What equipment do I need?

The absolute essentials are a computer, microphone, headphones and pop shield.

What type of microphone do I need?

To record vocals in the studio, most people opt to use a powered, condenser microphone. Typically, these microphones are mounted on a stand – usually with a shock mount. They look distinctly different from the sort of microphone used for stage performances.

Most microphone manufacturers have an extensive selection of condenser microphones to choose from at a reasonable price. Good starts would be the Rhode NT1 and SE Electronics SE2000, but you’ll need an audio interface for these. See below…

USB microphones.

USB microphones plug directly into the USB port of your computer, bypassing the need to use a dedicated audio interface. Most also have a dedicated input for your headphones, providing everything you need to record vocals.

USB microphones tend to be USB enabled versions of “proper” studio vocal microphones – a far cry from the cheap sort used for Skype and online gaming. I’d highly recommend a USB microphone if you’re just “starting out” recording to beats. A good example is the Audio Technica 2020USB – but most manufactures provide at least one model.

Where should I place the microphone?

The aim of a good recording is to capture a “dry”, full sound which will give you the most options to edit later.
A “dry” sound is a recording without any room echoes or other artifacts. Effects and ambience can (and should) be added by software to give you maximum flexibility at the mixing stage.

For a typical space, the best place to record is often the center of the room. If you record near walls, your voice will “bounce” or echo off the hard surface and this will be picked up by the microphone as unwanted ambience. Surprisingly, a typical household room is often ideal for recording vocals. Furniture such as chairs, sofas and carpets help absorb sound reflections.

If you want to improve your recordings further, try hanging a duvet behind the vocalist. This helps prevent sound reflections entering the most sensitive part of the mic and can be the single most effective way to cut down on unwanted ambience and echoes.

How far should I stand from the microphone?

30 centimeters is a good start. If you stand too near the mic, your voice will sound “boomy” and you’ll probably overload your audio input! If you stand too far away, you’ll start to pick up “reflections” from your room – echos of your voice bouncing off the walls and being picked up by the microphone.

Audio interfaces.

Normal microphones can’t be plugged into your computer! If you choose not to use a USB microphone, you’ll need an audio interface. These usually take the form of a box connected to your computer via USB or Firewire and usually have audio inputs for one or more microphones. M-Audio and MOTU are popular manufactures of audio interfaces. If you see your recording needs expanding beyond a single microphone, an audio interface is the way to go.

Headphones.

Headphones are used to monitor your instrumental backing track (and previously recorded vocals) whilst recording. Using your iPod headphones is not a great idea! The sound will “leak” out and be picked up by the microphone. I recommend using a pair of “Closed Back” headphones.

The primary advantage of the closed back design is that the sound is “enclosed” in your ear and doesn’t leak back into the microphone. Typically, the sound quality is superior. You’ll be able to turn the volume up and really get a “feel” for the performance.

Pop Shield.

Last but by no means least. A pop shield looks like a net suspended in front of a microphone. They help avoid excessive “popping” on plosive sounds such as ‘P’ and ‘B’ consonants by scattering the air which would otherwise hit the microphone full force. This “popping” sound is incredibly difficult to get rid of once recorded.

Most pop shields come as an attachment for the microphone stand. If you’re really stuck for cash, you can fashion a pop shield using old stockings and a coat hanger. Remember to wash the stockings first..

What computer do I need?

Contrary to what most “experts” and forums say, any modern PC or Mac will be up to the job of recording audio. Computing power has come a long way in recent years. An iPhone has many times the power my first music PC had! If you decide to use your computer for some audio recording, bear in mind the following tips:

1. Make sure you have plenty of room left on your hard drive. Audio data takes up a lot of space!
2. Close all other programs running on your computer (such as browsers, mail etc.) Leave your computer processor free for audio related tasks.

What software should I use?

