Interview with Dave our Home Recording Expert

Where are you located? Your city of residence?

Pasadena , California .

What do you do for a living/official title, etc.?

Freelance Producer/Engineer/Mixing

Student @ USC (Music Industry Major)

What is your background in music?

I've been playing music in various bands for about 12 years. I play Guitar, Bass, Drums and do some vocals.

Background in recording?

I got into recording much like other people. It started with my first band, recording on a little Tascam Porta03 4 track tape recorder. When I was about 16 my parents went away one weekend so I turned our house into a studio. Each bedroom had different musicians in it and my parent's room was the control room. We eventually went to bigger studios to record and I tried to learn as much from the studios we worked with. One producer knew I was interested and he'd let me help out running the machines and moving mics. That was where I first realized that it could be more than just a hobby. I've taken several junior college recording classes before I transferred to USC. This is a great way to learn fundamentals---It's not as fun as you think it will be, but you'll gain a greater understanding from it.

What are a couple reasons you started/became involved with this company?

I used to work with David (the owner) a while back and in the past he'd always ask me for help making demos for his band. I always try to help out anybody with a interest in recording because I know how frustrating it can be when you're just getting started.

How long have you been doing home recording?

I've been doing it off and on for about 8 years, but I've been doing it seriously for about 4 years.

What have you produced at home that is available for the public?

I work in the alternative rock/punk genre more than anything else, so all of my work generally stays in that area. I actually just found out that one of my releases just went gold..the first Drive Thru Records DVD. It's all of their bands playing live sets from Warped Tour 2002. I mixed all of the live audio on it. (The bands are: The Starting Line, Finch, Rx Bandits, Allister, Homegrown, The Early November, and The Movielife)

I also did a few mixes for the new Drive Thru Records DVD that was just released.

Those 2 DVD's were the biggest releases that I did AT HOME. I've done work at other studios like editing on Allister's "Last Stop Suburbia" and some work on the music for their appearance in the upcoming MGM film "Sleepover" with Alexa Vega.

What bands or musicians have you worked with?

Aside from many local bands in the Orange County, California area, I've listed the bigger ones above.

What is the very basic set-up someone needs?

Believe it or not, this is a very difficult question. It all depends on how much of a budget you have and what exactly you want to accomplish. If you just want to record some ideas for song writing (basically not to play for anyone) not much equipment is needed. You can start with the all in one systems like 4 track tape recorders but I've never been a fan of them. I prefer a computer based system because it gives you the ability to expand. If you want to record demos for bands I would recommend a recording soundcard as opposed to the one in your computer. A good idea for getting started cheap is not to worry about drums. Drums require so many elements to record correctly---Lots of mics, great preamps, a great sounding drum room and a lot of expertise. Another option is to find a local studio and work out a deal with them. Have them record the drums (and the band will pay for the time) then you simply bring the sessions home and do the overdubs. You can learn a lot about getting good drum sounds without having to buy lots of equipment. If you go that route I think there are some basics----A decent recording sound card (I prefer Protools) 1 or 2 mics for overdubs---A condenser for vocals and a Shure SM-57 dynamic mic. (A great all purpose mic for guitars and anything else) Finally you need something to monitor with. Everyone always wants to skip this option but we really should pay more attention to it. If you choose to work only with headphones, spend some money on some good recording headphones. If you can't trust what you're hearing, then you're wasting your time. Monitors are a better idea, but they can get expensive.

How much will that cost someone?

I've you have a decent computer, then a Digidesign Mbox soundcard and Protools software is $449. That may sound expensive but it will make a big difference. The software included in the package is the same program that most large studios use which will allow you to import sessions from other studios with ease. A Shure SM-57 is $79 and a good buy for a condenser mic is about $100. (Studio Projects B1 and the Marshall V67G are great choices here) Good headphones start around $50. If you want to invest more, Monitors start at about $200.

How is it different today than 5-10 years ago?

COMPUTERS! Although most people feel that old analog tape machines sound better (and they are generally right) the cost involved not to mention the limitations in editing are big reasons to switch to computer based recording.

How have computers made this a possible hobby?

For me, computers are turning it into a career.

Is home recording more accessible now? Is it easier?

Yes definitely. It will never be easy, but it is clearly more accessible.

Thanks again for all your help.