Songwriting and Recording at Home

The cool thing about being a songwriter today is the ability to record studio-quality songs in the comfort of your own home. Musicians are turning their computers (and even tablets) into full-fledged recording studios to create music that used to cost a fortune to make in professional studio settings. There are a number of ways this can be done, depending upon your budget and the level of quality you want to achieve.

I record some great stuff with my iPad, an iRig, and a couple of different recording apps. The process for me is pretty straightforward. I begin by writing my songs using either Songwriter HD or Notion (which allows me to notate music like Finale or Sibelius does on the computer), then I start laying down my tracks. The order depends. I might lay down a guitar part first, then the vocal. I'll mix those and then start adding the other parts, either by plugging into my iRig and playing or by using virtual instruments.

I like to keep my workflow as streamlined as possible. The least amount of software and hardware I can use to accomplish the task at hand. It's taken me a couple of years and a little money (my wife will tell you otherwise on the money part) to find the software, apps, and hardware that work best for my specific needs.

I'll be doing a series of posts in the upcoming weeks to discuss and review in detail some of the various music software, apps, and hardware I use for writing and recording. Hopefully my posts will help those of you who are struggling to find what you need to accomplish your own goals, and maybe my experiences can save you a little time and money in the process.

Some of the reviews I have planned are Finale, Finale Songwriter, Songwriter HD, Sony Acid Music Studio, Pro Tools, Notion, MusicStudio, the various iRig packages, and loop packages. Keep an eye out.

Songwriting Apps for the iPad

There are a ton of apps available to help you create music on your iPad. I have been trying them out. Just  ask my wife. I am  extremely picky about what I use. It has to do exactly what I want it to do or I move on to something else. I do that until I find what works and then I endlessly talk about what I find that works for me. These are some of the most useful apps for songwriting on the iPad. I use and recommend them all.

SongWriter HD by SimonApps is my main songwriting app. It allows me to write lyrics and chords, tab out guitar parts, and export my songs for backup. There are alot of extra cool features that give me full control over every aspect of the song. It's easy to use and great for creating lead sheets. Get it in the iTunes Store for around five bucks.

Notion by Notion Music, Inc is an app I use for full on music notation. This app is like using full-fledged music notation software like Finale and Sibelius. Seriously, this does it all. It even plays your compositions using real sampled instruments. This is for the serious composer.

Garage Band by Apple is billed as a recording app for beginners, but there is so much you can do with it that pro musicians will find it useful. First off, the virtual guitars, basses, keyboards, strings, and drums are awesome. They provide a quick way to add some tracks to a song when there are no instruments available to you. The big thing for me, though, is using Garage Band and an iRig to take advantage of the many popular amplifier set ups and effects pedals Garage Band offers. It is literally like having thousands of dollars worth of equipment on my iPad. I use more professional DAW apps for more professional recording, but Garage Band is a great place to sketch out a tune. The plus side is it's free for the iPad.

Auria by WaveMachine Labs, Inc is a full-fledged professional recording app that allows you to record and mix with studio quality results. This is the way to record and mix on your iPad.

Music Studio by Alexander Gross is a full-fledged recording studio that doesn't quite stack up to Auria, though it offers more features and possibilities than Garage Band.

These are just the apps I recommend. There are many more. Let us know what you use.