Home Recording DJ Equipment: Recording Software for DJs

If you're a DJ in the market for some inexpensive home recording DJ equipment then you need to take into account your choices of a system that will meet your needs.

As DJ equipment evolved over the last 10 years or so it's been the challenge of software programs to tap the market for the homebased recording studio.

Since most people don't have a lot money to build their own recording studio in house but you now have a number of choices that will make you sound great without emptying your bank account.

But before you buy this overview will give you some products to consider when choosing different home recording studio software. Regardless of your computer of choice you need to keep in mind the things you need in order to get the most out of your system and DJ equipment.

Home Recording Tips:

Master Software Program - Depending on your choice this is what all of your other hardware and software components will be based on.

Audio Card - This card is a crucial piece of hardware because you can't get audio into computer without it.

Mixer - If you have DJ equipment then you have a mixer. Use your mixer or multi-track to plug into your audio card. It can be an analog or digital mixer…preferably a digital mixer. For my home recording I use the Roland VS880. You can also plug directly into your audio card from a source such as a CD player. Break Out Boxes are your best bet if you only a have a few inputs. Whatever your source is they should run through a mixer or breakout box first and then to the input of your audio card.

CD Burner - What's the point of recording to your computer if you can't burn the final product to CD. Just about every computer comes with one nowadays. Even some of the newer DJ equipment comes with a CD burner.

Mastering - Mastering involves taking the final mix and tweaking it by a means of compression and EQ to give it full dynamic range with the highest output without distortion. You may have noticed that your homemade CD sounds nothing like your favorite CD. That's because it has not gone through the mastering process.

Home Recording Tips: This is a skill that only a few people in the recording industry have. But thanks to the power of the computer you can achieve the same level of a final maser as the big boys. Get your DJ equipment out, drop a track and start mastering.

Midi Production - If you use MIDI then you'll most definitely need a midi interface card for your computer or and external MIDI interface. This is an essential part of you recording process because it allows you to sync many different instruments that use Time Code or SMPTE.

By having this capability you can compose and arrange you music using several different instruments and have them play in time with one another while being controlled the multi-track machine's MIDI.

Drums Sounds - In the past drum sounds have been the hardest part to create for tracks. Drum loops have come a long way and for home recording it has been simplified to a few clicks of the mouse. Now with pre-made drum loops and samples it's just a matter of inserting it where you want it and the recording software will line them up so it sounds perfect. Soon DJ equipment will have MIDI.

Home Recording Tips: With the main software program you want to get this one right the first time because this will be the mother program. Some of the programs can be a bit pricey but you won't be changing to any other programs for a few years. Just like you made the investment in your DJ equipment do the same with your recording software. These come highly recommended.

Sony Sound Forge Audio Studio 9 Standard

Features. 24-bit/96kHz audio support. Microsoft Windows Vista support. UI customization. Show Me How interactive tutorials. Simple editing and navigation. Easy drag-and-drop functionality. Real-time nondestructive editing. Multitask background rendering. Media Explorer with automatic file previewing. Automatic left and right mono to stereo merge. Fully customizable toolbars. Mix, paste, and crossfade. Automatic file mixing and conversion. Unlimited Undo/Redo. Over 30 built-in effects & processes. System and user-defined function presets. Enhanced Preset Manager. Crash recovery. Mark-in, mark-out, drop markers in real time. Embed URL flips within audio and video stream. Mono and stereo sound files. Real-time play and record meters. Full support for 4 GB and larger files. Standard keyboard commands, mouse shortcuts, and toolbars. Compress sound files for 8-bit distribution. Processes. Bit Depth Converter (to 8-bit, 16-bit, 24-bit). DC Offset. 10-band EQ. Fad

Sony Sound Forge Audio Studio 9 Standard

You can expect to spend up to $600 but in the end it will be well worth it and you will definitely get your monies worth. I have yet to change to another mastering suite because Sound Forge is THAT good.

More Resources for a Home Recording Studio:
Sound Forge Tutorial For Beginners

DJ Equipment Guide Home | Home Recording with DJ Equipment Software

Ben Ellis' Extemely Simple Ways To Make Money Online

www.The-DJ-Equipment-Guide.com - Your Guide To DJ Equipment

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