3 Home Recording Mistakes People Make (And How To Avoid Them) - TheRecordingRevolution.com

[@TanaChiarantano]

Biggest mistake: Not taking enough breaks when recording/mixing. Listening everything the next day and realizing it sounds like sh!t.

[@blankspace0000]

This is one he should have included, cause its a huge problem for alot of people

[@QuabmasM]

+TanaChiarantano If you convert your mixes to mp3 every so often and go back and listen to the early mixes once you are near completion, 9/10 times you will hear something simplistic yet genius in the balance of what you once deemed crap. Having that reference is like having a co-mixer with similar taste give their critique and you agree on some points you had not noticed. Ive been lost in some mixes as I presume them pretty much done only to hear my early mix and have an "aha!" moment where I can hear exactly what Im missing to complete the song. Never doubt the power of your crap mix....even healthy organs look like mutilated guts....its all perspective and insight....balance of 1feeling vs 2thinking on what you are physically 3hearing.

[@flyingeagle3547]

+TanaChiarantano This is a real issue in the creative world in general.

[@flyingeagle3547]

***** Exactly. I also find it to be the same case if I am making 3D assets or animations. If I do them in one long session I will think they look great or at least sufficient. Then when I look at it the next day I realise it's absolute utter crap.

[@antiHUMANDesigns]

+TanaChiarantano Heheh, yeah... definitely. You'll very easily get your treble fucked up that way. I'm guilty of this error, and I never seem to learn.

[@LakshayKukreja11]

The biggest mistake I used to make was, I used to be too dependent on editing. Thus, not recording the parts accurately! Then I saw some of your videos and got to know that 'your mix can be only as good as your raw intakes'. Thanks for the amazing videos! So thankful! :)

[@RockyPeterA]

Mistake number (1.) Recording too loud (2.) Microphone Placement (3.) Arrangement

[@TonyHookedonVanlife]

knowing when to walk away - we can drive ourselves nuts going over things again and again until we're overwhelmed, annoyed & so "in deep" we lose sight of the goal, or develop a skewed sense of how the song is perceived by an impartial listener. WE will hear every mistake, even when it's imperceptible to someone else, because it came from us, from our imaginations, our 'souls', if you will... our music is part of us, which is why music is such a universal language(and NOT just some 'product' to be pumped out like laundry soap). NO SONG will *ever* be perfect, so we have to learn when to say "it's done" and move on.

[@droz65]

I'm quite sure I can speak for so many others, but I want to speak for myself that I must say that your videos are absolutely quite informative and helpful to a magnitude that you may not be aware of, and we all greatly appreciate you. With that being said, I can agree on this topic because one of my major mistakes during my home recordings, which are a lot recordings of backgrounds for other producers, a mistake I I'd been making due to for after so long recording in the analog world, not knowing how much it affected the digital recording world and which I'd learned from my mentor's advice, is peeking, if you will, recording TOO HOT, within the consideration of being in the YELLOW or NEAR the RED. That and microphone placement. Not just distance from the microphone, but, NOW, I've learned from YOU that these condenser microphones assist with NOT recording anything behind the microphone, so, NOW, I can make a placement even MORE conducive to getting even BETTER vocal recordings. Thank YOU, Brother!!!! 💯

[@StasisMikey]

It's good not to over think a track too, you could end up with a mess . I've spent way too much time in the past trying to push something too hard when adding things . You need to develop a balance and know when to leave something at some point . My overall mistake was never being happy with something I wrote , I had to learn to trust my ability and understand that my own criticism of myself was rarely shared by those listening .

[@AndysBrainblog]

Biggest mistake: not getting the right take. Not getting the absolutely 110% expressively appropriate accentuation out of each instrument or part. Getting mediocre takes and calling it good enough.

[@richardsteffens6159]

I mean this with the utmost respect, you give the best basic advice that is often overlooked. There are people out there with great technical advice (and you're among them) but you just point out the essentials for the bedroom artist and we thank you. Cheers!

[@theamazingchannel470]

You know, outside noise sometimes adds an extra umfff that actually sounds good. So next time a 747 flies overhead, don't pause. It just might give verse two some kind of unidentifiable background crescendo that distinguishes it from verse 1 and makes it more interesting.

