How has digital recording impacted the traditional analog studio?
Specialist Research –
Case Study – How has digital
recording impacted the traditional analog studio?
Introduction/Hypothesis:
Throughout my research I will
be looking at how digital recording has impacted the traditional analog studio.
More specifically how digital products such as MIDI instruments and the new
wave of bedroom producers are affecting the traditional studio with their tape
machines and analog equipment, and potentially rendering them worthless.
My prediction throughout this
research is that bedroom producers with their lightweight, MIDI keyboards and
computers are slowly killing off the last of the big studios all over the world,
and we will slowly find them all starting to completely perish within the next
30 years.
Analog Tape Machines
Ways of recording:
They would record the artist
and transfer it on to tape. It was also very hard to cut up the track and
transfer and make edits. To do this they would need to cut up the tape and then
stick it together. You would also need to record everything in one place as
there is so much gear using so much power, you couldn’t move it like you can
with a laptop. So you would need to make all of the sounds in the studio using
the equipment you had or you had to hire someone to come and play a part for you.
Back then; recording on a
Tape Machine was so much harder depending on the head block of the machine. If
the headblock was 24 tracks, you were only able to record 24 tracks. If you
wanted more, you had to Synchronize the two machines together using the same
piece of tape. (3.) 'Many of these technologies used in music were invented in the war' as the war created a building blocks to advance and develop as other countries where competing at such a high rate to develop something that no-one has thought about.
Quality of sound?
‘The sound quality of tape is
far superior to digital as you get the full spectrum of sound, unlike digital
as it is made up of 1s and 0s. A lot of producers also love the sound of all of
the analogue equipment as they say everyone of the machines has a different
tone and quirk.
How durable it is/ Value for
money?
The system is very fragile
and one broken part can throw the whole mix off. You also needed to bake the
tapes in order to play them more than once and store them correctly in a very
dry room. You can only play a tape a certain amount of time before it deteriorates
and becomes unusable. That is why modern studios have converted their tapes
into a digital format so they don’t need to keep on playing the tape and damage
the original recording.
How powerful it is:
It isn’t that powerful
considering that you can do more than you ever could on a small computer. A lot
of the studios had to make their own gear if they were looking for a certain
sound or feel to the song. This would use very talented people with years of
training in order to make them. The only reference they would have is from
other recordings or seeing something in person, so most of the people would be
designing and making the machines from scratch.
How practical it is:
For the era, these machines
were very practical and powerful enough to record a full band. However as time
has progressed these machines have slowly become obsolete with only old producers
and studios still using them. Currently most studios are staying ahead of the
curb by using a DAW in order to process all of the needs in modern day music
standards.
Simplicity of use:
The machines were quite hard
to use and only the most experienced person would be running the machine.
Cost:
Highly expensive items and
very expensive to replace and fix. (Tubes and Transistors and parts)
Recording would need a whole
fleet of people in order to maintain the machines and keep them going strong,
this means that you would need to pay all of the people to attend the session
which costs money.
Summary of Benefits:
· The sound quality
· Professional studios offer a bigger abundance of
equipment and gear in order to create the desired sound unlike a home studio
where you have to save up and buy the gear yourself.
Summary of Downsides:
· Is not easily accessible
· Is not as powerful compared to todays standards
· Costs a lot to run and maintain
· Very complicated to use most of the time
· Requires a much wider range of knowledge
· Requires an experience person to run the machine
· Hard to edit and do different takes
MODERN – Computers 2000 and beyond (DAWs)
Techniques for recording in
a DAW
The technique for recording
in a DAW is very simple and you can teach yourself how to run it without anyone
else, as you can find tutorials on the Internet on how to use it. It only uses
a very small if no amount of equipment. These machines accept a whole multitude
of sound tools and equipment but these are just the basic ones.
You can find online multiple
different ways to record music on your chosen DAW. My personal DAW of choice is
Logic Pro X, as I felt that this was the most versatile and appropriate
software for the genre that I am trying to make. Also, after lots of
experimenting I have found that I have slowly progressed into using it for
other genres as well, like Hip Hop and Trap music as it can cover those genres
considerably well too.
Ways of recording:
Recording is very simple when
it comes to using DAWs. A lot of the hardware is very cheap and durable using a
very small amount of ports and wires where-as (5.) 'The old days were big budgets, top-of-the-line equipment'. Computers are also very versatile and you
can make lots of different genres using hardware.
(7.)Hardware involved in running
these machines:
Midi instrument (Normally
keyboard) – A midi instrument does not play sound, and only transfer’s data in
MIDI to the computer, for it to read and play the note.