That depends on your computer! If you have an Apple Mac, “Garageband” should already be installed on your machine. This program is ideal for recording vocals over instrumentals. If you don’t have Garageband, it can be purchased as part of the iLife software bundle from Apple.

If you’re using a PC (or Mac) there’s a growing selection of cheap and free software you can use to record your vocals. Here are some of the better ones:

Audacity is one of the original “free” programs and is still going strong. It’s a bit “techie” but well supported, and is available for Windows and Mac. It features pitch correction – so if the key of the instrumental is not ideal for you, it can be changed using Audacity.

Jokosher is another free offering. It’s described as a “simple yet powerful multi-track studio” by the makers and is worth a shot if you’re low on funds!

Myna is a slightly unusual offering as it actually runs in your computers browser. It features an array of audio editing tools and effects. Worthy of your time.

Magix music maker is a commercial offering and at the time of writing is on version 16! There’s a nominal fee to download the program, but it’s fully featured and includes a library of sounds and loops if you want to experiment with producing your own beats. Audio editing tools and effects are also included.

What are the “pro options” for audio software?

If you’ve got cash to spare there are a number of other programs available and most have special “cut-down” versions available for less money. These versions may be all you need to record over your instrumentals. Pro-Tools is used by most professional studios worldwide but comes at a premium cost and requires special hardware. Cubase and Sonar are the most popular programs for PC and come in special “cut-down” versions: SONAR Home Studio and Cubase Essential. Apple Logic is the logical choice for Mac owners.

That concludes part 1. In part 2, I’ll be covering preparation and recording techniques. Thanks for reading!

Visit the blog to listen to audio!

The track was created using a beat from the smoothbeatsonly website. If you want to know more, you can hit up the writers and vocalists below.

Justin Ellis on Twitter. (song writing)
Glen Perkins on Twitter. (vocals and song writing)

In the last two years, leasing beats and instrumentals on the internet has become an accepted way for artists and singers to get instrumentals, and good business for music producers. There’s a huge selection of leasing websites to choose from, some of them very reputable. If you’re thinking of leasing a beat (from the smoothbeats site or otherwise,) take 2 minutes to read this article. I’ll try to explain how leasing works, and what traps you can fall into…

What exactly is a lease?

Essentially, you’re buying the “right” or permission to use the beat from the producer.
Here’s how it works.

1. The producer creates the beat and uploads it to a website.

2. The artist (that’s you!) downloads the beat from the website, paying a one-off fee. This is the license fee.

3. The artist writes a song to the beat and records it at home, or in the studio.

4. The artist can use the finished track (instrumental + song) in anyway he or she sees fit, usually for a demo or uploading to the internet, sometimes a full blown album release. The artist has the right to collect all royalties (more on this below) from any sales of the finished track.

The above is a typical example. There are other ways to use a leased beat. Directors and actors often lease beats for use in videos and films, especially those aimed at online distribution.

What about royalties?

Royalties are payments made to artists, song writers and producers for the use of their music, and sales of records.

Ideally, when you buy a lease to use a beat, the producer will agree to waive any royalties that he or she would otherwise be entitled to. When a producer creates a beat, he or she automatically has the copyright for that piece of music and would normally expect to receive royalty payments for it’s use.

Ask the producer if he or she would be willing to sign a “royalty release form” so that any future royalties would go to you, the artist. Remember, the producer’s payment is the license fee and the right to re-license the instrumental.

Who owns the beat?

In the case of a lease, the ownership (a.k.a copyright) remains with the producer. This way, the producer can supply other artists with a lease to use the same beat. Its a win-win for both the artist and producer. The artist gets the use of the beat without paying hundreds of dollars, and the producer can derive an income from his or her work.

What can I do with a lease?

Usually, anything! However, many producers place restrictions on the lease – more on that below. The only thing you can’t do is re-sell the beat as an instrumental. In other-words, you have to add vocals or use the beat as part of a video.

Things to look for when leasing a beat.