[@FarhanRahman1]

The first advice to not record too hot is a golden one! You have no idea how much it helped me. Thanks!

[@darthregor]

My biggest mistake has been not tuning the guitar properly. I had been recording one day and after that, starting the mixing phase I was hearing to the mix thinking "what's wrong?" then I realised the mistake and had to trash the whole session. Now I tune every single time I'm going to record a guitar. Yikes!

[@stanislavvoborny2816]

I've done that before. Such a shame. Lessons learned.

[@gabejohnston1556]

It's a good idea to have the player check tuning between EACH TAKE. Literally. Just punching in a little spot? Nope, check tuning first. I personally insist on it, always.

[@NullStaticVoid]

I used to open for this band that was always doing better than us. No matter how hard we tried they always clicked with the audience and sounded much bigger. Then I noticed. They tuned all their guitars after every single song. Even if it took 5 minutes. So they were always dialed in, and the unison parts sounded gigantic.

[@MarkusSalvadorWinter]

Did they have a great show? As an audience member I would be pissed if the whole band would tune for 5 min. no matter the great sound afterwards...

[@elliotjohnson1258]

A mistake I make a lot is I listen back to the track a gazillion times making insignificant edits, which essentially wastes time. I try to counter this by getting away from my computer and writing down a list of what I think the track needs, then I go back and do the work.

[@soulchorea]

People just hate to be told they're doing something wrong; these videos usually go over like a lead balloon and elicit all kinds of angry comments...but I'm glad he does them anyway

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Thanks Graham. I went from recording way too hot to going too far the other way and barely being able to see my waveforms. Close to a happy medium now thanks to advice from advice like this.

[@t0ddbr0wn731]

Hello, I am the poster boy of beginning home studio recorder. IM still working on my first song or the tracks for my first song. These tips make so much sense to me that I will have to watch all your bids and soak up some knowledge. Thanks for the time and effort and key it up. Paddy

[@lachlanhiggs]

It’s so nice to listen to someone who knows what they’re talking about. Thanks so much for creating these videos in the genuine and relevant way you do.

[@TaylorKellerTK]

This dude deserves an award. I've been recording for a few years now and if I ever run across a problem I always come here first. Thanks Bro!

[@Joanmaofficial]

Mistake: Not to stop for a moment and think about "how is the sound I want for this song.. hot? warm? middle? wich album is a reference? how do I set the EQ to get that sound in the recording sessions?" I think that's so freaking important... Graham.. thank you for this videos, I really love to learn from you... thank you!!

[@GOLOWSOUND]

you sang in the back of the microphone? Haha! Well, same thing here.. You are amazing! I use KZbin for many years of my young age, but this is by now the best channel! Greetings from Germany

[@alexanders562]

I was taught by the old school masters, on tape, and yes, I record way too hot for digital. Still. This is a great reminder to not worry that I am missing that sweet spot. I have made poor recordings that needed lots of work later because of tracking too hot for digital. Especially vocals. I am glad to admit that and move forward now. Thanks Graham.

[@dobiedoo8174]

One of my biggest mistakes is, buying plug ins vocals and not learning first the basics and stocked plug ins in DAW. "Learn the Basics" first.

[@donut_lyfe]

100%

[@benjaminshinobi]

Just wanted to say tip 3 while valuable is mostly a songwriting tip not recording advice. It looks like a few people have said things like this, but I think it's an important distinction to make because for the home studio-ist, the writing/mixing/recording/etc phases are generally intermixed. You do seem to acknowledge it, but the idea that a "maintaining the listener's interest" and "a good recording" are mutually inclusive, is a littttttttttle bit specious. In the words of Lauryn Hill "not everybody's tryina chart" Anyway, really enjoy your channel!

[@JASONBRAIDWOOD]

Great video! Common mistakes I have come across, guitarists/bassists not using fresh strings, people not practicing enough before recording, people not knowing how to use there amps and pedals properly etc before recording.

[@rickster58]

I have over 40 years in live sound engineering. As a recording engineer however, I am a noob! This was very informative. It's a mistake to think that the skills are the same, they are similar and have some overlap, but there are some distinctly different techniques and skills required when recording.

