Home Recording For Dummies. Jeff Strong

iPod.

      Apps

      There are a growing number of audio recording apps for iOS devices. Each of the hardware manufacturers that I list in the preceding section has its own apps, but here are a few that are hardware agnostic (you can find them in the iTunes App Store):

       Auria: This is my favorite audio recording app. Maybe it’s because I’ve been using it a while, but after playing with other apps, I think it’s because it works well. At $25, Auria is more expensive than the cheapest apps, but less expensive than the spendy ones.

       Cubasis: This app is based on the Cubasis computer recording program and is very powerful. It costs a bit more ($50), but for people used to professional recording software, it’s a nice program.

       GarageBand: This is a free app made by Apple, and it’s pretty much the same as the Mac GarageBand program. It’s easy to use but somewhat limited in its capabilities. Still, it’s stable and free, so it’s worth giving it a shot.

       MultiTrack DAW: This app isn’t as feature rich as some others, but for $10 it does a lot. And it’s stable.

       Music Studio: This app isn’t free ($14.99), but it’s nice. I find it easy to use and fairly powerful.

      This list could go on, so I highly recommend doing some searches for audio recording and music app in the App Store. Also, tons of instrument apps (for drums, piano, guitar, synths — you name it) are available for the iPad or iPod to allow you to make music in a variety of ways.

      

If you want to use more than one music app at a time and have them sync, such as audio-recording with a synth, I highly recommend Audiobus. This app opens worlds that you can only imagine until you try it. It only works with compatible apps, but at this point, there are over 400 of them, so it’s not like you’re limited.

      

If you want an inexpensive, no-fuss gadget to record two tracks, you may want to consider a linear recorder, a two-track recorder (sometimes called a voice recorder or field recorder). Many linear recorders come with mics built in, and some even have effects. The cool thing about a linear recorder is that it can fit in your pocket and record with surprisingly high quality, such as 24 bits (although many are 16 bits). Check the specs of the various models if the bit depth is important to you.

Exploring Sample Setups

      In the following sections, I help you start thinking about the best system configuration for your needs. Whether you’re an electronic musician who only needs a sequencer, some MIDI instruments, and a two-track recorder, or you’re a purist who wants 16 tracks of simultaneous recording and needs dozens of microphones to record your whole band live, I help you figure it out.

      Because I don’t know what type of recording you want to do, I outline three basic systems to give you an idea of what may work for you. You can see a system that works well for both live recording and MIDI sequencing, a system for MIDI sequencing and the occasional instrument or vocal overdub, and a live rig that contains little or no MIDI instrumentation. This is only a starting point, but as you shop around for a system, you’ll be able to find a setup that best meets your needs.

You can configure your home recording system in almost unlimited ways. Part of what will influence your decisions is your initial budget and how you like to work. Look around and talk to other people who have a home studio. Join an Internet forum and discover the different ways that people are recording — find out what works for them and what doesn’t. Then jump in and don’t look back. The most important component in your studio is you!

      Live and MIDI studio

The live and MIDI studio is your best choice if you want to incorporate both MIDI-sequenced parts and live instruments (such as guitar, electric bass, and drums). For this type of system, you need a recorder, a mixer, and a MIDI controller. You also need a few microphones and any instruments that you plan to record — generally at least one synthesizer or sound module, an electric guitar and bass, and a drum machine or real drum set. Figure 2-6 illustrates a setup that’s centered around an SIAB recorder with a computer for sequencing. Of course, you could use a stand-alone recorder instead (you need a separate mixer), or you can incorporate the whole system into a computer if you choose.

      You want a system with a fair number of tracks (at least eight) that allows you to record at least two tracks of MIDI instruments as well as several tracks of guitar, bass, drums, and vocals.

      MIDI-intensive studio

      Are you a one-man band? Do you prefer to program a performance rather than to play it? If so, you may want to have a MIDI-intensive studio. The advantage of the MIDI studio is that one person can “play” many instruments at the same time. A disadvantage is that the music can sound somewhat stiff. (See Chapter 15 for advice on how to overcome this.) And you may lose touch with what it feels like to play with other musicians — which is not always a bad thing, especially if you’re into that whole reclusive artist thing.

      Because MIDI instruments can be programmed to play the part perfectly, with all the dynamic variations that you want, you can spend your time working on the parts (composing, setting levels, and creating effects) without actually having to record them. As a result, you can get by with fewer audio tracks in your system, but you need to have more MIDI tracks available. An advantage to this approach is that MIDI tracks take less CPU power and RAM to run compared to the same number of audio tracks. So, you can get by with a less-expensive computer (or use the one you already have) and save your bucks for more synthesizers or plug-ins.

      FIGURE 2-6: This system enables you to record both audio and MIDI instrumentation.

For a MIDI-intensive studio, such as the one shown in Figure 2-7, you need a sequencer (a device that allows you to record and play back MIDI performance information) and at least one sound source. This can be a keyboard synthesizer, a sound module, a sampler, or a computer equipped with sounds, called soft-synths. You also need a drum machine or drum sounds in your computer if you intend to make any music other than ambient or classical-type music. In addition, you need a MIDI controller to, well, control these sound sources. This, too, could be part of the computer software, or it could be the synthesizer. Check out Chapter 11 for more on MIDI controllers. If you end up using a computer-based sequencer, you’ll also need a MIDI interface.

      FIGURE 2-7: A MIDI-intensive studio: Most of your recording is via MIDI with a minimum of audio tracks.

In addition to the MIDI stuff, you need some sort of recorder. Again, this can be included in your computer setup. If you plan to sequence all the parts and don’t want to include any vocals, you could get by with a decent two-track recorder. On the other hand, if you see yourself including vocals or any non-MIDI instruments — such as an electric guitar, for example — you need a microphone