I don't even know how old I was when I got the gift for Christmas, but I remember thinking it was a pretty cool piece of electronic hardware. From a technological point of view, it looked really cool, and I was very proud to own it. It made for a lot of fun times, for sure.
You might ask, "What was this high-tech gift?" It was a tape recorder, silly me! It was a monophonic reel-to-reel tape player that came with its own microphone plug-in. I could put that mic close to the speaker of my transistor radio and record songs on tape. I could also sing, play the guitar, and record everything I did. I could even hide and record conversations with family members who didn't know what was going on. I was in a great place to record.
I bought an 8-track stereo recording deck years later (ok, that was a mistake). I used to have a stereo cassette recorder that physically turned the tape over when one side was done recording or playing. Now I have a stereo dual cassette deck that is more common, but I don't use it to record or do much else with it.
My computer is now where I record everything. The audio and midi software that can be used to record on a computer today is very impressive. You can record on more than one track, edit the recordings, and add special effects as you like. Many audio recording programmes have built-in effects like reverb, compression, flanger, and chorus, just to name a few. Some of the software for recording can also use third-party effects like vocal removers, tube amp effects, and many others.
With multitrack recording software, you can record live instruments, vocals, and other sounds on their own tracks. After you record a track, you can listen to it while you record another. When you're done, you can combine all the separate tracks into one stereo track. Some recording software lets you import and record both audio and MIDI, while others only let you record audio. If you have a MIDI keyboard or another MIDI instrument, make sure you choose software that can handle both formats.
It's easy to make a simple home recording studio. In addition to software, an audio and/or midi interface will let you plug all kinds of audio components, microphones, and instruments into your computer for live recording, recording from tape, or even recording from your old vinyl lps. You can also connect audio components to a home stereo system by running wires from your computer's sound card to it. A laptop with recording software and a USB interface can be used as a completely portable recording studio. Again, if you have MIDI instruments, make sure you get an interface that lets you connect them along with audio components and instruments.
The digital revolution has made it easy for anyone with a computer to record music. If you like music and want to do more than just download MP3s from the Internet, you can start your own home sound studio by getting multitrack recording software.
