Archives
March 2012
Spring is here! With the greenery and the promise of warm weather ahead, you'll likely be in the mood to write a song or two, or three, or ten... and the March issue of RECORDING will be there to help you along. It's our Annual Songwriter Issue, and we have a great selection of articles and reviews to help you feed your muse!
With a legendary career behind her and a brand-new album wowing critics and snagging a Grammy® nomination for Best Americana Album, Emmylou Harris is one of the most inspiring singer/songwriters out there today. In this issue, we talk to the team behind her Hard Bargain album: all three of the engineers who worked on the project with her and took her music on tour, discussing everything from using the studio to inspire songwriting ideas to effective tracking and mixing. We even have an exclusive interview with Ms. Harris herself on how she uses the studio as a songwriting tool!
And that's not all. This issue features a detailed and fascinating interview with educator and producer Ronan Chris Murphy on effective songwriting techniques, a tutorial on creating usable demos fast by songwriter/performer Al Bouchard, a report on taking songs from idea to finished masters by our new Editor-At-Large Beto Hale, and an incisive look by successful producer Erik Alexandrakis on how to turn your songs into real money.
Songwriting tools get the nod in this issue, along with other studio delicacies. We look at the MICRO BR-80 pocket recorder/effects processor/interface from BOSS, take the GuitarJack 2 and StudioTrack from Sonoma Wire Works out for a spin, test the Optek FretLight system as a cool new tool for guitar education and inspiration, and dig into Cakewalk Music Creator 6 for Windows. We also test the new Fox preamp from Slate Pro Audio, marvel at the new features of Steinberg Cubase 6, and take a hard look at Apple's newest tools for songwriters -- both GarageBand '11 and the MacBook Air that we tested it on!
All this plus more Recording Fundamentals with Eric Ferguson, Readers' Tapes with Marty Peters, and our monthly features, adds up to a wonderfully inspiring issue for songwriters and studio hounds alike. Spring into the songwriting process with the March 2012 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?
BOSS MICRO BR BR-80 Digital Recorder
|
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
BOSS MICRO BR BR-80 Digital Recorder |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
This recorder fits in your guitar case, offers 8-track playback/mixdown, and adds high-quality DSP and computer connectivity to the package.
The BR recorders from Roland's BOSS brand are known for hitting a sweet spot for th......Expand
This recorder fits in your guitar case, offers 8-track playback/mixdown, and adds high-quality DSP and computer connectivity to the package.
The BR recorders from Roland's BOSS brand are known for hitting a sweet spot for the beginner and hurried songwriter/composer -- they have a lot of good features, but are laid out so simply that practically anyone can sit down with one and start banging out good recordings, usually without even opening the manual. BOSS has followed on the success of the pocket-sized MICRO BR with the MICRO BR BR-80 (I'll shorten that to "BR-80" for this review), which represents an impressive evolution of the ultra-small digital recorder.
Read more in the March 2012 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Reviewed & Revisited: Apple MacBook Air and GarageBand '11
|
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Reviewed & Revisited: Apple MacBook Air and GarageBand '11 |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
The future of computer-based music on the go, in hardware and software. Also: a look at Course Technology PTR's GarageBand '11 Power! instructional text.
Apple has never been shy about changing how we interact with our compu......Expand
The future of computer-based music on the go, in hardware and software. Also: a look at Course Technology PTR's GarageBand '11 Power! instructional text.
Apple has never been shy about changing how we interact with our computers, if it thinks it's come up with a better way to do things. There were PDAs and smartphones before the iPhone and iPad, but they now largely define the parameters of how such devices are expected to work. Apple is in the midst of redefining how the venerable Mac interacts with the outside world, too; some things we've been used to are going away and being replaced with new ways to move and save data that can be a little unsettling at first.
I recently had the chance to work with a new MacBook Air -- a 13" model with 1.7 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 CPU, 4 GB of RAM, and a 128 GB solid-state drive-pre-installed with GarageBand '11 and Logic Pro 9.1.6. While my original intent was only to quickly review new features in GarageBand '11, I quickly found that the MacBook Air itself, and how it redefines a recording musician's workflow, made for a fascinating story...
Read more in the March 2012 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Once Over -- Reviews In Brief
|
Reviewed by
Fernando Curiel, Allen Goodman, and Mike Metlay
Once Over -- Reviews In Brief |
Reviewed by
Fernando Curiel, Allen Goodman, and Mike Metlay
Fretlight FG-421 lighted-fretboard guitar and Guitar Pro 6 Fretlight Ready; Sonoma Wire Works GuitarJack 2 and StudioTrack.
