Record a speaker output with a microphone (re-amp)

The basic technique you have to understand to produce a track is how to process recorded acoustic sounds or synth exports to sound files. If you mix the first generation recording or the synth exports to sound file you’ll notice they sound “sheer” and “bodyless”. In order to give the sounds “body” and “crunch” you must re-amp them, which is, you have to place a microphone in front of a speaker and record the output. Follow the instructions below to learn how to do this with computer speakers and a computer microphone connected to your desktop or laptop.

• Score the patterns on a DAW. FL Studio is a good one.
• Roll-off completely below 90Hz on all tracks, except kick and bass
• Turn down halfway 5000, 3000 and 1500 Hz on all tracks except vocals and hats
• Turn down halfway 1500 Hz on hats
• Turn down halfway 650 Hz on all loops except drums
• Record (re-amp) each loop and drum piece with a computer microphone and a speaker connected to your desktop or laptop, inside a fabric padded shoebox or archive box:
  • place the speaker on one side
  • place the microphone in front of the speaker
  • close the box lid, wrap in soundproofing material such as a fabric coat or a specific product
  • if you have an audio recording enabled DAW record directly in the DAW, otherwise record through another program.
  • For stereo sound, pan all the way left and record Left channel, then all the way right and record Right channel, then mix together the two tracks panned left and right.
• Re-amp the bass lows with a subwoofer and the bass highs with the speaker inside the box.
• Re-amp each drum piece separately, so you can sequence the drum part with the degraded sounds.
• Re-amp the kick lows with a subwoofer and the kick highs with the speaker inside the box.
• Save each re-amped loop to FLAC, WAV or other lossless, gapless format.
• Roll-off above 380 Hz the bass track re-amped on the subwoofer. Roll-off below 380 Hz the bass track re-amped on the tweeter. Mix together the two tracks. You will have to turn down 250 Hz on the final bass loop, in order to avoid distortion when the track is amplified.
• Roll-off above 250 Hz the kick re-amped on the subwoofer. Roll-off below 250 Hz the kick re-amped on the tweeter. Mix together the two samples.
• Sequence the drum parts with the re-amped drum pieces.
• Sequence the re-amped stereo loops.
• If the microphone inverts (see this section to check microphone inversion), invert polarity on all loops, leaving hats and percussions straight.
• If the microphone does not invert, invert polarity on hats and percussions, leaving all loops straight.
• Feed each loop to a separate reverb fader except hats
  • Turn all the way down dry signal on reverb
  • Roll-off below 250Hz on reverb
  • Compress heavily the reverb turning down knee to 0
  • Turn down halfway 5000 and 1500 Hz on reverb
  • Turn all the way down 500 Hz on reverb
  • Invert polarity on reverb
• Reverb hats and percussions separately
  • Turn all the way down dry signal on reverb
  • Roll-off below 250Hz on reverb
  • Compress heavily the reverb turning down knee to 0
  • Turn down halfway 5000 and 1500 Hz on reverb
  • Turn all the way down the way 500 Hz on reverb
  • Unlike the rest of the tracks, leave the reverb straight
• Export to mp3

You can make your track more “hi-fi” through a trick. You can re-amp the tracks following the procedure described above, only slowing down at half-speed the long track containing the pure electronic loops. Once you have the file downloaded on the computer from the phone, you can speed it up at double speed. This can be done in a number of ways inside FL Studio (with the Edison sound editor, with the Time Stretching feature in the channel rack) and will have the effect of making the sound crisper and the ambience less “dead”, as if it was recorded at a higher resolution in more lively ambience. Keep in mind, though, this will alter the quality of synesthetic sensations (see “Synesthesia” section). The smell, for one, will most likely become “unpleasant”. Tracks at normal speed may sound a bit “dead” and “dark”, but will actually convey more “natural” sensations. All the polarity inversions required in this procedure also have a synesthetic purpose (see section).