[@daleflurey3411]

One of the most informative videos to date. You ROCK!!! Such a simple but totally effective description of our 3 biggest problems in home recording.

[@benpossehl]

I've been guilty of recording things too loud.. But an even bigger mistake I've made is going to quickly. Sometimes I don't stop to think about what I'm doing and if it will hurt or help my mix/recording. Thank you Graham for all that you do, great video as always. : )

[@MartialMind]

I'm at a very difficult place right now when it comes to music and the simple truth is that I am no longer having fun. Why? NOISE!. I simple don't know how to deal with it and I am desperate. Any help at all from anyone right now will be appreciated. I have a decent recording booth in my closet. It's as sound proof as it could get but it has absolutely zero effect on how much noise still bleeds through. My room is not loud either. Please tell me what I need to improve... Anyone. All I wanna do is record good clean vocals. I just recently got a Shure Pg42 which is a decent sounding mic for vocals but everytime I record, there's this loud windy noise in the background plus a high pitched electronic sounding hiss. I don't have an external sound card... Do I need one? Does it help eliminate noise? Where's this noise coming from? It's definitely not my room because even when I am in my closet the noise doesn't go down even a little. Not even a tiny bit. It's still thesame exact loud disgusting wind and hiss sound. Is it my computer fan? How do I reduce that? Does the mic has its own noise? How do I reduce that? Will getting an external sound card help? What will help? Also I make my instrumentals and record using FL Studio... Is there a plug in that let's me reduce noise while recording? I'm not talking about while mixing... No while actually recording. Any help and advice will be appreciated right now. Thanks.

[@runutsutube]

+Martial Mind it's hard to give you advice without being in the room with you. However I'd check two things before buying an external interface : first the electric installation in your house (is it grounded, is it stable, is it well insulated, do you plug everything into one giant low grade multi-socket bar or have everything plugged into different rooms which aren't on the same fuse...) and then the audio cables you use (the cheap one are often sensitive to magnetic fields, and the longer they are the more noise they get). Try taking your computer and your mic to another place (a hotel, a recently built house), hook them up with a short, good quality audio cable and record. If you still have lots of noise, then it most definitely comes from your integrated sound interface.

[@Spacepixel1]

+Martial Mind It sounds like some sort of electronic noise from your computer. I'd have to hear it to be sure, so if you want to send me a sample of the noise, I could help you identify what might be the cause. If nothing else, I do have very good noise removal tools, and I wouldn't mind helping you out that way too!

[@StephenTack]

+Martial Mind YES you need an "external sound card" (actually called an audio interface.) Unless perhaps your PG42 is the USB version. In which case either your mic is defective, or the USB port into which you are plugging it is not giving it good clean power.

[@MartialMind]

+Spacepixel I am 100% down with sending you a sample of the noise. Can i have your email address or something?

[@StephenTack]

Spacepixel​ Martial Mind​. Hope you get it sorted. Just remember, whenever possible: "fix it at the source"

[@gsargen1]

Excellent video Graham! The biggest mistake I find myself making is not referencing other mixes often enough

[@YannickROGER]

Mistake we made last time while recording, was regarding "earth loop". It took us two hours to troubleshoot and find where the hum was coming from. We ended up pluging all of the gear on the same electricity plug as a workaround. I don't know if you ever talked about it, it's rather boring, but it is an issue quite easy to run into.

[@aidanwalker6700]

forgetting to turn the mic on

[@TheSkervich]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/f17UZpKLmt-djtE

[@ameyababhulgaonkar615]

😂😂

[@bigdaddycringe3659]

SO helpful! I'm finally getting my music from a fun mess to an enjoyable art and you have made this a much more enjoyable endeavor in 10 minutes, thanks a million times

[@FrancySpeaks]

Mistakes I've made: 1. Allowing the click to bleed while tracking acoustic or even vocals. 2. Recording acoustic and/or keys before bass, and having to redo them 3. Not trying a 2nd mic position (you've helped me on that one) 4. Not using a reference for getting sounds. Even with my terrible monitors, I can play a mastered reference and get in the ballpark. (You've taught this for mixing; do you think it applies for recording?)

