How to set up a session and record

Welcome! This is John from djprosperity.com. I have been asked by Dee Dot to share my love for music as well as my knowledge. I am excited to be a part of Producers Corner so without further ado, here is my first post:

Today's topic will be covering "How to set up a session and record" in whatever DAW you choose. I chose this particular topic because sometimes new clients will send me sessions and I when I open them I see stereo files all over the place. A microphone is a mono source (unless it is a stereo microphone- but in most cases it is a studio condenser microphone which is mono) so when you record your vocals you should record them on mono tracks within your DAW. I apologize to any advanced users that may be reading this post, but I will be explaining all the fundamental and basic terms that I use in this post for the beginners. A DAW is a Digital Audio Workstation or simply put it is the software that you use to record and capture audio.

To help me illustrate "How to set up and record" I have included a tutorial video explaining the process. In this video I show you step-by-step how to: create a session, create mono tracks, select your inputs and outputs, label your tracks for visual differentiation, arm or enable those tracks, and finally record. For this demonstration I use ProTools, however the information contained in this video is applicable to any DAW that you use to record. The UI (User Interface) may look different in some DAW's but they all contain the same foundational tools.

So that I don't leave anyone in the dark, I will explain the signal chain for any first time readers. I have a studio condenser microphone set up in my studio, that microphone connects to a preamp (whose job is to amplify the microphones signal from mic level to line level), the preamp then connects to an audio interface (a hardware unit with physical connections that allows instruments, microphones, etc. to communicate with the software inside of the computer through a conversion process known as A/D or Audio to Digital where it converts audio waveforms into binary code; which is the language the computer understands), the interface then connects to my computer and I am ready to open my DAW and begin making music! Signal chain recap: (mic->preamp->interface->computer).

Please enjoy the video and feel free to follow my blog and/or comment. Also, feel free to visit my website: www.djprosperity.com (there you can click the icons to follow me on various social media sites) and sign the Guestbook on the "Contact" page. I would be more than happy to help you with any of your audio needs or questions that you might have. God Bless and see you next post!

Tutorial video: http://youtu.be/zfYSeI6jSzA

About Me:

I am a certified Audio Engineer and owner/operator of a website called djprosperity.com. I received my education in Audio Recording and Production from The Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in Tempe Arizona. If you'd like to know more about me or would like my help with your projects, please visit my website and contact me.