Monitors/Speakers – Monitors
are good for fine-tuning the sound and making sure the mix sounds professional. when buying speakers it is always best to (8.) 'Buy studio monitors, not hi-fi speakers and read the reviews to see what models come out top in your price range.' as it is better to practice mixing on Studio Monitors.
USB Audio Interface – Audio
interfaces are good for transferring sound between an instrument or microphone.
Through personal experience playing guitar through one, I have found these to
be only good enough to make demos. As the sound quality on different presents
can range dramatically and can sound really bad at times. (9.) A good one of these is the Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface which sells for about £130.
One or two microphones - Microphones are good for recording audio and creating ideas and demos
One or two microphones - Microphones are good for recording audio and creating ideas and demos
As stated in the previous
segment, you can do a lot with them however I personally like to just record my
demos on it. I feel that sourcing my own sounds is much more valuable than
getting them straight from MIDI Instrument, and that’s why, when I record my
music I feel like I’m going go to professional studio.
How durable it is:
Computers and equipment –
Most computers and equipment
are very durable if you look after them correctly. A lot of the parts are
plastic with only some parts being metal. This makes it really easy to carry
around with you and easy to record on the go.
How powerful it is:
Most computers are very
powerful these days and come with a whole load of options that old analog
equipment could never do. This of coarse also depends on your choice of
hardware to run your computer and how your computer handles the DAW. In my
experience, my chosen DAW has never lagged considerably or shut down on me.
Examples of things computers
can do that tape machines couldn’t:
· Process high amounts of audio tracks.
· Process MIDI tracks
· Flex Time (Changes the time sync of the audio track)
Without the invention of
digital equipment in the musical world, a lot of the genres would not have been
invented too, such as Hip Hop and Drum and Bass.
Quality of sound?
Like I stated in one of the
previous segments I feel that if using an audio interface, which is what I
commonly do. I feel it is only good for demos, as I find it hard to create a
good sound from presets. However if you are using MIDI, after market VSTs,
plugins, and good components to your sound. You can create some really high
quality productions straight from your home. However this is only my experience
and as I am lacking in fundamental knowledge and equipment in order to use my
preferred DAW. However coming from other peoples experiences of running a home
studio from what I have seen on YouTube, people have made some really high
quality productions. (4.) Although there are people who argue different as they claim “It might be similar but it’s not the same”despite the vast revolution in digital technology, it is still very hard to please some people.
(6.) '
(6.) '
You can also purchase after
market VSTs and plugins to alter the sound.
VSTs are Virtual Studio
Technology and are can be used to create new sounds that otherwise wouldn’t
come in the stock MIDI sounds out of the box.
Plugins are used to alter the
sound for all stages of the production. This can range from reverb to
compression and EQ.
All of these can range from
free to expensive, professional sounds and effects. You can use these to add
another sound style that you otherwise wouldn’t get from standard VSTs and
plugins.
How practical it is:
Computers are a lot more
practical than old analog equipment as they are lightweight, ideal for
traveling and recording on the go, and are a hell of a lot more powerful than
the standard studio with all of its analog equipment, considering these
factors. (4.) 'Software such as Pro Tools, Cubase, and GarageBand and Logic provide access to a library of virtual instrument samples' making it simple and easy to record on the go.
However when choosing gear it
can be hard as there are so many options out there to choose from, and choosing
the practical choice can be difficult with all of the different bells and
whistles each piece of gear offers you.
Simplicity of use:
Most DAWs have a simple
layout with easily accessible tools and equipment at the ready. They also have
the room to become more advanced the more you look and explore however for the
standard recording on the go, Simple is good enough.
A lot of the functions are
relatively straight forward depending on your DAW of choice. From my
experience, I found that I managed to pick up basic functions and skills within
the first 5 goes of use (with the help of a YouTube tutorial alongside.)
The different types of DAWs
and how they have developed and changed:
The main DAWs that are
available:
(10.)
Logic
Pro Tools
Fruity Loops
Cubase
Ableton
Each type of DAW has
different benefits to the user, however the two main DAWs used by most studios
around the world are Logic Pro X and Pro Tools. They are used the most, as they
are the most versatile of all of the different DAWs. Adding the best qualities
of all of the others.
Fruity Loops is commonly used
by Rap and Trap producers due to its simplicity and straightforward methods.
Fruity loops also offers effects that cannot be found in the other DAWs.
More specifically, Gross Beat (1) which halves the speed of the audio whilst
still keeping the same tempo. Gross beat also can offer a whole lot of other
speeds and audio break down.
Both Cubase and Ableton offer
a wide selection of high quality features however they are much more expensive
than Logic and therefore only appeal to the higher end of the market.