[@jasonsilverman4298]

what a smart guy - and he records his own speaking voice very well - unlike many who give advice about recording over their buzz clicks pops hums etc. etc. etc. keep up the good work

[@TheBest-ut4vw]

Like a dentist with bad breath

[@AcelatinobeatsTV]

Great video, and yes, as a producer and engineer a lot of the stuff that is sent my way usually has these mistakes in them, and I know I make them myself from time to time, so a really great video! My top mistake when recording (I mostly record others than myself) is that I allow myself to be lazy with the boundaries, usually resulting in a longer session than planned because of more takes, more "lets try this", and stuff like that

[@sumnermario]

This videos really help me. When recording there are so many things that could go wrong. I think the first one is the most common and I have done it myself several times just because I want something to sound {bigger}. keep on posting videos. This is like going to school only with topics I like! THANKS..

[@prodigalus]

this is a very informative video, and i love it... but my favorite part is the part about the "sweetening phase." I'm so glad you spoke on that, because i am one who sits in a chair for HOURS making the slightest changes that add up in the overall work. it's so important for people to know that it's not done. in fact, it's usually far from done.

[@nicholassemeraro8535]

Thank you for all of your hard work. Because of you I know LISTEN to music, analyzing how it is mixed, shifting the balance to compare the difference. I was self taught, and I would have never grown the way I have without your advice. Great job, keep up the good work and God bless!

[@Consolous]

I record with an SM57, does it have cardioid?

[@cmdr-reflipd]

I've made plenty but I also learned from them. But I see people making vocal booths out of tiny closets and I tried that before I knew better. I'm designing a home studio now and I'm making the whole room sound proof and using plexiglass to shield certain spots of unwanted noise. the plexiglass is 3/4 of and inch thick and 2 feet by 2 feet, and so far it's working good.

[@shotbywyn]

pure synchronicity - thanks, man.

[@fluencyjournalbyfrancyspea5286]

+Oak Gotta love that synchronicity

[@shotbywyn]

+FrancySpeaks that's real shit my dude

[@iamsleepy]

Tip #2 is wonderful. I learned that one the hard way, lol. Something that really helped me, even without a good mic, was recording in my closet. It's such a simple thing to pass up, but it can really help your recordings, if you don't have a room that's designed for it.

I made those ! One I made too is always looking for a "better" and more expensive installation, as an excuse for "it doesn't sound like I want"', instead of working with what I already had and progress. Most of the times, it's a loss of time and money. Thanks for the video !

[@CowlineRory]

Awesome as always Graham! Definitely made all three mistakes in the past and still learning. I think someone mentioned it below, but it is good to walk away for an hour and come back with fresh ears during the sweetening stage, or else you risk over listening and often accepting not-so-good tracks. Also I like to switch between listening via my headphones and listening over the monitors; it just gives you a different take, especially getting vocals to sit in the right place. Thanks Graham and please keep up these informative videos!

[@Pfinston]

Great common sense approach to a difficult thing to do well - record your own music. In hearing my earlier recordings, a big mistake was not being more consistent "staying with the the groove." At the time, I barely noticed this , but the lapse sounds glaring to me now. Very helpful. Thanks.

[@malcolmstar8036]

Thank you. You have given me confidence. Not because I don't make mistakes, I make all the ones you mention and hundreds more. The confidence comes from being able to understand what you say.I am always having to start over because of all the mistakes I make but I believe now that it is possible that I can learn to do better. Will be taking a look at your other tutorials. All the best.

[@whitestudiobg387]

Great suggestions for beginners. When I started out (mid'90.) , nobody knew this things.I had to learn from the mistakes that I was made.

[@caretaker9]

Huge. Nice tips. Especially that last one! Keeping in mind that those subtleties are what will bring the song to life... Mine? I would say, the "we'll fix it in the mix" mentality. Always get the best possible signal/track going in, so you aren't trying to carve out a decent sound on an EQ. Mic placement, levels... Then the mix is just a fine tuning of great tracks... Thanks for your work. Great videos you are sharing!

[@MatthewParsonsDrumsAndAudio]

These are all great points to reiterate. I've been guilty of number 2 so often, but lately been trying to get the back of mic to block out unwanted noise. For my recordings in a basement with a bunch of stuff in there like laundry, shower, all heating and some of the water, it sounds pretty good.

