Don’t Make These Top 4 Recording Mistakes

The ability to achieve great sounding recordings is not limited to professionals who work in the studio. In fact, anyone with the right tools and know-how can accomplish great recordings from home. 

But sometimes, mistakes are made in the process that can easily be overlooked. Here is our list for the 5 simple mistakes everyone should be careful to avoid while recording.  

Mistake 1 – Improper gain staging

Clipping is the absolute worst mistake to make in an audio recording. If you take nothing else away from this list, make sure to never let your recordings clip! 

Clipping is when the input signal of your microphone or instrument exceeds the maximum allotted gain of your interface or hardware. This causes the signal to distort, which in some cases (particularly with electric guitar) can be an artistic choice. 

However, for most digital applications this ends up sounding terrible and can certainly ruin your sound. Clipping is nearly irreparable and as such must be avoided at all costs. 

Proper gain staging can be the solution to achieving a fantastic sound and it goes far beyond simply avoiding gain clipping. Proper gain staging is the act of setting the microphone gain relative to the previously or simultaneously recorded tracks. 

Additionally, many engineers recommend your input volume sit anywhere from -16 to -12 dBFS. Give this tip a shot and see how it affects your sessions!

Mistake 2 – Improper set-up

While this mistake can be most obvious on vocals, it applies to any subject of a recording and can be just as detrimental. An improper set-up can range between a series of commonplace or not so commonplace mistakes. 

You might have a bad audio cable causing unwanted noise or have your vocal mic on a stand without a pop filter or shock mount adding pops and low bumps to the recording. 

There can be a million and one factors that can cause your proper set up to quickly turn into an improper one. We recommend that you check all the pieces of your set-up before you start to get a great recording every time. 

If your setup is causing issues, be sure to thoroughly troubleshoot and find out the exact cause of any unwanted noise or inconsistencies in your recordings.  

Mistake 3 – Noise pollution/ bleed

Noise pollution, otherwise known as mic bleed, is a common plague to recordings done in home studios. Without an entirely sound proofed room, it’s easy to accidentally pick up on small background noises that can cause issues. 

While this may not be the end of the world, it is still ideal to have your session free from any unwanted noise. The good news is that this fix can be relatively simple. 

Always try to record in the quietest space you have and make sure noisy fans or air conditioning units are either off or in a different room. Lastly, make sure not to record during periods of loud external noises such as construction.  

Mistake 4 – Messy recording sessions

Cleaning up your virtual session can help to declutter your recordings and show all of your current progress when working on a song. One basic step to organize your sessions is to arrange the track by instrument or group. 

Putting all of the drums and percussion in one area while all of the strings or guitars are in another can help separate the instruments visually allowing for a more accurate representation of your track. Also, try color-coding the major groups of instruments, further separating these tracks visually and making them easier to manipulate without mistakes.  

Some of these tips might seem simplistic to a seasoned recording artist, however, you may be surprised to notice some of these minor mistakes happening in your own recording set-up. If you are new to recording, then these tips will help keep your recordings clean and mistake free. 

Need help with your recording? Schedule a free consultation with one of our experts today!