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Having spoken to hundreds of musicians throughout my music career, it is interesting to note how some have let the dream fade into the past in favour of a life of normality, whilst others are still walking the yellow brick road in search of stardom. The question we ask is, why do people give up and what happens next?
1. Finances.
If it's not already hard enough having to be the one man band in every area of musicianship, consider the amount of money which needs to poured into a single act in order for it to achieve notable attention and success. Most musicians are poor souls trying to earn a living from their talent. But talent alone doesn't generally take an independent master of music to the height of comfort and prosperity if he remains unsigned indefinitely!
The costs of reputable legal representation, CD pressing, professional studio services and equipment, to name just a few, are high enough to cause even a wealthy individual to hide away his wallet.
More and more musicians are going it alone in the hope that they will be able to snap a deal at some point, which would relieve the financial headache and burden. So they keep going and going until the coffers are worn thin. But still, for many, when is that break ever going to come?
2. Commitments.
It's a classic story. Bob's been playing in a band for six years. He has his heart set on stardom and fame. But then one day, along comes 'Mary,' who initially loves the attention he receives and finds the whole band thing gives her a buzz. She is drawn to his talent and his soulful, expressive hobby. But one day Mary wants to be the 'FIRST' most important thing in Bob's life and soon he starts to feel the pressure.
His attention to the game is emotionally driven off course, as he frets about how he now has less time to make music and his band mates think he should get rid of Mary! How can he let her mess it up? But Bob can't dump Mary because he loves her and despite this indifference their relationship has been truly wonderful.
Perhaps if he gives it a break for a few years he can always come back to it again, couldn't he?
3. Band Splits.
Yes it happens to the famous as well as the unheard of. Unfortunately disagreements are a fact of life. However if you are a band hoping to rise to the top, constant disagreements do not bode well for your musical career!
Some band members split and don't necessarily quit, but join other bands or go solo. It's much harder to pick up the pieces though if the band are already represented by an agent or label and have commitments to fulfil. The job of an agent or representative is to ensure that disagreements are solved professionally, and small quibbles may be solved over a drink and a game of pool.
Sadly though, getting a group of people to agree to each others opinions, future musical direction, (plus all the hundreds of other little decisions and details that require unanimous agreement) is more than impossible for a good length of time.
4. Pressure.
A word everyone in any industry or vocation is familiar with. If we never had any pressure we would take a lot longer to move ourselves out of the comfortable zone and into the firing squad. And boy do indie musicians get a lot of pressure!
They have the pressure to get noticed.
They have the pressure of making it big.
They have the pressure of making sales.
There is also the pressure to feed a family and pay all the general household bill before making it big.
Pressure is an enemy one can ill afford, but generally shifts us into fifth gear and keeps us soldiering on. I remember talking to a friend who gave up his indie career because the pressure of trying to get heard was causing him nasty headaches.
I remember his quote: "It'll kill me and I'll be gone, and then you'll hear my song on the radio". Needless to say once he relieved himself of that pressure the headaches vanished. He now works in an office position which pays him well, and he feels he is now compensated well for his input and knowledge.
5. Competition.
Let's face it; we all have a competitive streak. It's what makes the world turn so rapidly and produces experts in all subject and areas.
For the indie musician though, the 'competition' is the biggest drawback to his chances of success.
"It's impossible! There so many unsigned people out there," he yells in frustration.
The competition we face today is more apparent due to the visibility of artists online trying to make their way to the top. If we were to go back to the highlights of The Beatles era, we wouldn't know who or where half of these aspiring individuals were!
As many musicians step upon the unsteady bricks of uncertainty; and try with all their might to achieve some online success, many are blown off the sidelines by even more fiercely competitive and power hungry individuals. The competition is so fierce that some eventually decide that it's not worth the headache or hassle, and just go back to making music for the reasons they intended originally — for the pure love of it!
So there you have it. There are countless many more reasons why musicians quit, but then again, in all fairness there are countless reasons why many don't.
We love music and there will always be reasons to keep making it and proudly showing it off. So before you fall into one of those categories above, think hard about how you intend to manage your own music career and become a winner rather than a quitter.
