Free Essay

Recording Studio

In:

Submitted By fssales1
Words 1047
Pages 5
Articals

The Advantages of Using Session Musicians on Your Song Demo
Photo
By Cliff Goldmacher
Why do professional recordings sound, well . . . professional? There are a number of reasons, including high quality microphones, pre-amps, an experienced engineer and a well-designed studio space. But one of the single most important elements in a great-sounding, professional recording is the performance of the session musicians. There is a reason that the job of the session musician exists. It’s these musicians whose talent and studio experience contribute in a major way to the polished sound of a recording. Because there are different rules that apply when you’re recording an artist demo, I’m going to limit the scope of this article specifically to songwriting demos.

Shouldn’t I Be Able To Do This Myself?
While I am a big proponent of wearing as many hats as you can in your musical career, there are certain areas where it makes much better sense to rely on experts. First of all, it’s extremely important that you take ego out of the equation. There is no shame in having someone else play on your demo. Remember that a songwriting demo is supposed to put your song in the best possible light in order to “sell” it to prospective artists or place it in films and TV shows; it is not supposed to be proof of your studio musicianship. Recording your instrument in the studio requires an entirely different skill set than playing live. For lack of a better description, studio recording is more like music surgery than a musical performance. While you might be comfortable playing guitar in your living room or even on a stage in front of hundreds of people, it’s an entirely different ballgame to sit in a four-by-six booth wearing headphones and listening to a clicking sound. Giving a note-perfect, dynamic and in-time performance in this kind of unnatural setting requires a special set of skills.

Isn’t It Cheaper if I Do It Myself?
Given that we all have to keep an eye on the bottom line when it comes to our recording budget, there is the temptation to save money by playing on the demo yourself. The problem with this method is that often it will take an inexperienced musician twice as long to get a viable take as it would a pro. One of the many advantages of using session musicians is that not only are they good at what they do, they also do it fast. In other words, the price you pay to hire a session musician translates into savings on studio time compared to playing the part yourself. Being fast in the studio is useful for another reason as well. When a session bogs down with take after take, it starts to feel a lot more like work. When things go quickly and smoothly, they stay musical and fun. Don’t discount the need for a session to stay enjoyable. My experience has been that everyone does his or her best work when the atmosphere in the studio is light and productive.

Great Expectations
When it comes to recording a demo, it’s essential that you keep your listening audience in mind at all times. In the music industry, there is a certain level of “polish” that record labels, publishers, managers and producers have come to expect from the demos they listen to. By bringing in the same musicians that play on hundreds of songwriting demos and major label record projects, you’ll be giving these industry types what they’re used to hearing. We’ve all heard from time to time that industry professionals say they can “hear through” your rough recordings. My recommendation is not to take that chance. You’ve only got one opportunity to make a first impression and you should give yourself every advantage. Also, even if there is one industry professional willing and able to hear through a rough recording, you’ll hopefully be pitching this song to a number of industry people, many of whom will be expecting a professional sounding demo.

The Care and Feeding of Session Musicians
When it comes to working with session musicians, there are a few things to keep in mind. First of all, if you’re not comfortable writing out a chord chart, professional session musicians are perfectly capable of listening to your rough recording and writing out their own charts. For them, charting is quick process that should take no longer than 10-15 minutes at the most. Then, when it comes time for the musicians to play, always suggest that they try it their way first. There are two reasons for this: First, you’ve hired them to make your demo sound great, so you should give them a chance to go with their instincts before you offer any direction. Secondly, by letting them do what you’ve brought them in to do with a minimum of interference, you’ll create goodwill that will go a long way towards the overall vibe in the studio. In almost every case, what the session musicians come up with will be better than you ever expected. However, if you’re still not getting what you want after they’ve tried it their way, you’re 100% entitled to politely ask them to try it the way you were hearing it. The only appropriate response from a session musician to your request is “absolutely.”

Conclusion
It can be intimidating to work with such talented musicians, but remember, they’re working for you! One of my favorite expressions is “the best ones have nothing to prove.” In other words, when you hire pros not only will they be great at what they do but they should be a pleasure to work with as well. There is no reason to hire even the best session musician if he or she has a bad attitude. This is extremely rare but if it happens, I’d recommend never using that musician again. There are way too many wonderful, friendly and talented session musicians out there to ever settle for one with a chip on their shoulder.
Finally, if you’ve never used a professional musician on your songwriting demo, do yourself a favor and try it out. You’re in for a treat and you’ll end up with a great demo.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Final Strategic Plan

