The Magazine
March 2010
March 2010 is our annual Recording Songwriter issue, and it’s full of worthwhile advice for both the timid beginner and the experienced recordist. We offer features on getting started in recording your song ideas; designing and implementing a system for solo recording that encourages inspiration and prevents frustration; and avoiding the dreaded disease of “demo-itis”, where a rough demo somehow becomes a magical standard that a polished version of a song somehow cannot match. There’s even a blow-by-blow account of the evolution of a song from a simple vocal demo to a fully-fledged production.
In our Guitar Column, we look at famous guitarists’ choices in dynamics control, and give an account of high-end compressors that experienced recording guitarists may want to consider in their quest for ultimate tone. Successful dance producer Celldweller takes us through vocal treatments for one of his hit songs in our Vocal Column. We start a new series of articles on the legalities of controlling your music, entitled “It's Your Music -– Know Your Rights”. And our For Your Bookshelf feature reviews worthwhile books that songwriters and recording engineers alike will appreciate.
On the gear side, we have a great multiple-capsule mic system from Blue, a very powerful recorder/interface/controller from Cakewalk, a handy and affordable Audio-Technica mic, a field recorder from Sony, JBL’s newest active monitor/sub system, and plug-ins from Softube and Vienna Symphonic Library.
As ever, there’s something for everyone, songwriters and recording engineers alike, in the March RECORDING! Pick it up now on the newsstand... and so you get your next issue early (and save on cost), why not hit the big red Subscribe Now button on this page and have RECORDING delivered to your door each month?
Cakewalk V-Studio 100
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Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Cakewalk V-Studio 100 |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
This portable audio interface doesn’t just work with SONAR—it’s crossplatform, easy to set up, and has some surprising extras.
In our November 2009 issue we provided an extensive review of the SONAR V-Studio 700 System—a mas......Expand
This portable audio interface doesn’t just work with SONAR—it’s crossplatform, easy to set up, and has some surprising extras.
In our November 2009 issue we provided an extensive review of the SONAR V-Studio 700 System—a massively integrated hardware interface, control surface, and synth engine intended to allow Cakewalk’s SONAR DAW to operate in a fashion reminiscent of a multi-kilobuck digital console with all the trimmings. By optimizing its design to work closely with SONAR alone, Cakewalk produced a world-class workspace for its popular DAW, with no compromises or cut corners to allow for other software’s needs.
Cakewalk’s new interface, the V-Studio 100, is a very different beast. It’s intended for small computer music rigs, be they portable laptop-based setups or studios for solo artists or small groups; it provides interfacing and control surface features in an affordable and compact package... and unlike its larger sibling, it not only plays well with DAWs other than SONAR, it works with Windows and Mac OS X computers alike. It’s also about a tenth the cost of a fully loaded V-Studio 700 system, putting it within reach of, well, just about everyone...
Read more in the March 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Blue Bottle Rocket Stage Two
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Reviewed by
Justin Peacock
Blue Bottle Rocket Stage Two |
Reviewed by
Justin Peacock
A versatile tube microphone with flexible capsule options allows for many different recording flavors... just plug and play.
The quest for the perfect vocal mic seems to never really end. Even with unlimited budget to blow o......Expand
A versatile tube microphone with flexible capsule options allows for many different recording flavors... just plug and play.
The quest for the perfect vocal mic seems to never really end. Even with unlimited budget to blow on the most exotic or vintage of models, there will always be a right mic and a wrong mic for a particular job. That said, with the luxury, we often turn to the ol’ standby choices. The Neumann U47, Telefunken 251, and AKG C12 are some of the vintage classics in the tube world. And more often than not, one of those will work on a particular vocalist. But not always....
Read more in the March 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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For Your Bookshelf
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Reviewed by
Lorenz Rychner
For Your Bookshelf |
Reviewed by
Lorenz Rychner
Three books on music production, sound design, and mastering, all for the well-rounded recording songwriter.
Read reviews of From Demo to Delivery: The Process of Production, edited by Russ Hepworth-Sawyer; Becoming a Synthe......Expand
Three books on music production, sound design, and mastering, all for the well-rounded recording songwriter.
Read reviews of From Demo to Delivery: The Process of Production, edited by Russ Hepworth-Sawyer; Becoming a Synthesizer Wizard: From Presets to Power User, by Simon Cann; and Mastering Audio—The Art And The Science, By Bob Katz... in the March 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Audio-Technica AT2035
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Reviewed by
Fernando Curiel
Audio-Technica AT2035 |
Reviewed by
Fernando Curiel
This entry-level mic shines in our vocal tests.
