READ ME FIRST: Rules & FAQ for the Recording Course!
Welcome everyone to "Recording for Guitarists", our first course of the tonebase Academy! 
Together we will untangle the mysteries of digital audio production! Coil your cables, point your mics: it's time to hit the record button! 
5 Weeks - 5 Livestreams
Download the syllabus for the entire course HERE
Over the course of five weeks, we will explore all the steps from tracking your signal to editing a master take, from mixing your signal to syncing it to a video file. The idea is to deeply integrate the workshops in the forum, each lesson will have its dedicated thread and a workbook!
I. The First Steps (+ Workbook)
II. The Edit (+ Workbook)
III. All about Dynamics (+ Workbook)
IV. Critical listening (+ Workbook)
How to get the most out of it
- Although not required, the workbooks give you a great introduction to what we will cover, so you will greatly benefit from working through the pdfs!
- Some lessons will give you different assignments. Share these with your fellow recording artists in the thread and let's talk and discuss them!
- I will post the answers to the questionnaires (which are at the end of each workbook) a couple of days after the individual live stream took place. If you have questions concerning the topic, ask them in the thread of the lesson!
Timeline
- Kickoff: 11th January, then each week on Monday at 11am PST.
- In between: Work on your assignments and the questionnaire, post questions in the forum and discuss uploads by other users
- On day before the next lesson: Answers to the questionnaires will be posted!
Frequently Asked Questions
I have no experience in recording, but I am very interested, should I take part?
Yes! We designed the lessons to get you acquainted with all the tools necessary in order to get started in recording!
Do I need special equipment?
If you don't have a USB-Mic, a mobile recorder or a microphone with an audio interface, that's totally okay, you can get started in recording with your smartphone and a laptop, or even with a tablet. We will cover basic concepts of recording that apply for various technical levels - but, of course, we will be covering the use of microphones in conjunction with a computer as well. Editing our takes will require a DAW like Reaper, but the basic concepts of editing apply to any recording software as well.
↓ Reply with other questions below ↓
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Hi Martin
I have enjoyed your livestream on recording , on replay, as well as your previous.
I want to invest in a pair of microphones and a focusrite.I know it is difficult to answer and obviously you have not tried all microphones.
Say I will be willing to invest 500 to 1200 Euros in a pair of microphonesWhat would you recommend.? Neumann 184, AUdioTechnica 4051, or AKG 451s.. or something else.
The AKG C414 you use are large diaprhragm.I am definitely an amateur,, but like with guitars if you buy too cheap initially , it Will be more expensive in the end. On the other hand at my level there is no need to overshoot.
best regards and lookin forward to following
Lars
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martin Thank you very much for your thorough and Quick answer.
looking forward to coming livestreams
Lars
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Hi Martin.
Thank you for the course, it's a great event!
I can't attend the course for in the timetable it occurs, but I'll try to follow throughout the recordings.
I have a mic Neumann km184. Which other mic would you recommend me in order to have a pair of microphones?
Do you think it's good combining one mic cardioid with another omnidirectional?
Thank you.
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Emili I'd recommend getting another Neumann KM184 for standard stereo purposes! Another idea would be to get something like a AKG414, since you could use it's different polar patterns to record something in a Mid-side configuration, having the KM184 pointing towards you and the C414 in a figure of eight conifguration pointing to the sides (thus mid-side recording). But having another KM184 is a great option!
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Hi Martin,
Thanks for doing this workshop, I enjoyed the first one and am looking forward to the next! I have a question about mics: I have one Shure SM81 and would like to have two mics for stereo recording. Do you think it would be good to buy another SM81 or would I be better off buying a less expensive matched pair for about the same price as one Shure SM81? I use a FocusRite interface and Reaper. Thanks in advance!
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William without knowing the Sure SM81, I would recommend getting the same one again. If you have a cheaper stereo matched pair, I guess there won't be much quality control in that price range.
On the other hand, the Line Audio CM4 are very good mics and very affordable, though maybe hard to get depending where you are located!
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Hi Martin .. I am new to TONEBASE -just joined up -can I complete this course after the 11 Jan kickoff ... ie after it has gone live .....?
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margaret macarthur Hi Margaret, you can always go back and watch the live streams, and in case you have questions, simply ask in one of the forum threads and feel free to work through the workbooks with all the assignments! We hope that the forum will continue to be an active knowledge base for prospective recording enthusiasts here on tonebase and that people will continue to share their wonderful recordings with all the skills acquiered over the course of the recording academy
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Hi Martin,
Will you have a Workbook for session 5?
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Barney Oh, I will upload it ASAP!
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Barney Forum Thread "Audio & Video" plus workbook is online, sorry for the delay
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No problem Martin. Thank you. Looking forward to watching the session on Monday.
You are doing an awesome job teaching this Recording Academy, and we really appreciate it!!
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Barney Thank you!
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hi thanks for doing this course. I'm using the Rode NT Mini USB on a mac but it broke recently. Can anyone recommend any other USB microphone for recording? Thanks!
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don This absolutely depends on the budget you want to spend! Personally I'd recommend to get something like the Zoom H4 for beginners since it is the most versatile (and you can use it without a computer). But if you prefer to use a USB-Mic I'd go again for Rode or maybe Blue?
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Thanks Martin, I would avoid Rode again as it seems to be a common issue that it suddenly stop recording. Probably not gonna spend more than 400 on a mic for now. Would another USB mic with Reaper or Garageband do the same as ZoomH4 if I'm not thinking of portability? thanks!
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don If you don't care for portability, I'd recommend getting a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 since it will be able to connect with any XLR mic you choose (not USB-mic though, but when you think long term, this will be a much more modular option!). Add 2 reasonably priced condenser mics like the Line Audio OM1 or CM4 and you are ready for some semi-professional stereo recordings! (I'll work on an audio-video-recording with the OM1 on today's workshop if you're interested how they sound!)
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martin Thanks Martin! Would be great if you can do that. Unfortunately i'm not able to join the workshop live today due to the timezone but I'll definitely catch up tomorrow on the recording!
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martin Hi Martin, while just reading this I have a question regarding mic(s). I have sent back my cheap USB Mic (Thomann...) (and therefore I am not recording at the moment, but my "Kizuna" in the thread of Session II/III was recorded by the USB mic) and now want to buy an XLR mic or better two of them for stereo... There is, for example, one Rode NT1A for approx. 149 Euro available (each), but now I am aware of your recommendation OM1 or CM4. Do you have a recommendation or comment on Rode NT1a vs. OM1 or CM4? By the way: it would be nice if the mic is also ablo to catch tenor sax sound...
Thanks for your comment/suggestions.
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