1. The agreement.

Most websites have some form of agreement governing beat use. It’s important that you have a look at this before parting with your hard earned cash. The agreement governs the relationship between the producer and the artist in respect of the use of the beat.

Some producers will supply you paperwork. Other sites, (like smoothbeatsonly.com) use a system similar to downloadable software. Using this system, before clicking on a download link, you “agree” to a set of terms and conditions.

Make sure that the lease agreement can be viewed on the producer’s website prior to purchasing a lease.

2. Length of Lease.

Most artists rightly assume that once they’ve leased a beat, they’re free to use it forever. Some producers restrict the length of time that an artist can use the beat for – sometimes as little as two years. There’s no reason at all for a producer to place these restrictions on leases – unless he or she is looking to up-sell you to another product..

3. Restrictions on use

Some producers place restrictions on what you can use your completed track (beat + your song) for. For example, they may restrict use to demos only, or a certain number internet downloads or CD pressings. Why? Who knows. Make sure you check before you plan a 5 year world tour…

4. Have any samples been cleared by the producer?

A sample is an audio extract of another record (often classic and famous tracks) that’s used as part of another track.

Copyright and ownership of an original sample is likely to be held by the original artist or record label, and they won’t have given the producer permission to use the beat. Some producers attempt to get around this problem by suggesting that the artist “pursue the right with the original copyright holders to use the sample” – in other-words, hand you the responsibility.

This is rubbish. The producer should never sell you a leased beat for which he or she does not own 100% of the copyright.

This is mainly a problem with hip-hop beats, but can affect other genres as well.
If the beat you’re considering leasing contains an obvious sample, the producer may well be breaking the law distributing the track in the first place.

If you’ll forgive me a quick plug, all beats from the smoothbeatsonly site are sample free.

5. Use of sample CDs, sound libraries, loops and virtual instruments in the beats.

This is an issue which is rarely covered by producers, but is as important as copyright clearance for samples.

When a producer creates a beat, he or she often uses sounds or loops taken from sound libraries designed for music production. For example, the snare drum on a beat might come from “Phat Hip-Hop Drum Kits Volume 3.” You get the picture.

Each one of these sound libraries have a license agreement (familiar yet?) which covers the use of the sounds within musical productions.

Not all sound library agreements allow the use of their sounds in leased beats. If a producer leases you a beat containing “uncleared” sounds, they’re breaking the law.

For example. I recently purchased a sound library of guitar recordings for use in my musical productions. I had to apply for a “special license” from the library vendor in order to use the sounds within leased beats.

The moral? Make sure that your chosen producer knows the licensing laws for his or her chosen sounds!

6. What about tracked out files?

Tracked out files, otherwise known as “Multi-Tracks” are a way of supplying a beat broken down into it’s constituent instrument files. So, the producer will supply a single file for each instrument featured in the arrangement. With the right software, the artist can re-mix the levels of each instrument, add parts and modify the beat in a variety of ways.

If a producer offers multi-tracks, pay close attention to point 5 above! If a producer is supplying multi-tracks for a leased beat, there’s a very good chance that he or she is distributing files from sample CD’s and sound libraries illegally – probably without knowing it. In effect, they are re-distributing the sounds and samples in their original “raw” form – which is expressively forbidden by most sound library agreements.

If the producer has created their sounds from scratch, then you’re good to go. Make sure you check with the producer beforehand. If they can’t answer this question, think twice.

Hopefully, you’re now armed with a little more information about leasing. If you’ve got any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me!

Thanks Poneboy.

I’m extremely appreciative of this and some customers go to extreme lengths to send me music, grappling with large file sizes via e-mail or setting up a YouTube account just to post a “fake” movie containing the track.

In an effort to make your lives easier, I’ve prepared this brief post to tell you about some services and websites I’ve come across that allow you to upload and distribute your music, and even promote and sell. Most of these services are free.
If you know of any others, just let me know and I’ll update this post.

If you want to share music online, try SoundCloud.

