Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Insight As To How Recording Studios Have Progressed With The Use Of Digital Mixing

By John Phenom


When considering how recording studios have changed with the advent of digital audio workstations, the main difference is in analog versus modern technology. The days of painstakingly loading tracks through analog formats and then individually mixing and bouncing tracks can now be handled with a few clicks of a mouse. DAW technology has made it possible for artists to work in the comforts of their home for studio-quality sound.

Analog was the standard format for those who recorded before the 1980s. Sound was captured on tapes that were edited manually by cutting and splicing together bits that later became the finished project. Other artists performed in one take for one seamless body of work. Today, the most popular DAW systems include Pro Tools, Maschine, Cubase, Logic Pro and Ableton Live for multi-tracking, editing and mixing.

The DAW process is much more forgiving and versatile than tape when it comes to audio editing. When capturing sound on tape, typically tracks were put down, which then could be bounced onto subsequent tracks. This process compressed the sound onto one track. Unfortunately, the engineer then no longer had control of the separate track elements.

In DAW formats, each track stays separate and can be manipulated individually. You can patch in a lot easier than in analog, where actual splicing of a tape needs to occur for insertion of new material without re-recording. Timing can be exact on DAW formatting, where analog had to be physically manipulated on tape or entirely redone.

DAW's can save an artist or producer a lot of money when it comes to booking time in a studio. The speed and ease of use of these newer systems can make the process go much faster than what you might experience working in an analog system. The result is a shorter and more cost-effective period spent in the studio working alongside an engineer.

DAW formats also can last indefinitely in the virtual realm, provided the source file is safe in storage on a computer system. Analog tapes were always at risk of damage since they were vulnerable to physical damage. Air, water or heat could bring problems to the tape itself, and it could degrade over time, taking with it its recorded contents to be lost forever if copies were not made.

Thinking about how recording studios have changed with the advent of digital audio workstations is like comparing VCR tapes to DVR capability. When it comes to the convenience and ease of use of electronic formats, engineers and home studio musicians gain a world of possibilities. All of these elements contribute greatly to the advance of music technology. In the past musicians had to travel to New York or Los Angeles to record their album because that was where the best studios were. Now, music producers are working in recording studios in Phoenix AZ ; Atlanta, Portland and every other city in America.




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