Sep 15, 2010
As a home recording enthusiast for the past 15 years I have ran into every problem imaginable. There were times that I lost entire songs from bogged down equipment. Luckily I received many solutions from others who record at home. To avoid similar problems keep the following tips in mind.
The computer is the heart of the music recording studio. Computers must meet certain requirements to run recording software. Without the right computer your recording experience will be hampered by glitches, freezing, and audio drop-outs.
1.) The CPU determines a computer’s ability to process a large number of tasks. 1.5 to 2.0 GHz of processor speed is needed.
2.) Recording software requires 1G to 2G of RAM. The more effects you use on your tracks the more RAM required. Adding RAM is cheap. Get as much as you can afford.
3.) Use a hard drive with a buffer size of 2MB to 8MB. When a hard drive fills up recording software runs slower. Use an external hard drive for saving audio files.
5.) Recording requires that a hard drive have a seek time of 9 milliseconds or less. A computer with longer seek time will bog down your recording when it searches for files.
4.) The sound card is essential for quality recording. Recordings will sound poor with a low end sound card. Another problem is overuse. This occurs when the sound card performs several tasks. Use a separate sound card solely for recording.
5.) Never use the computer’s microphone input for recording audio. This input produces large amounts of background noise.
5.) USB ports are the best way to input sound to your computer. They prevent audio loss and background noise. They also connect external devices to your recording software. This will greatly expand its functions. When it comes to USB ports more is better.
6.) Some programs do not work well with USB connections. If you are experincing problems use a Firewire instead.
7.) Dust the computer fan often. Processing audio causes the computer to create heat. Overheating can make the computer to shut down during recording.
After your computer is up to par you can take further steps to avoid problems during the recording process. Most solutions can be found within the software itself. When these tips are used recording will be even less problematic.
8.) Most recording software allows the user to “freeze” a track. In most programs all it takes is a left click with your mouse. Taking this action will greatly free up the demand on your CPU.
9.) Every effect you put on a track has the potential to slow your computer down. For example, instead of applying a flanger to 3 separate guitar tracks use busses to group these tracks together. This will allow you to apply one effect to several tracks at once.
10.) Clear the software’s audio folder every few days. This will keep all hidden unused files from taking up storage space
11.) Get topple track. You thank yourself.
