AlcoholicAudioEngineer

In this video tutorial, I show you how to start a 4-track project in Cakewalk, connect Cakewalk to an external USB microphone, properly set input levels, and record two tracks (guitar & vocal) to be used as the basis for a song. After tracking the guitar and vocal parts, I show you how to apply basic EQ and panning to achieve a bit of auditory separation between the two parts. At the end of the tutorial, we send both tracks to a bus channel for some much-needed reverb. In future installments, we will add more parts and then get into the details of achieving a satisfying mix. In the end, we will master the song so that it sounds acceptably good whether played through a high-end audio system or cheap earbuds on your phone. On this channel, I hope to show those who are interested how to set up a basic home studio so that they can begin learning to record, mix, and master songs or any other audio projects of their choosing. As a former long-time abuser of alcohol, I wholeheartedly recommend this hobby, for those to whom it appeals, as an addiction replacement therapy. Tracking and mixing audio requires focus and presence of mind. You can't do it well, if at all, when you're impaired. Audio work has the added benefit of being both relaxing and goal-oriented. At the end of a project, you have a clear result that reflects all that you have learned and accomplished on the way to finishing it. Overcoming the many small challenges that you encounter along the way provides dopamine, and listening to a mix that you can feel proud of produces serotonin and other "feel-good" neurotransmitters that are sorely lacking in your brain and central nervous system when you are detoxing from long-term substance abuse. Audio work is also highly meditative. It sharpens focus, enhances mental clarity, and balances the emotions. Above all, it opens doors and pathways within yourself to discover and unleash creativity. Through audio work, you can speed up the process of healing your body, your mind, and your soul. As I explain toward the end of this video, my lessons are deliberately slow and long-format. Learning new skills can be stressful. My goal for each lesson is to make it a relaxing and enjoyable experience for you, and above all to show you that with a little patience and persistence, you can achieve more than you might think possible in a reasonably short while. Presently I am in the middle of putting together the first edition of a series of tutorials that I am calling "Into the Mix", wherein we explore the details of mixes I have done and the decisions I made while doing them. Though this style of learning is slow and requires a certain level of time commitment, I feel it is ultimately a more organic and effective way to learn audio work than marching your way through strictly topical, chapter-driven lessons. I want you to feel that you are sitting and learning these new skills with a trusted friend. The first mix we are exploring is a song called "Passing Through", which you can listen to here: • Alcoholic Audio Engineer Tutorial Son... The first "Into the Mix" tutorial for "Passing Through" is here: • AAE: Into the Mix: Passing Through (P... For a short tutorial video on the barebones requirements for setting up a home recording studio please visit: • Alcoholic Audio Engineer: NUTSHELL: M... The much longer and more detailed version of that tutorial is here: • Alcoholic Audio Engineer: Most Basic ... In these video tutorials, I am using a free audio recording, mixing, and mastering program called Cakewalk. If you wish to get started learning audio work, you can download Cakewalk here: https://help.cakewalk.com/hc/en-us/ar... Please like and subscribe, and feel free to leave a question or comment. I will most certainly reply as soon as I am able. Peace from Paju, South Korea. --AAE