Musicians nowadays have multiple ways to distribute and market their content through digital platforms, giving them access to a whole world of opportunities the industry has never seen before. At the same time, it has become more important than ever to learn and understand how to create the best final product to attract audiences to listen and follow your career.
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Not everyone can start right away with the best gear available on the market, but fortunately, that is only one piece of the puzzle needed to present your best songs to the world. In our following guide, we give 3 ways to improve the sound quality of the music you make and obtain the best results possible.
Get the Right Equipment for Recording
It’s common for newcomers to start recording and mixing their tracks with whatever equipment they have at hand, either at home or with friends who are also interested in sound mixing. The results can be subpar at best, but they’re a great way to understand how the recording process works and motivate you to research better methods to create music. However, using a recording microphone, XLR cable, audio interface, and recording software to register your sessions on your computer for later mixing will always offer better results in the long run.
While you can add more elements to your home recording once your budget allows it, these are the bare basics that you’ll need to improve your music’s sound quality, and you can obtain them for fair prices if you search second-handed or wait for special offers in niche stores. Keep in mind that handling and taking proper care of your recording equipment will extend its life cycle and reduce the chance that your recordings fail due to hardware issues.
Sound-proof your Surroundings
Sometimes musicians like to record their vocals and instrumentals at home, but one of the disadvantages of this approach comes from the background noises that can sneak through onto the recording and ruin an entire track. Traffic noises, planes flying nearby, dogs barking, or even people playing music nearby can disturb any recording session and put a damp on your creativity and mood.
In those cases, trying to record at quieter times of the day could help you avoid these uncomfortable scenarios. For instance, playing early in the morning or later at night when traffic noises are less frequent can help you reduce the chances of ruining a take with car sounds.
When recording instruments and vocals, you shouldn’t forget that the room in which you’re placing your setup can also heavily influence the final product as well. The folks at https://www.fabricmate.com/acoustic-solutions point out that installing acoustic panels at home can help not only with noise control inside the room for better recording quality, but it also helps with sound absorption to reduce any potential annoyances with other people nearby.
If your budget is tight, you can DIY some sound-proofing solutions to the walls, but sooner or later, you might want to invest in professional solutions if you’re serious about your music career. If recording at home ends up constantly interfering with the overall quality of your songs, booking a studio recording may solve the issue in the short term.
Get Acquainted with the Sound Mixing Software
Depending on your computer’s operating system, you will have access to different recording and mixing software options. Musicians can start with open-sourced programs, an excellent way to begin without spending any money on licenses. Regardless of your software’s choice, it’s crucial to learn how to do live recording, convert records to digital formats, noise reductions, and multi-track editing as part of the bare essentials.
While no formula will work with every single song, learning about each music genre’s intricacies and getting acquainted with your software’s configurations will get you further every day to achieve a better sound quality in your music.
Constant research will always help in improving the way you create and produce music. You can also get plenty of practice to understand how the entire process works and can help in your workflow to try to restore or enhance recordings from vinyl or similar sources. Sharing your experience and seeking advice with like-minded people should also be part of your learning process, especially if you want to reach others for networking purposes later.
Today with the rise of digital platforms to showcase your music with your audience as you please, it’s crucial to find your voice and stand out from the crowd through talent, discipline, and relatedness with your public.
