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)

V. Audio & Video (+ Workbook)

 

How to get the most out of it

  1. 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!
  2. Some lessons will give you different assignments. Share these with your fellow recording artists in the thread and let's talk and discuss them!
  3. 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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  • I thought so! It’s 6 am here in Australia at that time, but I am always up at that time, and so this will suit me well, as the course will be over before I start work. I have just downloaded the syllabus and I’m getting set up for the course. I must say, it looks spectacular! Thank you so much for the opportunity!

    Like 1
      • MirceaTeam
      • Head of Guitar
      • Mircea
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Ronald wonderful news, Roland! And just like I was saying to Derek, if you do happen to miss a livestream or not be available for one or more of the dates, you can still take part by watching the recordings and contributing in the forums 😁 of course, it's more fun live - just wanted to not discourage anyone from taking part because of scheduling issues. Take care and see you around the forum!

      Like
    • Mircea Sure will! Reaper all installed on the computer with a mic - I'm ready!! 🙏

      Like 2
      • martinTeam
      • LIVE
      • martin.3
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Ronald Wow, that is true dedication here! 🤩 See you later 👋

      Like 1
  • Looking forward to this!

    Like 2
    • Franz
    • Franz
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Great to have this new course! But I am unable to find out where and how to register. Am a bit lost on tonebase.co...

    Like 1
      • martinTeam
      • LIVE
      • martin.3
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Franz No need to register if you're already a premium member! You can simply watch the live stream via Community - Live Events like all the other live streams as well :) 

      Like 2
      • Franz
      • Franz
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      martin O thank you - form the ad inferred that one was suggested to register particularly for the course. Anyway, I am VERY happy that you offer this seminar !!!

      Like 1
  • Will be there!

    Like 1
  • Can I use GarageBand?

    Like 1
      • martinTeam
      • LIVE
      • martin.3
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Vilio Celli If you're on a Mac I'd recommend using Reaper, since there will be - among basic principles and concepts - a lot of Reaper-specific details like routing your signals and editing. But as it's free to use, it won't hurt to take a look at different workflos (and it's free to use and generally a real cool DAW).

      However, if you use an iPad your workflow will be different, especially in terms of editing and routing (and since I've used the iPad in a professional production I cannot tell you too much about it).

      Like 1
    • martin ok thanks will use reaper. I have an iMac computer and USB mic

      Like 1
      • martinTeam
      • LIVE
      • martin.3
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Vilio Celli yeah, good choice! See you later 🧙‍♂️

      Like 1
    • Peternull
    • Peter.3
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Hello, and like all the others, thank you for running this course. In the past year, like so many others, I have dabbled with reaper, so very interested to take my self learning a step further. 
     

    my question is related to equipment. Do you have a recommendation for a power amp to which I can connect my focus rite and my passive but excellent monitor speakers?  

     

    many thanks and looking forward to seeing you later. 
     

    Peter
     

    Like 1
      • martinTeam
      • LIVE
      • martin.3
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Peter oooh, I am sorry, I have almost never used passive speakers with power amps, so I cannot recommend anything in particular! (only in my very early student days when my dad gave me his old stereo system and a record player, felt pretty cool to play old vinyls through that system).

      For recording purposes, it's generally better to use headphones anyway to avoid feedback noise (considering you are recording yourself with all the equipment in one room). When it comes to mixing on the other hand, having a fine pair of monitor speakers is definitely a plus.

      Like 1
    • Peternull
    • Peter.3
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Thank you Martin.  

     

    No problem, I always use passive speakers when mixing because I have a good pair of old but excellent monitors.  (and headphones for the recordings).  I have been using a relatively cheap Chinese USB amp (Topping) which can be driven directly from the MacBook or from the Focusrite and it isn't bad and doesn't seem to colour the sound too much, but I was hopeful you might have a suggestion for something more appropriate.  Really looking forward to some guidance making my recordings better.