...Final Strategic Plan The recording industry, as it exists today, is witnessing reduced profits and high barriers in place for new artists. These barriers occur due to the diminishing profit margins and record labels cautious decisions on offering new contracts to artists. The organization that I will be starting is a digital recording and music distribution company. The company will offer recording facilities and internet distribution at a reduced price to new and existing artists. The recording facilities will provide state of the art equipment, professional staff, and worldwide distribution. The company will rely on the use of strategic management and planning. Strategic management is defined as “development of corporate strategy, and the management of an organization according to that strategy. Strategic management focuses on achieving and maintaining a strong competitive advantage” (CBS Interactive Inc., para. 1, 2009). To put it simply, strategic management is focused on creating a solid framework in which individuals and departments within the business will operate at the highest level possible. This type of management is critical to the long term success of a business or firm due to the reliance on strategic planning. According to InvesterWords.com (2009), strategic planning is defined as “The process of determining a company's long-term goals and then identifying the best approach for achieving those goals” (strategic planning, para. 1). Strategic planning...

Words: 4950 - Pages: 20

Free Essay

The Digital Evolution of Audio Engineering and the Music Industry

...The era was named after the most important component in the audio-engineering industry at that time—the tape machine. A tape machine records audio onto magnetic tape, hence the name of the era. (Robjohns, 1997) Back then, a recording studio costed a fortune to create and maintain. To have one, or even work in one was an almost impossible dream. First of all, it was necessary to have a tape machine, which on its own costed about $140,000. (Jr., 1988) On top of that, the magnetic tape costs about $200 for 14 minutes of 24 tracks. The typical amount of tracks used back then was 48, meaning that for 14 minutes of audio, it would cost a about $400 in just tape. (Kagan, 2013) All of the equipment used was analog, which means that they record or process in real time. They record every measurable unit of time, whereas digital audio equipment records in sections. (Elsea, 1996) Below, there is a diagram of what an analog audio signal looks like compared to a digital audio signal. Analog equipment always comes with a hefty price tag. At the end of the day, to build a professional studio, you would have an over a million dollar hole in your pocket. As time progressed, so did technology. We entered into a new age—“the digital era.” (Wikipedia, n.d.) The cost to own a studio was cut dramatically, to the point where many people have them in their own...

Words: 1949 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Music Pratice Pad in Dhaka

... 1. PROMIX MEDIA PRACTICE PAD MUSIC STUDIO & ACADEMY Location: West manikdi , cantonment , dhaka Cell no: 01721664631/01912721679 E-mail: monirhossain0008@gmail.com 2. Apogee Music Pad Location: 610 north shahjahanpur 1217 dhaka Cell no: 01742376325 3. X- Music Location: J& J mansion road no – 13 (new ) 30 (old ) mirpur road dhanmondi . beside shobhanbag mosque 1211 dhaka Cell no: 01717112321 4. Incursion 25,26,27, Kazi Nazrul Islam Ave, Banglamotor, Dhaka 1000 (Headquarter) BANGLAMOTOR BRANCH Pad 1 Pad 2 8 am to 10 am on request Tk 300/- Tk 400/- 10 am to 1 pm daily Tk 500/- Tk 600/- 1 pm to 4 pm daily Tk 500/- Tk 600/- 4 pm to 7 pm daily Tk 500/- Tk 600/- 7 pm to 10 pm daily Tk 500/- Tk 600/- 10 pm to 1 am on request Tk 800/- Call Bacchu (01714986668) or Naser (01918201864) for Banglamotor Booking House: 80 , Road: 23 , Gulshan-1, 1212 Dhaka, Bangladesh (Branch 1) GULSHAN (BENCH BRANCH) 8 am to 10 am on request Tk 500/- 10 am to 1 pm daily Tk 600/- 1 pm to 4 pm daily Tk 600/- 4 pm to 7 pm daily Tk 600/- 7 pm to 10 pm daily Tk 600/- 10 pm to 1 am on request Tk 800/- Call Kakon (01674417266) for Gulshan Booking.....You can also call Incursion Music Manager Mr. Bacchu (01714986668) for booking and additional info. Practice Pad and Recording Studios of Bangladesh By Naimul Haq on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 1:07am To enlist a New Jamming Zone or Recording Studio, Post details as comment. Don't just leave...

