Recording on a Budget: How to Make Great Audio Recordings Without Breaking the Bank

265 Pages·2010·5.73 MB·English

by  Brent Edstrom

Recording on a Budget
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Recording on a Budget
How to Make Great Audio Recordings
Without Breaking the Bank
Brent Edstrom
1
2011
1
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Copyright © 2011 by Oxford University Press, Inc.
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Edstrom, Brent.
Recording on a budget: how to make great audio recordings without breaking the bank / Brent Edstrom.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-19-539041-4; 978-0-19-539042-1 (pbk.)
1. Sound—Recording and reproducing—Digital techniques—Amateurs’ manuals. 2. Sound studios—Amateurs’ manuals.
I. Title.
TK7881.4.E28 2010
621.389′3—dc22 2010000169
Recorded audio examples (marked in text with ) are available online at www.oup.com/us/recordingonabudget
Access with username Music4 and password Book2497
For more information on Oxford Web Music, visit www.oxfordwebmusic.com
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
This book is dedicated to my son, Evan.
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Acknowledgments
Iam grateful to Norm Hirschy, Editor, Music Books, Oxford University Press,
for his support of this project. I also appreciate the assistance of Dr. Bruce
Frazier, Carol Grotnes Belk Endowed Chair at Western Carolina University,
and his students in testing a variety of microphones and preamps in the Center
for Applied Technology studio. Th e many audio excerpts that resulted from
that research are an invaluable addition to the book. Many students and profes-
sionals participated in recording sessions at my home studio and to these indi-
viduals I express my sincere appreciation. I am grateful to Carole Berglie, copy-
editor, and Liz Smith, Production Editor, for their excellent work in preparing
the manuscript for publication. Finally, I am indebted to my wife for her work
in photographing many of the illustrations and her assistance and support in
the preparation of this manuscript.
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Contents
About the Companion Web Site • xi
Introduction • xiii
1 Setting Up a Project Studio • 3
2 Computers and Software for Audio Recording • 30
3 Introduction to Acoustics • 48
4 Using Microphones • 68
5 Podcasting • 92
6 Using a Mixer • 105
7 Using Digital Audio Workstation Software • 121
8 Active Listening • 141
9 Recording Tracks • 153
10 Processing Signals • 166
11 Mixing and Mastering • 180
12 Do-It-Yourself Projects • 202
Conclusion • 227
Appendix 1 ORTF Template • 229
Appendix 2 Audio Evaluation Template • 230
Appendix 3 List of Online Recordings by Callout • 231
Appendix 4 List of Online Recordings by Category • 233
Notes • 239
Bibliography • 243
Index • 245