Most of you know that I do tend to try and encourage members to record their songs for everyone to hear but it goes further than that so this is directed to all and not just to songwriters as recording, and being able to carefully listen to what you have done, is also a very good teaching tool.

Equipment needed:

You will need a microphone and getting the best you can afford is always a good policy as your recordings will be clearer with less background noise by having a quality mic.

You will need software to record to and Audacity is a good one to use as not only is it free, but Russell has put some tutorials up on MediaFire to help you get to grips with recording using it.

You can use your microphone to record your instrument but it is better, if you are able, to use a cable to plug directly in as you will not pick up any background noise this way.

Getting Started:

Standing in front of a microphone is just as nerve racking as performing in front of an audience, so being on edge is normal. It does get easier with time but the nerves tend to give you that little bit extra and can actually lead to a better performance.

Your recorded voice will sound strange. Most people do not like their own voice the first time they hear it, this is because we are used to hearing ourselves internally and not just with our ears. Don't worry, you do not sound half as bad to others as you think you do.

Arrange time to yourself without the distractions of "she who must be obeyed" (or "he" as the case may be), children, pets and telephones. Warn everyone what you are doing and ask them to keep noise down as much as possible during your session.

Recording:

It is far easier to record separate tracks and mix them later to get the balance right. It is also easier to edit a single track if you have made an error. You are also able to put your full concentration on playing and later the same with your singing. Do not forget to save often as a power cut or crash can lose you all your hard work.

Count yourself in before you start playing and record you first guitar part. Do not stop if you make a mistake as you can insert a 'silence' in place of the error, re-record the wrong part and then mix the two to become a flawless recording.

Record a second guitar part which can be played the same or different style (ie fingerpicking) to the original. (Now you see why I said to count yourself in - you know exactly when to start playing). Pan one recording, say 50 or 60%, to the left and the other to the right and give yourself a treat by listening to what you have achieved. The two instruments coming from different places sound very different to just one.

Then comes the part you have probably been apprehensive about. Record your vocals. Again do not worry if you make a mistake you can correct small errors just the same as you can with the guitar playing and if it is very bad well, what the heck, you can always do the whole thing again. Leave the lead vocals panned in the centre.

Once you are happy with the lead vocals you can add further tracks of harmonies, ooohs, aahs or even singing the same as the lead. Pan these tracks to the left or right to create a fuller sound.

Mixing:

Now you need to listen to your recording and make final adjustments to the volume and panning making sure that backing vocals are slightly lower in volume than the lead and that the guitar playing is not drowning out the vocals.. When you are happy, select all and mix the tracks. You can now remove your count in and add a couple of seconds silence to the start of it. You can then export the finished recording as a MP3 compressed file that you can upload to MySpace etc., send it in a e-mail to friends or just keep it to listen where improvements can be made or as a yardstick to see how you have improved at a later date.

Links:

Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Russell’s Tutorials: http://www.mediafire.com/russellharding

I hope you find this helpful, and please post any questions or comments here. However experienced or inexperienced we can all help each other by sharing ideas, tips and pitfalls.

Roger

I wrote the music for this song and was struggling for lyrics but luckily Helena came to the rescue.

It is now on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/rogerguppy 

Roger

Love and Liesby Helena Donovan and Roger Guppy