Electronic Studio Resources I:  Assignment 1 — Recording

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Assignment 1: Recording

What we’re trying to do

• Learn how to set up a microphone for recording; understand the studio’s 16-channel 4-bus analog mixer and how sound signals may be routed through the mixer to the computer; experiment with processing sound in Peak.

What to turn in

• Several AIFF audio files, with the assignment number and your login as part of the file name. Drag the file into the Drop Box folder for Assignment 1 on the computer in the studio.

The basic process

• Set up an AKG C414 microphone, and connect it to the mixer.
• Set the mixer controls so that you get an optimum sound level — not too soft, not too loud — coming in to the mixer.
• Set the mixer controls to route the microphone signal into the computer for recording.
• Configure Peak for audio recording, and adjust sound level coming in to Peak.
• Record and save your sounds.
• Listen to your sounds.
• Process sounds in Peak.

How to go about it

1. Turn the room power on — just press the switch once. The equipment will come on in a preset sequence, with delays. Note that the computer is the exception: power it on manually by pressing the power key. Since you won’t be using the Kurzweil rack mount synth for this assignment, you may wish to turn it off, because it’s noisy. Also, before recording, you may wish to turn off the overhead fluorescent lights — they buzz.
2. Zero out the mixer, if it hasn’t already been done: working up from the bottom of the mixer, pull all the faders down; leave the pan knobs set as they are; set all EQ to center detents; set all Aux knobs to their leftmost position; set all Gain (i.e. trim) knobs to their leftmost position. Make sure all buttons are up, i.e. disengaged.
3. Set up one AKG C414 microphone on the mono mic stand:
   • The mics and cables are in the top drawer of the left filing cabinet that’s under the desk next to the door. Place the mic stand close enough to the mixer so that you can operate the mixer controls while speaking or otherwise making noise into the mic.
   • Plug the mic cable into input channel 1 on the mixer — the XLR jacks are on the top of the mixer.
   • Carefully twist the bottom of the shockmount (counter-clockwise, when looking at it from below) so that it’s “open” and ready to accept the mic. Bring the other end of the mic cable up through the shockmount and, while holding the mic above the shockmount, plug the mic cable in to the bottom of the mic. (Just a reminder: the silver screen is the front of the mic, and is the part you would talk or sing into; the black screen is the back.) Now lower the mic into the shockmount. Twist the shockmount closed (clockwise from below) so that it holds the mic securely. Please be gentle with the shockmounts — they can break.
   • Turn on the mixer’s phantom power switch. (It’s next to the mixer’s power switch. Press the bottom part of the rocker switch to turn it on — to the position marked with a dash.)
   • If you are recording vocal sounds, including speech, you should use the “pop filter” that’s available.
4. Set the mixer controls so that you get an optimum sound level coming into the mixer.
   • Engage (push in) the input channel’s SOLO switch; the “rude solo light” will blink.
   • Push in the MODE switch in the output section (LEVEL SET(PFL) mode) — the LEVEL SET LED will light.
   • Make noise into the mic.
   • Adjust the GAIN control so that the display on the meter stays around 0, with occasional excursions to +2 or +4 dB. (Only the left meter is active in this level-setting procedure.) For speech, the GAIN will probably be at about 2 o’clock; for trumpet, maybe 12 o’clock.
   • Disengage that channel’s SOLO switch.
   • Disengage the MODE switch.
5. Set the mixer controls so that the mic signal is routed into the computer for recording.
   • On input channel 1, where you connected the mic, raise the fader to unity gain, and engage the 1-2 button. This routes that input channel to the 1-2 “sub outs” in the mixer’s output section. You will notice that those are labled MOTU ANALOG IN 1-2. This means that the sound goes to the MOTU 828 audio interface in the rack.
   • Note that the pan knob on input channel 1 should be all the way to the left.
   • In the output section, raise the sub out 1 fader to unity gain.
   • In the SOURCE section, engage the 1-2 button. This meters the signal arriving at the 1-2 sub outs. (To listen to the sound with headphones, raise the CTLROOM/PHONES knob.)
   • Make sure the two faders at the far right — labeled Speakers — are all the way down! If they are up, you could generate painful feedback!

     Always make sure the speakers are off while recording!

