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I am only speaking anecdotally, ofc, but I've been recording for a few decades. Started out on some standalones and moved to PC about 20-25 yrs ago. Other than the 1st month that I ever used a PC (and figured out how to adjust buffer size), I've literally never had latency issues. I have never spent more than $150 on a PC (refurbished office surplus) so it's not like I'm using bleeding edge computers...

Yeah, it really is a shame that all the manufacturers ditched that MIDI [sync] Out port on their lines of digital recorders. It used to be the default standard about 20 years ago to include that. However, I stumbled upon nice workaround here on RUclips to sort of recreate it using the metronome function in my Zoom R8, selecting a sampled Volca sync pulse as its click sound, feeding it into a Volca Keys modified with added MIDI Out connector, and there I have the MIDI sync recorded originated from a track on my R8. Of course, you should be able to use any device with +5v sync in and MIDI sync out to create a MIDI Clock Sync and not have to hack an older Volca.

Haha, yep, we know! :) We hope it makes sense again after watching the video!

You know, I totally get what you're saying. And I still prefer drummer's perspective :) But Malcom is going to agree with you, haha! We've had this debate on our podcast forever. But also: It's not really important and we're not really serious about it. ;)

@@davidduarte2887 thank you so much for this comment! Yes, it’s always sad to see someone make a record that could have been so much better. And that they are not really proud of. What a waste of time and talent. Your art is important. Give it the care and attention it deserves. Completely different story if you love the result and the process, though! In that case, do whatever makes you happy! But for most people this is not the case if they are being honest. So many never even release it because they think it’s not good enough. Or they release it but never promote it properly because they are not 100% stoked about it. “Great” or “great sounding” is highly subjective, but I think we can all agree that you as the artist should love it. And enjoy the process, as well. And that the ultimate goal is to make your vision come out of the speakers. Which is really hard to do.

I think you can still be DIY and get help. Some things I can DIY and when I need other services I get help, nothing wrong with gray here. I think this is about who is willing to ask for help because it's a skill to be objective with your own music. Just adding my opinions to the conversation, great discussion.

@@ernestwilliams6616 I love this comment and absolutely agree! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

@@davidduarte2887 Great way to think about it! Thanks for this!

Well, not really. Producer Roy Halee helped them create the tape loop, a few elements were recorded at Columbia studios and the drums were played by professional drummer and Wrecking Crew member Hal Blaine. Plus, it was a single off their fifth studio record. So they had plenty of professional experience already. Still a cool project, though! And a really good hybrid DIY example. Especially back then it was very unusual and impressive to do it like that.

@@theselfrecordingband All I knew was that the main percussion part didn't use any drums and was cut from a longer tape of them playing around with a nagra - improvising on anything in local proximity they could tap a beat from . Then they took a good section of that session and looped it to around 3 mins . On Howard Stern Simon said that their were no drums used when Howard started playing Cecilia . It wouldn't surpise that CBS's producer used the wrecking crew to finish it off (Overkill?) , Still , the core of that track is that beat with the addition of acoustic guitar and vocals . If Simon was so inclined , he could of made a great demo using nothing but his 4-track? portable tape recorder . There's a lot of good folk recordings of artists just doing one take into a stereo reel-to-reel which was then just mixed down . Jeff Lyne used a consumer 4 track Beocord Duluxe . Analog systems/studio time forced artists to come to the studio prepared to wrap in very few takes . DAW's and certain plugins have taken the weight off of artists onto producers - or rather , the art now is as much in the production as opposed to the performance . Still , if you can sound great in an intimate controlled live setting , it's not too hard to get a high quality recording . If you're aiming for a Daniel Lanois-esq dynamic finished product , that's just not 'DIY' - If a pro plumber fixes his bathroom , he may have done it himself but that's not the general understanding of what it means to be a DIY effort .

Interesting! Gotta look up how they learned and who exactly was involved in which way. Thanks for sharing!

Gotta look that one up! Thanks for sharing!

@@theselfrecordingband Released in 1976, so probably before your time. 😁 At that point, it was the biggest selling debut record ever, and it has stood the test of time. You'll be impressed.

I think the key here is “DIY’ing for decades”. You obviously put in a lot of work to get good at all the different jobs that are part of making a record. Most people don’t realize that this is what it takes. And you probably didn’t figure it all out on your own but got help from someone at some point, right? Or did you really do it without any kind of feedback, mentoring or hiring pros at some point, so you could learn from them? Or at least books, courses or any kind of structured information?

Well, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! :)

Thank you so much! Welcome! 🙌

100% agreed! This is pretty much my story, as well. I learned to do it all myself and LOVED every minute of it. But it was also brutal and took a looong time. And then it all really took off, as soon as I started working with other professionals and looking for mentors. You don’t just wake up one day with the skills to make a record. You can either put in your 10000 hours, or get help from professionals / mentors. Ideally both, like I did. :)

@@user-vb8ld4on2u keep crushing it! You’ll get there! Spend your resources wisely and invest in yourself as much as you can before spending it on anything else. Don’t waste money on gear. Spend time and money to acquire skills, to build relationships and to get the feedback and guidance that’s gonna get you to your goals so much faster.