N ostalgia is a kind of selective memory. From our 21st-century perspective, the past stretches out like a golden landscape of great music, classic gear and bizarre haircuts, and we tend to overlook the fact that there were plenty of dreadful records in the ’70s and ’80s — and that many of the great ones were made despite, not because of, the equipment then available. It’s also easy to forget that the gap between home and professional studio environments was once a gaping chasm. Much of the equipment that is revered as ‘vintage’ today would have been available only in professional studios in 1985, and far too expensive for most home-studio operators.
With that in mind, we thought that a fitting way to mark SOS’s 30th anniversary would be to revisit home recording as it really was in the mid-’80s. We set out to assemble a setup that would include only equipment that was realistically within the reach of the average SOS reader, and use it to program, record and mix a complete pop song — in an ’80s musical style, naturally!
The Lie Of The Land
Sound On Sound was launched in response to a revolution in project-studio music recording. The advent of the MIDI protocol, MIDI sequencers, timecode-based synchronisers and narrow-gauge multitrack, all in the first half of the 1980s, meant it was becoming practical for hobbyist musicians to create complete tracks. Suddenly, eight- and 16-track recording was no longer solely the province of professional studios; but perhaps just as significantly, sequenced MIDI synth sounds and drums could both augment track count and maintain audio quality by being run into the final mix as synchronised live sources, rather than being recorded to multitrack.
Instruments such as the Yamaha DX7, Roland Juno 106 and Korg Polysix were bringing polyphonic synthesis to a mass market; Akai and Emu were doing the same with sampling, and with a little imagination it was possible to extract plausible rhythm tracks from a new generation of drum machines. There was a good selection of relatively affordable mixers to tie everything together, and even luxuries such as digital reverb were starting to become a realistic prospect for home-studio operators. For the first time ever, talented amateurs could create sophisticated recordings without the help of other musicians or engineers.
Yet, at the same time, many other technologies we now take for granted still lay in the future. Affordable sample-based synths and workstation keyboards would not appear until the later part of the decade. Steinberg had yet to create the ubiquitous Arrange Page, the graphical template to which today’s sequencing software adheres. Digital recording was in its infancy, so not only were luxuries such as non-linear editing and plug-in processing unknown, but unless you were lucky enough to own a Sony PCM F1 converter, master mixes had to be recorded to quarter-inch analogue or cassette tape. And entire market sectors that thrive today, such as active monitors, acoustic treatment and affordable capacitor microphones, had yet to be created at the launch of SOS.
Assembling The Studio
Of those SOS staff based in our offices near Cambridge (a list that does not include founders Ian and Paul Gilby, Editor in Chief Paul White or Technical Editor Hugh Robjohns), only Editorial Director Dave Lockwood worked in ’80s home studios first time around. His recollection of the typical home-studio setups of the time — described in the ‘What Would You Find In An ’80s Home Studio?’ box — became our template in setting up the studio. His attic also proved an invaluable source of period-correct equipment, including the centrepiece of the entire setup: an Atari 1040ST home computer, complete with MIDI synchroniser and a copy of C-Lab’s Notator sequencer.
Other team members were able to beg, steal or borrow a few other typical home-studio items: a 16-channel Soundcraft 200SR mixer, a pair of Yamaha REV7 digital multi-effects units and a Fostex M80 quarter-inch eight-track tape machine. However, although we could muster various ‘vintage’ synths between us, what none of us had was a suitable selection of early MIDI instruments. With that in mind, we turned to leading UK hire firm FX Rentals, who very kindly lent us several key pieces from their vast treasure trove of music gear: an original Yamaha DX7, a Roland Juno 106 polysynth and TR707 drum machine, and an Akai S950 rackmounting sampler.
Assembling this lot brought home how unwieldy the home studios of yore were. Our setup might have been a typical ‘bedroom studio’, but anyone who managed to fit that lot into his or her bedroom would struggle to do any actual going to bed too! Even in SOS’s large meeting room, it was a challenge to arrange it all in such a way that all of our cables reached, and everything was accessible, while any changes to the setup would plunge us into feverish sessions of patching and re-patching. Since the Soundcraft mixer was a live-sound variant with no tape returns and only four groups, this had to be done on a regular basis. In some cases it was also a headache to find appropriate cables: the main outputs of the mixer, for example, appeared only on male XLRs, which needed somehow to be connected to RCA phono inputs on our master recorders and be paralleled to our monitors.