[@derekhooversound]

By "sweetspot" he is essentially talking about the compression that happens when an analog signal causes the tape to become over-saturated. This is essentially eliminated when talking about the digital realm. Yikies... Great video!

[@e3-po405]

I'm fixing number two on the very next recording I make. Haven't ever thought about it. Good piece of advice!

[@RaheemD]

Oh wow number 2 I think I've been doing wrong. I used to sing facing my open wardrobe (its not really a wardrobe it's a pole from wall to wall) which has a bunch of clothes on it. I thought singing facing that would help dampen the sound and reduce echo . Behind me was my window about 15 feet away. Does this mean I need to sing the other way around? I don't really get much noise from my mic besides a little headphone leak every now and then.

[@AlbertoDati]

+Raheem D Yeah, the other way around!

[@coreyreynolds3585]

+Raheem D Experiment! I've just recently gotten into doing "tests", trying different positions and documenting what sounds better and why. Face the mice one way and go into the room and make a noise that can accurately be repeated (maybe the intro of a song on a boom-box or iPhone) then turn the mic around and do it again. Then compare the two track side by side and see which one was quieter. If I had to make an educated guess though, I think you're suspicion is right, that you were doing it backwards.

[@TheLKStar]

+Raheem D No, pretty sure this is a bullshit way of thinking. If you are singing into the place that will absorb the sound, your room wont be reflecting your voice to the microphone from all directions.

[@RaheemD]

Corey Reynolds I'll have to experiment then! haha cheers.

[@RaheemD]

TheLKStar See that's what my original theory was which is why number 2 shocked me.

[@jrodmusic6718]

I just bought a Tasca 2488 digital Porta studio 2 days ago. I'm about to start messing up and learning today. Ha ha, you've saved me a month of JACK UPS by watching your turorials. thanks again for taking time to "SPLAIN" as we say in Tuscaloosa. Ha ha!!

[@edgarfigueroa5511]

Mistake one is probably the most common. I sure have recorded very hot tracks and ended up turning down the faders due to clipping on the master fader. Thanks a lot for the vid.

[@monacoGTR]

Thank you. The input level hotness is a real good thing to point out. I know that's happened to me more than once.

[@biggareid]

Hey Graham I would love for you to do a Digital vs. Analogue recording shootout comparison.

[@henryturner7934]

Thank you so much. I've never had explained to me the difference between analog and digital recording.

[@panruolun]

Just realized I've been recording toward the BACK of my microphone ever since.....for like 1 year I never noticed there are front and back sides of the mic... Anw thank you very much for making this video and let me know my mistake.

[@ganymedestudios622]

Basically everything I "learned" at school was the wrong information, not only for home studios but studios in general. My teacher ALWAYS told us to record "hot" and have plenty of gain, even when he didn't mention recording to tape to us until the last semester. Definitely an eye opener.

[@jeffrjensen]

I laughed out loud when you said that you sang into the back of the mic:) Been there, done that:) The funny thing is, once it happened on an acoustic guitar track and it actually worked and sounded great in the mix! Great stuff man!

[@stillnessinmovement]

good tips, thanks! getting my home studio going, will use these techniques...

[@aaronmarshall]

Incorrect on a detail in #1, Analog vs Digital: there's such a thing as recording too hot onto tape as well. It just sounds way worse digitally. The reason for recording hot onto 1/4" tape; yes it does saturate nicely if you like that sort of effect (but not too hot, it will distort and sound horrible too) You actually have a ton more dynamic range digitally when dealing with 24 bit than on tape. You're correct with your overall critique of not recording too hot. Another reason you hear that advice is because back in the 16 bit workflow days (like say when student films on a computer dealt with audio) the myth popped up because you had a lot less dynamic range. Unfortunately it's carried over to today. Good advice, I just wanted to make a note about analog vs digital. Analog takes careful discipline too. You're better off in both realms if you're not recording too hot. It's good overall advice. In my opinion recording hot, even healthy hot, onto tape should be viewed as an effect not a recording practice.

