed - highly experienced and with great rooms/monitoring.  It does take experience to know what will help your song translate onto different systems.

Just be aware you are on a acquisition track if you keep after it.

@

http://www.fileswap.com/
Free  Account Sign Up, but get more room when paying for it.
Can delete files, but if not registered then there is nothing you can do with the file. One place of probably many (well there are probably other websites also).

If you have the tempo marked in a song, then the song starts up at measure 1 and that is how you import it (if they are not using tempo, then they should because all parts do not always start in the same place).

I use Sonar 7 because I have a 32-bit computer, so people who say Sonar newest one - is the E for expanded or e for essentials probably then you would need a 64 bit computer. My old computer works fine for what I do, and plug-ins are plug-ins and that is all they will ever be. It would be nice to have newer equipment but then you have to pay for it, amongst other things that need to be bought.

The rest is on what they used for a DAWs, if Sonar then a *.bun file will hold all the files, but perhaps it may be too big, otherwise the other people explained what you can do.

Wow - thank you everyone for your detailed and thoughtful responses - you can really rely on this community to help out.

I will be printing this thread out and then highlighting it to make sure I take on board everything you've said.

I may have more questions in the near future, but for now I think I have something to work on.
Thanks again.

Dave

I'm only a humble hobbyist, but I can't imagine anyone starting serious engineering (working for others in order to produce material for commercial dealing) with such beginner level loudspeakers. How could any customer take you seriously?

Maybe I should keep my mouth, 'cause I'm just a bedroom musician, but somehow it seems to me you're hugely underestimating the requirements of good monitoring, or overestimating your monitoring circumstances. That could lead you to very, very embarrassing situations when you start dealing with the pros (in the maybe near future).

I believe your word that you know your way with those speakers and that you're experienced, but, as mentioned above, I don't think there is any consensus of what "radio quality" means nowadays. 30 years ago it meant good quality, not anymore. You can hear very mediocre sounding music all the time in the radio.

With those speakers there's no way you can say "my monitoring's good". If monitoring and acoustics is by far the weakest link of your studio, it's something the customers can easily spot. It's even more important if you're working with recordings you have not made yourself. Then you need to trust your monitors and acoustics 100%.

Good practice for mixing.

@

Hey thanks Kev - Aaah so it's you who I've just messaged on Soundcloud? 

edit: ...and as i'm even writing this, i'm listening to your 'Anything You Want' and feeling ultra chilled!

Mattplaysguitar - 

You make a very good point, yes. Although I have no experience of recording a band, I do have about a decade's experience of being in bands which have recorded regularly in studios. So I have knowledge of many of the things that can cause issues. But yes, I will need practise like I said before. However, I'm not thinking of recording whole bands in my room - i'm thinking one man and his guitar for now. 

With regards to my own stuff, I don't agree that it's easy to make something sound good using synths. If I didn't mix my stuff, they would sound terrible and very amateur. I have had to study compression, EQing, reverbs etc just like everyone else here to get even half decent sounding music...I must add that every note of every one of my songs is played by me. I never use those awful 'ready made loops' like lots of people do out there. Where's the creativity in that?!

But I agree with you, i'm gonna need practise when it comes to acoustic instruments. It is a different ballgame and I most certainly don't have enough experience being in charge of a recording session. You're absolutely right. However, I believe mixing skills are transferable across genres. I know what sounds good and what doesn't. I really believe I CAN be good - I have a good trained ear and I'm learning all the time. 

Thanks for your input Matt - you are keeping it real. very much appreciated.

Mattplaysguitar - 

No I agree with you, electronic sounds don't have to be 'captured' like acoustic sounds, so a HUGE part of the job is already done for me in that respect. 

I have spoken to a few of my fellow guitar playing friends and all of them are interested in having some kind of synth/beats behind their guitars - which is where I see myself being especially helpful. Lots of popular music has this blend these days. 

Cheers Matt - feel free to add anything else you think I may need to concentrate on.

Matt - I appreciate this massively, thanks for taking the time to think around my questions. All good stuff....hitting print now....