Few new guitars are memorable and innovative, two words that describe the Fretlight guitars. There a......Expand
Fretlight FG-421 lighted-fretboard guitar and Guitar Pro 6 Fretlight Ready; Sonoma Wire Works GuitarJack 2 and StudioTrack.
Few new guitars are memorable and innovative, two words that describe the Fretlight guitars. There are four models (with a range of colors for a total of 11 choices), and they all share the Fretlight feature that we explored on the FG-421 model we had for review.
Why "Fretlight"? If you've every seen student keyboards with keys that light up, you will have a basic understanding of the concept that sets the Fretlight guitars apart: You connect the guitar to your computer and you run Fretlight software, and the fretboard reveals red backlit dots that indicate where to place your fingers. This should make learning and practising easier, right? But will it play and sound like a real guitar? Let's hook it up and see...
Read more in the March 2012 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Cakewalk Music Creator 6
|
Reviewed by
Allen Goodman
Cakewalk Music Creator 6 |
Reviewed by
Allen Goodman
This affordable entry-level DAW packs a serious punch, courtesy of its shared heritage with the high-end SONAR X1 audio/MIDI software.
Cakewalk's latest entry-level music-creation software is Music Creator 6, which is based ......Expand
This affordable entry-level DAW packs a serious punch, courtesy of its shared heritage with the high-end SONAR X1 audio/MIDI software.
Cakewalk's latest entry-level music-creation software is Music Creator 6, which is based on the same engine as its big brother, Cakewalk's flagship, SONAR X1. It only runs under Windows. Music Creator 6 allows you to turn your computer into a personal recording studio, by giving you everything you need to get started creating, editing and publishing music with professional quality. As we'll discuss, many of the essential features and looks of SONAR have been distilled into the new package at a fraction of the cost of its large sibling...
Read more in the March 2012 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Slate Pro Audio Fox Preamp
|
Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr.
Slate Pro Audio Fox Preamp |
Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr.
If you can't decide what sort of "flavor" you want your first upscale preamp to have, why not buy one that gives you four of them in one box?
Whether you are a plug-in junkie or a hardware addict, the name Steven Slate shoul......Expand
If you can't decide what sort of "flavor" you want your first upscale preamp to have, why not buy one that gives you four of them in one box?
Whether you are a plug-in junkie or a hardware addict, the name Steven Slate should be familiar to you. In December 2011 we featured Slate Digital's Virtual Console Collection in our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide, and in our August 2011 issue we introduced you to Slate Pro Audio's first hardware endeavour, the versatile and innovative Dragon compressor.
This month we look at Slate's second hardware excursion, the Fox microphone preamp. The Fox is a 2-channel microphone preamp housed in a single-rackspace chassis; along with its storybook-inspired moniker, the Fox shares the Dragon's black-on-black styling, right down to its gloss-coated tribal graphic, which on the Fox looks like fur. It also makes use of the same Grayhill gold contact switches, ultra-smooth high-quality pots and high-end internal audio components.
Looking back to the Dragon for a second, one of its major features was the ability to alter its tone through the use of a Vintage control as well as with a collection of Character switches. While the Character switches were essentially eq filters, the Vintage control actually engaged an additional output circuit for a more saturated and harmonically rich tone akin to classic compressors of yesteryear. It's the latter idea that the Fox builds on, and what you get are actually two completely different and independent circuit topologies inside of each of its channels...
Read more in the March 2012 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Reviewed & Revisited: Steinberg Cubase 6
|
Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr.
Reviewed & Revisited: Steinberg Cubase 6 |
Reviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr.
New and improved workflow features make this new release the Cubase that loyal users have been waiting for, and give new arrivals lots of reasons to make it their DAW of choice.
DAW updates can be a tricky emotional ride. Al......Expand
New and improved workflow features make this new release the Cubase that loyal users have been waiting for, and give new arrivals lots of reasons to make it their DAW of choice.
DAW updates can be a tricky emotional ride. Along with the excitement of new features, bug fixes and program tweaks, there is also the anxiety of "Will this work, did they break anything, what did they change?" All that comes into play as we're faced with Steinberg's Cubase 6.
There are a handful of visual and performance tweaks to the mixer and main workspace, and functional updates like 64-bit OS X Lion support, tweaks to existing plug-ins and such. Aside from those, the bulk of the new features of Cubase 6 are these three: Improved editing/workflow, MIDI expressiveness, and new toys for guitar recording...
Read more in the March 2012 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Fade Out
|
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Fade Out |
Reviewed by
Mike Metlay
Words And Ideas From PreSonuSphere.
PreSonuSphere is a conference sponsored by PreSonus to help its users network and learn how to better use their gear. I attended the first annual PreSonuSphere on November 19, 2011, at the......Expand
Words And Ideas From PreSonuSphere.
