Microphones
A BASIC MIC PRIMER
The mic is the center of the recording studio, and it pays to know how they work and what they do.
The recording industry is changing rapidly, but there’s one area where the technology is pretty much the same as it always was—microphones. While it’s true that better mics are available at lower prices than ever, it’s also true that vintage models and designs are still the most sought-after options…
WHY CLARITY MATTERS
We all want our recordings to sound like the Big Guys’ studios Downtown. Ocean Way. Trident. Muscle Shoals. Hit Factory. We want that big sound, that clean, clear, driving, high energy, smooth, alive, and suave sound that spells professionalism and (we hope) sells records. But too often we don’t get there. For reasons subtle and unsubtle, our productions sound wrong…
Production Techniques
SONGWRITER BECOMES PRODUCER
Should you hire a producer or do it yourself?
In today’s world of piano sample libraries and synths that try to sound like pianos, you might wonder why anyone would want to mike a real piano. The answer is simple. Real pianos have a tonal complexity…
SONGWRITER'S RECORDING GUIDE
The basics of music production for songwriters...
Why is it that so few singer/songwriters make recordings that stand up to commercial standards? It can’t be due to a lack of equipment when there’s all this great and increasingly affordable gear out there. The answer probably lies in the fact that a singer/songwriter producing his or her own recording for the first time…
Music Business
DEMOS INTO DEALS
Making a plan of attack to get into the business.
People record for a variety of reasons. Recording can be a fun hobby, or even therapeutic, but for many, it’s just another day at the office—a means toward the end of making a living. The simplest recording can be as easy as holding a pocket memo recorder up to your mouth…
THE MULTIPLE PERSONALITY RECORDIST
Getting the business side of your music on track...
As many major-label records as I’ve engineered and mixed over the years, I have to say that the projects I’ve found most satisfying were artist-funded independent ones. I’m a big fan of the underdog and there’s nothing I like to see more than an artist’s drive and desire paying off…
Recording Demos
ANATOMY OF A DEMO SONG RECORDING
Preparation and problem solving result in a successful demo...
Home studio recording sessions can be an exercise in frustration—so much can go wrong. But when all works smoothly, it’s a joy. I recently completed a demo project with a client where all went well from start to finish. Let me share how preparation contributed to this, how my sounds were achieved, and let me offer tips and pictures showing how project studio obstacles like small rooms, messy mic wiring and outside noises were overcome….
RECORDING THE SUCCESSFUL DEMO FROM A TO Z
A demo recording checklist.
Home studio recording sessions can be an exercise in frustration—so much can go wrong. But when all works smoothly, it’s a joy. I recently completed a demo project with a client where all went well from start to finish. Let me share how preparation contributed to this, how my sounds were achieved, and let me offer tips and pictures showing how project studio obstacles like small rooms, messy mic wiring and outside noises were overcome….