| Back to Basics - Recording 101 |
| Written by Dave Sperandio | |||||||||
| Wednesday, 03 December 2008 06:26 | |||||||||
Page 1 of 2 With the academic year back in full swing, most college groups have made plans to hit the studio again. Many of these groups have planned well and have already put in some recording time, positioning themselves nicely to beat the "spring rush". As the recording schedule starts to heat up each year, I'm often asked, "What can we do to make a CD that's as good as (insert "top tier" group here)?". I've been helping vocal groups record for over a decade, and in that time I've had a chance to observe a number of factors, both good and bad, that can influence the success of a recording session and, ultimately, the entire project. There are any number of ways to improve the recording process, but with the recession in full swing now, I'm going to focus on basic principles that cost no money and in fact can save your group thousands of dollars. It's time to get Back to Basics! In the past I've spoken at length about the merits of effective planning, and talent is obviously the single biggest variable involved in making a high quality CD. That being said, not everyone is an "all-parts all-star". Budgeting also inevitably plays a significant part in the process, but again, not every group has access to a lot of money.The good news is that there are a number of things that every group can do to improve their recording experience and results, and they don't cost a thing. In fact, following these simple tips can often save you thousands of dollars and will almost certainly result in a much better end result: Come Healthy Sure, it's a simple statement, but this word of advice so often ignored that it makes me wonder what some of my clients are thinking! Here's the breakdown: unless you sing bass (and do it well), going out to party the night before recording is likely going to hurt your performance in the studio the next day. If you're in college, partying kind of comes with the territory, of course. But I am amazed at how often clients will not be able to sing more than a few notes and then blame it on a night of debauchery. If you're going to party, consider talking with your Music Director (MD) about assigning your part to someone else (see (Wo)Man Up!). Along the same lines it seems that each year more and more of my clients show up to record while sick. While I respect the dedication, coming to the studio sick does not do yourself or your group any favors. No one wants to get coughed on (least of all me!), and sick singers are generally unable to sustain (or often even meet) their usual level of excellence. Throw in the added variables that come with studio recording, and, more often than not, what you end up with is a waste of time and money and a whole lot of frustration to go around. So, Come Healthy; if you're sick or hungover, please stay home, get well, and practice your parts. We'll catch you in the next session! Know Your Music This sounds simple, and it is. So simple, in fact, that music directors often wrongly assume that everyone knows their specific part well if a song sounds good in rehearsal or at a gig. Hence, they don't spend the time needed before recording to properly prepare for the session. What happens is this: parts tend to "evolve" within a section, following something akin to a game of Telephone; over time, what you put on paper can end up being sung quite differently by different singers. Taking the time to run the parts in sectionals prior to recording can often quickly expose small discrepancies in parts and save you (and your engineer) a lot of headache and frustration, not to mention money. Occasionally I will have MDs who end up literally teaching parts to their singers while on the clock. While this can give a cleaner and more accurate result, it ends up decreasing an album's quality because it cuts into the time you would otherwise use for the fun and creative parts of recording. Furthermore, clients not knowing parts tends to frustrate your engineer and shows a lack of respect for their time, frankly. All other things being equal, making your engineer frustrated won't help the process or the end result! The bottom line: Know Your Music. Drill those parts, and drill them in the manner in which you'll be recording (i.e. by part), before you ever step foot into a studio!
Only registered users can write comments!
3.23 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved." |