Audio-Technica had its start in 1962 as a manufacturer of phonograph cartridges, in Tokyo, Japan. In 1972 the company established itself in Ohio, and two years later it began t......Expand
This entry-level mic shines in our vocal tests.
Audio-Technica had its start in 1962 as a manufacturer of phonograph cartridges, in Tokyo, Japan. In 1972 the company established itself in Ohio, and two years later it began to produce headphones based on transducer technology developed in Japan. Since then Audio-Technica has expanded its operations, to become a leader among microphone suppliers.
The 20 series of Audio-Technica mics is focused on low price and high quality. This time around we review the AT2035; it promises to be versatile but is promoted as being especially suited for vocal recordings...
Read more in the March 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Plug-In Outlet
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Reviewed by
Devon Brent and Paul Vnuk Jr.
Plug-In Outlet |
Reviewed by
Devon Brent and Paul Vnuk Jr.
Vienna Symphonic Library Vienna Suite; Softube Tube-Tech CL 1B.
The Vienna Symphonic Library folks seem to be expanding their horizons (no pun intended aiming at their Horizon sample series). Not only do they offer some of t......Expand
Vienna Symphonic Library Vienna Suite; Softube Tube-Tech CL 1B.
The Vienna Symphonic Library folks seem to be expanding their horizons (no pun intended aiming at their Horizon sample series). Not only do they offer some of the largest sample libraries in the world, now they have an effects suite called Vienna Suite. Vienna Suite consists of nine individual plug-ins; Analyzer, Compressor, Convolution Reverb, Equalizer, Master Equalizer, Exciter, Limiter, Multiband Limiter, and Power Pan. Let’s take a gander over each aptly named plug-in in their Version 1.1 guise, in alphabetical order...
Read more of this and our other software reviews in the March 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Once Over—Reviews In Brief
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Reviewed by
Lorenz Rychner
Once Over—Reviews In Brief |
Reviewed by
Lorenz Rychner
JBL LSR2300 Series monitors and subwoofer; Sony PCM-M10 portable digital recorder.
The LSR2300 Series of active monitors from JBL consists of two different full-range speaker models, the LSR2325P with a 5” woofer and a 1” vo......Expand
JBL LSR2300 Series monitors and subwoofer; Sony PCM-M10 portable digital recorder.
The LSR2300 Series of active monitors from JBL consists of two different full-range speaker models, the LSR2325P with a 5” woofer and a 1” voice coil, and the LSR2328P with an 8” woofer and a 1.5” voice coil. They both have the same 231H 1” tweeter. Either model can be combined with the LSR2310SP subwoofer. I had a pair of the smaller 2325 and one sub to review....
Read more in the March 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Become A Recording Songwriter!
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Written by
Eric Ferguson
Become A Recording Songwriter! |
Written by
Eric Ferguson
If you have song ideas and want to capture them, there’s no need to be timid. We offer good advice on getting started and achieving early success.
OK, quiz time... are you a songwriter, beat-maker, or composer, desiring to s......Expand
If you have song ideas and want to capture them, there’s no need to be timid. We offer good advice on getting started and achieving early success.
OK, quiz time... are you a songwriter, beat-maker, or composer, desiring to share your music with the world? Do you imagine recording yourself, but you have no idea where to start or what to buy? Have you acquired some recording gear, mics, or workstation software, but are intimidated and/or frustrated by the technology and can’t seem to actually make music?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are a candidate for one of the most satisfying hobby-careers of the modern world: the recording songwriter. Now is the time to dive in, overcome whatever has stopped you to date, and unleash the creativity within!...
Read more in the March 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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When You're The Band
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Written by
David Summer
When You're The Band |
Written by
David Summer
One-man creative operations must juggle inspiration and preparation. Here’s how to make sure your muse doesn’t get lost on the way to the recording session!
If you were lucky, as a kid you did the Hokey Pokey. To me there wa......Expand
One-man creative operations must juggle inspiration and preparation. Here’s how to make sure your muse doesn’t get lost on the way to the recording session!
If you were lucky, as a kid you did the Hokey Pokey. To me there was always a certain profundity in the idea that moving your feet and hands in the described manner, and then turning yourself around, was “what it's all about”.
