Build a home studio to fit any budget

Explore equipment and techniques for making top-notch recordings at home

You've picked a perfect time to start recording! From PC-based to studio-in-a-box, today's equipment lets you put together a professional quality CD right at home, if you know how to use it. This guide covers everything from microphone placement to multitracking and mastering, helping you choose the right tools and use them like a pro.

Discover how to:

• Create a studio around your budget
• Direct signal flow to maximize your sound
• Apply the best microphone techniques
• Use compressors and limiters properly
• Build a space for optimum mixing

Jeff Strong sure has a knack for explaining things. This book is a true winner and explains many things about recording in detail in concise, understandable language. It has really helped me in my recording endeavors and has enabled me to produce pro-quality recordings. If you're into recording, both amateur and professionally, this book is a great resource. Just buy it, you'll be glad you did!

I have used dummies books for just about everything I need to learn about that I don't already know. They have always been found to be helpful and full of information that I would have otherwise either not understood or had no clue about.
I have been messing around with recording myself for quite some time. I recently purchased Cakewalk Sonar Producer edition for my laptop to do some home recording for a demo I am producing. I purchased the venerable Power Books on the subject, as well as used the online Help. All of which are fine for the program, but if you really want to learn what it takes to record a great sound, you need this book. It covers all the topics, in a simple, straight forward way, for an amateur musician to understand all the concepts, hardware and processes involved in getting that great sound out of your hard work. There is no frustration here trying to figure out what it all means. No lengthy babbling about what, how and why.
If your a pro, well, Dummies books certainly aren't for you unless you need a reference, however, if you just simply want to learn how to do it, this is the book for you.
With all that being said, I have already cut three songs that I previously recorded without using this book and the sound is light years ahead of my original recordings.
If you are going to school to study Sound or Sound reinforcement, then reading this book will give you a hedge in your classes.
Stop trying to do it yourself without learning the basics and get this book. It will save you a lot of frustration and time and have you produce that sound you've always been looking for!

I'm the person this book was written for. I'm a musician and when I record I'm not interested in delving into the subtle nuances of sound manipulation, I just want to play. I found this book to be a great reference, full of tips and tricks that are easy to apply. For anyone that's ever played around with live recording, the concepts are clear and the information understandable. I think it's a great reference book.

I have been recording a little on my Fostex MR8 and a little on my computer. I have a few audio editing programs, but was just fuddling through. I didn't know the difference between a dynamic mic and a condenser, didn't know how to properly mic a cabinet, or even which frequencies bring out the best aspects of an instrument. This book solved all of those programs. If you need detailed info on computer recording or MIDI, go elsewhere. If you want a good smattering of audio, digital, computer, and MIDI recording, this is the book for you.

I've just started recording on my pc on a budget, this book has definitely provided some helpful tips. Since I'm recording exclusively on the pc, it has alot of information I don't need since it covers a variety of recording methods. The Dummies book for PC recording may have been a better choice for me, but I haven't read it so I can't be sure. If you're just getting started like me, I don't think this book will answer all your questions. But along with some internet browsing and some questions at your local music store, this book is useful so at least you have a basic idea of what to ask and look for.