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So just what can you do in a home studio? What is it, exactly, that you will be able to do once you have your studio set up? Even if you have no experience in this, you'll find that your natural talent and years of listening to wellproduced music have given you more tools than you thought you had. It's all about listening.
Recording
The most obvious thing you can do in a home studio is to record sound onto tape or disk. Whether you are learning to use microphones effectively or just plugging a keyboard in, recording covers the whole spectrum of capturing sound. For those who have never recorded before, the process can be very rewarding. Having the ability to come home from work and spend a few hours in your studio creating music is very freeing, and the icing on the cake is that you have total control. Whether you are making an elaborate multitrack masterpiece or simply singing and playing guitar, you need to know how to get a good sound. This is where you learn the basics of engineering: setting levels, choosing and placing the correct microphones for the best sound, and dealing with mixing. For the keyboard players out there, using MIDI (an electronic standard used for the transmission of digital music) is an important part of the recording process. All these elements fall under the umbrella of recording.
Mixing
Mixing is generally done after the initial recording sessions. Mixing is the art of setting the loudness and sound color of each instrument that you record. Mixing is a learned art, and like any other skill, it takes practice. Using faders to control the volume of tracks helps the instruments sound more cohesive and balanced. Equalization, which we will refer to as EQ, is the boosting or lowering of certain frequencies. EQ can transform a muddy bass into a clear sound, or turn a thin, lifeless guitar into a round, warm sound.
Effects are also a major component of mixing. Effects can help you achieve a more polished final sound. For instance, you can add reverb to give the illusion of having recorded in a large space or use compression to even out sudden changes in volume.
Editing
Editing can be considered cut, copy, paste, and whiteout for sound. In the world of editing you can cut a section and re-record it; you can go back and fix a note that sounds bad.
The most powerful editing options lie in the computer. Standalone, all-in-one recording units are capable of editing, but computer software takes it to a much higher level. Imagine that you are recording a song with a structure of chorus, solo, chorus. Suppose the choruses are exactly the same, and when you recorded the piece, the second chorus sounds better. Computer software gives you the ability to cut the first chorus and copy the second in its place. You don't even have to play repeat sections twice; you can just loop together small repeating bars of music. You can even click and drag sections of music around with your mouse. Did you decide after the fact that you want to record an introduction to your masterpiece? Just drag the original audio to the right, make room for the new, and paste it all together. This is just the tip of a very large iceberg…So now how do you get started? First, you've got to determine what your needs are.
As a home studio owner, or soon to be one, you should be aware of how the professional studios operate and what techniques they employ. In the end we are all trying to do the same thing: get sound onto a recording device, spice it up, and mix it to a final product. We all want to get the best sound possible. The differences in techniques directly affect the quality of the final product.
Why Your Favorite Recordings Sound So Good
Cue up your favorite recording, one that you think is recorded well. Sit back and listen closely. Notice how all the instruments blend together well, how no instrument sticks out of the mix more than it should. Notice how you hear virtually no background noise. All the instruments sound present, the drums don't sound far away, and it sounds as if you're in the same room as the band. The recording has a smooth and polished sound to it, no harshness to your ears. These are all qualities of good engineering, good mixing, and good mastering.
When you listen to a professional recording, realize that you are listening to months, if not years, of hard work recording and mixing the music. Big studios also have access to the finest equipment, the best microphones, acoustically perfect rooms, and most important of all, experienced engineers to run the sessions. Does this mean that your home studio masterpiece will sound bad? No, not at all! With some basic equipment, a little knowledge, and your inspired music, you can make professional-sounding recordings. Recording sessions are broken up into three main components: preproduction, production and engineering, and postproduction.
Preproduction
Preproduction involves everything that comes before the actual recording session. This can include selecting the right material to record, rehearsing the band, and getting ready for the recording sessions. For the home studio owner, this involves working out your material so that you can record it. It also might include purchasing gear to facilitate a particular project, such as buying a second vocal microphone to record a vocal duet for a new song. Basically, anything that you can do in advance to make your recordings go more smoothly is preproduction.
Production and Engineering
Production involves the actual recording sessions. At the sessions, the engineer runs the recording show. It's up to the engineer and any assistants he or she might have to set up all the microphones, place the microphones for optimum sound, get proper recording levels, run the mixing board, operate the recording device, and make sure everything sounds good. The engineer is the most important link in the chain (besides the musicians themselves) in getting a great-sounding recording. Engineering, like any other skill, requires a certain level of artistry and practice for proficiency to improve. An experienced engineer will be able to identify problems and quickly find solutions.
Editing and overdubbing might take place in subsequent sessions, but it's still considered production. In your studio, you will most likely be wearing all of the various hats needed to make a recording. It will be up to you to properly set up your equipment and the microphones, run the recording device, and engineer the recording. This can be a tall order to do all at once, but the chapters to follow will show you how to get started easily. With a little practice you'll be off and running!
Postproduction
Postproduction includes anything that happens after the recording sessions. Most often, postproduction involves mixing the tracks to a polished uniform sound. Mixing involves several key elements:
Track levels: Loudness of each track
Panning: Side-to-side placement in the mix
Equalization: Boosting or cutting certain frequencies in the mix
Effects: Adding signal processing such as reverb, delay, and compression in order to achieve a polished sound
Mix down: Mixing all the tracks into a single stereo pair suitable for distribution or mastering
Even the most basic studio has the capabilities to do all these things. Remember that the basic sequence of events is always the same: sound capture, recording, and playback. Now that we explained a little about the history of the recording process and got you thinking about some concepts, it's time to shift gears and move into your home studio to find out what you need to get started.
We live in the digital age. Everywhere around us technology is changing the way we work, play, and communicate. The computer has become a fixture in the home, and it's hard to imagine life without one. The need to create coupled with advancements in technology are allowing even the average hobbyist the chance to create and share quality music without going into considerable debt.
The Advancement of Technology
Analog multitrack recorders capable of recording twenty-four or more tracks can cost a lot of money. Even now, though they are less popular, it is easy to spend $30,000 to $50,000 on a good one. Their prohibitive cost meant that for a while, home studios were available only to rich, successful musicians. Digital technology has brought the cost down considerably. Digital tape machines such as the ADAT, while not cheap, are nowhere near as expensive as multitrack analog tape machines. When they were introduced in 1992, Alesis ADATs went for around $3,500. These modular tape machines started showing up in professional studios, and more and more home studios were getting equipped with digital recorders.
As the technology and time advanced, recording studios turned to the personal computer. Digital audio can be stored on its internal hard drives, and the monitor and mouse take editing to a whole new level. Software provides an interface for laying out tracks and editing them visually in ways that were never possible in the analog or digital tape world. As we discuss in later chapters, digital audio uses nonlinear technology. This means that the audio is free to be placed anywhere in time, unlike a tape-based machine on which you record at a specific point in the tape. Unless you cut out that section of tape and splice it somewhere else, you can't move things around with analog tape. But with digital audio, moving audio is as easy as pointing and clicking.
Using computers in studios came with its own problems: The computers themselves were not able to handle the tremendous strain that digital audio required. To a computer's brain (the central processing unit, or CPU), digital audio is very complex to work with. The addition of signal processing was too much for the computers of the late 1980s and early 1990s to handle. The solution was to use add-on cards inside the computer to help process the digital audio signal. One of the most successful products is Digidesign's Pro Tools. Pro Tools uses a combination of hardware to perform digital signal processing (DSP) and software to arrange music. Professional Pro Tools and other systems like it are still very expensive. It's easy to spend $30,000 to $50,000 on a nice Pro Tools rig. Pro Tools was one of the first proprietary systems available, a combination of software and hardware for recording music in a computer. Today Pro Tools is the standard in recording studios around the world. Other systems exist today, but none with the popularity and compatibility of Pro Tools.