[@movieklump]

Mistake 1 - Singing Mistake 2 - Playing guitar Mistake 3 - Recording the above.

[@coreyreynolds3585]

Recently I had two separate clients that needed to record some voice overs. The first was for the intro and outro of a radio broadcast. The second for narration over a video presentation. The first instance I hung a blanket from the ceiling in a crescent shape to muffle room noise. I was still having more room sound than I was expecting: I kept messing with the gain and output, until it was bearable. A week later I do the second project and realize "Hmmm.... Did I check the pickup pattern on the first session?" I use an AKG C414. I go and look and "Nope!" It was set to figure 8! What a easy novice mistake! Least to say, the second session was much cleaner. Although every time I put together a new radio broadcast with those Intro/outro tracks I cringe, and think "Yeah, we need to re-do that".

[@SavaMakesMusic]

thanks again for a great video, Graham! my biggest mistake was a wrong speaker placement. I have some of mistakes now, even if I don't know about them :D

[@estudiovesuvio6835]

Great tips! I think the most important thing is: keep recording, keep mixing, keep making music!

[@cadbeatz7189]

I used to boost to much things in the EQ when i started mixing, and when recording i even still sometimes record too loud

[@DarrelKidd]

Thank goodness I started watching this cause I learned a lot of what mistakes I'm making. Thanks man

[@ChristopherSauterJELLi]

Recording drums for my song "shadow factory" I mistakingly had one of the overhead mics pointed at the ceiling instead of the drums!! While mixing I duplicated that track and hi passed it and boosted the treble to try and restore the treble that was lost.. It actually worked pretty well, you'd never know when listening to the song

[@digital_cratez9116]

The loudness issue is often in association with incorrect use of compression. Many people these days (esp. in the more digitally oriented styles) want a fat, loud sound. Sure, it sounds really loud and doesn't necessarily clip if you throw on a bunch of compression with insanely high ratios. But you lose a lot of sound quality that way and the difference is very noticeable. Very often when I hear a signal which is too hot I also detect overuse of compression.

[@cjpmugsr999]

and I have to agree with the person below stating that they don't take enough breaks. When other factors involve themselves in your life, and you need to find time to work, one tends to pressure oneself to 'GET IT DONE' which can make you obsessed and tired very quickly. There have been days where I have taken vacation and spent from 7AM to 4 PM in my studio with no food, drink or break.

[@NormanZealandMalana]

Always good stuff from you, Graham! You think maybe getting a fill light for your background might help the quality of your videos? I think so. I tend to squint to adjust to the gloomy background every time I watch one of your videos. Also, I think your main light needs replacing too. You'll find that if you light the shot properly, you'll get more dynamic range, granting you more freedom at post, without hurting quality, and without needing to bump the contrast to compensate for the lack of light, which I think is why the skin tone on your videos are always a bit off. I think it''ll dramatically up the quality of your videos and give them a more "easy-on-the-eyes", refreshing feel. You can only do so much at post. Just friendly advice. Cheers!

[@ShagManilla]

#4...Saying: "I'll fix that later when we mix it"

[@stormshadow2k]

Wow, thath light in your iris!! Thanks for all your help, Graham! You are my hero!

[@BrizzleRocker]

Great advice - can we have some real world examples though please? My signals look conservative but still clip the output master! Can you expand on this please with actual screen shots?

[@jcalla28]

This guy knows what he's talking about. Great advice as always!

[@ConnorIngramDrums]

Question! Anyone? So I get the keeping tracks low, but does that apply to the master track as well?? I can keep my tracks around -5/-6db but my master will be at like -3 or -2db. Is this a problem or can the master be around -2/-3 without affecting my converters??

[@shadowmassproductions4485]

Great tip on the back of the mic. will be recording vocals soon so I shall give that a whirl :)

[@Markinhorv]

mine is mistake number one. by the way all your videos really are helping me to become better every day. thanks a lot Graham

[@AJ_Nicholas]

Graham! @recordingrevolution Great info! Serious question: when I'm recording, I'll sometimes notice the wave forms seem to spread very high and low (like they're "bleeding" off the track during the live recording) so I'd assume it's clipping during my live recording, but then after I click STOP and the program instantly computes the waves, they settle down and don't appear to clip as much or at all. If you were me, would you re-record such a track, or just listen carefully with the volume up high to see if I catch any hot "digital distortion" spots?

