Recording at home - habits/discipline/routine

[NaturalOrthodoxy]

Maybe a slightly nebulous concept, but I'd be interested to find out about how other people generally go about recording at home. Less the technical/gear side of things, but the self-management/logistical habits you get into and how it affects your work.

A friend of mine on this board told me that a lot of their material is pieced together from individual tracks they have jammed out as and when. He'd sift through tapes of whatever he's jammed and piece them together to make a complete track or album. He'd then decide which of his various projects the completed product would fit with.

I found this really interesting as I've heard other people refer to creating noise/PE/industrial etc as "curating" sounds rather than composing a whole. It certainly seems compatible for people who only have small amounts of free time at any given point, like myself, who can't set aside days or even more than a few hours at a time to get into "the zone" for recording. It's something that plays on my mind as I definitely haven't yet settled on a preferred method which can potentially lead to an inconsistent sound (though I've no delusions about the fact my current project is me finding my feet/getting to grip with the learning curve of PE).

I understand it's an intensely personalised thing and that (to paraphrase Nietzsche) there is no right way or wrong way, only your way and my way.

TL;DR- tell me your home-recording habits- composition, time management, discipline, and quality control.

[Andrew McIntosh]

I found this really interesting as I've heard other people refer to creating noise/PE/industrial etc as "curating" sounds rather than composing a whole.

"Curating" is a current buzz word that people use to make what they do sound more important than what it actually is. Taking the patina of an art curator and applying it to any old bullshit. No one organises compilations or gigs any more, they "curate" them. So if someone is telling you they are "curating" sounds, they're just falling for some posh sounding bollocks and will grow out of it in a year or so's time.

[Euro Trash Bazooka]

I have way too many projects/proper bands going on at the same time, in a few different styles (some have been around and doing "serious" stuff for many years now) as I'm a person with a very obsessive personality, even if I have a very short attention span. Ideally, I wish I could get into some kind of routine when it comes to recording because 1. routines can be comforting for persons with anxiety like myself 2. I constantly feel like I want to make and record music. All the time. Regular life stuff, work, girlfriend-time, other distracting hobbies, etc... get in the way more often than not, though, and I find that I can record at home mostly in "manic" times, when I'd be so obsessed with something and getting shit done that I'll start tinkering with my stuff/gear (whether it is my tape deck, my tape 8-tracker, a dictaphone or my computer) and record noise/stuff I want to make for some of my solo projects. It usually happens at night, when my girlfriend is asleep and that I manage to find some focus and delve into it. Then I can spend hours recording/jamming/experimenting.
I always have various things going on with each project at a time because they all fit with some particular aspects of my personality or themes I want to explore and it depends what I feel like doing when I'll be in that "manic" recording mood. Maybe I'll want to make melodic sequences on one synth or crazy harsh noise on the other, maybe I'll feel like recording blown out noiseore, etc... I don't always have a set sound in mind though, even if some of my projects stick to some strict formulas or directions which I want to respect, and if what I record doesn't go towards that direction, I'll make a newer project out of it, even if it's a one-off thing. It also means I always have a few "releases" (mostly private tapes I trade or give away to friends or trading buddies) in the works, that get complete once I feel like they're done. But it's according to my inspiration, which I don't like to force.
I don't think they're should be any "discipline" going on in the creative process because it must be free of any constraint to be as natural and honest as possible. I think "discipline" is a restrictive term. Anybody is free to record what they want the way they want whenever they see fit. I certainly wish there was more quality as to what comes out when it comes to releases though, as I think a lot of things being put out nowadays sound like proper shit but ultimately, I guess it's up to everyone's tastes. I'm a fussy listener, and pretty anal with my own shit, even if when it comes to noisecore, hah.

I don't know if it answers the OP. I'm very curious about it as well, though, and I'd love to see where people record, hah.

[Dyecap]

Hi OP
So

Composition - Over the last couple of years I have gravitated more towards one take, live recordings. I don't enjoy multi-track, computer arranging, layering and such. After plugging up a bunch of kit I'll feck about replacing or adding toys as I go and until I'm happy with the options available and find a flow/path. Concepts usually come at this point if I've gone in without one. If I'm stalling on a project or not progressing quickly I'll tear it all down. I've always got at least one type of recording device up and running. For about two years it was a Tandberg 1/4" and laptop. Now its a zoom H6. After final recording, the work area is cleared ready for the next. The only equipment that stays in placed being a mixer.

