Your workflow may vary, of course, and this is all contingent on the complexity of your arrangements, but it’s a good starting point when it comes to figuring out your budget. 🧶/end
This means that when I schedule a record I take the number of songs we have to record, divide it by two, and then add one. We get a little extra cushion while still being efficient and intentional with our time. 🧶/5
Then there’s setup. I like to have six hours from when I arrive to when we start recording. This is a good middle ground where I still get to fiddle with mic placement but still have to be intentional with not falling into experimentation mode. 🧶/4
That means, for a rock band, you’re looking at a minimum 3-4 hours a song, so realistically you’re not getting through more than three songs a day, and that’s stretching it. Count on two, maybe 1.5 if you have a lot of overdubs. 🧶/3
I record bands and record everyone playing together, keeping as much as possible. My goal is to accomplish every task in an hour. So, an hour of live tracking, THEN an hour (plus) of overdubs, THEN an hour of vocals. Sometimes it takes more, but shooting for an hour usually works out. 🧶/2
How much studio time do you need to record your project?
The answer is often somewhere between “more than you think” and “less than it could have if we weren’t as prepared”. I try and be as efficient as possible, but it still takes a while to get everything done. 🧶/1
You can always mute what you don’t need, but going back to get what you wish you had is tricky. But if you know exactly what you want then I can see how it’s beneficial to go for what you need and nothing more.
My favorite music successes have been when I push up the faders after some intentional mic placements and not thinking of anything I’d want to change. When I teach the biggest thing I tell my students is to get good at recording. Once you do that the rest of the process becomes easy. 🧶/end
This is why people say to “mix quickly”. And why you should take frequent breaks (I shoot for 50 minutes working and 10 minutes off). Quickly of course means less time to over process and leaning heavily on intentional choices rather than rote and prescribed ones. 🧶/3
That’s not to say mixes that involve lots of processing are bad. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. But the longer you spend on any one element the more likely your perspective will become shot. 🧶/2
“More is more” audio recording and “less is more” audio mixing is my go to philosophy. Do I need all those drum mics? Maybe. I’ll get them just in case, even if I mute half of them in the mix. Ideally my recording will sound so close to done that I won’t run into any struggle during the mix. 🧶/1
Psychotic Spew by Black Ends
We Talk to Birds by Beautiful Freaks
Couch Slime IV by Flesh Produce
(I’m actually hiring a vocal producer for my next project. Greatly looking forward to it!)
So keep soloing and pocketing all the cash. I know I will. But if the money gods favor you and the opportunity arises, try a production or engineering collaboration. You might just find the experience you’ve been missing. 🧶/end
Now, is that time saved worth the extra cost of hiring someone else? No. Not monetarily at least. But the atmosphere and vibes of having someone else there so you can specialize is definitely worth something. 🧶/4
He’d talk to the artists about what we were about to do, and : set things up so that when he was done talking we were ready to go! If I were doing it all myself, it’d take longer to get ready for the next bit of recording. 🧶/3
What we miss is both collaboration on the technical side, as well as efficiency in breaking up tasks. I’ve engineered for a different producer exactly once, but since my focus was solely on engineering, I could stay one step ahead of him the entire time. 🧶/2
Dear #musicoroducer community,
Hi! I love you. I’m a producer/engineer, like I’m assuming lots of you. These days we have to wear all the hats, since budgets simply don’t exist to hire multiple people, and technology has advanced enough so that we CAN do it all solo. 🧶/1
Nice! Tracking drums in a good studio is my favorite part of recording! Would it be cool if I gave you a tip on getting the best results from your drum recording?
Live drums are the best! Are you planning on tracking them yourself or on working with an engineer at a studio?
Now that the year is almost over I’m curious what the #musicproducer community’s favorite records are that came out over the past year. The rule is you can’t have made it yourself. Bonus points if it’s smaller artists from your local music scene. Here’s mine:
open.spotify.com/album/5025Et...
What I’m trying to say is: the mute button is your friend. Don’t be afraid to use it. It’s all part of the creative process, and once you incorporate it into your toolbox you’ll end up with better, more focused, and more creative music. 🧶/end
The more stuff in a song, the cloudier and less articulate the final results will be. The less you’ll be able to grab the listener’s attention. The less you’ll be able to focus on the parts that really matter. 🧶/4
Sometimes things sound cool on their own, and that’s exciting, but people have a finite amount of things they can pay attention to, and those are already taken up by the main elements of the song. The rhythm, the melody, and the chords. The left, the right, and the center. 🧶/3
However, an equally and often overlooked part of production is the counterpart to this, which is removing as much as possible while still maintaining the spirit and needs of the song. Ask yourself for every thing you add whether or not it is actually adding to the song. 🧶/2
Dear #musicproducer community,
Hi! I love you. With the unlimited creative potential of modern technology it can be tempting to add as many tracks as you can think of to your productions. This is a wonderful thing, as it allows you to express yourself to your fullest extent. 🧶/1
The goal is to lower costs while making sure you create the best possible representation of your artistic vision. Ample preparation (and practice) opens up the possibility for more intricate arrangements, fancier studios, better results, and a more enjoyable recording process.
How long should you practice? I say two hours a day, every day, for two weeks before going into the studio. This not only lets you fine tune parts, but also makes it so you’re able to record in a few takes instead of several. It saves energy and time, and makes your producer and engineer happy.
Start by writing twice as many songs as you intend to record. This way you can choose your very best to go on your album. After you choose your top songs, write 2-3 more, since you’ll know what you have and what you still need to compliment everything. Then, practice.
This is smart and worth a watch all the way through.
www.youtube.com/live/BEGKSTH...
It covers how vastly important preparation is for going into the studio. Whatever you do ahead of time that doesn’t cost you money is saving you money when it comes to studio time. Here’s what I recommend:
