Joseph Hearn

Recording Analysis

Studios have different setups depending on the type of producer you want to be. This
setup above would be used more for recording and editing live performances. Other
setups may be better for making film music and house beats, but this setup will be more
suited for live performances and this setup will be the one Im going to describe and talk
about.
The Control Room
The control room is where you can monitor and record activities going on in the live room.
The control room is where you will find all of the equipment needed to help you to record a
composition or a piece of music that is being created in the live room. The set up above
has all of the basic equipment needed when it comes to recording live music and all of this
equipment will be found in the control room. From this room you will be able to talk to
musicians in the live room through the SPL monitor and talkback controller. The music that
is played in the live room will be recorded by the equipment in the control room, this is also
where the signal from the mics is sent to via XLR cables. When this signal reaches the
control room it can then be edited and altered to the musicians needs, through software
like Logic Pro X.
The Live Room
The live room is where live music played by instruments can be recorded from. This area
is big and contains two stage boxes with around 12-15 inputs in each that allow you to
send sound recorded from the mics to the control room. The live room would be where you
would set up mic stands and mics to record the live instruments. In order to get the
recorded music from the live room into the control room XLR cables would need to be
connect to the mics and then connected to the stage boxes where the signal is then
transferred. Only the musicians playing the instruments would need to be in the live room

Joseph Hearn
while playing as it can get pretty loud. The musicians will be able to talk to the technicians
in the control room through headphones and the mics originally set up.
The Vocal Booth
The vocal booth is where the vocalist would be when recording the vocals for a piece of
music. The vocal booth is the smallest out of the two rooms as all that needs to be in the
room is one or two vocalists at a time. In the vocal booth there is also a stage box, this is
where you can plug the mic used to record the lyrics to the songs into. This stage box also
has 12-15 inputs in, but usually only one is needed. When the mics are plugged in the
vocalists voice can then be routed to the control room where it is then recorded onto
recording software, like Logic Pro X. There will also be headphones in the vocal booth so
that the musicians vocalist and technicians can all talk to each other.
Speakers
Different speakers have different frequency responses; the speakers used in this setup are
HS5s and Adam A77X.
The Yamaha HS5 speaker is an active studio monitor that has a 5 cone woofer and a
highly-efficient 1 dome tweeter for an extended high frequency range that goes up to
30kHz, these speakers are designed to make sure that your mix or song is as close to the
original as possible, with a high resolution and flat response, to achieve the best possible
mix. They have an advanced magnetic field design, which regulates
the flow of magnetic response to create seamless, transitions.

The Adam A77X speaker is a three way active speaker that has a
central ribbon tweeter that is surrounded by two woofers. The tweeter has been developed
to extend to 50kHz with higher efficiency and higher maximum sound pressure levels. The
two woofers do not cover identical frequency bands, only one handles the midrange: the
other joins in below 400Hz. These speakers also deliver a wide soundstage with solid left
or right imaging. The Adam A77X speaker deals with bass well because of its efficiency
with dealing with high sound pressure.

Joseph Hearn

Spl monitor and talkback controller

The Spl monitor and talkback controller allows you to speak to musicians in the live room
through a headset. This can also control the volume of the track coming through the
speakers. It combines volume level control, source switching and loudspeaker
management for stereo monitoring with comfortable talkback and cue mixing functions. It
has six rear panel stereo inputs and balanced XLR outputs for three loudspeaker pairs and
also a slave output. This monitor also allows you to mute certain speakers and also has a
switchable headphone output. It has a built in microphone enabling you to speak to
musicians buy pressing the talkback button. The spl monitor and talkback controller also
allows you to change different volume levels.

Focusrite ISA one

The ISA is ideal for both engineers and demanding performers. It has independent gain
control, an output for routing to an amp. It also has an independent XLR output on the rear
and routing to optional A-D converter. This focusrtie also gives you the ability to choose
one of four selected input impedances, including the original ISA110 setting, to suit any
microphone. As well as this it can feed either a sum of the two input to the headphones
output, or an external stereo cue mix, via two TRS jack inputs on the rear of the unit a
dedicated insert point is included which allows you to place extra processing between the
preamplifier or DI and the optional converter, such as an EQ or compressor.

Joseph Hearn

Universal audio Apollo

The UA Apollo duo has 18 inputs and 24 outputs, feeding high end AD/DA conversion, it
also has 4 premium digitally controlled preamps. Also the 2 DI inputs that are included
allow connection of microphones, guitars and other instruments. These inputs can be
switched from the front panel along with gain, phase, low cut, pad and phantom power.
The 10 segment LED meters provide a visual indication for levels, input channel status
and clock settings. Also on the front are 2 headphone outputs and gain control for
recording and monitoring duties.

Focusrite Octopre MKII

This is a powerful input upgrade for your pro tools system. It has 8 channels of focusrite
pre amplication and a built in 24 bit/96KHz ADAT output. The octopre MKII is suitable for
any digital audio workstation. It also has optimized mic pres for tracking drums, and two
HI-Z instrument outputs. Also it has 5 LED input metering on every channel and -10dB
Pads on every channel and with every channel there are digital inputs and 48V phantom
power.

S phone headphone mixer

The S phone is an adaptable single rack space four channel headphone amplifier, loaded
with advanced features that allow flexibility for monitor and cue mixing. The master input
features an input level and LED meter to control and display the overall stereo input. Each
of the S phones four channels include three headphone outputs with an overall volume
control and individual level meters. A stereo auxiliary input is available on each channel so

Joseph Hearn
that individual line signals from direct or buss outputs can be mixed with the main stereo
output. Also a balance control is included and this allows you to adjust the ratio of the main
and auxiliary signal or the left to right balance, so that each headphone mix can be further
tailored for the listeners particular needs. S phone also features a 2-band equalizer on
each of the four channels. A master Stereo Aux input on the front panel is also supplied for
inserting a second signal to all headphones.

Dynamic Mics
Dynamic mics are a lot more robust than condenser microphones. They're also especially
resistant to moisture and other forms of abuse, which makes them the perfect choice
onstage. Dynamic microphones like the Shure SM57 and Shure SM58 are legendary for
not only their good sound quality, but the amount of abuse they can withstand. Dynamic
microphones don't require their own power supply like condenser microphones. Their
sound quality is generally not as accurate, however. Most dynamic microphones have a
limited frequency response, which makes them well-suited, along with their ability to
withstand high sound pressure levels, for loud guitar amps, live vocals, and drums.
Condenser mics
Condenser microphones will be the most common type of microphone you will find in a
studio. They have a much greater frequency response and transient response; this is the
ability to reproduce the speed of an instrument or voice. They also generally have a
louder output, but are more sensitive to loud sounds. Condenser mics are usually a lot
more expensive then dynamic mics, but there are also some cheaper condenser mics
about. They require the use of a power supply, usually 12V-48V. Condenser mics are
usually used in studios; this is because they are fragile and easy to break, so would not be
suited for live use.
Types of microphones and their features
Audix F2- The Fusion Series Audix f2 microphone is an active dynamic instrument
microphone designed, assembled and tested by audix for stage and studio applications.
The Audix f2 mic has a hypercardioid pickup pattern for isolation and feedback control.
Audix equips the f2 mic with a Low Mass diaphragm for natural, accurate sound
reproduction. This microphone is lightweight and easy to move around and position. It also
has a wide frequency range of 52Hz to 15kHz and the ability to handle sound pressure of
139db, the Audix f2 is an excellent choice for preserving the attack of instruments like rack
toms, congas, saxophone, guitar cabinets, and brass.

Joseph Hearn

SM7B- The shure SM7B microphone is a dynamic microphone best suited for recording
vocals in studio, home or pro. This mic picks up sound that it is directly pointing to; it
doesnt pick up sound from the sides or back of the microphone. This means that the mic
would need to be set up horizontally, on either a boom stand or a standard stand, and the
singer would need to speak directly into the front of the microphone in order for it to be
able to capture the best sound possible. The SM7B is surprisingly crisp and clean
sounding considering it is a dynamic microphone, this is because it has a bass rolloff
switch which starts to roll of at about 300Hz. Its frequency range is quite wide, with it being
50Hz-20KHz. The SM7B can handle the loudest of sound, as it is able to deal with sound
pressure up to 180dB.

SM57- The shure SM57 microphone is a dynamic mic, and is one of the most popular
professional instrument microphones of all time. The SM57 performs reliably and delivers
natural sound. Its strong design means it is hard to damage and durable if it is dropped.
The SM57 works well in a studio and has a wide frequency response of 40Hz-15KHz. It
can also cope with sound pressure levels of around 98dB, and is also unidirectional.

Joseph Hearn

Audix F6- The Audix F6 bass frequency mic is most commonly used for kick drums, but
can also be used for other low frequency instruments such as toms. This mic is lightweight
and easy to position, and has a wide frequency response of 40Hz-16KHz, with the ability
to be able to handle sound pressure levels of around 140dB; the F6 is great for miking
instruments that require extended low frequency production. This mic has a hypercardioid
pickup pattern for isolation and feedback controls as well as an LM type a diaphragm
creating natural and accurate sound.

Audix F9- The Audix F9 microphone small diaphragm condenser mic, is known for its clear
and accurate response particularly in the upper end frequency range. This mic is Ideally
suited for a wide variety of acoustic instruments, the Audix f9 mic is an excellent choice for
cymbals, overhead, percussion table, and ambient room miking. It has a controlled
cardioid polar pattern, meaning it captures instrument acoustics and at the same time
isolates there sounds from the rest of the instruments on stage. The F9 has a frequency
response of 40Hz- 20KHz. A downside would be that it needs12V-48V phantom power to
actually work.

Joseph Hearn

Neumann TLM102- This mic is a condenser mic, and has a large diaphragm with cardioid
directional characteristics. The TLM102 can deal with very high sound pressure levels and
has a frequency range of 20Hz-20KHz. It can deal with sound pressure levels of around
144db. This mic would manly be used for vocals as this is what it is most suited for, as it
gives a good presence in mixes. The TML102 has an integrated pop screen and is used in
home and studio recordings. This mic is also good for percussion and wind instruments.

SM58- The shure SM58 is designed for professional vocal used in live performances, and
also is sound reinforcement and studio recording. It has a built-in spherical filter that
minimizes wind and breath "pop" noise. It has a unidirectional pickup pattern that isolates
the main sound source while minimizing unwanted background noise. It has a frequency
response of 50Hz to 15KHz. The SM58 is also one of the most durable mics around these
days, it is very strong meaning it can survive being dropped and can cope well with high
sound pressure levels.

Joseph Hearn

How to guide to my recording in Studio 1

When recording my composition, there were a lot of steps I had to follow.

The first step I took was producing a multichannel recording; this would be
recording my drums. The first thing I needed to do was make seven new tracks on
a Logic Pro X file in the control room. I named these tracks, Kick, snare top, snare
bottom, rack tom, floor tom, left overhead and right overhead. The reason I have a
left and right overhead is so that I can capture the sound coming from the left and
right hand side of the drum kit.
The next step was to make sure that the tracks were set to the right input, the kick
needed to be put into input 2, the snare top needed to be put in input 3, snare
bottom in input four, rack tom in input 9, floor tom in input 10, the left overhead in
input 11 and the right overhead in input 12.
Once this was done, I needed to set up the stands and mics around the drum kit in
the live room.
The first mic I set up was the F6, this mic would be used for the kick drum. The
reason the F6 is used for the kick drum is because, it works best with low
frequencies and the kick drum produces low frequencies. As well as this the F6 can
deal with the high sound pressure of which the kick drum produces. To make sure I
got the best sound from my kick drum I made sure that the mic was positioned in
about half way in the hole at the front of the kick drum; the mic would then capture
the sound I was wanting. Once I had positioned the mic for the kick drum, I had to
then get an XLR cable and plug the mic into the stage box making sure it was
plugged into input 2. Then once the XLR cable was in the right input I plugged the
other end into the F6 mic making sure that it clicked, as this meant that the mic
would work. If the cabled wasnt clicked in then the mic will not produce any sound.
When the mic for the kick drum was set up, I then moved on to setting up the mic
for the floor tom and the rack tom. The mic used for both the floor and rack tom was
the F2. The reason I chose this mic to use is because its frequency range is 52Hz-

