Music Recording Workshop PDF Print E-mail
Written by Admin   
Sunday, 01 June 2008

ImageRecording artist and rock musician, Joel William Rogers, gave an exciting introduction to Music Recording today at the YWAM Resonate workshop. In one morning our team learned the basics of sound recording with Apple's Garageband program. The people who came even mixed down a new song that they wrote and performed on the spot!

To hear the song, click "Walk To Jericho" on the music player here.

If you would like to host a workshop at your youth gathering, church or other event, please contact us.

Here below is an outline of notes from the Music Recording Workshop by YWAM Resonate:

 

Music Recording Workshop

Overview of the process of recording music:
  1. plug in the instrument or microphone into the mixer
  2. connect the mixer to the computer
    • use an Audio Interface
    • set the sound input under: Garageband > Preferences > Audio/Midi
  3. record (capture) the sound onto the computer (using Garageband or another audio program)
  4. add other samples and effects in Garageband (click and drag effects and samples onto the timeline)
  5. mix the sound tracks together in Garageband
  6. Export the song to iTunes or to the hard disk

Sections of this workshop:
  • Basic Sound (mics, mixer, cables, saturation, feedback...)
  • Sound Capture (analog to digital interface, saturation, sound levels)
  • Digital Mixing & Sequencing (Garageband, midi, effects, tempo, music keys...)

Basic Sound:
  • Microphones
    • use XLR cables (often called Mic cables)
    • don't point at speakers and create feedback
  • Instruments
    • use a Quarter-inch Jack cable (often called simply "Jack")
    • be careful of saturation (red-lighting or overdrive)
  • Mixers
    • Sound Mixers or "Sound Boards" are for mixing multiple channels to a stereo output that's sent to the speakers (or computer)
    • EQ -- equalization (controlling Bass, Mids and Trebles OR Low, Middle and High tones)
      • flat EQ means everything set to the middle -- or not adjusting the sound tone that's coming in at all
    • Aux Sends or FX sends --
    • Trim
      • Trim is the input volume control
      • use it to prevent saturation
      • use it to boost low volume signals
    • Volume or Faders -- the knobs or faders that control the loudness of the sound going out to the main mix & speakers
    • Pan -- to do "panning" OR fading the volume to the left or right side of the main stereo mix

Digital Mixing and Sequencing
  • Setting the Input and Output for your Mac computer
    • set the sound input under: Garageband > Preferences > Audio/Midi
    • watch out for saturation (too loud volume coming into the computer from the sound you are capturing)
  • Time Signature
    • most modern music is in 4/4 time (with four beats per measure)
    • rarely you'll hear things in 3/4 time (swing jazz, some country, ballads...)
    • 4/4 and to lesser degree 3/4 correspond to the natural rhythm of your your heartbeat
  • Beats Per Minute (BPM)
    • this is the tempo (or the speed of the song)
  • Music Key (A flat, B minor, F sharp, etc...)
    • Minor keys are spooky
    • Major keys are happy
    • Flat means the key is a half step lower
    • Sharp means the key is a half step higher
  • Adding Tracks to Garageband
    • midi or "Virtual" tracks
      • these are digitally sound signals
      • they can be changed by clicking on them and moving the notes (represented by the rectangles or boxes)
    • real tracks (normal audio captured with a mic or instrument cable)
  • Adding Sound Samples
    • click the button that looks like an eye
    • click on the category of sound you want (drums, bass, piano, etc...)
    • to hear the Sound Samples, click on one of the Samples that appear on the right side
    • when you find one you like, click and drag it into the grey space above (to create a new track and place that sample on the new track)
  • Midi
    • if you connect a Midi instrument (like a synthesizer or electronic), you can capture the notes and give them many kinds of sound
    • Midi cables connect to a computer with a USB midi interface or "midi hub"
    • midi notes can be moved around on the virtual track -- the key and tempo can be adjusted after recording
  • Recording "Real" instruments or vocals
    • add a Real instrument track
    • set your volume input with the Trim (on the mixer and in the software)
    • click the red button on the left of the track to "arm" the track for recording
    • click the red Record button on lower left side of Garageband
    • you should see a sound wave that represents the sound signal being recorded
      • if there's no sound wave--the sound's not coming in
      • if the sound wave is being cut off on the top, the sound's too loud (it's saturating)
  • Adding Effects
    • you can add effects to sound tracks in Garageband to change the way they sound
    • to add effects, click on the instrument on the left of the track to open the bank of different effects
    • there are different effects for virtual tracks and real tracks
    • click on the type of instrument you are using or recording and then pick the type of effect you want from that category of instruments
    • common effects include: compression (squishing the sound), gate, drum, reverb, 
    • you can get detailed control of the effect by selecting the "Details" button on the bottom right of the effect selection bank
  • Export the song from the "Share" tab on the top of the Garageband screen

 

 
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Resonate Music Recording Workshop

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