An Intro to Self-Recording
being able to record yourself is SO important, but how do you get started..?
We become interested in self-recording as students and that interest snowballed into a full-blown recording business called 2x1 Media. Let’s talk through some things we have learned along the way and how you can effectively apply these ideas to your own recording projects.
The Gear
One of the biggest hurdles to jump through is acquiring gear. There is a lot of equipment out there, and a good portion of it is expensive. If you are a student, your department or school library may have gear you can check out! Our first project was recorded on equipment from the university library, and it helped us get started without any sort of extra financial commitment, we call that a win.
This may seem obvious, but when recording there are two main considerations to take into account - audio & video. You may be saying “duh..“ but we bring it up because the best set up for a microphone is probably not the best place for a camera. More on that soon….
The Essentials
Some things that are non-negotiable - microphone(s), an audio interface or another way to capture signal from a microphone (may be a USB mic), a way to edit your audio (often called a DAW - Digital Audio Workstation), and finally a platform to share your recording (i.e. Youtube, Social Media, Mixed Tape outside your local grocery store, etc.).
Let’s say your recording also has a video element - now we need to add a camera and potentially lighting to our list of essentials. Here is the good news - most of us have a powerful recording tool in our pocket!
Here is a list of our gear recommendations at multiple price points!
Before we go any farther…
We are going to use one of our first projects to talk about what we would now do differently.
Big oof. Here’s the thing - this video is an example of the process. The more you do something, the better you can get at it! Here are some things that stand out to us now:
the titling and animation just screams iMovie. Going with simple and clean titles that don’t distract is best, if someone is watching your recording there is a good chance they already know what it’s called.
Equipment everywhere! You can see all the cameras, a metronome sitting on a trap table, an extension cord, and wires everywhere. Going back, we would get as much equipment out of our angles as possible for a cleaner image, and do something about hiding the metronome.
Angle Choice - what angle you show also showcases what you believe is musically important. There are times it sits on an angle that is a supporting role for a looooong time. This can cause the video to get stale.
Attire - our choice attire is on all levels of dressed up from slacks to jeans, we should have coordinated better!
The process
Over the years we have developed better ways to go through the recording process. Here are some of the main considerations we think about before every project.
What type of project is this - live recording, audition recording, produced music video, etc. These questions inform the way we think about going into the session.
What am I trying to say musically, and how is that represented in my recording?
For us this means camera work that supports musical ideas, not take away from it.
What kind of aesthetic am I creating? Not every video has to be as dark as possible!
Location - some types of recordings work best in concert halls (audition videos, one-take performances) and others can be aided by another venue.
Our more produced videos are almost always recorded with audio and video separate. This gives us the best of both worlds with regard to audio and video capture. If you want to record outside, wind and lighting become variables that are difficult to deal with, so if you can eliminate even one of those by recording audio and video separate your life gets a little easier. We did that with Babybot by Andrea Mazzariello. In this piece we also wanted to have a visual representation of the distribution of melodic material - hence the color effects in the video.
During a session
Go in with a plan - have multiple pairs of sticks and mallets because mics pick things up differently than our ears. This means you have to be flexible! Another part of planning is knowing recording chunks - if it’s a piece that will have multiple sections spliced together you need to know how to split it up before the session. This allows you to practice in chunks before recording day!
Stay relaxed - recording can be stressful, and often the more times we attempt a section of music the worse it gets. Keep things loose and relaxed! Remember you are trying to capture the best version of yourself when you record, For us this usually means taking (coffee) breaks to split things up.
Knock 3-5bpm off your goal tempo - we always go into sessions with a metronome handy, and intentionally losing just a few bpm can help phrases speak better and keep you relaxed as you play. If I have a goal tempo of 120bpm, I might record it at 116-118 bpm.
CLosing thoughts
Learning to record yourself is a process - don’t let your first session be the one that counts! You can learn so much about recording from YouTube! Practice recording the same way you might practice scales and arpeggios or recital/pre-screening/all-state music. You should also think about the goal of a recording. If it is a piece that has 100 versions on youtube, is it worth recording? Is it another marimba solo when you already have 5 on your channel? Would it be better to record a snare solo to showcase that you are well rounded? A friend of mine was recording a timpani solo a few years ago and I asked him why that instead of the marimba solo he had been working on for so long. The marimba solo was certainly more difficult and more popular in the percussion community, and he said he wanted to be able to show he was well-rounded, which meant the timpani solo helped paint a more detailed picture of his skill sets as a musician.
It is also okay to take down old recordings! If you look back at a recording from 3 years ago and think “I’m way better now“ or “why did I play that phrase that way” then you have grown as a musician. It’s all part of the process and we should constantly embrace that process.