How I DIY-ed My Music

I like doing things myself. Partly because I can’t afford to get professionals to do it for me, but also partly because I enjoy tinkering on my own. (I’m stubborn, too!) It’s no different when it comes to music. I’ve been recording and producing my own songs under the name Super P since last year, and it’s been such a steep learning curve. But let me show you the gadgets that make it so much easier for me to make my own music.

If you’ve read Gadgets Magazine’s Wishlist Issue, you might remember me listing the Focusrite Scarlett Solo audio interface as one of my must-haves. Luckily, my Secret Santa obliged, and I was able to use it to record my second album! For those who are unfamiliar with the tech, an audio interface acts like a translator between your instrument and your computer. It helps you ensure clarity and quality while recording (versus, say, directly placing your microphone in front of your amplifiers or instruments—which I did). What I love the most about my Scarlett Solo is that it’s easy to set up. Just plug it in, follow simple steps, and you’re good to go! Perfect for someone who doesn’t have much time to learn highly technical audio production setups.

While recording the guitars and vocals for my first few songs, I made the mistake of using a condenser microphone, which is typically used for podcasts and video content. The result? Too much ambient noise that my inexperienced self had to figure out how to clean up. That’s because condenser mics are designed to pick up delicate sounds. After (much-delayed) research, I discovered that what I needed was a dynamic microphone. I thought I had to shell out a couple of thousandS to get a good one, but as it turns out, you can get a great dynamic microphone for less than PHP1000—the Maono AU-K04. I used it to record my next batch of songs, and the difference in quality was definitely miles away from my earlier recordings.

DIY music production, no matter how cost-efficient it may be compared to hiring professional sound engineers, still requires you to invest in a good pair of monitor headphones. The Audio Technica ATH-M40x has given me the benefit of amazing sound quality from a trusted brand for less than PHP10,000. Why not use just any headphone, you ask? Professional monitor headphones like the ATH-M40x provide accurate sound monitoring by delivering a flat response that is not accentuated by too much bass or too much treble—elements that are enhanced in typical consumer headphones. It allowed me to hear my songs and produce them with a more-or-less universal baseline sound to suit different kinds of speakers.

The songs I make are meant to be played by a live band. Guitars, bass, drums—the whole shebang. For the first two instruments, I have the skill and resources to play and record on my own. But drums? My hand-foot coordination can’t handle it. So because I’m too stubborn to ask for help from a real drummer, I had to—you guessed it—do it myself! I used a virtual drum software program called EZdrummer by Toontrack. In it, you not only get to create a drum line for your song using a virtual kit, but you also can compose one just by laying out preset drum tracks that you can select from a comprehensive library of styles and genres. Talk about EZ! What’s great about EZdrummer is that it can be used as standalone software or as a plugin to your digital audio workstation (DAW).

Follow Super P on YouTube at youtube.com/SuperPWasHere

Stream my album First, We Attack The Heart! on Spotify.