Words: 1146 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Intellectual Property Protection

...Property Protection An artist’s creativity is what sets them apart from everybody else. It is the determining factor in them becoming famous. An artist looks for the help of music labels and music studios to convey their messages and uniqueness into a format that can entertain masses of people. The important thing an artist has to offer is their intellectual property. So a music studios major function is to protect it as much as possible. An artist is purchasing a service that is going to help promote their image. A studio is making a final product for them to show the world. In reality a music studio is in the business to protect the intellectual property of these individuals. This paper will discuss a business opportunity and its obligations to protect itself as well as the people who purchase services from the business. Secondly, discuss the legal procedures to protect the business. Thirdly, depict some examples as to how those measures may not be sufficient enough to protect the intellectual property of individuals. A group of investors is interested in starting a music recording studio. This particular business will specialize in helping artists who struggle with getting their music recorded. The intellectual property associated with this start up is the works recorded within the studio walls. Every song has three copyrights that protect it from it being the property of another company. The first copyright pertains to the lyrics of the song. All parties that helped in writing...

Words: 847 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Careers in Communication Technology

...Careers in Communication Technology 1. Audio/Visual Technician Job Description; as an audio-visual technician you would install and operate multimedia equipment, such as video, TV, sound equipment and lighting at venues like conference centers, art galleries or schools. To do this job you will need to have excellent technical and IT skills. You will need good organizational skills, be able to work under pressure and to meet deadlines. There is set entry route in to this job. Experience is highly valued by employers so it may improve your chances of finding employment if you have worked with audio-visual (AV) technology before. Potential salary or wages; salaries for AV technicians can start at around $16,000 a year. With experience this can rise to between $25,000 and $30,000 year. Senior AV technicians and project managers may earn up to $40,000 a year or more. Overtime payments can increase earnings. Figures are intended as a guideline only. You would normally work 35 to 40 hours a week. Conference and exhibition work will often include evenings and weekends, and some school or college jobs may be during term-time only. Most of your work would be indoors, and may involve some lifting and carrying of heavy equipment. You would often spend time travelling between jobs, for example when working at different conference locations. Post-secondary education or training required in gaining employment in this field of technology: Before looking for work you may find it useful...

Words: 1864 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Blue Door Recording Business Plan

...Blue Door Recording Business Plan January 2010 Disclaimer: This document is for information only and is not an offering for sale of any securities of the Company. Information disclosed herein should be considered proprietary and confidential. The document is the property of Liquid Smoke, LLC, and Blue Door Recording and may not be disclosed, distributed, or reproduced without the express written permission of Liquid Smoke LLC. Copy #1 Table of Contents Executive Summary…………………………………………… 1 Company Description…………………………………………. 2 Industry Analysis………………………………………………. 3 Target Market…………………………………………………… 5 Competition……………………………………………………… 6 Strategic Position………………………………………………... 7 Marketing Plan…………………………………………………... 8 Operations and Technology…………………………………… 10 Management Plan………………………………………………. 12 Community Involvement & Social Responsibility…………… 13 Development, Milestones, & Exit Plan……………………….. 13 Financials……………………………………………………….. 15 Appendix………………………………………………………… 21 (Appendix will contain all forms, company policies and documents for the business. Forms have not yet been developed.) Executive Summary The Company Blue Door Recording is a dba of Liquid Smoke Entertainment, a Limited Liability Company based in Atlanta, GA. Its primary reason for existing is to record music. Over the last six years Atlanta has dominated the market in recorded hip hop and R&B. This area has a large number of recording artists...

Words: 5413 - Pages: 22

Free Essay

Software Review

...music and video editings and recordings. This software application by far is the most dominating one of its kinds and is considered the standard in the entertainment industry today. Every single professional audio production facility from recording studios to audio post-production studio uses a Pro Tools system. The application was created by Digidesign who is also owned by Avid. This software rules the film, TV and music editing and recording world as we know it. Pro Tools has a steep learning curve and is not easy to use either. But what you pay for in time and hard earned cash is an amazingly stable application that produces the highest quality digital music recordings in the business. Professional musicians everyone from the best rock bands to orchestral film composers rely on the versatility and power of Pro Tools to deliver every type of sound imaginable, whether the sound is a human voice, an analog instrument or a nearly limitless number of virtual instruments and audio effects. Virtual instruments are similar to virtual machines which was a topic of debate that sage had against University of Albany previously. Pro Tools is not just software. The Application works together with a lot of internal and external hardware components which creates the most powerful and interchangeable recording, editing and mixing systems. The Pro Tools software itself is the same across all Pro Tools systems, whether you're using the most basic home studio system or the most advanced professional...