   • Make some noise into the mic, to make sure you see level in the meters.
6. Configure Peak for audio recording.
   • In the Mac’s Dock, click the Peak icon (red rectangle) to launch the program.
   • The audio driver must be set up correctly. It probably is, but just in case, here’s how to do it.
     1. Choose the Audio > Select Audio I/O menu command.
     2. In the dialog that opens, make sure that MOTU 828mk2 is set for both the Input Device and the Output Device. Press OK.
   • Choose the Audio > Recording Settings menu command.
   • Note the Monitor On/Off option. If you check this, the sound you record into the computer will be sent back out to the mixing board (on the MOTU 828mk2 channels.) This could cause terrible feedback if you had the mixer set up a certain way, so it’s best not to turn on this option.
   • Click the Audio Input Settings button and choose Mono. Select 24-bit.

     In the Record Through pop-up menu, choose In 2 (Analog) 3 & 4. Believe it or not, this is for inputs 1 & 2 of the MOTU 828mk2. (In 0 (Mic/Instrument) 1 & 2 is for the mic and instrument inputs on the front of the 828.)

     The other settings in these dialogs should be okay for now, so close those two windows.

   • Choose the Audio > Record menu command. This puts up the Recording window.
   • To control the level of signal reaching the computer, use the sub out 1 fader (labeled MOTU ANALOG IN 1).
   • Make some noise into the mic, and watch the levels on the meter in the Peak Transport window at the bottom of the screen. Use the mixer’s MOTU ANALOG IN 1 fader to adjust the level; aim for peaks no higher than about -2 dB in Peak. (Note: Peak makes this look as if it’s going to be stereo; but the two channels that seem to be shown are really both the left channel.)
7. Record and save your sounds.
   • When your levels seem good, press the record button (in bottom right corner of Peak’s Record window) to start recording. Press the stop button (just to left of record button) to stop.
   • The Save recording as dialog appears. Choose a location to save your file — probably your Documents folder or the Desktop — from the Where menu. Then you see a window containing the sound waveform. But don’t play anything yet! See below!
8. Listen to your sounds.
   • On the mixer, make sure you have the mic channel muted (MUTE button) while playing back your sounds!

     This is to prevent nasty feedback between the mic and speakers. (Do you see how this can happen?)

   • The sound will come from the computer via the MOTU 828 Main Outs. Look for the mixer input channel strips that are labeled MOTU MAIN — they are channels 7 and 8. Raise both faders to unity.
   • On those input channels, engage the L/R buttons to assign the signal to the main mix (i.e., “Speakers L/R”).
   • In the mixer’s output section, raise the “Speakers L/R” fader at the far right.
   • Play back your sound in Peak. (Press the space bar.)
   • If you aren’t pleased with your recording, you could try the pad settings on the back of the mic (0, -10, and -20 dB settings), or the different bass roll-off frequencies next to the pad switch.
   • When you resume recording, turn the speaker fader down all the way, and unmute the mic.
9. Process sounds in Peak.
   • Before modifying any of your sounds, make a copy of them first. If you were to mangle a sound you recorded in Peak and then save it, your original recording would be gone. This is called destructive editing.
   • Play around with these sounds in Peak (applying time expansion, pitch shifting, effects, etc.). Most of the processing commands are in the DSP menu.
10. Try stereo recording.
    • If you're feeling sure about recording in mono, then try it in stereo.
    • Use the other mic stand, with the stereo bar and two shock mounts.
    • Mount the two AKG 414 mics in the X/Y coincident arrangement (mics close together and pointing 90 degrees apart).
    • Route mic cables to channels 1 & 2 on the mixer.
    • Pan the channels to opposite sides: channel 1 all the way to the left, channel 2 all the way to the right.
    • Don't forget to set the trim for the second mic.
    • When you make a new Peak document to record into, choose Stereo instead of Mono after clicking the Audio Input Settings button (Audio > Recording Settings).
11. Tidy up! At the end of your session...
    • Turn off phantom power, then disconnect the mic from the mixer.
    • Coil cables neatly, and return everything to the file drawer.
    • Coil cables neatly, and return everything to the file drawer.
    • Mixer — zero it out.
    • If no one is waiting to use the studio after you, please power down the studio. Choose Shut Down from the Apple menu. Turn the fluorescent lights on first; then press the “Turn Studio On Here” button once. Everything will power down in the proper sequence.

Manuals

©2009, Alicyn Warren, John Gibson, Christopher Cook, Jeffrey Hass