How Technology Made the Home Studio Possible
The home studio has followed a path similar to that of professional recording studios. In 1979, Tascam invented the Portastudio, a 4-track recorder that used standard audiotapes. It was priced around $1,000, which was very inexpensive for a unit of its type. It caused a revolution, and in one step created the home studio market. The unit was small and compact and could be taken anywhere. Four tracks could be recorded and mixed separately in the unit and later mixed down to a final stereo cassette. Musicians quickly began using the Portastudio for creating their own music and making demos. The Portastudio line by Tascam is still popular today and comes in many shapes and sizes, both digital and analog.
In the digital world, in the 1990s, the hard disk began showing up as part of standalone recorders, greatly increasing the quality of recorded sound. Because hard disks were able to hold more data, they became a viable solution to storing digital audio. Digital audio is very large: each monophonic track takes 5 megabytes of memory per minute. A typical ten-minute song consisting of eight tracks requires 400 megabytes of storage space. By today's standards that's not very much, but in the early 1990s most home computers shipped with 500-megabyte drives, total! As the computer grew in popularity and power, it became feasible for a computer with a simple audio interface to handle the demands of digital audio without the need for additional DSP cards. Computer recording software such as Cubase, Digital Performer, Sonar and Logic answered the call by providing MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) and digital audio in one package. Computer recording software is immensely popular because of its ease of use, relatively low cost, and the power of what you can achieve with just your home computer.
What does all this history mean for you and your home studio? Being able to layer track upon track is a critical part of the home studio experience, especially if you work alone. Many bands record albums one layer at a time for greater control.
When tape recording was first becoming prominent, all recordings were done live. All the sources converged onto one track of a magnetic tape. Because there was only one track, there was no way to adjust the individual levels of the recorded instruments after the initial recording. If you didn't get the balance right the first time, you had to record the entire track again. Overdubbing, the process of adding live tracks after the initial recording, was impossible because of the mechanics of early tape recorders. As time went on, tape recorders split the width of the tape up into smaller tracks, allowing for multiple tracks. In time, recording and playing back four or eight tracks became possible.
Les Paul's Innovations
Before jazz guitarist Les Paul came on the scene, overdubbing was virtually impossible. To understand the difficulty in overdubbing at that time, you first need to understand how the analog tape machine works. In an analog tape machine, three electric heads — the record head, playback head, and erase head — handle the recording process. The record head magnetizes the tape that flows beneath it; the playback head picks up the information from the tape and sends it out to the speakers; and the erase head erases the tape when necessary. The three heads are set up one after another, so that as the record head writes, the playback head picks up tape farther along in the recording. Because each head is reading a different part of the tape, they aren't synchronized. For overdubbing to work (such as layering guitar sounds one on top of another), the artist would need to listen to the previously recorded track to know when to start, when to pick up the tempo, etc…. Unfortunately, since the playback head is in a different spot than the record head, the recorded signal is out of sync; it plays back later than the artist played it.
Les Paul was a very innovative man. Not only did he invent the solid body electric guitar as we know it today, he also made overdubbing and multitrack recording possible. Paul had the idea to combine the record head and the playback head into one unit, allowing artists to overdub in real time with no delay.
Les Paul's records were revolutionary; no one had ever heard such a thick, lush sound. Based on Paul's discovery, the company Ampex released a 4-track recorder with Sel-Sync (Selective Synchronization) in 1955. However, while this innovation made overdubs possible, most bands still recorded live and used overdubs to add solos, harmony parts, or additional vocals.
How Multitrack Changed the World
Multitrack recording was the single most important innovation in audio recording. The ability to record instruments on individual tracks, have control of separate volume levels, and add other parts after the original recording, changed the recording process forever. No longer did you have to settle for a live take. If the singer was off, you could go back and re-record individual parts. Guitar players could layer acoustic guitar backgrounds with electric guitar rhythm parts. The possibilities were endless.
The number of tracks available increased over time. At first, the 4-track was common. The Beatles, for example, recorded “Strawberry Fields Forever” on two separate 4-track tape machines, for a total of eight tracks. Modern recordings can be twenty-four, forty-eight, or, in the case of computers, several hundred tracks. For you, the home-based musician, this process allows you to slowly build up arrangements one track at a time. You can start with a bass line, add a guitar part later, track some vocals later — all by your lonesome. The finished product will sound like one large, live band even though you played it all yourself.
