From Demo to Delivery

Russ Hepworth-Sawyer

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9780240811321
• eBook ISBN: 9781136121890
• Topic: Technik & Maschinenbau
• Subtopic: Akustiktechnik

From Demo to Delivery: The Process of Production discusses each stage of the typical music production process from start to finish. Beginning with the creation and development of the composition and song production, the book then traces the process from the recording, mixing and mastering stages through to marketing and distribution. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to learn the pro techniques involved in creating music from start to finish. Packed with essential information, including signposts to other sources of information at the end of each chapter, From Demo to Delivery provides a map for musicians, semi-pro and aspiring producers, engineers and music professionals interested in learning how music makes it from the an idea to the page to the studio to a demo and into the hands of the market and beyond. Check out the book's website - http://demo2delivery.com/

SECTION B

The Sessions

Chapter 4

The Recording Session

David Miles Huber

In This Chapter

■ Introduction

■ Preparation

□ What’s a Producer and When Do You Need One?

□ Long Before Going into the Studio

□ Before Going into the Studio

■ Setting Up with the Production Team

□ Electric and Electronic Instruments

□ Drums

□ The Final Check

■ Recording

■ Overdubbing

□ Punching-In

□ Bouncing Tracks

■ Mixdown

■ Sequence Editing

■ Mastering

■ A Final Word on Professionalism

■ Further Reading

INTRODUCTION

One of the most important concepts to be gained from books such as this is the fact that there are no rules for the process of recording music. This rule holds true insofar as inventiveness and freshness tend to play a major role in keeping the creative process of making music (and music productions) alive and exciting. There are, however, guidelines and procedures that can help you have a smoother flowing, professional sounding recording session or, at the very least, help you solve potential problems when used in conjunction with three of the best tools for guiding you toward a successful project:

1. Preparation

2. Creative insight

3. Common sense

PREPARATION

As we discussed in Chapter 2, probably the most important step that one can make to help ensure that a recording project will be successful and that it has a chance at being marketable to its intended audience is careful preparation and planning. By far the biggest mistake that a musician or group can make is to go into the studio, spend a lot of money and time, press a few thousand CDs, make a template website and then sit back and expect an adoring audience to spring out of thin air! It ain’t gonna happen! Beyond a good dose of business reality and added experiences, the artist(s) will have the dubious distinction of joining the throngs that have thousands of CDs sitting in their closet or basement.

In order to help avert many of the more common mistakes, the first half of this chapter is devoted to laying out many of the tools that can be gathered to help ensure that a project will go smoothly, be on budget, sound good, and, of course, sell. The latter half will be devoted to the actual process of recording in a professional or project studio. To those that choose to dive into the deep end of music and sound production (on either side of the glass)—all the best!

What’s a Producer and When Do You Need One?

One of the first steps that can help ensure the success of a project is to seek the advice and expertise of those who have experience in their chosen fields. This might include seeking legal council (for help and advice with legal matters, business contacts, or both). Another important “advisor” can come in the form of that all-important title, producer. Basically, the producer of a project can fill one of two roles:

■ The first type can be likened to a film director, in that his/her role is to be an artistic, psychological, and technical guide that will help the band or artist reach their intended goals of obtaining the best possible song, album, remix, film score, etc. It is the producer’s job to stand back and objectively look at the big picture, and to offer up suggestions as to how to shape and guide the performance and to direct the artist or group in directions that will result in the best possible final product.

■ The second type also encompasses the directorial role, but also has the added responsibilities of being an executive producer. He or she will also be charged with many of the business responsibilities of overall session budgeting, choosing and arranging for all studio and session activities, contracting (should outside musicians and arrangers be needed on the project), etc. This type of producer may even be charged with initiating and/or smoothing contact relations with potential record companies or distributors.

As you can see, this role can be either limited or broad in scope and should be carefully discussed and agreed upon long before any record button is pressed. The importance of finding a producer that can work best with your particular personalities, musical style, and business/marketing needs can’t be stressed enough. Finding the right producer for you can be a time-consuming and rewarding experience. Here are a few tips to prepare you for the hunt:

■ Check out the liner notes of groups or musicians that you love and admire.You never know, their producer just might be interested in taking you on!

■ Find a local up-and-coming producer that might be right for your music. This could help fast track your reputation.

■ Talk with other groups or musicians. They might be able to recommend someone.

A few of the questions to ask when searching out a producer are:

■ Does he/she openly discuss ideas and alternate paths that contribute to growth and better artistic expression?

■ Is he/she a team player or are the rules laid out in a dictator-like fashion?

■ Does the producer know the difference between a creative endeavor and one that wastes time in the studio?

■ Does he/she say “Why not?” a lot more often than “Why?”

