Recording Secrets for the Small Studio

by Mike Senior

Discover how to achieve commercial-grade recordings, even in the smallest studios, by applying power-user techniques from the world's most successful producers. Recording Secrets for the Small Studio is an intensive training course specifically designed for small-studio enthusiasts who want a fast track to release-quality results. Based on the backroom strategies of more than 200 famous names, this thorough and down-to-earth guide leads you through a logical sequence of practical tasks to build your live-room skills progressively from the ground up. On the way, you'll unravel the mysteries of many specialist studio tactics and gain the confidence to tackle a full range of real-world recording situations. User-friendly explanations introduce technical concepts on a strictly need-to-know basis, while chapter summaries, assignments, and extensive online resources are perfect for school and college use. Learn the fundamental principles of mic technique that you can apply in any recording scenario -- and how to avoid those rookie mistakes that all too often compromise the sonics of lower-budget productions. Explore advanced techniques which help industry insiders maintain their competitive edge even under the most adverse creative phase manipulation, improvised acoustics tweaks, inventive monitoring workarounds, subtle psychological tricks... Find out where you don't need to spend money, as well as how to make a limited budget really count. Make the best use of limited equipment and session time, especially in situations where you're engineering and producing single-handed. Pick up tricks and tips from celebrated engineers and producers across the stylistic spectrum, including Steve Albini, Roy Thomas Baker, Joe Barresi, Tchad Blake, Bruce Botnick, Joe Chiccarelli, Neil Dorfsman, Jack Douglas, Geoff Emerick, Paul Epworth, Humberto G

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Shaun Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slowly worked my way through this book, trying ideas out in my backyard project studio as I read about them. I already had decent experience recording, but this book explains tracking in much more detail than I ever understood it before. I'm recording multiple instruments in a medium size room live, and he specifically works his way up to that in the final section of the book, I felt like it was the ideal thing for me to be reading as I figured out how to record a full band live (had previously done a little more over-dubbing.)

If you want a book about tracking, this is one of the best I've found. Tons of density and lots of real world tips; worth a detailed read.

[Matthew Buckley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive, but not always friendly read.

This book was apparently written as a response to the growing trend of a lack of apprenticeship in the recording realm. I am certainly a member of the generation that had just enough cash to build a modest setup and started turning knobs with zero formal training and next to no mentoring aside from some quick comments here and there in passing. In that role, this book is tremendously helpful, almost too much so. It covers s very wide swath of material in a relatively short time, extending beyond most anyone's expected practice. However, no knowledge is bad knowledge here.

The book reads like a textbook, so don't expect engaging narrative. It's up to you to stay attentive, because you won't get any help from the text. But for anyone who's self-taught in the world of audio recording, there's enough mandatory information here to satiate. After stumbling and bumbling for 15 years on my own, I found that I had already developed many of the basic habits spelled out here, but I could've skipped years of mistakes if I had this book earlier. And regardless, I filled in countless cracks in my knowledge with the shared information.

Highly recommended for novices, and a worthy supplement for experienced folk as well. Not easy to get through, but it will give you what you came for.