Overview : Introduction

Common Functions of Recording Software

Recording software varies in its 'look-n-feel', and the features it provides, but all recording software has enough in common that you should be able to record and mix on it without needing to learn the program all over again.

This tutorial provides an overview of the basic functionality of recording software so you can get right into recording and mixing, regardless of what software you have.

If you are looking for good recording software that is powerful and intuitive, download Reaper.

Multi Tracking

One thing that hasn't changed since the old days of tape recording, is the concept of multi-traking. The idea behind this is that each microphone is recorded to a separate track and can be mixed to different volumes to fit with the rest of the tracks. Sometimes our equipment may force us to compromise and mix several mics to one track, or use 1 mic for several instruments. Sometimes a recording sounds better by using less mics, but lets not get side-tracked here.

There is a panel called the 'transport panel' that contains play, stop, pause, rewind etc. The same buttons you see on a tape player.

In some software, you have to create a new track for each track you want to record. Others have a bunch of empty tracks ready for you to use*. Consult the help menu on that one. Once you have a track that you want to record to, you need to enable that track for recording. There should be a red button on each track that will allow you to do this, or it may be an 'R' button or something like that. When you have the track enabled, you can hit the record button on the transport panel, then hit the play button. This is similar to the old tape recorders, where you had to hold the record button and press the play button before it would record.

* If you are using Audacity, a new track is created each time you press record.

When you hit stop, you should see the sound you just recorded in place on the track. If all you see is a thin line, you probably sat very still our you havn't yet selected the input. Most software has an input button on each track that allows you to set the source of the channel. If you have an interface, it should show up in this list, otherwise you will be using the soundcard. Again, each software has a slightly different way to do this.

As well as the record-enable button, most software provides a 'mute' and 'solo' button. The mute button mutes the track so it cannot be heard. The solo button effectively mutes all other tracks, so only the solo'd track can be heard. You should be able to solo several tracks at once. If not, try holding the ctrl key while clicking the solo buttons ( alt on a Mac ).

Inputs and Outputs

Each track is capable of recording sound from any channel. On a computer with just a standard stereo soundcard, you have 2 microphone channels ( input left and right ), and the 2 output channels ( left and right ). If you have an additional interface, you will see these inputs and outputs are available in the same list.

Lets say you have an XLR to minijack cable, which you use to record microphones via the soundcards microphone input. If you have wired the cable to send the signal to the left channel, you should select the left input channel of your soundcard on the tracks input list.

If you are using Reaper, you just need to right-click on the button that says 'REC IN' on whichever track you are about to record to.

By default in Reaper, as with many other softwares, the output from each track is sent to the Master Output channel, so you can apply effects to the overall mix. However, in keeping with it's pledge to be the most flexible software available, Reaper allows you to send the output from a track directly to the output of the soundcard without first going through the Master channel. Some software doesn't use a Master channel, you have to set-up a subgroup system instead.

Sending a mix through a master channel is especially helpful if your monitors and environment need compensating. Usually a studio has an equaliser before the power amp that can be used to 'tune the room', but in a home studio you may not have that luxury. Adding an EQ to the Master channel has the same effect, but remember to bypass it when you export your mix.

Overdubs

After you have recorded a good take, you should un-enable the track. If you don't do this, you will record over the track you have just done!

Say you want to lay a lead-break over the middle of the song. You can enable a new track and begin recording. All tracks that aren't enabled will remain intact and the sound will be recorded onto the new track.

Mixing

After you have recorded a few tracks, you may like to do a bit of a mix. It is easier to play along with a nice mix, because it gives you a sense of 'feel' for how the overdubs should sound.

When you have done all the overdubs, you will need to do a bit of mixing. How much effort you put into this is directly reflected in the final product. Mixing is the real fun part of recording music. You can add effects to each track, duplicate them, pan them, anything you like. Most recording software will have a mixing window ( under the 'windows' tab ). It looks like a mixer and behaves like a mixer, but it is all happening inside your computer.

Exporting

When you have done your mix and want to listen to it on CD or MP3, you need to export it as a stereo file. Currently your project has several tracks, but CD players and MP3 players only use 2 tracks ( left and right ). You may need to consult your help menu for this, or it may be an obvious option under the 'file' menu. In Reaper, it is File > Render.

• CD quality is 44.1 khz and 16 bit
• MP3 quality can range from 128kbps to 256kbps

MP3 is a compressed format, meaning that it actually removes some of the redundant data in the sound. Modern MP3 codecs are pretty good, most of the time the MP3 sounds good enough. But it is always good practice to keep a CD quality mix because sound can always be compressed, but you can never get back the data that has been removed through compression.