But home studio owners aren't the only ones who work this way; Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails always multitracks. He records alone in his home studio, multitracking to build songs. Tom Scholz of the group Boston records the same way, playing each instrument one at a time.
To me there are three kinds of mixes: First, there is the mix that has no hope at all. Even if the mix was sent to a top-of-the-line, major league mastering engineer, it still doesn’t matter because the mix is lacking. You could think of it as an unfinished mix being passed off as finished. Second, there is the mix that is great! It’s a C to A when it comes to mixing. This mix is when mastering engineers can take a song and really do something with it and make it shine (turn a C to a B or an A to an A+). Third, there is the mix that needs nothing else done to it (The A+). It doesn’t need any further processing because to do so would only take away from that song. A real mastering engineer knows when not to touch a song. It’s still great to have a mastering engineer listen to your mix even if it’s an A+ just so you can have an expert reaffirm that you actually have an A+ mix on your hands.
You might have heard people say, “The ‘independent’ sound today is trendy and people like it, so my mix is good enough and certainly doesn’t need a mastering engineer”. If you have found yourself thinking that, please consider the following. First off, mix engineers who get that raunchy or raw sound don’t get that sound from lack of talent. It’s because that’s the sound they’re going for and it’s a well balanced mix- just a different kind of sound or tone that’s different from your average pop song. Secondly, I, like many other fellow concert goers, have found myself at certain shows so captivated by the music of the band or M.C. that I decided to purchase a CD after the show only to be very disappointed when I get in my car and listen to the CD. All the songs that moved me at the show only disappoint now. As a result, I don’t listen to the whole disk and I end up misplacing it because I don’t really care about it at all.
I’m sure from talking to some artists that the mix really wasn’t important to them because, according to them, “Nobody actually notices the quality of the mix.” This is only half true.
People never notice when you have a good quality mix (except maybe fellow mix engineers) but people DO notice a bad mix. They may not say it was a bad mix or even think it, but they won’t dig the music like they would have if it had been mixed right.
I know selling CD’s is half the battle but if we are honest with ourselves we don’t want our music that we poured our heart and soul into to end up broken on the bottom of someone’s car floor and forgotten about. We want our CD’s to be the one that is in the disk player being worn out until the listener moves on to something else but at the same time can’t wait until your next album comes out!
Well, what exactly is the missing link between the sound of your show that you performed and your CD’s sound? It’s all in the mix! Sure I know you need a good DAW such as Propellerhead Reason and a quality audio interface such as the Focusrite Pro Series interfaces , and so on, but trust me, what good are those things without a well balanced mix? Here’s my point. When your listener attended your show there was most likely a sound guy at the show making sure everything sounded fine while you were playing on stage. You also made sure everything sounded good as well. It was you on the stage and for the most part if you performed well then it was a good show. But as we all know it’s very hard to fit your band’s song or performance into a set of car stereo speakers.
So how do you get that performance to come through?
1. Get back to the basics
There are tons of great songs and records made back in the 50′s, 60′s and early 70′s that were “so, so” in the mixing and recording aspect but are still considered classics. What these recordings mainly had going for them were soul. So remember the most important thing is capturing a great performance and not letting anyone in your recording space that will kill the “vibe” when you are doing so. Get into the moment!
2. Try using cut filters
As we all know the high end in our mixes can be hard to deal with. If you are having problems with your guitar try cutting out a little bit of the high end. Maybe cut it off at 10khz. Try this with vocals cutting off at 13khz, 15khz, or 17khz. With cutting the low end you should be a little bit more conservative. If you need to cut some of the low end out of a lead synth, for example, just make sure you’re not taking too much away- just enough so it sits better in the mix. Make sure to A/B it a few times before moving on as well.
3. Use some compression
Vocals are usually one the toughest things for people to get to sit right in the mix. Gentle, or maybe even heavy, compression is usually in order to help cure this or at least a limiter to control the peaks if you’re going for a fuller more open dynamic mix.
