Making music in the comfort
of your home
By Sasha Ling
Recording music at home is not as daunting as it seems. SASHA LING speaks to three self-producing musicians to uncover the various tips and tricks for recording your own music.
Inspired by rising bedroom-pop musicians, you might have considered learning music production. But intimidated by the steep learning curve, the onslaught of audio technical terms and equipment options, you give up.
With a little help from experienced self-producing musicians, recording your own music might not seem far-fetched after all.
Here is a beginner’s guide to help you get started!
The Equipment
​
​
1. Basic setup
​
It is not necessary to buy fancy equipment to record music.
A budding self-producing musician and NSF, Mr Seamus Ong Hong Lie, 21, says in a phone call: "You just need a microphone, earpiece or headphones, a Digital Audio Workstation and a working computer."
In fact, Trevor Wee Choon Siang, 19, another self-producing musician and student, recommends just one piece of equipment: a USB microphone.
“You can record your guitar with that and if you want to sing then you can sing with that,” says Mr Wee in a phone call.
Mr Wee’s choice USB microphone is the Blue Yeti ($219.00).
The Blue Yeti has been reviewed to be one of the best USB microphones on the market. Photo courtesy of Blue Designs.
2. Advanced setup
​
If you prefer a more versatile and professional setup, Mr Muhd Syafiq Bin Ahmad Azam, 20, who holds a Diploma in Audio and Visual Technology, recommends the
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Studio Pack ($349.00).
The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Studio Pack is a wallet-friendly setup that does not compromise quality. Photo courtesy of Focusrite.
This setup comes with a headphone, a condenser microphone, a USB audio interface and cables – everything you need to kick-start a recording project.
It is useful for beginners who don’t want to go through countless options for every single piece of equipment required.
This setup also allows for simultaneous recording of your instrument and vocals, unlike the basic setup mentioned earlier.
3. Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)
​
For DAWs, Mr Ahmad Azam recommends Garageband, which is available free-of-charge for Macbook users.
Unlike other paid DAWs such as Pro-Tools ($1,050) and Ableton ($630), Garageband has established a name for itself for being user-friendly and suitable for those who are
not tech-savvy.
Using a DAW for the first time might be overwhelming.
Fortunately, there are many online resources that provide comprehensive tutorials and
step-by-step guides for beginners.
“YouTube is your best friend. Google too, if you are the theory type of person,” says
Mr Ahmad Azam.
“I suggest looking into recording techniques [such as] mic placement, gain level etc., [and] mixing and producing music,” adds Mr Ahmad Azam.
The recording process
​
​
-
Firstly, plug in your chosen instrument and microphone into the audio interface.
​
2. Then, in the DAW, make sure the audio interface is selected in your input settings.
3. Next, create two audio tracks respectively, one for your instrument and the other for the vocal microphone.
4. To hear yourself through the recording, click the input monitoring button located beside the record button on the track.
​
5. To start recording, click the record button or ‘R’ button on the keyboard. By default, there should be a one bar countdown.
​
6. To stop the recording, press the spacebar.
For the USB microphone setup, plug the microphone directly into your computer, then follow steps 2 to 6. Repeat the process: the first time for your instrument and second for your vocals.
“The most important part of recording is getting a good take, if not you are just wasting time,” says Mr Wee, “You have to practise before you record and make sure your audio isn’t clipping.”
To ensure this, check the audio levels on your DAW and adjust the gain on your
microphone accordingly.
Sharing your music
​
​
If you are happy with what you’ve recorded, you might consider sharing your music with others.
Nowadays, that does not necessarily mean burning your song into a CD. There are many online platforms available for you to put your music on, such as Spotify, Bandcamp and Soundcloud.
“If you are planning to sell your music, put it on Bandcamp. They only take a small percentage of the profits [as compared to Spotify],” Mr Wee says.
“Just give it a go, keep recording and learning, you’ll eventually love your own music and will always want to make it sound the best. Things might go south with some of your recordings but just keep it, you’ll somehow think of ideas for it or from it,” Mr Ahmad Azam says.