Take a look around you. Is anyone watching? If not, just for old times’ sake try doing the Hokey Pokey again. Go ahead, it won’t hurt. But this time, while you’re doing the prescribed motions, try expounding on one of your most creative, original ideas. Describe your idea in great detail and even try to enhance it, all the while moving your right foot in, right foot out, etc. This is what it’s like when you’re recording by yourself.
Wearing many hats in any creative endeavor—especially modern computer-based recording, with its eclectic mix of right brain/left brain activity—can be a difficult challenge. On the other hand, there’s an intense personal satisfaction that comes from nurturing a creative idea from conception to fruition all on your own. While it’s true that many ideas can benefit from the perspective of another person, it’s equally true that creative concepts can get watered down when compromises are made....
Read more in the March 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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The Evolution Of A Song
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Written by
Joe Albano
The Evolution Of A Song |
Written by
Joe Albano
It’s breath-taking, and a bit frightening, to see how many changes a basic demo can go through as it becomes a finished piece. This step-by-step example shows how musical decisions meet technical limitations and result in a great song.
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It’s breath-taking, and a bit frightening, to see how many changes a basic demo can go through as it becomes a finished piece. This step-by-step example shows how musical decisions meet technical limitations and result in a great song.
Anyone who’s ever tried to write music in any form, from the classic 3-minute pop song to a full-length score for a feature film, knows that the finished form of the work often barely resembles its humble beginnings.
Along the way, from rough idea to polished master, a musical composition typically undergoes many changes, in every aspect—words, melody, harmony, rhythm, arrangement, production, mix. Any number of creative types may get their hands on it and exert influence, direct or indirect, on the final result. And sometimes, unrelated extramusical circumstances can push the music this way or that.
Creative studio personnel know this arc well—the path to the finished piece may be fairly straightforward or tortuously indirect. This article is meant to chronicle one such development, a simple pop song which was subjected to various musical, production, and technical massaging on its way to the goal line. Long-time songwriters most likely will find this all too familiar, and anyone just embarking on a musical/creative path may get a taste of the winding road that (typically) lays ahead....
Read more in the March 2010 issue of RECORDING, and lick the links below for short audio excerpts of parts of the song described in the article!
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Demoitis: An Epidemic That Affects Recording Songwriters
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Written by
Frank Gryner
Demoitis: An Epidemic That Affects Recording Songwriters |
Written by
Frank Gryner
Are you convinced that a polished production can never match the magic in your first demo? Don’t worry, help is on the way.
Matthew Good’s definition of demoitis is “what happens when you listen to one version of something s......Expand
Are you convinced that a polished production can never match the magic in your first demo? Don’t worry, help is on the way.
Matthew Good’s definition of demoitis is “what happens when you listen to one version of something so much that when it’s properly recorded it’s difficult to accept.” Most recording songwriters are afflicted by the epidemic of demoitis. If you’re one of them, then an inexplicable attachment to the original “demo” version can have you running in circles trying to re-create “the magic”, despite efforts to re-record the same song with better equipment, more experienced players, or a bigger-name producer.
This sentimental attachment to a particular way you’ve been used to hearing the song can be tough to shake, but why is that such a bad thing? Well, it can be destructive to the music-making process, alienating you with your affliction from other musicians and recording professionals. So if you’re planning on taking your demo to “the next” level and record your song in a pro facility, beware! You’re a prime candidate for contracting demoitis; in fact, you may already be a carrier of the virus and don’t even know it! The good news is that with treatment, those with demoitis can live relatively normal lives and even have successful careers....
Read more in the March 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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It's Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 1: Copyright
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Written by
Todd Gascon and Bruce Kaphan
It's Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 1: Copyright |
Written by
Todd Gascon and Bruce Kaphan
In the first instalment of our new series on the basics of protecting your output, an entertainment lawyer lays out the basics of copyright law.
From Lorenz Rychner's introduction to the series:
"Making music ......Expand
In the first instalment of our new series on the basics of protecting your output, an entertainment lawyer lays out the basics of copyright law.
From Lorenz Rychner's introduction to the series:
"Making music is a lot of fun—but if you do enough of it, there comes a time when it should pay for itself. No matter what your involvement is—songwriter, performer, composer, recording musician—you have rights, risks, and obligations, and knowing what they are can make you—and save you—a lot of money.