Here is how I usually set my vocals when compressing them:
- Set the attack to about 10ms or if there’s just a fast/slow setting set it to slow.
- Set the release time to about 1500ms and set the ratio to 6:1.
- Solo the track and play it. While the track is playing mess around with the threshold until the vocal sounds about right.
- Start to set the release gradually backwards until you hit the spot you like.
- Then set the ratio backwards or forwards, depending on your taste.
- If your compressor has an input section, gradually increase that to see if you like it. You don’t need to increase the input but it can help sometimes to push the compressor a little harder.
- Last, if the compressor has an output stage make sure the vocal track is no longer muted and adjust accordingly or just use your fader on the mixer.
If you’re an indie artist, try taking some of these basics to heart and give them a shot. Maybe you’ll move up a letter grade or two in your recordings and your next album will get the respect it deserves.
Some of the easiest ways to improve your recordings are also the cheapest. In fact, the most effective techniques require no money at all.
Here’s a collection of tips you might find helpful the next time a pricey piece of gear stands between you and great recordings.
HELP FROM OTHERS
Have a friend perform: Home recording, especially for singer/songwriters and electronic musicians, often involves a single musician writing and recording all the music. But artists in this situation can find themselves too close to the song, at mix time, to make decisions critically.
Working with other musicians might initially complicate recording and mixing. However, creating a great mix depends, in part, on your ability to remove unnecessary details, and most of us are more comfortable objectively critiquing someone else’s work. So asking a friend (or some professionals ) to perform a track or two will ultimately make mixing easier, and more effective.
Get more ears on the mix: With any task requiring attention to detail, it’s easy to lose the forest for the trees. And so it goes with mixing. A second or third opinion can draw your attention back to details you’ve glossed over.
And outside opinions needn’t come from other musicians and engineers. (Although the homerecording.com MP3 mixing clinic is a great source for free advice.) Often, regular listeners give the best feedback because they don’t think in technical terms about the production, and instead form their thoughts on how the song makes them feel. And some of the best mix feedback I’ve gotten has come from children, who are unconditioned by musical convention.
Listen on multiple systems: Hearing a mix through different speakers is a little like getting a second opinion. And professional mixing engineers rely on this technique. Chris Lord Alge, for example, keeps a portable radio near his console for checking mixes :
Avoid dogma: Our hobby (or profession, if you’re lucky) is plagued with religious arguments, like “tube gear sounds better,” and “analog sounds warmer than digital.” Regardless of each argument’s merit, these dogmatic issues over-complicate the recording process, and distract us from the importance of technique – which, of course, costs nothing!
Cut. Ruthlessly: As musicians, our egos push us to put everything we’ve got into every part we record. But virtuoso performances and great recordings don’t necessarily go together. The whole, as they say, is often greater than the sum of the parts.
In most song arrangements, over-instrumentation usually just leads to clutter. And along with being more difficult to mix, clutter rarely sounds good.
Make every part do work: Ensure that every part competing for the listener’s attention is supposed to compete for the listener’s attention.
PRACTICE
Practice your performance before hitting record: The benefits of practice should be obvious to all musicians, but home recording fosters a “write as you record” approach to song creation.
Practice takes time. But it needn’t hamper the creative process; and in most cases it will ultimately save time. Though the tracks may take longer to record, it’s far easier – and quicker – to mix a set of well-performed, polished performances.
Not only do the performances themselves benefit from practice, but the final mix will sound more professional.
Use reference CDs: No single technique will do more to improve the quality of your mixes. Working with a reference mix is, in some ways, like getting a free lesson on mixing from a professional engineer.
Practice mixing when you’re not in the studio: Every mixing engineer should spend time listening critically to professional mixes. Set aside some time every day, say 10 minutes, to immerse yourself in a mix someone else has done. Consider the panning, which instruments take your focus, and how the focus changes as the song evolves. Try to determine the effects in use, and why they were chosen. In modern pop and rock mixes, the interplay between the lead vocal and the snare drum is particularly important, as is the bass guitar/kick drum relationship, so spend some time analyzing these parts in detail.
