BEAT THE
BUSINESS
Lets face it, recording studio's are not
cheap! That is, of course, unless you have record company backers who will pay
the astronomical fees to allow you to the use the state of the art equipment.
For those of you who are not signed, and have only your own pocket to support
you, getting a good quality demo together, recording your own album or just
writing songs can be the most difficult, but necessary tasks in music!
We hope that what you are about to read will change all of that. We have looked
at ways in which you, or your band, can record within your own surroundings and
within whatever budget you may have available to you. So whether you have
buckets of cash, a reasonable wallet, or a few buttons and a bus pass, you could
be recording your own material and entering the rat race of the recording
industry before you can say "check out my demo Mr Peel..."
LOW BUDGET
this used to mean placing your Matsui tape recorder next to your amp and
pressing record/play. Nowadays things are less primitive, and better sounding.
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MINIDISK MINSTUDIO
Well, if all you wanna do is record yourself strumming an acoustic while
singing in your living room, or recording the band in the rehearsal room,
then you cannot go far wrong with a minidisk and microphone. The
combinations are flexible, depending on your budget. Obviously the better
the kit the better the sound. The singer in my band uses this set up to demo
new songs to us and the quality is excellent, but he uses a sony minidisk
and a Shure SM58 (as pictured) to get a good quality sound. It is really up
to you about what you spend -
DAMAGE: �150 - �300
(depending on what you pick really)
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PORTASTUDIO
OK, so audio tape is a bit of a taboo these days, but the gear is cheap,
tapes are cheap and the units are quick and easy to use. Something like the
Tascam Porta02 units (as pictured) would be perfect if you want to get ideas
down quickly when writing. You may not get the best sound quality for your
demo tapes, but if you are struggling for cash then this is a winner...just
stick your guitars and mics in for 4 tracks of audio heaven! - There are
other more expensive untis about but if you are going to spend a lot on a
portastudio you may as well save your pennies a while longer and carry on
reading!
DAMAGE: �100.00 - �250.00
(make sure that you buy new! - Second
hand can be a bit ropey...) |
MID RANGE
Now we are cooking, if you have not already rushed off down the shops to buy
the above gear then it's time to check your bank balance...
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DIGITAL DEMO HEAVEN
To be honest, sound quality is obviously important in a demo that may get
you a lucrative contract. Usually quality costs....but if you have �500.00
to spend then this little unit is essential. It uses 100MB Zip Disks to
record digital quality audio. It has built in effects, guitar simulation,
drum machine, radar guidance system! - well not quite. What the unit does
have is plenty of features for your money, and with the release of a cheaper
4 track version the Boss range looks to corner the market at this price
level. This is a beast that will serve you well.
DAMAGE: �500.00
(check out the special offers and also the new cheaper 4 track version which
has had good reviews priced at about �350) |
TOP OF THE RANGE!
Well, it is time to make your mouth water. At this level you are getting
into semi-pro territory.
The equipment available to aspiring Indie rocksters and Dancefloor Decksters is
astonishing, but you will need to consider how much you really want to
Beat the Business,
before paying out at this point.
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ALL HAIL THE EMPEROR
the Yamaha AW4416 is just one of the crop of machines aimed at the complete
recording solution. It offers 24 tracks for recording, built in FX and even
an internal CDr unit (extra cost) - You would really need to compare this
machine with others from manufacturers like Boss, Roland, AKAI to name a few
before paying out, but the recording fraternity seem to love this baby! - It
isn't cheap, and it isn't easy to use straight away, but if you want to get
serious about beating the business at their own game then this machine is a
valuable ally.
DAMAGE: �2500
(Depends on your requirements, machines are now coming out at twice the
price. You need to check and see if they have twice the appeal.) |
IN CONCLUSION
We hope that this little guide may be of use in helping you set up a personal
recording system. We obviously cannot predict which would be the best system for
your personal circumstances. However, I have taken the BOSS BR8 route myself and
am completely happy with it. I would like to have gone for the higher end units,
but this was outside of my price range. And at the end of the day that is what
it all boils down to. You can only go for what you can afford. We hope that you
will make more positive steps towards BEATING THE BUSINESS....
Why not give us some feedback
on what you think of our suggestions and maybe make some of your own!
LPF
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