Information on Home Recording

by Gabriel Hasselbach

Gabriel Hasselbach is a very successful performer and producer in Vancouver, BC. Gabriel is our original endorsing artist and has his own signature line of Gabriel mouthpieces designed specifically for him. Along with an extensive list of performing and producing accomplishments Gabriel has acquired a great deal of expertise on how to record the trumpet. Gabriel has kindly agreed to share his knowledge, especially as it applies to recording in a small or home studio on a budget, here on the Wedge website. This the first of a number of regular installments on the subject from Gabriel describing why recording your own playing is a useful exercise.

Hi, my name is Gabriel.

This tome comes from my laptop here in Beijing where I am performing at the Olympics with my band, debuting material from my latest CD 'Cool Down'.

I am a Wedge Mouthpiece convert ... it has really made playing fun and easy again .... and at the suggestion of Doc Harrison, I am starting an ongoing series of columns on Home Recording. I somehow ended up being the go-to guy in Vancouver for home studio recording (especially for the trumpet) and he tells me that the topic of recording, loaded with questions, always seems to come up in conversation. So, I guess I got drafted!

1. Why should I record myself?

This is the fundamental question, isn't it? From a purely educational point of view, recording one's practice (and performance) is almost a necessity. We never know how we really sound (technically more than sonically) unless we scrutinize our playing after the fact. Timing and intonation issues become so much more apparent, and stumbling blocks are easier to identify and dissect. The biggest issue is often 'non-notes' - those notes that don't ring fully - which undermine any style of performance. They go by so quickly and we are usually in such denial about them, that only playback reveals the truth. Recording both practice and performances is a critical tool for any trumpeter.

From an artistic point of view, recording one's self is the door to creating your legacy. When we return to ash at the end of our lives, after countless hours in front of music stand, audience or microphone, we all hope in our souls that we left some sort of indelible mark on the world. Now with such great strides in audio technology, you can create world class recordings of yourself, your band, and your legacy without a 20 pound rolls of 2 inch Ampex tape and a $30K Studer recording deck the size of an office safe (and just as heavy). Ditto on the SSL mixing console, Neumann mics, Lexicon plate reverbs, and misc compressors, limiters, etc. Now all that gear 'virtually' fits in a space the size of 2 shoe boxes, and gives equal or similar results. Wow, times have changed!

 

2. Recording on the Cheap

Recording gear is really dependent on the results you want to achieve and the time you want to spend getting them. Sometimes, all that is needed is something to give you an idea of what you played, and is not intended to be pretty or even especially listenable. This is usually the case with recording as a learning tool. Record as much as you can... but be warned, the truth can sting ;-(

What do you already have? Most people have a video camera... even a cell phone or recording mp3 player. Good place to start. These formats can even be easily edited and enhanced, so, now, try them out.

Do you like the sound? If not, that might be easily remedied. Where does your horn sound best to you? Garage? Long hallway? Living room? Bathroom? Classroom? Closet? If the room has too many reflective surfaces, it often sounds harsh and brittle. Inversely, a well padded space will be dull and lifeless. A happy medium is needed, where you can place your mic at the right distance to capture the right 'reflection to live sound' ratio. As an aside, later we will look at electronically enhancing the recording with reverbs, mic placement, and a simple solution, the Yamaha Silent Brass mute.

Ok.... have you ever practiced with your bell sandwiched between clothes in a closet as to not disturb your neighbours? (works well, try it). This is the Ground Zero of 'room sound'. How about a gymnasium? This would be Mach 10 of 'room sound'. (Do you like those mixed metaphors?) It is possible to adjust most rooms to sound pretty good, with little or no effort. It has a lot to do with placing the microphone (mic) or recording device in a spot where the mixture of direct sound and reflected sound is pleasing to the ear, and where the built in limitations of the mic inputs are not 'overdriven' (distorted or clipped) by too much Sound Pressure Level (SPL) from the instrument. More sophisticated recording systems will have features to control this, more on that later.

It takes some experimentation with the angle of the mic, the distance of the mic from the horn, the location of the trumpet player, and the location of sound absorbing material. Have you heard the term bedroom studio? This is the literal and figurative term for what you are working toward, and with all those pillows, mattresses, duvets, and open closets to work with, the bedroom is often the ideal place to launch your recording career.

Things to watch for:

Standing Waves - these are reflections that bounce back and forth in the same direction (ie: between two facing walls) instead of dispersing at angles. This creates a hollow ring, like a very fast reverb, and is not pleasing. A remedy for this is to play into your mic towards a wall (nearer the better) at an oblique angle, setting off angled reflections that disperse unevenly.

Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and 60 cycle noise - dimmer switches, power supplies, and AC cords can sometimes cause a hum in the recording if placed too near.

Outside noise - Heavy curtains will often help. Turn off the phone!

Neighbours - Chat them up so they are in on the project, and try to stick to business hours.

Now, if you already have a Yamaha Silent Brass mute, start there, and experiment with the reverbs and try to output to another recording device.

More to come...

Gabriel Mark Hasselbach
Sassabrass Entertainment
& Wind Tunnel Multimedia
604.736.2153 o 604-218-1785 cel
1-877-341-3477 toll free mssg + fax
New CD and catalogue @ www.windtunnelmultimedia.info