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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Recording → Most Important Kit
What is the most important single piece of equipment in the recording studio?
The musician 
Ear Plugs??? lol
Dont Stop Kid Keep Rockin' !! 
Hi KajiMa
I guess for me would it have to be the computer I use and the software which I run to produced my sort of music.
But it's horses for courses and what's important to me wouldn't be to someone else.
Of course all the kit in world wouldn't be any good without some reasonable musician/engineer on the end of it..
ark
i suppose "everything" has to be just right? musicians, who ever's doing the sound etc..like the ingrediants for a good cake starting wiv the cook (musicians) dont yer think?
Cheers micky
Dont Stop Kid Keep Rockin' !! Excellent question, and I'm sure there will be a lot of differing opinions on this subject.
But for me, and it is just an opinion, The PC and Software are important... but without a very good Input Device all is for naught.
By input I am referring to the quality of the microphone that HAS to capture accurately whatever sounds you are recording. Scrimp on that one piece of equipment and the rest is redundant. Granted a lot can be done by a good engineer in the way of manipulating the recording to wring the best out of it.... but if it isn't in the recording to start with, it can't be improved upon.
Take Care;
Doug
I agree with Doug Smith. While the software and PC/Mac machine is important the most critical part is the interface. Software can be confusing or frustrating but usually it can be overcome and some machines lack the "horsepower" but, for me, a bad (or no) input interface device can not be easily overcome
I'm with Doug. Mics are where its at, followed by the guy running the board.
The studio itself. The best microphone in the world is still gonna sound like you're in a water tank if you're in a water tank.
"In the recording studio the current vogue is for the singer to be very close to the microphone. This helps to cut down on unwanted background noise from other instruments or 'spill' from headphones and also reduces the acoustic ambience of the room.
Given today's increasingly cheap technology such as digital and convolution reverbs you would think that it's best to get as 'dry' a recording as possible and then 'wet' it (a term for adding reverberation or other effects) with artificial reverb at the mix stage rather than to struggle with overly 'wet' recordings that are impossible to get back to a 'dry' state without obvious artefacts.
The problem with close mic'ing is that it's always a very intimate sound, every tongue, lip-smacking and breathing sound is picked up by the microphone and if the microphone is looking upwards towards the nose it can also sound a bit more nasal in tone.
The contribution of the chest cavity to a vocal sound shouldn't be under estimated, it helps to warm up the sound, so backing off the microphone by several feet will help to achieve this. This makes sense really, when you think about how you normally listen to singers, you hear them in the room, not right next to them.
The problem with putting the microphone further away is that you hear more of the room's acoustics and in a small studio or vocal booth it can sound 'boxy'. To reduce this effect you'll need to hang sound absorbent materials such as curtains or duvets behind the singer in particular, since this is where the microphone is picking up most of its sound, and on other walls until you have a suitably 'dry' sound."
"source-recording microphones.com
It is nice to have agreement, but in retrospect I do also have to give credit where it is due. Southpaw has some very good points in his posting.... and the room is a huge variable in any recording environment.
I tend to overlook the value of the acoustic properties of the recording "booth" as most of my vocal work has been recorded in such an environment. You know the isolated glass window, convoluted foam baffles glued to all the hard surfaces and such. One thing is though, we all bring our own microphones.... because not everybody's voices sound great on every mic. Some have filters tuned to dampen certain frequencies and some are more responsive in others. But then again, that is not a singing job. It is narration, and volume is not as important as clarity, diction, and expression.
I do really like the water tank analogy! Truth is truth!
Doug
Great answers Chordians!
Keep going!
OK. This isn't going as far as I thought it would.
The answer -
YOUR EARS!
It's what YOU hear that is the most important thing!
I have seen some good answers to this question but desire is the most important part of working in a studio.
This is my first time on Chordie as part of my never ending quest for more information.
So far things look pretty cool.
If you have nothing else to work with, find an old cassette recorder and go sit on the john and play in a nice live bathroom for the natural reverb / echo. Ya know, like singing in the shower.
I am quite spoiled as I have quite an elaborate home studio and play most instruments, "well, not the oboe" but I started with an acoustic guitar and a tiled hallway.
Miracles can come from three chords, any kind of voice with the rite inspiration behind it.
While I will be happy to help newbies at getting into recording, I am predominantly looking for seasoned players.
Don't stop writing!!!
When Gershwin was asked how he had written so many successful songs, he replied, "when you write fifteen songs a day, something will eventually work"
Those are words to live by.
;-)
Hi mglen and welcome to Chordie I think desire is a important quality could be the most,its what fuels the passion and creativity and it sure dont hurt to have some fine equipment to transfer your ideas on,I'm fortunate to have some good gear also and I guess I could classify myself as seasoned having been in this for most of my life if you can give us a sample of a few of your songs i'm sure other members would be interested in listening to them
I have seen some good answers to this question but desire is the most important part of working in a studio.
This is my first time on Chordie as part of my never ending quest for more information.
So far things look pretty cool.
If you have nothing else to work with, find an old cassette recorder and go sit on the john and play in a nice live bathroom for the natural reverb / echo. Ya know, like singing in the shower.I am quite spoiled as I have quite an elaborate home studio and play most instruments, "well, not the oboe" but I started with an acoustic guitar and a tiled hallway.
Miracles can come from three chords, any kind of voice with the rite inspiration behind it.
While I will be happy to help newbies at getting into recording, I am predominantly looking for seasoned players.
Don't stop writing!!!
When Gershwin was asked how he had written so many successful songs, he replied, "when you write fifteen songs a day, something will eventually work"
Those are words to live by.
;-)
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