Words: 344 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Ewan Ko Lng

...Essays about: "factors that affect study habits" Found 5 essays containing the words factors that affect study habits. 1. Communicating to consumers in Sweden with eco-labels : Is the message getting through? University essay from Umeå universitet/Handelshögskolan vid Umeå universitet; Umeå universitet/Handelshögskolan vid Umeå universitet AUTHOR : Annie Lefébure; Rafael Rosales Muñoz; [2011] KEYWORDS : Eco-label; Marketing Communications; Green Marketing; Environmental Friendly Products; ABSTRACT : Sustainable consumption has become a crucial factor to consider for both consumers and manufacturing firms. Green marketing practices, or marketing activities aimed at decreasing the impact on the environment, have been incorporated into many business plans to combat old habits of wastefulness and pollution. READ MORE 2. University essay from Högskolan i Kalmar/Humanvetenskapliga institutionen; Högskolan i Kalmar/Humanvetenskapliga institutionen AUTHOR : Caroline Nyberg; Julia Arnesson; [2010] KEYWORDS : young men; youths; anabolic androgenic steroids; attitude; influence; ABSTRACT : This is a study about gym training young men (age 18-20) and their attitude against anabolic androgenic steroids, AAS. In our study we examine if the muscular ideal in our society have any effect on young men and the young men’s attitude against their body and their training. READ MORE 3. Helstryp kontra sele - en studie om dess påverkan på hunden University essay from SLU/Dept. of...

Words: 435 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Dfhdhfxh

...uses her money, time, and talent to keep the Habitat crew going. Another hero in our community is Pete, an accountant, who uses his clear, expressive voice to share the joys of reading. He is a member of the Rolling Readers, a group that visits elementary schools to interest children in reading. Pete reads every week to a class he has adopted. To keep the children reading over the summer, he gives each child a book furnished by the Rolling Readers program. Pete also shares his love of reading by volunteering for the Radio Reading Service for the blind and print-handicapped. Once a week, he gets up at six a.m. and drives to a small recording studio. He takes the morning paper and selects the articles he will read from each section of the paper, judging from experience when he has enough to fill the hour. Then he goes into a recording booth and reads, editing out mistakes as he goes along....

Words: 486 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Strategy and Implementation

...the art recording and music equipment in order to maintain a competitive edge and stand our ground. Efforts to contact various entertainment agencies will be made, for them to record using our studios and equipment, and quite possibly send their talents for voice training at our premises. An intimate partnership can be formed with profits to be made on both sides. Competitive edge Audiobeats will employ a two-pronged competitive edge. The first edge prong is having low overhead. Resources will be concentrated mostly on state of the art recoding music and recording equipment, and voice training programs and trainers. A significant amount would also be allocated to establish connections with established entertainment agencies. Advertising would also be one of our priorities, as we need to advertise our good recording studios and equipment. This would be more cost effective compared to conducting R&D of our own. For office work wise, space and resources allocated will be kept at it’s minimum. Audiobeats will also use our other competitive edge prong by retaining a low talent count. Although we offer “Voice Talent Services”, the other services we provide, namely: “Voice Over recordings”, “Music Recording & Production”, and “Facilities with recording equipment” – all these would require good equipment, studios and environment like for example soundproof studios and walls. To maximize output, scouts can be employed when people come in to use our recording services...

Words: 917 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Digital vs. Analog

...Jose O. Perez Jeffery Benedict January 23, 2015 Analog Vs. Digital In Recorded Music When I began my studies at Cal State La I came into the program as a drum set performance major and wasn’t too knowledgeable about how the music recording process works. So when I decided to switch my major to the technology studies track I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of knowledge that I did not have. Not that I’m the best drummer in the world, but I was feeling like I needed a change in course and it seems that learning about something that I didn’t know much about was a really good use of my time. I’ve been using Logic to make recordings at home and once I began to understand what I was doing mixing and composing quickly became an obsession of mine which I am pursuing daily. From the very beginning of this journey I’ve taken to watching as many tutorials on youtube as I possibly can and am bombarded with knowledge, opinions, and a fare amount of useless crap. It’s interesting to see the very different approaches that people have to doing the same thing; and they all think their way is the best. What’s more is that there is this belief that the music business is suffering gravely from this supposed injustice that the digital age has inflicted upon those that are “old school”. So what I’m noticing is this large divide amongst people that use analog gear and those that use digital gear. The analog devotees are absolutely convinced that you can NEVER get the rich, warm, juicy and...