PreSonuSphere is a conference sponsored by PreSonus to help its users network and learn how to better use their gear. I attended the first annual PreSonuSphere on November 19, 2011, at the Shaw Center for the Arts in downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
I'm told the idea for PreSonuSphere came from the users themselves; a group of dedicated posters on the company's online forums had been batting around the idea of a get-together for some time, and the firm itself decided to step forward and offer a venue and a framework. The plan was to provide speakers and good educational material, offer seminars in a locale near PreSonus' headquarters, and videotape everything for eventual release on DVD. Attendees would be able to watch DVDs of seminars they missed, and registrants who didn't want to make the trek to Baton Rouge could wait and watch the proceedings at home.
Instead of the 100 to 150 participants projected, PreSonuSphere was full to bursting with well over 200 participants, each enthusiastic and apparently having a blast....
Read more in the March 2012 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Emmylou Harris: The Songwriter And The Studio
|
Interviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr.
Emmylou Harris: The Songwriter And The Studio |
Interviewed by
Paul Vnuk Jr.
Fresh from a Grammy(r) nomination for her latest album, the world-famous singer/songwriter discusses the songwriting process and how it relates to the studio environment, accompanied by hands-on information from her creative team-engineers Jay Joy......Expand
Fresh from a Grammy(r) nomination for her latest album, the world-famous singer/songwriter discusses the songwriting process and how it relates to the studio environment, accompanied by hands-on information from her creative team-engineers Jay Joyce, Jason Hall, and Giles Reaves.
Emmylou Harris has been singing, songwriting, and creating beautiful music for nearly five decades. Her latest album, Hard Bargain, is up for a Grammy(r) this year, but it is remarkable not only for its beautiful and haunting music but also for how it was created. Emmylou performed the entire record under conditions most fancy recording studios would shy away from-her performances were kept honest and real by having her record her vocals and guitar at the same time, while playing along with fellow musicians/engineers Jay Joyce and Giles Reaves in a single open tracking room.
Jay is well known in his own right as a musician, producer and engineer for artists ranging from Cage The Elephant and the Derek Trucks Band to Tim Finn and Patty Griffin. He's played with the Wallflowers, Iggy Pop, and many others. Giles is a multi-instrumentalist and audio engineer who divides his time between his studio in Salt Lake City and various studios in Nashville. He hit the Billboard charts in 1992 with his album Sea Of Glass, and has worked with dozens of artists as an engineer and backing player since then. He also writes the occasional article for Recording.
The recording sessions for Hard Bargain took place at Jay's Tragedy/Tragedy recording studio in Nashville, aided by Giles and by tracking engineer Jason Hall. I had the pleasure of talking to Emmylou, Jay, Giles, and Jason about the process, and gleaned some great insights on the strange and wonderful relationship between the songwriter and the studio...
Read more in the March 2012 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Ronan Chris Murphy: Sage Advice For The Recording Singer/Songwriter
|
Interviewed by
Beto Hale
Ronan Chris Murphy: Sage Advice For The Recording Singer/Songwriter |
Interviewed by
Beto Hale
His credits list ranges from King Crimson and Steve Morse to Chucho Valdes and The California Guitar Trio, and he travels the world as engineer, producer, and educator. You'll want to learn what he has to teach about success in the songwriting pro......Expand
His credits list ranges from King Crimson and Steve Morse to Chucho Valdes and The California Guitar Trio, and he travels the world as engineer, producer, and educator. You'll want to learn what he has to teach about success in the songwriting process!
Producer, engineer, songwriter and musician Ronan Chris Murphy has worked with bands and artists as diverse as King Crimson, Terry Bozzio, Tony Levin, The California Guitar Trio, Steve Morse, Chucho Valdes and Irakere. But his love for music was triggered by the sounds of Neil Young, so he has a special appreciation for singer-songwriters. He has traveled around the world and recorded some beautiful albums with bands like Soundspell, from Iceland, and the Italian group Riaffiora. Murphy welcomed Recording to his brand-new studio in Santa Monica, California, after a full day of teaching in his own Recording Boot Camp...
Read more in the March 2012 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Songwriters -- Turn Your Songs Into Money!
|
Written by
Eric Alexandrakis
Songwriters -- Turn Your Songs Into Money! |
Written by
Eric Alexandrakis
A seasoned industry veteran gets down and dirty with what you need to know to take your musical ideas all the way to the bank.
Eric Alexandrakis knows how to turn songs into money. He walks the walk for a living, so we asked......Expand
A seasoned industry veteran gets down and dirty with what you need to know to take your musical ideas all the way to the bank.
