Recording and Editing Live Instruments
In this chapter, you will explore the world of live recording with a focus on instrument-specific stereo miking techniques. Recording session setup tips are provided as well, which involve concepts such as headphone mixes, low latency features, and sound barriers. Near the end of the chapter, you will be introduced to common ways in which producers capture and edit multiple takes during the recording process, including comping, cycle recording, punch recording, and creating fades and crossfades.
14.1 A complete cycle of sound wave
14.2 Phase relationships between recording signals
14.3 The 3-to-1 rule
14.4 Coincident and near-coincident X-Y configurations
14.5 The Blumlein (Figure 8) technique
14.6 MS microphone technique
14.7 Spaced pair technique and the 3-to-1 rule
14.8 Recording options for acoustic guitar
14.9 Recording individual vocals
14.10 Recording individual brass instruments
14.11 Recording individual woodwind instruments with bells
14.12 Recording individual straight-shaped woodwinds
14.13 Recording amplified guitars
14.14 Punch recording in Pro Tools
14.15 Cycle recording in Logic Pro
14.16 Cycle recording an isolated passage in Logic Pro
14.17 A take folder in Logic Pro with multiple quick swipes
14.18 Fade options in Pro Tools
14.19 Crossfades in Logic Pro
Flashcards
Click on the word to get the definition
a technique in which a microphone is placed as close to a sound source as possible.
the opposite of close miking, this technique involves placing a microphone a considerable distance from a sound source in order to take advantage of the coloration provided by the environment’s reverberation.
an audio phenomenon that takes place when a microphone is placed too close to a sound source, boosting frequencies under 100Hz by as much as 16dB.
the range between an audio signal’s peak level the maximum output level of an audio device (such as a DAW).
short for monaural, this term describes audio that is heard from one channel or position (as opposed to stereo, which incorporates two channels and creates a field of perceived sonic positions).
the involvement of two or more microphones in a recording of a single sound source, which offers the potential of creating a stereo image by blending and positioning multiple mono signals.
a region within a sound wave wherein air molecules are closest together, creating positive pressure.
a region within a sound wave wherein air molecules are farthest apart, creating negative pressure.
or phase cancellation, this is the destructive interference caused by identical sound waves that are misaligned.
a term used to describe identical sound waves that create constructive interference by being perfectly aligned such that their peaks and troughs take place at the same time.
a term used to describe identical sound waves that create destructive interference by being misaligned by 180 degrees such that one wave’s peaks take place at the same time as another’s troughs and vice versa.
a term used to describe the interference pattern that takes place when the same sound enters multiple microphones at varying points over the cycle of a waveform, resulting in a weaker—but not completely canceled— sound.
or phasing, this is the destructive interference caused by identical sound waves that are misaligned.
a recording strategy used to avoid phasing issues during stereo miking. The 3-to-1 rule states that the distance between the first and second microphones should be at least three times the distance between the first microphone and the sound source.
microphones that are of the same make and model and were created at the same time.
coincident X-Y stereo miking
a recording technique that uses two matched, unidirectional (cardioid) microphones facing one another and positioned as close together as possible.
near-coincident stereo miking
a recording technique that uses two matched, unidirectional (cardioid) microphones facing in opposite directions yet positioned relatively close to one another (within twelve inches).
the level of audibly perceived individuality from among multiple signals that combine to form a stereo image.
a recording technique named after electronics engineer Alan Dower Blumlein that is similar to the X-Y configuration, but uses bi-directional (figure 8) microphones at a 90° angle instead of unidirectional (cardioid) microphones.
mid-side (MS) stereo miking
a recording configuration in which a cardioid mic (or mid-mic) is aimed directly at an instrument, while a figure 8 mic (or side-mic) is aimed left and right to capture the ambient sounds of a room. The side-mic signal is then copied, phase inverted, and panned during mixing, such that it occupies both the left and right areas of the stereo field, with the mid-mic signal panned center to create a complete stereo image.
spaced pair stereo miking
a recording technique in which two cardioid microphones are used to capture a sound source; these mics are spaced according to the 3-to-1 rule to avoid phasing issues.
devices designed to limit the amount of outside noise that is captured during recording.
a circular, screen-like device placed in front of a microphone that filters out unwanted popping sounds.
a device used in recording studios that receives unbalanced signal (usually from a guitar or bass) and converts it to balanced signal before it enters a mixing console.
the process of routing a recorded signal (usually from a guitar or bass) out of the editing environment and into an amplifier for further sonic manipulation.
a noticeable delay between the moment sound is produced and the moment it reemerges through monitors or headphones after being routed through circuitry.
the allocated amount of time dedicated to processing sound as it enters a computer.
a type of DAW functionality that bypasses CPU-heavy plugins to restrict the latency that typically results from high buffer sizes.
a customizable mix that is typically delivered from the recording interface through a headphone amplifier into headphones that are worn by the performing musicians in a session.
a term used to describe the act of recording multiple takes of a single part across different tracks, followed by combining the best parts of the individual takes into a single, final track.
short for composite recording, a term used to describe the act of recording multiple takes of a single part across different tracks, followed by combining the best parts of the individual takes into a single, final track.
a term used to describe the point at which recording begins when destructively re-recording or comping a segment within a track.
a term used to describe the point at which recording ends when destructively re-recording or comping a segment within a track.
or loop recording, a recording process that involves setting up a section within which a recording will continually capture new takes every time it cycles or loops through its programmed start and end points.
a type of composite recording that places each take within an organized, easy-to-view take folder below the initial take in a DAW. The user may then swipe the mouse to highlight a particular section within a particular take, which places it within the composite track that is heard upon playback.
a measured increase of volume from silence to a signal’s original amplitude.
a progressive decrease of an audio signal’s level from its original amplitude to silence.
an editing process that smoothly transitions between two adjacent or overlapping waveforms by simultaneously fading out the initial waveform while fading in the subsequent waveform.
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