Yep, and have you read the story about that record? It took five years. And they spent several weeks at professional studios before returning to their home studio. It was a huge learning process, lots of trial and error and she was doubting her work during the mixing process, which almost caused her to give up. Feedback and objective outside perspectives got her back on track. Clearly not just someone thinking it will be easy. And also not someone trying to do it all on their own quickly.

@@theselfrecordingband No offense but a record is going to take as along as it takes. There are highly produced records that take years to come together but fall short of being a highlight of an artist’s catalogue. Some records have you fighting tooth and nail to get the songs out or have already come together from years of playing them on the road or at home, early Daniel Johnston records come to mind and so does Roman Candle from Elliott Smith. All to say there are great DIY releases that people enjoy from all different genres. I don’t know guys, I just see making music as an art and something cathartic, if it takes 20 years to write a song on your own then that’s time well spent if the process is fulfilling. If you’re speaking to someone trying to “make it” I guess it helps but that’s definitely not everyone. I really do understand the sentiment and perspective here but I don’t see it as the end all be all. I’m sure Fiona was happy in retrospect with her approach and time spent, she’s notorious for having huge gaps of time between albums, collecting experiences and ideas along the way. Despite it all it really is a hugely successful DIY album at it’s core, with enough time and experience the simplest tools can craft something great.

@@onlyghosts7152 I think we absolutely agree here! :) What I was trying to say is that this project is a “DIY” production. But “DIY” in this case (and most cases) is not what most people think it is. She learned a lot (from professionals) and she was willing to put in a lot of effort. You obviously understand that. And you’re correct in what you’re saying. It definitely is all about the art and the process and about being proud of it and enjoying it yourself more than anything. It’s not about “making it”. Not at all. But people hear “DIY”-record and think it doesn’t take experience, or learning from pros who have done it before, or any sort of investment (time and/or money). But it definitely does. Most won’t be willing to spend five years on a record, or go to pro studios for a few weeks (which is really expensive) to record there and learn, etc. They would have given up. And they expect amazing results way too quickly and without putting in nearly enough effort, time or money.

@@theselfrecordingband I can see that but I would also say that amateur records can be amazing too. I definitely agree with tempering expectations but if that’s understood than I’m all for going in on a project with no experience if you’re passionate about it. Learning on the fly can be creatively fulfilling for a lot of people, we all have to start somewhere. I think it’s good to minimize the barrier for entry if it means trying stuff and taking risks. It’s always an option to incorporate more help and production too.

100% agreed! And what you’re saying is actually part of what “great production” means. Production is not just engineering. Get the song and the arrangement right first. Then present it in the best way possible. It is all production.

If an artist can't get their point across with voice and acoustic guitar at the kitchen table ,then the song ain't ready for the studio , just my opinion

@@dadnelson4008 And it's a very valid opinion! :) Thanks for commenting!

Yep! Pretty much exactly what we’re saying in the episode! :) And there are affordable ways that allow you to do it all yourself and still get professional guidance. Exactly what we’re doing here all the time and why we’ve built that platform.

@@RetroGameBench Thanks for commenting! What do you mean exactly? The episode? Or people trying to sell you the idea that you can do it all on a high level completely on your own, if you just consume their content or apply their “secret”? Because the point of this episode is exactly to show you that it takes hard work to get to that high level. A LOT of hard work. And that you probably won’t be able to do it all super well on your own. Which is the truth. Not trying to sell snake oil here. Quite the opposite, actually. :)

An hour long sales pitch? Come on, man. There's a lot of great info these guys are sharing in this episode. All they're saying is that it's very difficult to be all things in the area of music production. I'm sure you can build a house from scratch if you're handy, but will your DIY house job be as solidly built as one that you had contracted out to professionals? Not unless you're a skilled professional in every area of house-building.

@@ChuckWasHerethanks so much for this, dude! Exactly what we’re trying to say! 🙌

@@ChuckWasHere if you don't know how a house is built, there is a more likely chance that somebody will build a crappy house for you. clearly you don't know what you are talking about.

@@RetroGameBench Yikes

Absolutely!

Absolutely! So true! That plus a great performance (playing/singing skills + emotion).

So true brother.

I mean, in a way yes. But he had a professional team running his studio. Pretty much doing exactly what we talk about here. Building a team. Focusing on what you’re good at. Delegating or getting help with the rest. He was the producer. But not all the other roles (engineer, editor, tech, etc) Btw. we had Hans-Martin Buff as a guest on our show. He was Prince’s engineer for many years. You’re gonna love the episode! :)

You will be surprised to hear that almost every record ever has been edited in some way. :) Including the very organic ones. Editing can mean a lot of different things. It’s not about making it generic or lifeless. It’s not about always quantizing it 100% to the grid. Not at all. It’s about being intentional. About making it feel exactly the way it is supposed to feel. And often the performance needs a little help to accomplish that. Sometimes it doesn’t. It has been done on tape and people still do it now. It’s part of making a great record and if it’s done right, you won’t even notice. How much you need to do totally depends on the genre, the vision for the record, the players, the performances and personal preference. No rules at all, here. That’s part of being a professional engineer/producer. Being open minded and knowing exactly what the song needs.