[@MatsDagerlind]

I think more focus could have been spent on problem two, i.e. the less than perfect recording environment, not just pointing out the problem, but also giving more specific advice. Just pointing the cardioid mic's back in another direction will most often not suffice. Tricks like bringing in a lot of ad hoc dampening stuff from the other rooms in your home to make the acoustic environment less awful will only get you so far. My two best tips are: 1) buy a shockmount for your mic. Personally I bought a NT1A kit from Rode where a shockmount (and a popshield) is included, and 2) buy a mic stand mountable reflection screen. That will make a HUGE difference and almost get you as far as recording in a vocal booth or similar. It won't solve the problem with your computer fan or noisy kids playing in the other room but it will fix 90% of your bad acoustics, and that's essential. If you're new to recording, you may not realize that the reason for getting such a bad vocal or acoustic guitar sound is bad acoustics. You may think it's the mic, the preamp, your incompetence or whatever. It's not. It's your recording environment (provided you've solved problem 1 in the video above, i.e. not clipping your signal). So get these two not very expensive items (if you don't alreday have them) and you will improve your recordings so much you won't believe it till you hear it.

[@paulrenevos]

You nailed it! Exactly the stuff I was struggling with and couldn't put my finger on, thanks!

[@Fezzent]

great advice on the sweetening phase!

[@Liminalboi]

my biggest mistake is rushing a song. me and my good pal recorded a song and he was super excited we finished it in about 6 hours. a few weeks went by and we hated how it turned out. after the excitement wore off it was our biggest disappointment in a song we've collaborated with. but that was the last time I did that because he was too excited and was impatient to share it through Facebook. we almost did it again but I told him "no let me take a few days or a week to listen to it and mix it well" and he was like. "no... post it now..." but after a week I finished it and he loved it so Yea. rushing is bad. idk if you have experienced that Graham but I'd like to know if you have ever rushed a song and what happened.

[@QuabmasM]

Ive gone years not understanding balanced cables and unbalanced cables w/o problems(apart from using a ghetto rig formula to connect my preamp to my computer's line in) but now that I finally found issues hard to correct, I learned how easily I could have fixed my cable issue. Unfortunately, my current issue is still plaguing me...its this grainy, buzzy, crunchy sound I hear in what I believe is the highs. It sabotages my whole record and I have to do way too much work to mix it out(work that leaves the end result sounding decent but not as good as a clean dry recording mixed correctly). Ive bought new cables, new sound card, and spent hours troubleshooting the issue. My conclusion is that my cheap audio buddy mic preamp has went bad and now "colors" my recordings with this crappy high end. I had the same exact equipment for years and never had this problem until about a year ago so now Im finally being forced to buy a usb interface(and return the sound card and new cables I just bought to troubleshoot the issue). Im on a poor man's budget so I think I might sell the preamp on Craigslist for dirt once I confirm my solution...i wont trick anyone though, ill let them know what theyre getting.

[@AcousticEclectic1]

SAGE ADVICE you're giving! I've only seen a couple of your vids so far, and I agree with all you're saying. Some of the mistakes I encounter in recording are: Overkill, or too many layers of sound when less will work. "Less Is More" is one of my philosophies in recording. In that same vein, too much "Additive EQing" should be avoided; I think a lot of folks just start pushing EQ (and effects), and you end up with an over-saturated mix. I prefer attempting "Subtractive EQing" whenever possible, to achieve an airy, spacious effect in the mix. That's all I have (for now)... Thanks for the very inspiring and useful videos!

[@josejcastaneda5826]

I just wanted to record a couple of songs of me as beginner acoustic guitar player. That is to see my progress down the line. I have only recorded me once using my phone. You the reason I have been so afraid of recording me. I bumped into your channel and is a totally new world. First of all the idea of having a home studio for only $300-$350 was a gold rush discovery. The technology and software was mesmerizing to me. I have been watching your videos and I keep getting dragged into finding more about it. I am at the point that I feel this is over my head and to much for me. But, I am hooked and want to try it out and experiment with it. I didn't know what an audio interface was. But, I am buying my first one soon. I am thinking Scarlett 6i6 or UR44. Any advice?