     

    Peter

    Like 1
      • martinTeam
      • LIVE
      • martin.3
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Peter awesome, see you later! 🧙‍♂️🎧👋 

      Like 1
  • Hi Martin,

    I have been doing a bit of home recording already, but I am keen to learn more about the topic. I use a Zoom H6, usually recording the sound directly on it and then uploading the files to my laptop. I have been using Audacity in a fairly basic way for editing, but I believe that Reaper is better, so I'm happy to make the switch if you think it's best to. For video editing I have been using Shotcut, because it's free, but I've struggled a bit with it because it doesn't seem very intuitive to me, and the documentation doesn't seem to be very comprehensive or easy to use. Any advice would be welcome. Thanks, Baz

    Like 1
      • martinTeam
      • LIVE
      • martin.3
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Barry The Zoom H6 is a fantastic device, you can switch it into "audio interface mode" and use it like any professional grade recording system! Afterwards, you can directly record onto your hard drive and start immediately with editing in Reaper.
      We will cover the basics of video editing in the 5th lesson of the recording course and will use "DaVinci Resolve" by Blackmagic Design, wich is free to use if you don't record in 4k!  

      Like 1
    • Lawrencenull
    • Play guitar to live
    • Law
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Martin, do you recommend we can use Auto Tune Pro 9 version software so that we can practice hitting notes with pitch correction as we can monitor the key or notes in real time. ?

    Like 1
      • martinTeam
      • LIVE
      • martin.3
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Lawrence I'd probably just use good graphic tuner, I know that woodwind player are practicing their intonation like that. Going through your DAW and a heavy lifting pitch correction plugin is probably much of a workaround for something so essential. 
      Btw., this is especially hard when practicing chords, I only know one piece of software that can display the individual notes withing in a chord, and that's "Melodyne Studio" by Celemony and costs 700€ (i actually used a trial version to correct an oboe line in an orchestral piece, it's crazy how far technology as come!!).

      Like 1
    • Lawrencenull
    • Play guitar to live
    • Law
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Martin, Recently I bought a Philips 4-track digital audio recorder VTR 7800 model, do I need Reaper for music audio editing too?

    Like 1
      • martinTeam
      • LIVE
      • martin.3
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Lawrence If you can use that device as an audio interface, then you definitely can learn something using it in conjunction with Reaper! 😁 The workflow is very different, you can use your mobile recorder just for recording without a laptop or computer, but when you want to edit your recordings, you need to import them first. Within a DAW you can record directly onto your harddrive (of the Philips audio recorder is actually capable to act as an audio interface, I don't know that).

      Like 1
    • Lars Kjøller-Hansennull
    • Amateur with too little time and bingeplayer with sore arms and fingers
    • Lars_KjollerHansen
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    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 microphones

    What 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 

    Like 1
      • martinTeam
      • LIVE
      • martin.3
      • 3 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Lars Kjøller-Hansen I have a pair of Audio Technica 4051b (bought one pre-owned and one new) and I am very happy with those, I regularly use those as spot microphones for guitar (in fact, I use one all the time for my live streams). Neumann Mics are of course very detailed and transparend, some see them as the gold standard of cardioid microphones, but I heard they tend to be a bit sharp on guitar in close distance (I haven't used them so mich, only on piano and violine where they sounded fantastic). I heard very good opinions on the AKG 451s in terms of the panorama image. So at this price range, you will get great microphones. They Neumanns are probably those that will resell at the best price, since it is a brand known for their long-term reliability.
      I use my pair of AKG C414 usually for recording voices (because the wide cardioid setting is thickening a male voice in such a pleasant way!). I just used them yesterday on guitar because I could show different polar patterns with these, although I have used them on guitar recordings as well. Oh, and Thomas Viloteau is recording himself with a stereo matched pair of C414 as well, so if you want to know the sound of these, listen to his latest releases! 

      Like 2
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