Recording Samples

I was in the studio yesterday recording for an upcoming sample pack I’m creating. I wanted to get a wide range of sources and it was mainly just for practicing and experimenting with different mics and placement options.
Most successful I found was my kick drum miccing. I used a Heil PR40 inside the drum and then about a metre back a Shure SM57 pointed directly at the head. This ended up giving quite a good sound and I was actually a bit surprised as I almost stumbled upon it rather than planned it out.

Heil PR40 and Shure SM57

By mixing the two signals together I capture a good range of dynamics for the kick. I think next time I would try with a different mic than the SM57 something that captured a bit more room and more of the higher end frequencies, something like the AT202 or Rode NT2A. Although this worked well for recording a single kick I don’t think it work well in a full kit setup as the mic placed back could easily be replaced by overheads or a room mic.

The Social Network (Not the Film)

To me, social media has always been what the name suggests: a purely social way of interacting with my friends, looking up events and just generally keeping up to date with what’s happening in other people’s lives. For my purposes, it never needed to be anything else. There are a multitude of different social media platforms that cater for every person’s unique needs. But I’ve since started looking at it in a different light, one that has its own advantages.

In a business or professional model, the role of social media turns 180°. While the underlying factors of connecting and conversing with people remain,  it becomes a much more powerful engine. The tools and functions that most users would overlook come into play. A business can look at the analytics of their social media and find out what demographics use their platform. This can be used in a circumstance like mine. An independent content creator would need to know their market more than an already established business. This way they could use the information to either expand or corner their market even more. This is incredibly useful for scoping new projects and improving previous ones. Because it’s an ongoing analysis, a company can evolve and continue to grow.

Although I don’t have a business affiliation I can still use social media in creating a personal, professional presence online. I’ve often found myself wondering how a certain person achieved a sound, or what inspired them to create it, and it’s weird to find myself in a situation now that I can log in and ask them. I’m currently new to Twitter and am still amazed at how easy it is to get in touch with people in my local area and nationwide.

Being able to communicate with people that are currently working in an industry that I’m trying to enter is such a huge advantage. Not only can I get advice on things I’m working on from professionals, I can also start making connections while I’m still studying. This is a huge advantage for getting into the industry. The more paths and connections you can make, the easier it will be later. Let’s say someone I’ve been talking to on Twitter is looking for a sound engineer and they remember something I said, produced or shared. Things like that could put me above other candidates.

It’s a reassuring thought knowing that it is just as likely that I could get a job based on connections rather than technical skill alone. I’m only just starting to realise the power of social media and, looking ahead, I can only see it becoming more and more crucial to my career development.