Category Archives for "Recording"
- in Engineering , Isolated Track , Production , Recording , Video by Bobby Owsinski
Ozzy Osbourne “Crazy Train” Isolated Guitar
There are few guitar players that you can truly say are influential, but Randy Rhoads is certainly one of them. His playing on Ozzy Osbourne’s initial solo album set the guitar world on fire, and for many metal players, it’s still the bar that everyone aims for. When “Crazy Train” exploded onto the radio guitar players […]
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Mic Placement Tips To Help You Find The “Sweet Spot”
Mic placement may be the most important part of recording since a change of half-an-inch can sometimes make a huge difference in the sound. Finding that correct placement isn’t always easy though, so here’s an excerpt from my Recording Engineer’s Handbook 4th edition to give you some easy tips to find that “sweet spot” quickly. “Quickly finding […]
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The Pre-Session Recording Checklist
One of the keys to an initial basic tracking session running smoothly is the information that you receive pre-session. Here’s a recording checklist from my Recording Engineer’s Handbook 4th edition that shows the some of the info that really helps to receive in advance of the session. This will usually be provided by the producer, artist or band […]
Continue reading- in Book Excerpt , Engineering , Recording by Bobby Owsinski
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Tips For A Great Headphone Mix
Perhaps the greatest detriment to a session running smoothly is the inability for players to hear themselves comfortably in the headphones. This is one reason why veteran engineers spend so much time and attention on the cue mix and the phones themselves. In fact, a sure sign of an inexperienced engineer is treating the headphone […]
Continue reading- in Engineering , Production , Recording by Bobby Owsinski
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Easy Edits For That Distorted Guitar
Here’s a great distorted guitar recording tip that I got from Richard Chycki, engineer for Rush, Dream Theater, Aerosmith and many more. I liked it so much I’ve used it on every session since, and included it in the latest version of my Recording Engineer’s Handbook as well. Distorted electric guitar is notoriously difficult to edit, […]
Continue reading- in Book Excerpt , Recording by Bobby Owsinski
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14 Studio Etiquette Tips That Your Session Mates Will Love
Knowing the proper etiquette while recording is almost as important as doing your gig. If you make people uncomfortable or do something that’s considered out of place, chances are that you won’t be asked back. Let’s look at the way everyone expects you to act during the session with these 14 tips taken from The Studio Musician’s […]
Continue reading- in Engineering , Production , Recording , Video by Bobby Owsinski
How To Sound Like The Beatles Using Modern Gear
If you ever wanted to record some of those authentic Beatles guitar sounds but didn’t know how to go about getting them, then this is the video for you. It uses only modern gear and relies mostly on pedal combinations. Granted, the amp is a Vox AC30 and the guitars and bass are modern versions […]
Continue reading- in Book Excerpt , Microphones , Recording by Bobby Owsinski
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Don’t Let Phase Cancellation Destroy Your Drum Sound
One of the most important and overlooked aspects of drum miking is making sure that the mics are all in-phase. This is really important because with only one out-of-phase mic, the whole kit will never sound as big as it should, and if not corrected before all the drums are mixed together, might not be […]
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Simon Phillips Talks Drums
Simon Phillips is one of the best drummers in the world and has the resume to prove it. From Jeff Beck to The Who to Judas Priest to being a member of Toto and a prolific session drummer, Simon is well respected for not only his playing, but his drum and recording acumen as well. […]
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Crappy Sound Checklist
Whether you’re in a live situation or in the studio, things can suddenly sound distorted, or there could be no sound output at all. You can spend a lot of time chasing your tail trying to find out what’s wrong unless you have an orderly procedure to follow that allows you to troubleshoot the system […]
Continue reading- in Book Excerpt , Engineering , Gear , Hardware , Recording by Bobby Owsinski
Direct Box Basics
Direct boxes are something that we use every day in recording, yet take for granted because of their simplicity. Here’s an excerpt from my Recording Engineer’s Handbook that looks at the ins and outs of this useful recording tool. “Direct Injection (DI or “going direct”) of a signal means that a microphone is bypassed, and […]
Continue reading- in Gear , Guitars , Recording by Bobby Owsinski
The Long Lost Secret To The AC/DC Guitar Sound
When we listen back to those great early AC/DC albums like Back In Black and Highway To Hell we think of what may be the epitome of hard rock guitar sounds. While on the surface you’d look at Angus Young’s fingers on a Gibson SG into a JMP 100 Marshall amp and think that was the sound (and […]
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The 5 Ways To Become A Studio Musician
On the journey to becoming a successful studio musician, a lot of roads lead to the same place, but the way it usually works is that someone hears and likes your playing and either hires you or refers you as a result. This excerpt from my Studio Musician’s Handbook (written with studio bassist Paul ILL) outlines the […]
Continue reading- in Book Excerpt , Engineering , Gear , Hardware , Microphones , Recording by Bobby Owsinski
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Choosing the Right Microphone For The Job
While it’s safe to say that most engineers rely on experience when choosing which microphone to use in a given situation, these are some things to consciously consider when selecting a microphone. Here’s a list of items to think about from the latest edition of my Recording Engineer’s Handbook. There’s no one mic that works well on everything. […]
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The Drum Recording Checklist
Drum recording is too often left to trial and error to when getting sounds. Here’s a checklist from the 2nd edition of my Drum Recording Handbook (written with Dennis Moody) that makes sure that the basics are covered (assuming that the drums sound great acoustically) before you open up the mics. “Like the foundation of […]
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