Someone on the mudchat strongly suggested that I weigh in on this matter.

I am the Borderline Folk Music Club's webmaster and media person.
http://www.borderlinefolkmusic.4themax.com

I have 20+ years of experience in professional video.audio.photo.web

With Borderline, I am offering the: "Maximize yourself" CIYH.
http://concertsinyourhome.com/host_result.html?uid=akent

My website is http://www.4themax.com


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This is an old issue since the Dawn of Time - either DIY ("Do it yourself") vs. hire a professional. The saying goes, "You get what you pay for."

So should you run down to Radio Shack or Guitar Center, and now you can DIY, or should you use a RECORDING studio?

Sure, you can make a recording in your LIVING room. But will it be a QUALITY recording? Similarly, you could have your Uncle Joe video your daughter's wedding. Pass out some of some of those disposable cameras on each table, and you'll save money on the photographer. Oh yeah! You could get the guys to do some BBQ instead of the caterer, buy some flowers at the local grocery, etc.

If it was so easy, why are there recording studios to begin with? And what exactly is a RECORDING studio? and should MUSICIANS do their own recording just like they might do their own publicity, accounting, managment, booking, tuning, etc. or should they do what they do BEST, music?

What do RECORDING studios have that LIVING rooms don't? Not only do the walls have acoustic treatment (no don't save you egg cartons instead and O.D. on cholesterol!), they are built of acoustically-engineered materials, acoustically dimensioned rooms (think of blowing into pop bottle and resonating), electrically isolated/filtered circuits (fluorescent and halogen lights induce a nasty hum), but they also have PROFESSIONAL quality equipment and PROFESSIONALLY-knowledgeable and trained audio engineers who know how to use them? What's the difference between a $3000 Neumann U87 tube mic and a $50 on sale mic you got at Radio Shack?

And equipment manufacturers, music stores, etc. are in the BUSINESS of selling equipment so THEY can make money on you DIYers.

Even if you could buy some quality recording gear. You could get away with recording keyboards or other line level musical or MIDI instruments. But what do you do about vocals and acoustic instruments? How do you isolate the noise of the recording gear from being recording and listen to it {monitors, oh - I need a control room)while it's being recorded?

There are so many issues which why there are architects, schools, etc. for recording PROFESSIONALS using PROFESSIONAL gear and PROFESSIONAL recording environments.

If home-recorded music is good enough for your target audience, that's all right. But if you want to make a PROFESSIONAL QUALITY recording then use PROFESSIONALS instead of DIY.

And when it comes to your daughter's wedding, forget the Uncle Joe video that'll look like it was shot on the sinking Titanic - hire a professional also. Unless you don't care. It was good enough for Steve Martin in "Meet the Parents" to fantasize about the backyard BBQ instead of Frank the caterer/wedding planner!

Thank you.