Features
Melody makers
Latency is an inescapable inconvenience when recording virtual instruments, but it is bearable. After all, an acoustic piano has a certain amount of latency, too, as the hammer travels towards the strings. However, it's more problematic when recording audio, as hearing your voice or guitar just a couple of milliseconds late as you perform can be very off-putting. Thankfully, latency can be avoided altogether during audio recording by monitoring the signal before rather than after the input has passed through the software. Some audio interfaces include manual hardware controls to set how much of the input is piped directly to the output, and they all have software utilities for the same function, as described in Step 7 of the tutorial.
The exception to this rule is when recording an electric guitar directly into the PC. You'll probably want to hear the sound through a guitar amp simulator plug-in rather than the feeble-sounding raw signal. In this case, you'll have to put up with some latency. A much better solution is to put a microphone in front of a guitar amp and this usually gives better audio quality, too.
Rhythm section
Think about whether you want to record to a fixed tempo or just use the computer like a free-running tape recorder. The main advantage of recording to a fixed tempo is that editing is easier. With all recordings locked to a tempo grid, it's easy to move things around, trying out ideas in different sections and repeating or deleting blocks. This certainly makes sense if you're recording as you compose, and it's standard
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Recording to a click track or other form of guide such as a sample loop doesn't necessarily mean recording to a constant tempo. All serious recording software supports tempo changes. However, many rock and indie bands perform best when they are not constrained by a predetermined tempo, and jazz bands and classical ensembles wouldn't dream of it. This makes editing trickier, but not impossible.
Spend some time getting the headphone balance and overall level right so the performer feels comfortable. They won't necessarily want to hear a nicely balanced mix while recording. It's more likely they will want plenty of themselves and whatever instruments will help them keep in time and in tune. If you've bought the Alesis iO|26 audio interface to record multiple simultaneous inputs (as recommended in part one of this feature), take advantage of its ability to create two independent headphone mixes for different performers.
Advanced techniques
Software designers and music producers are constantly finding new ways to improve the quality of recordings. Even when you're starting out, there are a few tricks worth investigating.
One of the most popular techniques is to compile sections of different takes into a best-of version. Computers make it very easy to record a virtually unlimited number of takes, chop them up, move them around and put them back in whichever order you like. This can make a huge difference to the quality of vocal performances in particular, but it comes in for criticism. The ability to patch up less-than-ideal performances means musicians no longer have to master their instruments or voices to make records. However, it's hard to edit a performance to make it more passionate or soulful. It's best to think of this technique as a liberating tool, letting the performer experiment without having to worry about making mistakes. See the tutorial for advice on crossfading between takes to create a seamless blend. Bear in mind that making a seamless blend isn't just about avoiding glitches, but also choosing takes that work together as a convincing continuous performance.