Cost
The costs of most DAWs are
relatively cheap and compared to buying all of the parts in analogue equipment;
there is no contest in value for money. You can purchase all of the software
online and for a relatively lightweight piece of software, it offers a whole
lot.
Summary of Benefits:
· Very cheap
· Doesn’t require maintenance
· Requires little knowledge
· Lightweight in both the software and how
portable it is
· Way more powerful than the traditional
studio
· Easily accessible
· Simplicity of use
·
Summary of Downsides:
· If you are making a home studio you need to
fund the gear yourself and with so many options, it’s hard to find the right
one.
· Depending on the quality of gear, it can be
very hard to get good sounds sometimes, and without the experience of an
industry professional at hand, it can be dawnting.
Studio Visit
Another part of the work was to research more on the
topic by conducting a questionnaire, survey or interview.
For this, I went to a Studio up in London (For privacy
of the studio and the information withheld in the interview, I will not be able
to disclose the name of the producer or the studio).
I walked in with a sheet of paper where I had 10
questions ready to ask. (For this piece I am just going to bullet point my
questions and summarise my response as the interview was 30 minutes.)
The digital equipment used throughout the
studio?
· Pro Tools (DAW)
· Apogee hardware
· Avid Fader units
· UAD Hardware boxes (circuit modelling external boxes)
The analog equipment throughout the studio?
· Neve 88R Analog Mixing Console (Using this to mix the
old tape recordings)
· 2 Old valve compressors
If using digital equipment why have you
chosen to replace the old analog equipment?
· “If your working in analog you want to stick to one
world (EG: Just sticking with analog equipment)
· “When on the road (recording), it is much more simple to
just bring two racks of digital equipment out rather bringing three huge tape
machines out.
· If sticking with digital, you are not connected to the
limitations of analog and the amount of boxes and hardware you have to process
your audio, as you can use the same effect multiple times”
If Using a DAW, what do you use and why?
· “Pro Tools, as it is the most versatile and we have
been using it for the past 15 years, as it was one of the first DAWs that were
straight forward to connect analog to digital.”
· “There is stuff you can do in digital that you cannot
do in Analog. Time manipulation and quantisation for instance”
· Offers a higher amount of tracks than tape machines
with less effort.”
Do you feel that there is any difference in
quality and tone from now and then?
· “Yes, there is a difference in tone quality as each
item has its own intricacies and value in the mix. When talking about analog
for instance, all the different effects all have their own sound and minute
difference that draws out certain qualities, we as the mixer like. However if
the digital equipment sounds as good as the analog, there is no reason to use
the analog equipment.”
Does it cost more to produce now that you
have incorporated digital or is it quicker?
· It is cheaper to produce with digital than analog. Its
just so much simpler and as effective for the task you are trying to do.
Where do you feel the industry will be in 30 years time?
Where do you feel the industry will be in 30 years time?
· “I feel that studios are a dying breed. Times are
changing and the fact that you can record, mix and release a song and have it
on all the major streaming services within a week. I feel that home studios are
going to control the mass market of music”
How has digital recording impacted the
traditional analog studio?
· “Kind of like the other question, I feel that home studios
have really affected the need for professional studios as you can record from
the comfort of your own home. There really isn’t any need for a professional
studio anymore, apart from the record orchestras and choirs. A lot of the
studios are being eliminated and the home studios are making their mark.”
Analysis: Throughout this interview it is evidently clear that the studio is embracing the change, and trying to find the perfect in-between of analog and digital. Like he mentioned. Their different functions apply to different things choosing the more practical route to use less of their time and money, yet still using their tried and tested analog gear that they know and love.
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Emailing another student:
I also chose to email Anton
Barrett, a student producer within ACM to get his takes on the matter. I chose
to email him, as Anton works from home and makes all his music in his bedroom.
I asked him the same
questions apart from the ones I knew would not apply to him. This was my
response.
The Digital equipment you use?
My computer
The Analog equipment you use?
‘None’
If using a DAW what do you use and why?
‘I mainly use Logic because it allows me to work
efficiently for of different tasks. I can use it to produce, record and mix my
music. It does crash often compared to the other DAWs I have used in the past
(pro tools, ableton,reason) however, it usually autosaves.’
Do you feel it takes longer to record now with the inclusion of digital
or is it quicker?
‘I would say that overall it takes
longer. Although recording without digital equipment means that you will need
to patch equipment, setup tape machines and manually adjust all the parameters
on a console...It forced you to make decisions early. Digital gives you more
options which means that it can take longer to decide what to do.‘
Do you feel that there is any difference in quality between now and
then?