Eric Alexandrakis knows how to turn songs into money. He walks the walk for a living, so we asked him to talk the talk. When he was 22 years old, a graduate student at the University of Miami School of Music, then considered the best music industry department in existence (and the first), he had learned the legal logistics of licensing from copyright and law classes, but had no idea how to get a song to air on the "tube". It turned out no one in his world really knew. But that was then, and this is now-he figured it out long ago, and we're glad he's willing to share.--Ed.
Generating an income in the music business is very difficult. Licensing is a good avenue, as long as your strategy is focused and you have a plan. I'm a firm believer that if you are good at what you do, are willing to learn and take criticism and don't give up, you can be successful...
Read more in the March 2012 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
Recording Fundamentals. Chapter 3: Introduction To Audio - Part 2 (Where Do The Mics Go?)
|
Written by
Eric Ferguson
Recording Fundamentals. Chapter 3: Introduction To Audio - Part 2 (Where Do The Mics Go?) |
Written by
Eric Ferguson
Last month we had a look at the science behind how sound moves and affects our ears; now it's time to use that knowledge to our advantage as we place mics in the studio.
One question is central to nearly all recording sessio......Expand
Last month we had a look at the science behind how sound moves and affects our ears; now it's time to use that knowledge to our advantage as we place mics in the studio.
One question is central to nearly all recording sessions: where do you put the microphone? For commonly recorded sound sources, most of us follow convention and place mics directly in front of instruments. While this solution is an effective go-to, relying on it exclusively can both limit creativity and break the aesthetic norms of certain music genres. Close miking, although standard when recording today's popular styles, was not always the norm...
Before about 1960, recordings were usually monophonic and techniques were limited by the number of microphones and mixer channels. During these years, the common approach was to set up an entire ensemble in a studio and record a performance live with a minimum of microphones. Musicians were often spaced around a single mic, with louder instruments placed farther away to achieve relative balance. This tradition remains in use today when recording acoustic musics such as classical, jazz, and bluegrass. Knowing how to mike instruments at any distance will grant you both stylistic flexibility and creative freedom. Crucial to mastering these techniques, however, is an understanding of how the physics of sound interplay with microphones....
Read more in the March 2012 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
From Songwriting To Final Master: A Recording Project
|
Written by
Beto Hale
From Songwriting To Final Master: A Recording Project |
Written by
Beto Hale
Ever wondered what it would be like to follow a fully realized album from its inception to its completion? Now you can, with plenty of good advice along the way.
It always starts with the song, and there are many ways to do ......Expand
Ever wondered what it would be like to follow a fully realized album from its inception to its completion? Now you can, with plenty of good advice along the way.
It always starts with the song, and there are many ways to do it. If you haven't already done so, you might consider trying this-it worked for me: Getting away from the familiar trappings of my studio, I started many of the songs for this new album at a Starbucks or a local park, on my Apple MacBook Pro, in Ableton Live or Apple Logic. These settings inspired ideas I might not have come up with in my home studio, while sitting at a piano or holding a guitar (I did some of that too, of course).
I decided to use the laptop's QWERTY keyboard to play the parts. This was quite limiting, in a good way: one can only play an octave at a time, and playing fast arpeggios or sophisticated chords is not easy. So, most of the bass lines, synth and guitar riffs and drum beats I played this way were quite simple, but since they are a song's building blocks, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise, so much so that many of the original ideas and sounds ended up in the final versions, virtually intact.
Once I had the basics for a given section of a song, I sang a scratch vocal into the laptop's built-in mic, just to preserve the initial idea.
Other songs I wrote at the studio, on a miked piano or guitar, then I sang a scratch vocal over the chord changes. In either case I'd start with a melody and then add lyrics...
Read more in the March 2012 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
A Demo In A Day
|
Written by
Joe Bouchard
A Demo In A Day |
Written by
Joe Bouchard
In a rut? Feel like you're getting nowhere with your demos? Get up and go with this realistic gameplan for producing great results in a hurry.
When many of the great rock songs were written in the '60s, writers would hack ou......Expand
In a rut? Feel like you're getting nowhere with your demos? Get up and go with this realistic gameplan for producing great results in a hurry.
When many of the great rock songs were written in the '60s, writers would hack out a song in an hour or two. For example, "A Hard Day's Night" was written by John Lennon overnight. The next morning it was done and ready to record in a few hours.
I'm very happy with the songs I'm doing these days. The biggest change to my working style in the last three years has been my "Demo in a Day" habit I've gotten into. It goes like this...
Read more in the March 2012 issue of RECORDING!
Collapse