Words: 572 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Cipd Activity 1 3rai

...Briefing note for the Human Resources Director: The organisations approach to collecting, storing and The use of H.R data. Purpose: The purpose of this briefing note is to review options to the business regarding the collection, storage and use of collected H.R data. Background: It has been requested that the organisations current policy regarding the above should be reviewed and where necessary, improved/amended based on the findings. Current situation: At present the following data is collected by the Human Resources department; * Personal Data. * Staff Turnover. * Absence Data. * Learning and Development Data. * Cost information. * Survey Data. * Performance of Employees. * Health and Safety. Some of the above data must be collected by law for legislative purposes. Other data is gathered and stored by H.R for use either as benchmarks or as an aide to future business growth. For instance Health and Safety data is stored for legal compliance and includes the storage of accident books and RIDDOR incidents (Appendix 1) that have occurred within the work place. This information may be used by the health and safety officer to reduce the number of accidents. If a number of incidents were reported involving staff using ladders, then a trend may be spotted from the stored accident data. This could then be used and less hazardous equipment utilised. An example of data which is not legally required to be kept, but may be useful...

Words: 654 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

3 Rai – Recording, Analysing and Using Hr Information

...3 RAI – Recording, Analysing and Using HR Information Level 3 CIPD Foundation Certificate in Human Resources Management Student: Kevin Bickle Tutor: Margaret Lawson Word Count 636 Date Submitted 23rd February 2016 Contents Page 1. Purpose 2. Background 3. Current Status 4. Key Considerations 5. Options 6. Conclusions and Recommendations Activity 1 1. Purpose The purpose of this briefing is to inform the Director about a review of Brenikov’s approach to collecting, storing and using HR data. 2. Background The review was requested by the HR Director joining Brenikovs to ensure that it’s compliant with The Data Protection Act 1998 and The Freedom of Information Act 2000, the two main pieces of UK legislation covering the collecting, storage and use of data in the UK. 3. Current Status Currently the Freedom of Information Act does not apply to Brenikovs as it’s not publicly funded. Brenikov Training does need to ensure compliance with The Data Protection Act as it currently collects HR Data to assist with strategic planning and to ensure compliance with legislation (Rights to Work). Brenikovs currently collects and analyses data on employee absence to identify any trends and allow the HR team to actively put in place working practices to minimise disruption. It also collects data on DBS checks as part of the recruitment procedures to ensure compliance with safeguarding and child protection legislation. 4. Key Considerations The information Brenikovs collects...

Words: 688 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Parent-Adult

...Parent, Adult and Child The passion for truth is silenced by answers which have the weight of undisputed authority - Paul Tillion Early in his work in the development of Transactional Analysis, Berne observed that as you watch and listen to people, you can see them change before your eyes. It is a total kind of change. There are simultaneous changes in facial expression, vocabulary, gestures, posture and body functions, which may cause the face to flush, the heart to pound, or the breathing to become rapid. We can observe these abrupt changes in everyone: the little boy who bursts into tears when he can’t make a toy work, the teenage girl whose woeful face floods with excitement when the phone finally rings, the man who grows pale and trembles when he gets the news of a business failure, the father whose face “turns to stone” when his son disagrees with him. The individual who changes in these ways is till the same person in terms of bone structure, skin and clothes. So what changes inside him? He changes from what to what? This was the question which fascinated Berne in the early development of Transactional Analysis. A thirty – five – year – old lawyer, whom he was treating, said, I’m not really a lawyer, I’m just a little boy.” Away from the psychiatrist’s office he was, in fact, a successful lawyer, but in treatment he felt and acted like a little boy. Sometimes during the hour he would ask, “Are you talking to the lawyer or to the little boy?” Both Berne and his...

Words: 6645 - Pages: 27

Free Essay

Frog Dissection

...Materials and Methods: First, the ring stand was setup with the force transducer mounted on it. Next, the PoweLab was setup by connecting the force transducer cable to the back of the Bridge Pod. Then, the Bio Amp cable was attached to the Bio Amp socket on the PowerLab. The three lead wires were attached to the Bio Amp cable. Other materials such as dissecting dish, metal pins, scissors, forceps, strong thread with a barbless hook, acetylcholine solution, epinephrine solution, and Frog Ringer's solutions in cold, warm, and room temperature were collected. The force transducer was zeroed by adjusting the baseline value to zero. A weight between 5 and 50 grams was hanged from the force transducer and was recorded for five seconds to calibrate the force transducer. The N value was calculated and the calibration was implemented. A double-pithed frog was dissected by making a longitudinal and lateral incision along the ventral surface of the abdomen with scissors. The tissue and the sternum was cut away to expose the thoracic cavity. The pericardium was cut away with the forceps to expose the heart. The force transducer was attached to the heart by lifting up the apex of the heart and piercing it with a hook. The tension on the thread was adjusted and the thread was left perpendicular to the table, instead of an angle. The lead wire alligator clips were attached to the pins holding the frog to record the ECG. The red lead was attached to the left forelimb, the black lead was attached...

Words: 887 - Pages: 4