‘No’
Does it cost more to produce now that you have incorporated digital into
your setup?
‘I don’t know’
What is your opinion on price difference between digital and analog, and is it worth it?
‘I would say that it is worth the
price because it allows you to get hands on instead of staring at a screen.
Also, although plugins are getting closer to analogue gear, why not have the
real thing?’
Where do you feel the music production industry will be 30 years from
now?
‘I feel studios will use digitally
controlled analog gear. They will be able to control their gear from a DAW
plugin.’
How has digital recording impacted the traditional analog studio?
‘I feel that it has allowed the
recoding studio to become more accessible to people with lower budgets. Now people
can record a whole album at home on their laptop without the need of buying
tons of equipment’
Analysis: It is clear through out the answers that Anton doesn't seem to need analog equipment for the type of production that he is doing and that he seems to be satisfied with the digital sound. It is also clear that Anton has no problem with analog gear, however he is not going to buy one piece of analog equipment just for the sake of it, when the whole rest of his rig is digital.
It is also clear Anton feels that home recording is the way forward as everyone is starting to become independent and learn the tricks of the trade by themselves. He feels that this is effective as it can save you lots of money instead of going to a studio to record.
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Article Analysis
(2.) After reading the article from pro sound network by Clive Young, in which he states that studios are not going to die. Young first begins the article by mentioning 'Audio pros anxiously shared the story with each other, worried that studios would go away like blockbuster video'. Here, Young's suggesting that all everyone believed that the studios where going to die out much the same way as video got replaced with streaming services, as they offered a much cheaper and faster route to the same content. The next thingYoung states is 'Lets be clear about this: recording studios are not dining off and we have the stats to prove it'. He then continues by stating 'there are more recording studios in the US than every before' suggesting that recording studios have never died out and the demand for them has never changed. He later states 'Sound City Studios - The facility went back to commercial operation almost a year ago, welcoming all comers with its mix of analog and modern recording gear'. Here Young suggests that the studio has adapted with the times, yet still remain faithful to all of the old sounds instead of replacing them with digital. Young then continues by stating "While we've watched a lot of high profile studios in metropolis over the last 15 years. Runaway real-estate markets have always played a big decision in those sad decisions."Here Young suggests that the decline of high profile studios in certain areas such as manhatten have been down to real estate companies pushing them out of their territory. Young then goes on to end the article by mentioning "Nonetheless, the fact remains: recording studios are alive and well - changing with the times" This suggests that Young supports his statement through and through by backing up with this to end the article.
Analysis: It is clear throughout the whole of the article that Young feels strongly about record studios not dying out and that the facts are incorrect. Throughout the article he constantly states these opinions, and backs up his claims with the facts. Young also states that recording studios are changing with the times and won't become another flop like Blockbuster.
Analysis: It is clear through out the answers that Anton doesn't seem to need analog equipment for the type of production that he is doing and that he seems to be satisfied with the digital sound. It is also clear that Anton has no problem with analog gear, however he is not going to buy one piece of analog equipment just for the sake of it, when the whole rest of his rig is digital.
It is also clear Anton feels that home recording is the way forward as everyone is starting to become independent and learn the tricks of the trade by themselves. He feels that this is effective as it can save you lots of money instead of going to a studio to record.
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Article Analysis
(2.) After reading the article from pro sound network by Clive Young, in which he states that studios are not going to die. Young first begins the article by mentioning 'Audio pros anxiously shared the story with each other, worried that studios would go away like blockbuster video'. Here, Young's suggesting that all everyone believed that the studios where going to die out much the same way as video got replaced with streaming services, as they offered a much cheaper and faster route to the same content. The next thingYoung states is 'Lets be clear about this: recording studios are not dining off and we have the stats to prove it'. He then continues by stating 'there are more recording studios in the US than every before' suggesting that recording studios have never died out and the demand for them has never changed. He later states 'Sound City Studios - The facility went back to commercial operation almost a year ago, welcoming all comers with its mix of analog and modern recording gear'. Here Young suggests that the studio has adapted with the times, yet still remain faithful to all of the old sounds instead of replacing them with digital. Young then continues by stating "While we've watched a lot of high profile studios in metropolis over the last 15 years. Runaway real-estate markets have always played a big decision in those sad decisions."Here Young suggests that the decline of high profile studios in certain areas such as manhatten have been down to real estate companies pushing them out of their territory. Young then goes on to end the article by mentioning "Nonetheless, the fact remains: recording studios are alive and well - changing with the times" This suggests that Young supports his statement through and through by backing up with this to end the article.