Time Management - I work from home. Have family priorities. Sleep patterns change with the seasons. In summer I tend to need less sleep so if I have an art or noise project on the go I'm more often than not up at 4-5am fiddling about before settling in to work work. Over the next 12 months I have a loose plan to get out of town more in the autumn field recording for a different noise direction. Winter - more evening/night jams with others. Spring - Back to 1/4" jamming. We'll see though...
Discipline - Get it done if its worth it. Move on if its not. Recognizing the difference. Do not have projects hanging unfulfilled. Dead horses etc...
Quality Control - If I like the balance/mix in headphones and or guitar and bass rigs, hifi......its done.

This is how its been for the last couple years. Changes come of course.
:-)

[NaturalOrthodoxy]

[/quote]

I have way too many projects/proper bands going on at the same time, in a few different styles (some have been around and doing "serious" stuff for many years now) as I'm a person with a very obsessive personality, even if I have a very short attention span. Ideally, I wish I could get into some kind of routine when it comes to recording because 1. routines can be comforting for persons with anxiety like myself 2. I constantly feel like I want to make and record music. All the time. Regular life stuff, work, girlfriend-time, other distracting hobbies, etc... get in the way more often than not, though, and I find that I can record at home mostly in "manic" times, when I'd be so obsessed with something and getting shit done that I'll start tinkering with my stuff/gear (whether it is my tape deck, my tape 8-tracker, a dictaphone or my computer) and record noise/stuff I want to make for some of my solo projects. It usually happens at night, when my girlfriend is asleep and that I manage to find some focus and delve into it. Then I can spend hours recording/jamming/experimenting.
I always have various things going on with each project at a time because they all fit with some particular aspects of my personality or themes I want to explore and it depends what I feel like doing when I'll be in that "manic" recording mood. Maybe I'll want to make melodic sequences on one synth or crazy harsh noise on the other, maybe I'll feel like recording blown out noiseore, etc... I don't always have a set sound in mind though, even if some of my projects stick to some strict formulas or directions which I want to respect, and if what I record doesn't go towards that direction, I'll make a newer project out of it, even if it's a one-off thing. It also means I always have a few "releases" (mostly private tapes I trade or give away to friends or trading buddies) in the works, that get complete once I feel like they're done. But it's according to my inspiration, which I don't like to force.
I don't think they're should be any "discipline" going on in the creative process because it must be free of any constraint to be as natural and honest as possible. I think "discipline" is a restrictive term. Anybody is free to record what they want the way they want whenever they see fit. I certainly wish there was more quality as to what comes out when it comes to releases though, as I think a lot of things being put out nowadays sound like proper shit but ultimately, I guess it's up to everyone's tastes. I'm a fussy listener, and pretty anal with my own shit, even if when it comes to noisecore, hah.

I don't know if it answers the OP. I'm very curious about it as well, though, and I'd love to see where people record, hah.

Yeah this is the sort of thing I wanted to hear about. Generally how people fit home recording into their day (alongside work/social/romantic commitments).

As for the word "curate"- yes I certainly admit there is a bit of a "buzzword" vibe to it and therefore can seem a bit meaningless. Perhaps I should have just called it what it is- making new material from old/existing sounds. But I suppose recycling/"cutting up"/ etc etc has an obvious history in industrial, this may be a subject for another thread though haha.

I'm enjoying people's responses so far though, definitely the sort of thing I wanted an insight into.

[NaturalOrthodoxy]

Hi OP
So

Composition - Over the last couple of years I have gravitated more towards one take, live recordings. I don't enjoy multi-track, computer arranging, layering and such. After plugging up a bunch of kit I'll feck about replacing or adding toys as I go and until I'm happy with the options available and find a flow/path. Concepts usually come at this point if I've gone in without one. If I'm stalling on a project or not progressing quickly I'll tear it all down. I've always got at least one type of recording device up and running. For about two years it was a Tandberg 1/4" and laptop. Now its a zoom H6. After final recording, the work area is cleared ready for the next. The only equipment that stays in placed being a mixer.

