I get really busy Sept - Dec. Totally forgot about this post. Not sure where to start on this. I am a live sound engineer by trade and there is a difference in approach as opposed to recording. I happen to be really good at recording but only my band in my studio, on my terms. Luckily some of my friends actually happen to have Grammys for various recordings so I get to steal their knowledge to enhance my skills.
Recording engineers might spend hours on just getting a kick sound or guitar sound, because a recording is forever. Every little mistake will be heard over and over again. (FYI - mistakes can be good or bad - but that is a whole other topic). Live sound engineers often have to get a decent kick sound in 10 seconds - sometimes linecheck an entire band in a scant few minutes. Our approach is fast and furious because subtle mistakes can be overlooked in a live concert setting.
I can give lots of pointers about recording but there are lots of exceptions to the rules and you have to take what I say in the context of the fast and furious live sound guy approach.
A couple of big broad points: The SM57 is almost always good on just about everything. Its learning the mic positioning that takes some skill. Moving a mic around can add or subtract ambience, act as a tone control, put things in or out of phase and more. An SM57 and a $100 mic preamp can yield excellent results if you know what to listen for.
Don't get bogged down between mic A or mic B, or preamp C or interfaces D,E and F. All the sales literature is bullshit because no one can ever say something is bad because they lose advertising dollars. Yes, a $4000 mic is probably better than a $100 mic. But a $4000 mic in the hands of a beginner will add nothing. To put it another way. We like Marshall, Orange, Sunn etc amps. They all sound a bit different but they all rock. Great riffs have been played on all. Your music and performance is way more important than whether you used a ribbon mic or Sennheiser 609 on your guitar amp.
Last point - no matter what I say, there is someone out there with a valid argument as to why I am wrong. My approach is based on my experiences and interactions. The more experimenting you do, the more you learn what works for you.
If you have some basic knowledge already, I highly suggest this book: Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio by Mike Senior. Buy the book and buy a highlighter pen. There are hundreds of great tips for improving your mix. Also check out tapeop magazine - its free and awesome.
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