Analysis: It is clear throughout the whole of the article that Young feels strongly about record studios not dying out and that the facts are incorrect. Throughout the article he constantly states these opinions, and backs up his claims with the facts. Young also states that recording studios are changing with the times and won't become another flop like Blockbuster.
Conclusion:
The research I have conducted has assisted in
answering my final question as I have found that digital recording has vastly
influenced professional recording studios. It has done this in both a positive
and negative fashion.
Before starting my research, I was under the
impression that modern professional recording studios where thriving as so much
music is being released and so many things are happening in the music industry, however
I slowly found that this was not the case.
I started my research about what the difference
in analog vs. digital technology consisted of, and how it was used in the
manufacturing of music.
I mainly
focused on Tape machine vs. Computer DAWs. I studied what it took to use,
maintain, and the sound quality of these machines, and then delved deeper into
independent studios to see what was happening.
I first discovered that digital recording was
affecting the professional recording studios negatively, with lots of home
studios popping up since the digital recording revolution in the 90's. This
meant that the studios weren't getting as many customers; so much so, to the
point some had to shut down due to such little revenue. However this has also
made a positive impact on the music industry as it enabled people with such
little money and experience to do it in the comfort of their own home for very
little money. This ability has enable young producers such as Anton Barrett to
learn the ins and outs of producing on very little money. He found that there
was no need to embrace analog equipment as he said he simply didn't need it.
However, this revolution has had a positive
impact on studios too, as the studios that used digital equipment at the right
time have survived and thrived as they have adapted to using digital technology
and can adapt to more modern styles of music more easily.
I then went on to interview a studio and a
producer studying at ACM. I found that they both shared very similar views by
basically saying that studios and musicians should embrace digital equipment
for its cheap, practical uses in studios. They also said that analog is for the
most part still king as its sound quality is unlike anything digital equipment
can produce for now, however if the digital equipment and plugins sound just as
good, they will use them.
I later went on to look into articles about how
studios are currently surviving. I found a completely different view on studios
as the writer mentioned that studios where thriving and doing better than ever.
I found this really odd as all my information did not correlate with this,
however I later found that this was from America, which potentially means the
industry and flow is much different to the U.K.
In conclusion
I feel that digital recording is making a big impact on traditional analog
studios to some degree, however we are at an in-between phase where only time
will tell what happens. I believe that in years to come, the quality of digital
will keep changing and pushing the boundaries of musical standards and reach a
point where analog and digital become unrecognisably similar. I also think that
in a number of years, studios will move a lot more to digital as the newer
generations are growing up with only digital equipment, as it is cheap and easy
to use.
Throughout this project I found that I learned a lot and
gained new experience. I also have a better understanding for the music
industry and the way things will progress further into the future. I have managed to use my time management to my advantage and have learnt new skills along the way.
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Bibliography:
(1.) THE MAKING OF LIL UZI VERT'S "XO TOUR LIF3” WITH TM88 | DECONSTRUCTED
(2.) YOUNG, C. AND YOUNG, C.
(3.) HOW HAS THE RECORDING STUDIO AFFECTED THE WAYS IN WHICH MUSIC IS CREATED? | CLASSIC ALBUM SUNDAYS
(4.) MONITOR, T.
(5.) RECORDING STUDIOS ARE BEING LEFT OUT OF THE MIX
(6.) HOW MIDI CHANGED THE WORLD OF MUSIC
Your Bibliography: BBC News. (2018). How MIDI changed the world of music. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20425376. | '
(7.) THE 9 HOME RECORDING STUDIO ESSENTIALS FOR BEGINNERS
(8.) UK, R.
(9.) HOW TO BUY THE BEST HOME RECORDING STUDIO EQUIPMENT: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE | PITCHFORK
(10.) HUART, W. AND MCALLISTER, M.
(2.) YOUNG, C. AND YOUNG, C.
Recording Studios are Not Dying
(3.) HOW HAS THE RECORDING STUDIO AFFECTED THE WAYS IN WHICH MUSIC IS CREATED? | CLASSIC ALBUM SUNDAYS
(4.) MONITOR, T.
Could home recording doom professional music studios?
(5.) RECORDING STUDIOS ARE BEING LEFT OUT OF THE MIX
(6.) HOW MIDI CHANGED THE WORLD OF MUSIC
(7.) THE 9 HOME RECORDING STUDIO ESSENTIALS FOR BEGINNERS
(8.) UK, R.
Are you wasting money in your home recording studio? | Roland UK
(9.) HOW TO BUY THE BEST HOME RECORDING STUDIO EQUIPMENT: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE | PITCHFORK
(10.) HUART, W. AND MCALLISTER, M.
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