Time Management - I work from home. Have family priorities. Sleep patterns change with the seasons. In summer I tend to need less sleep so if I have an art or noise project on the go I'm more often than not up at 4-5am fiddling about before settling in to work work. Over the next 12 months I have a loose plan to get out of town more in the autumn field recording for a different noise direction. Winter - more evening/night jams with others. Spring - Back to 1/4" jamming. We'll see though...
Discipline - Get it done if its worth it. Move on if its not. Recognizing the difference. Do not have projects hanging unfulfilled. Dead horses etc...
Quality Control - If I like the balance/mix in headphones and or guitar and bass rigs, hifi......its done.

This is how its been for the last couple years. Changes come of course.
:-)

Interesting! You seem to have the similar habit to me of squeezing in recording time at the expense of good sleep, haha

[urall]

Recording during the week is mostly impossible in the normal work routine. I come home from work somewhat late in the evening (seven-ish),so after dinner and whatnot there's not really that much time before my kids go to bed.  My 'studio' is upstairs next to my kids bedrooms, so shouting in a mic or rattling with stuff is bound to wake them up at night haha.

So i need to take advantage of every single free hour in the weekend or holidays to record stuff if i feel like it.
Recording procedure differs from time to time: occasionally i just do a 'live' recording, to practice my improv skills should i ever do a live set or something. But this requires a lot of time. So lately i tend to record single tracks when possible with my laptop and edit the tracks later on - this i can do in the evening with my headphones on. Same with making tapeloops, this is i can do at night as well.

So it kinda depends i guess..

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Most of my routines are focused of "artificially" restricting possibilities.
Despite there would be possible to arrange time, equipment and space, most of the work is done in fairly short bursts and it generally happens in everything else but ideal studio conditions.

Instead of setting up properly with vasts amounts of equipment, I usually merely pile couple items on top of eachother, connect them and see what comes out as result.

Most of the basic recordings I tend to do live-in-studio. Only latter add/adjust/layer if needed. Mostly that means vocals and possinly few details.
Doing things live, where layers can't be mixed, usually generates different blend of sounds and different level of spontaneous energy, than through "editing". Especially when recorded with amps and/or to tape deck, multiple sounds at once brings results what are vastly different than having various layers on digital editing. Of course digital edit has it's benefits what can be used, but I find inspiring to work with very clear and distinctive sounds, and not be clouded with abundance of effects and possibilities. Rather see what I can get done with couple elements and couple pedals - if even pedals at all.

This means that it is about intentional creation, but heavily effected by random elements. Finally it is about gut feeling of hearing if sound or idea is good or not. I may also play different sounds until the moment arrives when it feels necessary to push recording button.

I have many times toyed with idea of setting gear "ready to go", that one just needs to turn power on and all gear is properly set up. Equally many times I have come to conclusion that it would be counterproductive. I rather force myself to situation where couple things are on corner of table at rehearsal place, with too short cables, and all sorts of nuisances what will make sure recording situation won't be exactly same next time.

[NaturalOrthodoxy]

I have many times toyed with idea of setting gear "ready to go", that one just needs to turn power on and all gear is properly set up. Equally many times I have come to conclusion that it would be counterproductive. I rather force myself to situation where couple things are on corner of table at rehearsal place, with too short cables, and all sorts of nuisances what will make sure recording situation won't be exactly same next time.

Yeah, I've found this definitely yields the best kind of "how the hell did I do that" kind of sounds! Giving yourself over to a degree of chaos and circumstance can definitely be beneficial

[Cauldhame]

For me this has changed over time and not necessarily in the ways that I'd expected.

When I first started making industrial, I just had a handheld digital recorder and a computer to work with, so my process was completely dependent on field recording and serendipity to find useable sounds. I got into a habit of always having the recorder available to hand whenever I was out and about, just in case, so that any and all interesting sounds I came across could be harvested, to some degree of success or other. I also inadvertantly cultivated a whispered, buried vocal style through this process by recording vocal takes out and about, speaking very close to the mic with a backing of loud sound, e.g. under a railway bridge, outside a machine shop close to where I work, etc. So anything I made was always dictated by the circumstances, stumbling across interesting sounds, and happened in fits and starts. This would all be put together at home using a DAW with software effects and usually with headphones on rather than at loud volumes.

