Recording Resources
Bitwig — DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) • Record, Edit, and Mix on Linux, macOS and Windows
There are a tone (;-) of great resources around the web for helping you venture in recording.
The Home Studio Handbook
DiscMakers: The Home Studio Handbook - Your blueprint to getting great acoustics and professional sounding mixes right at home.
Adour — DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) • Record, Edit, and Mix on Linux, macOS and Windows
Shure - Topics
Shure Louder Magazine a lot of great information for Musicians, Content Creators, and Pro Audio.
Ultimate Home Studio , Shure , world renowned for the microphones has a great site with tons of information. Start with the blog/topics for information on live, records, studio, etc...
You can go wrong with having a few SM57 and SM58 mics around. I still have mine from 40+ years ago and going great.
Resources & Links
- One Mic Stand - Del Ray Advice on playing more music with less sound equipment.
- Recording Classical Guitar: Sage Advice from Engineers John Taylor, Norbert Kraft, and Ricardo Marui – the ukulele is a bit like a classical guitar and can benefit by the experience of recording the classical guitar.
Audio Interfaces
Run the signal through a good preamp, preferably a tube preamp.
There is an old saying: Garbage in, Garbage out.
This holds true for recording and We'll fix it in the mix.
Your better off getting it right on the way in.
Sweetwater InSync Articles
A lot of great insight and information on Audio Interfaces, Recording, and a lot more.
Focusrite Scarlett Solo (3rd Gen) USB Audio Interface with Pro Tools
One of the best performing mic preamps the Scarlett range has ever seen, now with switchable air Mode to give your recordings a brighter and more open sound. One high-headroom instrument input to plug in your guitar or bass. Two hum-free balanced outputs provide clean audio playback.
Recommended Gear for Recording Ukulele
Beyond some sort a USB or Firewire computer interface, recording software and decent microphones there is some gear and other goodies that will make your recording life easier.
Pre-Amp - In general, the function of a preamp is to amplify a low-level signal to line-level. A list of common low-level signal sources would include a pickup, microphone, turntable or other transducer. Equalization and tone control may also be applied.
Compressor - Compressors and limiters are specialized amplifiers used to reduce dynamic range, the span between the softest and loudest sounds.
Curt's Recording Gear
Other than going to a world-class studio, which I did when recording my How About More Uke
CD. THis is what I have experimented with are home
.
- Ko'olau & CS Contemporary Series Tenor Ukulele ( have two of these )
- Pono Pro Classic Mango Thinline Solidbody Tenor
- Adour — DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) • Record, Edit, and Mix on Linux, macOS and Windows
- Bitwig — DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) • Record, Edit, and Mix on Linux, macOS and Windows
- Apple iLife GarageBand
- Apple Logic Pro X
- M-Audio Axiom 40 Keyboard
- Tascam Handheld Recorder
- Monster Cable Turbine High Performance In-Ear Speakers
- Sony Headphones
- Mogami Cables
- The Lyric HG™ Evidence Instrument and Cables
- Analysis Plus Audio Instrument Cables
- Martin Luxe Premium Instrument Cables
- And a whole series of Shure Mics: SM57, SM58, MB7, MV7, SM81, etc... You can't go wrong with the industry proven, robust, and affordable mics.
Here is a great interview with Shure historian MICHAEL PETTERSEN by Jack Drury
on the history of the SM58. I still have my Shure mics from the late 70s, several SM75 and SM58 mics. And through the interview I found out the SM means Studio Mic
Shure Microphones and Audio Electronics
Shure Incorporated is an American corporation originally founded by Sidney N. Shure in Chicago, Illinois in 1925 as a supplier of radio parts kits. The company became a consumer and professional audio-electronics manufacturer of microphones, wireless microphone systems, phonograph cartridges, discussion systems, mixers, and digital signal processing. The company also produces listening products, including headphones, high-end earbuds and personal monitor systems.
Music Software I Personally Use (Curt Sheller)
- MuseScore FREE Open-Source Software (OSS) • • After originally using Finale (30yrs ago) and Sibelius for years, MuseScore is my go to Music Notation program I use a lot on my Mac or mainly on my Linux computer, a System76 Thelio running Pop!_OS.
- Adour — Open-source FREE DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) • Record, Edit, and Mix on Linux, macOS and Windows
- Sibelius $$$$ • Replaced with the open-source MuseScore after years and years of use. Actually converted all of my scores to MuseScore.
- Notion Music $$$ • • Replaced with the open-source MuseScore.
- Apple GarageBand FREE •
- Apple Logic Pro X $$$$ •
MuseScore
MuseScore is a scorewriter for Windows, macOS, and Linux, comparable to Finale and Sibelius, supporting a wide variety of file formats and input methods. It is released as free and open-source software under the GNU General Public License. MuseScore is accompanied by a freemium mobile score viewer and playback app, and an online score sharing platform. The makers of MuseScore claim that it is the world's most popular notation software.
Bitwig
Bitwig Studio is the single solution for realizing any musical idea across every stage of production. Bitwig was founded in 2009 in Berlin by four people who envisioned a digital-audio workstation (DAW) that's reliable, innovative, and that makes helpful suggestions — and then gets out of the way. That was the idea behind the launch of our first product in 2014, Bitwig Studio.
Ardour
Ardour is a hard disk recorder and digital audio workstation application that runs on Linux, macOS, FreeBSD and Microsoft Windows. Its primary author is Paul Davis, who was also responsible for the JACK Audio Connection Kit. It is intended as a digital audio workstation suitable for professional use.
Apple, Inc.
Released with much fanfare in January of 1984, the Macintosh was the first affordable computer to include a Graphical User Interface. It was built around the new Motorola 68000 chip, which was significantly faster than previous processors, running at 8 MHz. The Mac came in a small beige case with a black and white monitor built in. It came with a keyboard and mouse, and had a floppy drive that took 400k 3.5in disk the first personal computer to do so. It originally sold for $2,495.
Recording Studios
Or - simply go a to a quality recording studio. There is bound to be one in your area. Check with other bands and musicians that you like their recording and see where they recorded it at.
For my How About More Uke CD I simply went to one of the best in the Philadelphia area at MorningStar Studios.
MorningStar Studios
Recording, Editing, Mixing, Mastering, Transfers, Remote Recording.
Two rooms: Neve Room and Euphonix Room.
Glenn Barratt studied music at West Chester University and is a long standing member of Philadelphia’s music scene. Glenn is well versed in engineering, mixing & mastering as well as producing and composing. He is a multi-instrumentalist and knowledgeable on just about everything related to the recording industry. His work has earned him over a dozen Gold and Multi-Platinum albums and four Grammy Awards.
Specialties: mixing, mastering, recording, digital editing, studio design & consultation
Recording, Editing, Mixing, Mastering, Transfers, Remote Recording.
Two rooms: Neve Room and Euphonix Room.
Glenn Barratt studied music at West Chester University and is a long standing member of Philadelphia’s music scene. Glenn is well versed in engineering, mixing & mastering as well as producing and composing. He is a multi-instrumentalist and knowledgeable on just about everything related to the recording industry. His work has earned him over a dozen Gold and Multi-Platinum albums and four Grammy Awards.
Specialties: mixing, mastering, recording, digital editing, studio design & consultation