We’re starting a new series that will spell out in great detail what those rights, risks, and obligations are. Frequent contributor Bruce Kaphan, who runs his own studio and has written, played, recorded and produced music for a living for many years, and Todd Gascon, Bruce’s longstanding entertainment lawyer who specializes in this business we’re in, collaborate to bring you the legal aspects and the musician’s reality. Use the information in this series as a guide, and always remember to discuss your specific situation with a lawyer of your own choice.
In this issue that is mainly dedicated to songwriters, we meet Todd Gascon who brings us the legal definitions of copyright. Next time we’ll meet Bruce Kaphan, who will discuss the musician’s practicalities (and difficulties) of going through the copyrighting process. That’s only the beginning; in the months to come, Todd and Bruce will address the entire range of legal and business concerns that can turn your musical activities from an expensive hobby into a profitable career."
Read more in the March 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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RECORDING's Guitar Column
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Written by
Brian Tarquin
RECORDING's Guitar Column |
Written by
Brian Tarquin
Robin Trower, Tommy Emmanuel, and Steve Vai understand the value of good dynamics control in their guitar recording chains. Now you can, too.
Compression can be a very subtle effect, or it can be used in extreme fashion, esp......Expand
Robin Trower, Tommy Emmanuel, and Steve Vai understand the value of good dynamics control in their guitar recording chains. Now you can, too.
Compression can be a very subtle effect, or it can be used in extreme fashion, especially on guitar. There are many things to consider when using a compressor on a guitar. For instance, on a tube amp that is overdriven, the tubes are actually compressing the signal, so when you mike an overdriven tube amp there is really no need for you to compress when recording. On the other hand, when an acoustic guitar is recorded with a mic there are many sound transients of uneven levels that affect the dynamics of the guitar strings. Hence compressing the track helps to control the musical integrity of the performance to your recording source. I sat down with three distinctly different gunslingers to discuss their take on compressing guitar...
Read more in the March 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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RECORDING's Vocal Column
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Written by
Klayton
RECORDING's Vocal Column |
Written by
Klayton
A track on the new Celldweller album has an amazing variety of vocal tricks. Here’s what you’re hearing and how it was done.
My approach to the new Celldweller album has been different than any other prior to it: I decided t......Expand
A track on the new Celldweller album has an amazing variety of vocal tricks. Here’s what you’re hearing and how it was done.
My approach to the new Celldweller album has been different than any other prior to it: I decided to track all my vocals before I did anything else. This would enable me to build my songs around my voice, instead of my typical approach, which is to build dense musical tracks and try to cram vocals in there somewhere.
The song “Louder Than Words” is a good example of this concept working in a real-world scenario. When the vocals where finally edited to death (more on this later) there wasn’t much room left for my typically dense musical production, so I was forced to be selective with how I built the track.
I knew I wanted the verse vocal to retain its melodic elements, but I wanted to glitch and process it in all kinds of ungodly ways to make the vocal more interesting. I wanted the vocal to almost have a rhythmic quality on its own. In this Vocal Column, I’ll break the song down from top to bottom to show how I ended up with the glitched-out verse vocals, and you can hear the results on my website...
Read more and get the site links to the song (and to audio you can try remixing yourself!) in the March 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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Fade Out
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Written by
Mike Metlay
Fade Out |
Written by
Mike Metlay
The Ukulele Factor.
As I type this in January 2010, the NAMM Show has been over for just a few days, and in my post-show musings I’ve made some observations that I’d like to share. They relate to one of the intangibles of a ......Expand
The Ukulele Factor.
As I type this in January 2010, the NAMM Show has been over for just a few days, and in my post-show musings I’ve made some observations that I’d like to share. They relate to one of the intangibles of a trade show that you can’t get from a press release or photo or video—the mood of the show...
Some would argue that no sensible manufacturer would admit to having a bad year, so no matter how bad things are, people will always smile and say they’re peachy. Maybe so. Maybe the cautious enthusiasm I felt in every corridor and exhibit hall at NAMM, a marked contrast to the bravery-under-the-blitz attitude of last fall’s AES Convention, was nothing more than a collective hallucination, and all the statements of “my orders are up for the first time in a long time; last spring looked horrible but we’re seeing strong sales at long last” are exaggerations to bolster sagging confidence. But there are other ways of seeing that things are turning around. One could, for example, look at the ukuleles...
Read more in the March 2010 issue of RECORDING!
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