Uploading tracks to MySpace is one way to share your tracks online, but your music is downgraded in sound quality and it’s hard to share your MySpace tracks across the web.

Enter SoundCloud. Think of it as a music player on steroids. You can upload any file type, any size or format, and in turn have your music displayed on websites using the rather cool SoundCloud player.

To share your music, you can send people your SoundCloud URL, or better still, embed the SoundCloud music player featuring your music on any website you wish using the tools provided.

The service also includes more features, such as private file sharing, stats and the like. Worth a look.

SoundCloud: The Tour from SoundCloud on Vimeo.

If you need to distribute large files and collaborate, try Dropbox.

Dropbox is a remote storage facility. Think of it as a personal hard drive or memory stick on the internet which you (and others) can access anywhere.

Why is this useful for artists? Example: You want to send a large audio file to the studio (perhaps the WAV version of a beat from Smoothbeatsonly.com), and give other musical collaborators access to the same file. Dropbox is a great way to do this.

If you want to upload, share and sell your music..try Bandcamp.

Despite the name, Bandcamp is an excellent tool for playing and promoting your musical endeavours. Bandcamp allows you to set up an artist “page.” As well as providing a way to play your tracks, Bandcamp allows you to share your news and music across social networks and also sell your music online.

Another option. BandZoogle.

Featuring a similar feature set to Bandcamp, BandZoogle adds blog and podcast facilities. In short, everything you need to upload, distribute, sell and market your tracks. The indie artist has never had it so good!

Hopefully, these links will give you some ideas on how to distribute your songs and get exposure. Thanks for reading. If you have any further links, just let me know and I’ll try to update this post.

I’m always amazed at the variety of ways people are able to use beats. This a great example. You can check out some more of Sistah J’s work, and follow her on Twitter.

By the way, thanks for the kind words in the video!

I’m Joyce Rogers CEO of VideoPage4U.com I have known of Al’s beats since discovering him over 2 years ago. I purchased several beats from him for my second CD. On my first CD, I produced my own music on my Motif 6. That was 5 years ago.

When I got ready to do my second CD, I wanted somebody better than me on the keyboard…someone with studio quality industry standard level. I was so glad to run across Al. I had seen his ad over at SoundClick and it was on from there.

Now I have branched out onto 2 other loves I have… my Art and my creative ability in marketing others thru video media. If you are an artist, you should get Al’s beats and then once you’ve finished your album, you should contact me immediately for producing a video page for you as I have for Al.

Like Al, I am very affordable and very good at what I do. Check out Al’s video page here http:www.simurl.com/smoothbeats Together we will be a powerhouse that will help you get where you want to be in the music world.

GUARDS UP by Reekaym

As an aside, this track is hosted on SoundCloud, which is a pretty good way to distribute your music for free. You can also use the cool player above to post your track on blogs etc. Just remember to check the SoundCloud license agreement…

Anyway, thanks to Reekay. You can visit his SoundCloud page or MySpace.

The result is now on iTunes and YouTube..check out the video below.

I was completely blown away by the song, the quality of the recording and the video. I figured you guys might want to see and listen too. It’s a great demonstration of what you can do with some talent, limited funds and a leased beat.

Visit Dano’s YouTube page or MySpace and show him some love.

You can also listen and download Dano’s track from iTunes.

Just want to say to Dano – it’s stuff like this that gives me creative energy to produce more tracks when I’m feeling uninspired, so thanks!

Obviously, I’m really pleased, and I think the album is pretty good too. Take a listen for yourself:

Thanks to Poneboy for letting me link to the site.

Knyt

We’ve got artists from all over the world using beats from smoothbeatsonly.com. Knyt, aka Harry S from London, UK, sent me this track a while back. It’s called “Ring Ring” and was created using a beat from the website, with added instruments.

Visit the blog to listen to audio!

Harry’s at university in London right now (that’s the UK version of college) studying English. Thanks to Harry for letting me publish the track.