[@Just-Michael]

I only record a couple things with a microphone at the moment like vocals and acoustic guitar, so those are the only things I record hot just to reduce background noise. Everything else is either direct or midi so they don't need it. I've learned a lot from the videos and they change my recordings dramatically. Just last year I released a couple EP's that sounded like poo and the stuff I'm working on now is miles ahead. I'll be sure to show you something I'm working on once it's finished because it's a result of a bunch of tips from you.

[@ulrichmeister1806]

Hi, I have a question about the mistake number one: I record from analog drummachines and analog synths. Does the advice number one to not record too loud also apply for recording from these devices?

[@johnmchakeres]

One of the biggest mistakes I have made is "over effecting" as I call it. Whether it is compression, EQ, or Reverb/delay, I have added them in great gains in my recordings, and it has ruined the sound design. Check it.... I have an amp modeler that has pre EQ into my DAW. Once I record the track, I used to put EQ in the track in the DAW. This doubled the EQ making it sound really muddy and confusing to keep track of, no pun intended. So... I have a bunch of tracks in the DAW, and when I do the post processing I don't take into account the pre modeler that has the EQ. It is like... adding numbers on top of numbers and ends up just being really confusing if I don't pay attention. I learned to make things easier by having only one EQ/Reverb/Delay or w/e on one track at one time. This works against you with Reverb as well....and compression, because in the end you might have a decent sounding guitar track but the master is going to increase the compression on that track when you are finishing up. Don't be like me, don't over effect. Get the cleanest signal you can, and either add the effects pre production, or post, but never do add them in both at the same time. Make it easier on yourself. ^_^

[@kokopellirecordz]

Not backing up my data or audio. I had entire LP recorded until my PC crashed and lost all that hard word.

[@kokopellirecordz]

Work*

[@Drockninja75]

Ouch !

[@misterbuttersworth9904]

William Franklin there is software that could restore and find files after PC crash; happened to me and I was able to find files

[@ganeshramnath3338]

awwww

[@stebanarias]

I think, when you record tracks to loud, without clipping, the mic's capsule has a better response and you can get a better sound... What do you think?

[@cjpmugsr999]

To avoid your first point, I have the drummer hit the particular drum extremely hard which gives me my loudest transient, then I back off the gain where that comes in just below the threshold. The rest seems to work it's way out because I can bump the signals up where I'd like them. Works MOST of the time. Second point in my studio, doesn't typically matter. The room is about as dead as I can make it and there are very few reflections except around the drum kit where I've left the concrete block walls bare. Biggest issue is the large duct that goes down the length of it which can vibrate... it's an A I think... but the mics on the drums beneath it are aimed right where the stick will hit the head and the overheads are aimed directly at each side of the kit. Third, and actually my issue is in reverse... I hear TOO MUCH in my tracks and try to cram it all in there, even for a momentary bit. This tends to crowd the mix (my wife complains horribly about it) and I have to sacrifice certain things for others that seem more poignent in the track. Thanks Graham!!

[@yolhanson]

Regarding the sweetening phase, I would argue that you should do your arranging before even one mic is placed. Write, rewrite, arrange, rehearse, record. After you've recorded every track is not the time to be asking questions about the fundamentals of the song itself. Just my opinion.

[@BMRStudio]

Left the monitoring on the secondary bus channel with 6dB less fader and do a mastering with that :)

[@ashjem]

Great video man, thanks for the tips! how can I get even better sound quality in my recording space without buying soundproofing?

[@PhuahYeeKeat]

I have a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and they recommend almost peaking the input! I always thought that the reasoning is to get more dynamic range in the digital world. Say if we are using 16bits, and we only sing from 0-50%, then we will be as if we are using only 8 bits?

[@jamccoy101]

Great tips to always keep in mind. Thanks as always, Graham.

[@pooneyheat]

Great advise especially about recording too hot!

[@TicodeMoraes]

Awesome and very instructive video! Thanks a lot!

[@theelements6302]

Thanks RecordingRevolution for these important tips. Very helpful information. Rock On!