Over time since I've gradually accumulated physical and analogue gear, and moved to a house with a garage where I can store items of scrap metal and record louder junk sounds, amp up, etc. All the same I've found that the approach of sound fishing by plugging in a load of gear and having a noodle doesn't really work for me. I find it frustratingly inefficient and directionless. So instead I spend more and more time these days thinking through the themes and the content that I'm planning to explore, making notes, and trying to think of as many interesting ways as I can in which the themes can dictate the methods. I find I get far better and more idiosyncratic results a lot more quickly if I have an idea for a track fully mapped out on paper and have a good sense of what approaches will help me realise it properly. Retaining the field recording practice helps to keep spontaneity and serendipity in the process, and I'll never turn my nose up when inspiration strikes unexpectedly, but having a framework to fall back on helps to attenuate a lot of the anxiety of waiting for ideas that may never come to fall in your lap. 

[Stipsi]

I live in a small apartment with no basement/garage.
My bedroom is essentially my "studio".
Most of the time I can't use the speakers because my neighbours broke my balls so I use the ear monitors (not always so funny with harsh noise/harsh noise wall).
When I need to record something very loud i rent a rehearsal room for a couple of hours and I record with my zoom h4n.

[HONOR_IS_KING!]

I regularly record and rehearse on my weekend. Anywhere from 4-6 hours on both days. Plenty of space, gear, and can be as loud as possible.

[HateSermon]

I live with my girlfriend in a house with both downstairs and upstairs neighbors. The spare bedroom in our apartment acts as a studio for both noise and art. Luckily my girlfriend is super supportive of what I do, and sometimes will collaborate (she's also in a band). I prefer experimenting/recording when she's away at band practice. The neighbors work at bars so they're usually gone anywhere from 3pm - late so grinding out some noise within those hours is hardly ever a problem. I try to find time to jam at least twice a week, but balancing freelance illustration work and a full time job makes it a little more challenging.

[zd313]

Hi OP
So

Composition - Over the last couple of years I have gravitated more towards one take, live recordings. I don't enjoy multi-track, computer arranging, layering and such. After plugging up a bunch of kit I'll feck about replacing or adding toys as I go and until I'm happy with the options available and find a flow/path. Concepts usually come at this point if I've gone in without one. If I'm stalling on a project or not progressing quickly I'll tear it all down.

100% this. even when i have multitrack composition plans; i often get derailed by something i like in the process and make something i think is better than my original idea.

as far as daily routine and stuff; ive fallen into this odd kinda "rehearse during the week and record something good on the weekends". not on purpose, but its happened that way. i work from home so i often put in a good 6-8 hours recording daily. i have neighbors so i wait til 11am or so to play and dont go late... i tend to not use headphones bc i think it sorta messes up perception and screws the final take. i live alone so no worries there. i also record everything i do (and im p critical of what i even keep for "source", recording that much u can afford to be), and since im using tape and not a digital source, i go through them frequently to see what i can tape over (ive come to really like using degraded/recycled tape of my own stuff for masters). like OP said his friend does, i often use the tapes themselves to layer as a composition. the library of congress deck has sorta become my main "instrument" as well, and the synths i have are sorta of just used as processors. i dont have any set habits as far as recording itself goes, sometimes i do 100% live w no post production, other times i spend days on one track of a final piece. i'm lucky that i'm able to dedicate so much time to sound, i listen to stuff i made 2 months prior and its sorta like "thats not bad but ive expanded in many ways".

[host body]

I just sit down, start noodling and sometimes make something worthwhile, often not. It's a really time consuming process, but I enjoy it enough not to have made any rules or timetables. For example I just finished my side of an upcoming split tape, 15 minutes of sound and it took probably 10 hours to make, counting all of the false starts and dead ends I discarded before finding the right sounds.

I've set my gear so that I can either play everything live and record it to DAW in stereo, sample stuff to Octatrack and assemble songs from samples and live instruments, contact mics or mic'd metal junk etc. and record it into DAW or just record separate sounds and instruments to DAW and assemble the track there. Downside is that it's a bit of a hassle to mix direct in line synth sounds, feedback loops and contact mics while recording, so live sessions are rarely good enough for me to consider putting  them out anywhere.