English, baby!

Home Recording

Date: Jul 14 2008

Themes: Tech

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Just a few decades ago, if a musician wanted to make a recording, he or she had to go to a studio and pay an engineer. But now, a studio can be anywhere you want it to be. Without even spending all that much, you can buy the equipment to make quality digital recordings. In fact, Soulja Boy recorded his entire hit album on free software!

Though it’s considerably easier to produce, digital music does sound a little bit different than analog equipment. While the cleaner sound of digital recording may work for Soulja Boy, rock bands and people who play older styles of music may prefer the warmer sound of tape.

Mason is excited that he can record himself playing guitar on his computer, but in the age of digital music, Beren’s band made an album the old-fashioned way. Listen to them talk about the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Beren

Mason: So Beren, you’re in a band, yeah? ‘Cause I just got one of these Mbox things where I can record my guitar into my computer and it just…I don’t even know what I’m doing. I tried and failed.

Beren: OK, so I know the Mbox. You plug your guitar in and then plug that into the computer for GarageBand?

Mason: Yeah.

Beren: I think that’s like a different beast. When I think of home recording…Like we just did our full-length album on reel to reel 8-track and 4-track.

Mason: Old school! Wow.

Beren: Yeah. And it sounds awesome. And I’ve been in studio studios where you’re paying $500 a day and done the same thing, reel to reel.

Mason: Did you just mike everything?

Beren: Yeah, it’s like old-school style. If you listen to ‘60s Motown records, all the drums have one mic placed between the bass and the snare and that’s it. That’s why it’s funky. Clyde Stubblefield? That’s all he used. One mic. And then ambient room mics, that’s what we did, and then guitar mics and stuff. But we’d record live. It’s super fast and super cheap. But you should get a 4-track player. I have Garage Band too, and I don’t know. There’s something about it…I like computers. I’m pretty computer literate. But as far as recording goes, I don’t know.

Mason: So did you even do any editing to it, or did you just play it live enough times that you’re like, “Yeah, that one sounded good. We’ll print it.”

Beren: Kind of. A lot of the stuff on the record is the first time we’ve ever played it together as a band though, you know?

Mason: No kidding? That’s kind of interesting. I mean, so many people with the proliferation of how available it is to do digital recording and Garage Band coming on everyone’s Mac computer, to go totally retro and do it that way.

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Discussion

Mason asks Beren for advice on how use his new digital recording equipment because he remembers she’s in a band. But as it turns out, Beren doesn’t know all that much about digital recordings.

The Motown recordings of the 1960s had a distinct sound and were very popular. Beren’s band would rather sound like that, so they record using tape and only a few microphones. They all play their parts at the same time instead of one at a time.

Have you ever made a recording? Do you like the sound of new, digital recordings or the old analog stuff? Maybe you even own some vinyl records.

Comments

vicmay_lo-flo@live.com.mx

Mexico

I prefer the analog taxation, but in these days. recording digital music is more practical.

julito

Argentina

Actually , as far as I know, the opinions on this subject are divided, the old school might prefer the analog sound.

飞翔海洋

China

I agree that the speaking is too fast to understand.especilly for the people whose fist lauguage is not english ,But I believe by hard studing,maybe ,I can reach the level.