Joseph Hearn

15KHz, this means it works well with low and mid range frequencies. The fact it
works well with these frequencies means that it is perfect to use for floors toms and
rack toms, as the floor tom produces mid bass frequencies and the rack tom
produces around the mid range frequencies. As well as this the floor and rack toms
produce quite high sound pressure, and the F2 mic can cope well with high sound
pressure. Once the mic has been selected, I positioned it so that the front of the mic
was pointing to the middle of the drum; this is because the middle of the drum is
where the best and the most sound is produced. After that, I then got an XLR lead
and plugged one end into the mic on the rack tom and the other end into the stage
box making sure it was plugged into input 9 as this is what the rack tom track is set
to. Once this was done, I then got another XLR lead and plugged one end into the
mic and the other end into the stage box, but this time making sure I plugged it into
input 10, as this is what the floor tom track is set to on Logic Pro X.
Next I needed to set up the mic for the snare top and the snare bottom. The mic
that I used for the snare bottom was the SM57. The reason that I chose to use this
mic to record sound from the bottom of the snare is because this mic is most suited
for drums. As well as this the SM57 has a frequency response of 40Hz-15KHz, this
meant that this mic would be perfect to use for the snare bottom as it produces
frequencies around 800Hz-13KHz. Also the bottom of the snare produces a lot of
sound pressure and the SM57 can cope with high sound pressure. Once the mic
was chosen I positioned the mic so that it was pointing to the middle of the bottom
of the snare, and I made sure I used a small stand so that the mic could be low
enough to be nearly touching the bottom of the snare. Next I got an XLR lead and
plugged one end into the mic and the other end into the stage box making sure that
it was plugged into input 4. Once the snare bottom was routed I then had to pick a
mic to use for the snare top. The mic I picked was the SM58, the reason I picked
this mic is because it is a very strong and durable mic, meaning it can deal with a
high amount of sound pressure. This is good for the snare top as it produces sound
pressure of around 138dB and with other mics this level of sound pressure could
damage them or even break them. I then had to position the SM58 so that it was
pointing to the middle of the snare drum as this is where the best sound is
produced. Once it was positioned I then had to rout it. I got an XLR lead and
plugged one end into the mic and the other end into the stage box making sure that
the lead was plugged into input 3.
The final two mics that I needed to set up were the left and right overheads. The
mic that used for both the left and the right overhead was the Audix F9. I used the
F9 for the overheads because they are good at recording sounds in the mid and
high ranged frequencies. This is perfect for the overheads as although they are
used to capture the overall sound of the drum kit, they mainly capture the sound of
the cymbals and the high hat. This means that the F9 microphone is great to use to
record the overheads as the cymbals and high hat produce high and mid range
frequencies. The F9 is very sensitive and can easily break or be damaged by high
levels of sound pressure. So when positioning the mic I picked a stand that could
reach quite high up as this would mean that the F9 would be distorted by the snare
and kick, which both produce high levels of sound pressure. I had to measure the
distance of the overheads to make sure that they were both the same distance

Joseph Hearn

away from the drum kit, I did this by getting an XLR cable and measuring from the
middle of the snare drum to my arms length away for one overhead and repeated
for the other overhead. The reason I needed to so this was because if for example
the left overhead was closer to the drum kit then the right overhead, then different
levels of sound would be produced, the left overhead would be louder and more
clear, than the right overhead. So to get an equal amount of sound from each
overhead, I had to make sure that they were the same distance away from the kit.
One the F9 microphones were positioned correctly I then had to rout them. To do
this I got an XLR lead and plugged one end into the left overhead and the other end
into the stage box in input 11, I then got another XLR lead and plugged that into the
right overhead and the stage box in input 12.
When all of the mics were set up for the drums I had to go to the control room and
check the level of the drums when they are played. To do this I had to look at the
second monitor in the control room, which had the Apollo mixer on it, and look at
the different parts of the drum on the different inputs and check that when each part
of the drum is played the volume did not hit the red zone, if it did hit the red zone I
needed to move the fader on the mixer down and this would then reduce the
amount of volume for that part of the drum. Once this was done for all of the
sections of the drum and I was happy with the volume levels I was then ready to
record the drums for my recording.
Once the drums were recorded I then had to record, some guitar for my recording.
The first step I took was to create another track on Logic Pro X, and name it guitar.
Once I had created the track and renamed it I then change the input to input 5, this
input is where the Focusrite ISA One is plugged into. When I had changed the
input, I then had to get a jack lead and plugged one end into the DI input on the
focusrite and the other end into the output on my guitar. When this was done I
played a few chords to make sure that my volume levels were ok and nothing was
clipping. Once everything was alright I then tuned my guitar using the built in tuner
on Logic Pro X so that my guitar was in tune. When I was happy with everything I
was then ready to record my guitar part for my recording. When the guitar part and
the drums were recorded for my composition I was then ready to mix and edit my
final recording.