Although many engineers have spent most of their lives with their ears wide open and have gained a great deal of musical, production, and in-studio experience, it’s generally not a good idea to assume that the engineer can fill the role of a producer. For starters, he/she will probably be unfamiliar with the group and its sound, or may not even like your sound! For these and other reasons, it’s always best to seek out a producer that is familiar with you, your goals, and your style (or is contacted early enough the he/she has time to become familiar).

Long Before Going into the Studio

Most in the industry realize that music in the modern world is a business. Once you get to the phase of getting your band or your client’s band out to the buying public, you’ll quickly realize just how true this is. Building and maintaining an audience with an appetite for your product can easily be a full-time business; one where you’ll encounter well-intentioned people, and also others who would think nothing of taking advantage of you or your client.

Whether you’re selling your products on the street, at gigs, or over the Internet, or whether you’re shopping for (or have) a record label, it’s often a wise decision to retain the counsel of a trusted music lawyer. The music industry is fraught with its own special legal and financial language, and having someone on your side who has insight into the language, quirks, and inner workings of this unique business can be an extremely valuable asset.

By far, one of the most important steps to be taken when approaching a project that involves a number of creative and business stages, decisions, and risks is preparation. Without a doubt, the best way to avoid pitfalls and to help get you, your client, or your band’s project off the ground is to discuss and outline the many factors and decisions that will affect the creation and outcome of that all-important “final product.” Just for starters, a number of basic questions need to be asked long before anyone presses the “REC” button:

■ How are we going to recoup the production costs?

■ How is it to be distributed to the public? Self-distribution? Indie? Record company?

■ Will other musicians be involved?

■ Do we need a producer or will we self-produce?

■ How much practice will we need? Where and when?

■ Should we record it in the drummer’s project studio or at a commercial studio?

■ If we use the project studio and it works out, should we mix it at the commercial studio?

■ Who’s going to keep track of the time and budget? Is that the producer’s job? Or will he/she be strictly in charge of creative and contact decisions?

■ Are we going to need a music lawyer with contacts and contracts? Do we know someone who can handle the job?

■ Carefully discuss the artist or group’s artistic and financial goals and put them down on paper. Discuss budget requirements and possible rewards as early as possible in the game! This might be the time to discuss matters with the music lawyer we talked about.

These are but a few of the questions that should be asked before tackling a project. Of course, they’ll change from project to project and will depend on the final project’s scope and purpose. However, in the final analysis, asking the right questions (or finding someone who can help you ask the right questions) can help keep you from having to store 10,000 unsold CDs in your basement.

Now that you’ve answered the questions, here’s a list of tasks that are often wise to tackle well before going into the studio:

■ Practice, practice, and more practice. Need I say more!

■ Create a “Mission Statement,” perhaps using the V.I.S.I.O.N. method outlined in Chapter 2A as a basis, for you/your group and the project. This can help clue your audience into what you are trying to communicate through your art and music and can greatly benefit your marketing goals. For example, you might want to answer such questions as: Who are you? What are your musical goals? How should the finished project sound? What emotions should it evoke? What is the budget for this project? How will it be sold? What are the marketing strategies?

■ Start working on the project’s artwork, packaging, and website ASAP.

■ Copyright your songs. In the United States, Form PA is used for the registration of music and/or lyrics (as well as other works of the performing arts), while Form SR is used to copyright the actual recorded performance. These forms can be found at www.copyright.gov/forms or by searching the Library of Congress at www.loc.gov.

■ Take the time to check out several studios and available engineers. Which one best fits your style, budget, and level of professionalism?

Before Going into the Studio

In Chapter 2 we introduced the notion of preparing for the process as a whole. Here’s a really useful list of things to consider discussing with the production team before walking into the studio.

Before beginning the recording session (possibly a week or more before), it’s always a good idea for the engineer to mentally prepare for what lies ahead. It’s always a good idea to pass on a basic checklist that can help answer what type of equipment will be needed, the number and type of musicians/instruments you’ll be bringing, their preferred particular miking technique (if any), and where they like to be placed (next to the drummer for example). The best way to do this is for you, your group, and the producer (if there is one) to sit down with the engineer and discuss instrumentation, studio layout (Figure 4.1), musical styles, production techniques, and the vision for the project. This meeting lets everyone know what to expect during the session and lets everyone become familiar with the engineer, studio, and staff. This is time well spent, as it will invariably come in handy during the studio setup and will help get the session off to a good start. The following tips can also be immensely valuable:

■ If there is no producer on the project, it’s often wise to pick (or at least, consider picking) a spokesman for the group who has the best production “chops.” He/she can...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Contributors
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Section A • Preparation
• Section B • The Sessions
• Section C • To Market
• Section D • Doing It Yourself
• Index