Things You'll Need:
- A Four Track Audio Recorder (Tascam Recommended)
- A Unidirectional Microphone
- Microphone Cord with 1/4" Plug
- Adjustable Microphone Stand
- A Seperate Cassette Recorder with Left/Right Stereo Inputs
- 2 Blank Audio Cassette Tapes
- Quality Headphones with 1/4" Plug
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Step 1
Pick the right room to record in. The first thing you have to remember when setting up your recording equipment is that you are, in effect, building your own studio. Take that into consideration before you even decide on which you room you want to use for your recording. Is it quiet? Is there enough space to move around? A good choice for a room to record in is a room that is "dead," that is to say, there is material in the room that absorbs ambient sounds that the microphone might pick up. These rooms have carpeting or rugs on the floors, usually. Sometimes, they even have fabric on the walls. In many professional studios, there is oftentimes foam egg-crating on the walls to absorb sound.
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Step 2
Set up your equipment. Once you've picked the room, Find a secure place to setup and plug in your four track. Have it near where you will set up your microphone, since you will probably be acting as your own audio engineer. Put the microphone securely in the mic stand, connecting the microphone cord to the back of the mic. Take the other end of the cord with the 1/4" plug and insert it in the 1/4" "Mic Line" input hole at the bottom of the four track.
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Step 3
Record your individual tracks. Before you record anything, you need to test the volume level at which you will be recording. Put on your headphones and begin playing your instrument or singing into the microphone (make sure both the mic and four track are turned on). Adjust the "Input Level" volume control to the level that you are most comfortable with. Once you have the right volume, press the "Rec Function" button on track one. Notate where on the counter the tape is started (you will be rewinding the tape to record on the separate tracks). Press record and perform. Once you are done, rewind and listen to it back. If you like the performance, rewind to the beginning of the take to record the next track. Press "Rec Function" on track two, press record, and perform. You will be able to listen to your performance on track one, while you perform and record your second performance on track two. Do this as many as four times to fill out your recording to your liking.
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Step 4
Adjust the levels for your final mix. Once you have all four tracks recorded, it is time to mix them all down to one track. The important thing to remember about mixing down is that you have control over which tracks are featured, and which are mixed down at a lower volume. Let's say that you recorded the vocals and the guitar on two separate tracks. The guitar was recorded very loud, while the vocals came out too quiet for your taste. This can all be fixed during the final mix. Connect your external audio cassette tape machine to the "Line Out" jack on the back of the four track. To test the levels you want on your mix, play around with the "level" volume dials above each of the tracks. This will give you control over which tracks are louder than others. You can also pan certain tracks all the way to the right or all the way to the left if you like.
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Step 5
Record your final mix. Once you have a mix you like, adjust the "Master" volume knob to the level you like for the whole mix. Press play on the four track and record on your external tape machine. The external tape machine will record the final mix of your four track recording. Congratulations! You just made a demo tape!
