One of the only problems with home recording is that even the basic software to do it well isn't cheap. Forget the bread you have to put down for some decent hardware to plug a decent mic into - software to run it comes at a price.
On the Mac, many people start with GarageBand. It's decent enough, but soon users will want to upgrade to Logic Express. Soon after that, if they really get into it, they'll want Logic Pro, and before they ever know it they've dropped hundreds on recording software. The situation on Windows is not much different, and let's not forget the few hundred you have to drop on the OS itself in that case.
As it turns out, there is a viable alternative: Ubuntu Studio. It's one of the many Linux distros out there, but it's interesting because if comes packed with oodles of open-source audio software, including multi-track DAWs, tons of filters, mastering software and production. Add to that drum machines, synthesizers, and an ultra-low latency Linux kernel, and it might just be worth a shot - considering it's free.
I've just installed it on my Macbook 5,1, and I'm incredibly impressed thus far. Let me use it for a while, and I'll post a full review.
James Husband's "A Parallax I" is something you'd probably skip over in the music store. The cover isn't really anything eye catching at first glance, and the artist's name is most likely one you've never heard.
Give it a chance, however, and A Parallax I will surprise you. The track Window has an almost too-fun chorus that will suck you in by the third time you hear it. Little Thrills, one of the shortest tracks on the record, lives up to its name with its subtle harmonies and deep piano. Take the Train and No No Baby are as good as Indie Pop gets - catchy, but not generic.
Buy the LP, and you get yourself a digital download of the album plus a 6 song bonus EP, containing the best covers of What You're Doing To Me and We Can Work It Out (The Beatles) that you've ever heard.
Polyvinyl Records allows a free download of Window and A Grave in the Gravel. Check them out. If you like them - and you will - buy the record.
http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/store/index.php?id=902
It uses two NOS (new old stock) Raytheon JAN6418 tubes, made around 1982, well into the solid-state era. The 6418's are known as sub-miniature tubes, a tiny family designed to compete with small solid-state electronics rapidly taking over the market. In addition to being low voltage, the 6418 is readily available as new old stock, costing a mere $1.99 each.
The amp itself runs off of one or two 9V batteries, or optionally AA's wired in series. Those tiny tubes do emit that famous tube glow, albeit dim, and they do warm to the touch. The kit includes a preprinted PCB along with everything you need to build a working amp. It even includes a spare tube, just in case you mess something up.
It's certainly a fun project for a weekend, and it'll add some nice tube warmth the next time you want to listen to your very modern iPod.
Each speaker consists of a 6.5" woofer coupled with a 5/8" tweeter with Ferrofluid. Together they provide a more-than-adequate response of 80 to 20,000 Hz at up to 100W.
The satin black cabinets are attractive, and the cloth grilles add a nice pseudo-vintage look, a nice touch in a world of plastic speaker covers.
Most importantly, these speakers put out great sound without a great cost. Highs are clean and crisp (due in part to that Ferrofluid). Mids are full and vibrant. Lows are adequate, even at low volume, and never lacking. In fact, the lows can be pushed through EQ without distorting the other frequencies, which is always nice to hear.
Small cost, big gain: the KLH B-Pro6 are a sound deal. They're available from Amazon below, among other places.
Recording vocals can prove to be the most difficult part of home recording. Even with good equipment, getting that "right" sound with your singing can be tough. With cheaper equipment, the task borders on impossible, at least at first glance.
However, with the right setup, even mediocre equipment can be worked with to give you a passable and even pleasing vocal sound. This post aims to help you do just that.
Even if you're not a fan of most Elton John as it exists today (and perhaps especially so), Tumbleweed Connection, his third album, is a completely different animal. Released in 1970, the album features a rougher and edgier sound than most people are accustomed to from Sir Elton, who at the time of its release was more Reginald Dwight than Elton John.
The album starts with Ballad of a Well-Known Gun, and ends up with Burn Down The Mission, amounting to a journey through musical styles from rock to funk to folk, with a crescendo in the middle at My Father's Gun, a timeless classic.
Out of the ordinary for a British artist, the cover and sleeve of Tumbleweed Connection sport a US South theme, adorned with shots of Elton John and Bernie Taupin looking about as western as they ever have. It all contributes to a nice folksy feel, one which no other Elton John album has ever reproduced.
Tumbleweed Connection is a must for any lover of early 70s rock, and anyone who loves good music in general. Being from that era, it's pressed on thick vinyl, and a copy in good condition will go for just a few dollars. It's a great value, and a great album.