This thread is great! Very interesting information, and it's always fun hearing the evils of the inside trade exposed.
I don't really have a question, but someone was requesting help on recording his metal band's demo on a tight budget, and I thought I could chime in on that.
I do home recordings and mixings frequently, in both electronic and heavy genres. You can actually get quite far with very little equipment, as long as you trust your instincts about "what sounds good" - and, of course, spend a bit of time practicing sound mixing. Here's a few hints on how to get a somewhat respectable-sounding record on a shoestring budget:
1. Get in good with someone who has a rehearsal space - and I mean the people running it, not just the other bands using it. Best way to do that is to get actively involved and help out with running it, not just using it for your own band. The practical upshot of this is that you're more likely to get permission to use the space as a temporary recording studio, and maybe borrowing some equipment (drum mics, amps, etc.)
2. BonsaiK is right; everybody playing at the same time makes for a smoother sounding record. And if it's at all possible, do it. Unfortuantely, that's not always the case when doing it down and dirty. For one, it takes A LONG time to mic up an entire band sensibly (the drums alone are fickle bastards). And if you're using a rehearsal space where other bands practice, they're sure to come in and fuck up your whole setup - unless of course you can somehow record your entire album in one sitting.
ANOTHER THING is that if you, like me, like playing several instruments at the same time, OR plan on adding synthesizer-stuff on top (requiring the drummer to play with a click track), you might find it a lot easier to do a layered recording where everyone plays separately. In some cases, being able to re-take every single element may in fact be a boon to your finished product, especially if you - like me - don't quite have the Hammett-fingers or the Portnoy-chops to do it perfect on the first or second take.
Remember, drums
always go first! Even if you're playing with a click track. I cannot tell you how frustrating it is as a drummer to play after another instrument that's already been recorded. Click tracks are perfect; drummers - and other musicians, I don't care how talented they are - aren't! Laying down the drums first and the other instruments after will ensure that, even if your drummer is slightly off, the other instruments fall in nicely because they're playing to him, not the other way around.
3. As long as we've conceded to recording in layers, I'll dangerously venture forth with another concession (will it result in a concussion?): Don't be scared of software guitar amps. Amplitube and Guitar Rig are both great, and they enable you to record all the guitar (and bass!) stuff with your headphones on in your bedroom. There are many upshots to doing this -- most of them having to do with being able to take your sweet time and get shit done right. When you're doing heavy stuff, trust me, few people will notice the sonic difference between a real amp and a software one. Only downside: no great, squealy feedback before the first chord hits.
4. Everything BonsaiK said about guitars in separate channels, kick and snare and vocals in the middle, everyone wanting to be the low guy, etc. - that's all true. Listen to this man. So many potentially great bands fuck up their first recordings by having a weird mix.
For instance, he really isn't kidding about recording the same guitar lines twice and mixing them into the left and right channels. If you just copy-paste the same take, the two waveforms are identical, and they'll end up cancelling each other out -- which means you'll wind up with an overly loud and crappy guitar in the center channel!
If you're doing metal and you want some extra oomph to your metal bass, but you don't have the pedals for it (like me), here's a little trick: in addition to the two guitar tracks you have in the left and right channels, do a third track for the center channel. Give this one a really gritty, grungey, almost growly distortion (there's a Guitar Rig preset called "In the desert" that's perfect for this), but EQ away its low end - so it's basically just a tinny, growly guitar noise. Then add clean bass on top of that,
retaining its low end, so in the end it sounds like the bass is playing both distorted and clean - without expensive pedals or mic'ing up cabinets.
5. When you've recorded everything and are about to start mixing, bring in a friend who
hasn't been involved with the recording process! Of course, if they know how to work the music software you're using, that's a plus. But really, what you're looking for here is a pair of fresh ears. You will almost
inevitably have mixed either the drums or the vocals in
too loud, and you will most certainly have lost all objectivity about your music after hours of microscopically twiddling volume knobs. Having someone around to tap you on your shoulders and say, "I think that's loud enough," or, conversely, "What the hell is that supposed to sound like?" is a huge plus.
6. If you're in this to make it big, do yourself a favor and quit right now. Seriously. No matter how good you, your friends, or even your small but dedicated fan-base think you are - you are not going to make it big, so quit dreaming. Release your music for free and make your money playing gigs. Have a steady day job on the side - this day job is the monetary foundation on which your music dreams feed.
7. Seriously. Release your music for free. You're not going to make any money off it, anyway. Nothing sucks more than discovering a decent, unheard-of band who are so conceited that they won't let you download their songs to put on your iPod. Use a Creative Commons license if you're so worried about people stealing your stellar riffs (it's free and legally sound globally, unlike the RIAA, IFPI, KODA, or whatever).
Alternately, use a service like BandCamp.com which connects directly to your PayPal account - enabling customers to pay you DIRECTLY for your music. But only do this once you're sure people will actually pay money for your music. More than often they won't, and you'll end up looking like a dork.
So that's my two cents... I hope I didn't steal any of BonsaiK's thunder, because I certainly didn't mean to. Keep up the stellar insights!
