Signal Flow and Degradation

For the first topic of discussion, I will talk about the basic needed setup, and different ways of obtaining it.

Let's talk signal flow. Obviously the main goal is to get your sound waves converted to an electrical signal, amplified enough to be able to turn it into a digital signal, where it can be mixed and processed by some software, turned back into an electrical signal, then converted to physical sound waves that can reach your ear. With no processing, you might hope that the sound waves going in sound just like the sound waves coming out. This is most likely (and my most likely I mean definitely) not the case. The trick is to know your limitations and try to use them to your advantage.

So let's look at where it can go wrong. I'm going to pretend that we are recording your vocals. The sound comes from deep in your throat and makes its way out of your mouth and into the open space of your bedroom, to be captured by a microphone. This void from your mouth to the microphone is the first cause of a bedroom sound. The actual bedroom. The way your room sounds will determine greatly how your recording will sound. You spend so much time in your room that you may not notice the horrible flutter echo caused by the closely placed parallel empty walls anymore, which is a great recipe for garbage.

Once the sound makes it from your mouth to the microphone, and from your mouth to the wall to your microphone, and from that wall to another wall and your microphone, etc. you must now convert that sound wave into an electrical signal. This is what the microphone does for you. The manner in which it is converted will make a huge difference in the quality of your electrical signal. The type of diaphragm the mic has, pattern of the mic's pickup, and the placement of the microphone all change the outcome of your signal.

So your voice has made it this far, has been converted to an electrical voltage. Now it has to make it's way down the cable where it is bombarded by noise from all sides as it races through the copper wires. Another way to garbage up your signal.

Once it makes it through the XLR cable it must go through a preamp. That microphone puts out very low voltage levels, and needs to be boosted in order to be able to convert it to a digital signal. Setting up your preamp incorrectly can cause serious degradation of your signal.

It's time to convert your analog signal to a stream of bits so that you can process, mix and whatever else you might want to pretty up your sound. Again, different analog-to-digital converters can change your sound in different ways, and knowing you're A/D specs is important.

Now we reverse the process. Send that digital bit stream to a D/A converter send it along another long copper wire, amplify your signal, and convert the oscillating voltages to a physical pressure wave.

Have you ever closed your eyes and listened to a persons recorded voice and thought that the person was actually standing there in front of you? Neither have I. Even with the best of gear, in the end, it comes out sounding like what we have become accustomed to knowing as a "recorded voice." It doesn't sound bad. It just sounds recorded, because that's what it is.

The trick is to know the difference between a "good" recorded sound, and a "bad" one, and how to avoid the "bad" sound. I want to dedicate this site to explaining how in a home studio, you can achieve that "good" sound. This is not done by buying really expensive gear (China has provided us with plenty of cheap gear that works just fine), but by knowing how to use the gear that you have. So let's go into the signal chain in more detail, talking about artistic techniques and technical details, so that you can get a pro sounding recording in your bedroom.

Introduction

So you just thought up a great song, and your first reaction is to whip out your mbox, fire up pro-tools and lay down a few tracks before you forget it and the song becomes lost in your memory. First you record a guitar track, and then lay down some vocals, which sounded flawless. Then you add drums, bass, lead guitar, harmonies, and all that other junk to fill the sound void. You spend about 18 hours sitting in front of your computer recording, tweaking, arranging and mixing, completely forgetting that your are both hungry and tired (and it's probably time for a shower). Then you finally finish. You listen too it three or four times, admiring the talent that just came from a single day's work. Now it's time to show it off. First you send it to your friends. They all tell you how great it sounds, and that you should look into becoming a professional musician. Of course your mom thinks it sounds great, and your confidence is rising by the hour.

So you take the plunge and post your music on some forum for the scrutiny of those less tolerant of imperfection. A few people tell you that it is a great song, and you begin to think that this is a good time to trade in your old Squire for a Gibson. And then it comes. "It sounds like it was recorded in a garage," and "Maybe you should consider different mic techniques," and of course "It sounds like you need some better EQ, but for an armature, it's pretty good." Ouch. These comments keep rolling in.

You decide to take a break from recording for a few days, going back to listening to your favorite bands. You go back some time later and listen to your song, and what do you know. It does sound like it was recorded in a bedroom, and not just any bedroom, but your bedroom. It sounds pretty lame, and you wish you could take back all the copies you sent to your friends. But you can't. That song will forever sit in the pile of armature recordings, waiting for you to go back some day and laugh at the poor recording quality.

So what is the difference between the "recorded in a bedroom" sound and "recorded in a million dollar studio" sound? That is what we are here to talk about. How to make those bedroom recordings sound like, or at least approach the quality of high end studios. After spending years recording in a home studio, adding to the pile of embarrassing rubbish, I thought I would share some of the things I have learned about how to make a home recording sound good. I hope you find what you are looking for. In fact, some day I will look at this introduction and wish I had never posted such garbage for others to read, but that is all part of the learning process. Now, let's get recording.