@@theselfrecordingband One of the greatest records ever is rage against the machines debut album. Recorded in a live setting with minimum overdubs. And for me, that's an ideal I want to move more towards for the band I'm playing with as well. When we record drums to a metronome, then our band leader edits the drums, and does a lot of quantizing and editing, and I record bass over that drum track, wich again gets quantized and edited... I feel that a lot of musicality is lost.

@@VavShinYep, whatever feels great and gives you the right vibe for the record! There’s no right or wrong approach.

Exactly! To me, the composition is much more important than the recording quality, when it comes to measuring how great something is.

@@robpaterson2222 Thanks for commenting! I think “great” means that you love it and that you are proud of it. That’s it. And yes, in theory everyone can DIY everything. And we love that idea! I come from a DIY background and have played in DIY hardcore punk bands, etc. That’s why I have built this entire platform, despite already having a successful studio career. I really love to support DIY artists! But in the right way. I want to help them avoid the common mistakes I see all the time. And the mistakes I’ve made myself. And I wouldn’t say I’m self-taught. I had amazing mentors. And I put in years of (unpaid) full-time work, struggling financially and emotionally, sacrificing a lot, to finally get to the point where I was able to produce great stuff that I was really proud of. And that made other artists want to work with me. So, it is possible, but it doesn’t work the way most people think it does. And I think most accomplished DIY artists will tell you the same. They wouldn’t consider themselves completely self-taught and they probably haven’t done it all themselves or without help from more experienced people. -Benedikt

@@bobmortimerisweird 100% agreed!

Great example, thanks! And yes, that's (almost) true. There are professional mastering engineers involved in his records, but for the most part it is Kevin Parker. The important questions are: How did he learn it? How long did it take him? How much effort went into it? How much did he invest into learning it and into making these records? What did it take in terms of sacrifices in other areas of his life? Etc. 100% guaranteed that the answers to all of these questions are on a completely different level and not even close to what the average DIY musician is doing, or willing to do or what most people think it takes to do that. Not to mention his absolutely incredible talent and the genre that lends itself really well to experimenting with unconventional recording techniques etc. So yeah, if you can confidently compare yourself to Kevin Parker and are able to do whatever he did, then you have a chance! :) Again, a really great example and a true outlier. Thanks for posting this!

Thanks for the reply!Great question that I’m always asking as a producer myself, wondering what helped him to progress his skills so fast - was it a very stressful period of learning or simply by making music under the pressure to create something outstanding that a big artist as him probably experienced, and all in all, is there a method/strategy he’d recommend for someone who’d like to do it too

​@theselfrecordingband yea it's like saying Skrillex is 100% DIY. That's true, but the many years he was in his band, he was in studios and I'm sure he picked up on recording techniques/mixing techniques/general studio skills.

@@justinp.3256100%

Thanks for listening and commenting! Glad you like the episode! And yes, attention to detail is super important! PS: I assume you didn't mean to offend or hurt anyone, but I don't think the "fat woman" part was necessary and I'd love to keep this a safe space for everyone. So please consider that on future comments. Thank you! -Benedikt

@@theselfrecordingband No problem!

Thank you so much for listening, for your support and for your kind words! It really means a lot to me! 🙏

Thank you so much for listening and for that thoughtful comment! This means the world to me. 🙏

Thanks so much for listening every week and for this thoughtful comment! I really appreciate you and this means a lot to me. 🙏

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for listening and commenting! :)

@@theselfrecordingband You're welcome!

Glad to hear it! :) Thanks so much for listening/watching and leaving your feedback! :)

Yep, that's how we do it here. It's a podcast, not specifically made for RUclips where everything is fast paced. Also, we've asked our audience multiple times and they love the banter, so that's why we keep doing it. :) Also, did you see that we even put a time stamp in the description that let's you skip right to the topic. :) But anyway, thanks for your kind comment!

Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Yes, Dan is brilliant. And so is Luke! :)

Welcome and thanks for the sub!

Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Glad you found it helpful!

Interesting. What did you like about it? Are you using a computer and DAW now? If so, what about the Boss was better than using the computer?

The conference is called Studioszene. It's a yearly event in Hamburg, Germany. I don't think there's a publicly available recording of that masterclass. You have to be there to experience it. :)

Great comment! 100% agreed! :) Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Fun fact: I didn't even notice Malcom's costume change when we were recording. 😂 -Benedikt

Absolutely! Glad we got to meet and hang out! :)