help and advice

RAIN

Hey im sure this has been asked a million times but im preety new so please help me out ,im trying to get my album produced how should i go about it??Now when i say album i mean demo so what i wna know is how many tracks can you put on a budget demo, wer do i get a good deal on making one then what do i do next?im stuck in a rut at the moment and i wna hear what i sound like after the recording process im sure a million of you can relate so please help me out!!also im trying to get together with a group so if anyone is interested in doing somthing creative and maybe even profitable during the summer please drop me a line bass players cello players drumers and percussionist ( i cant spell) all welcome i realy wna start writhing with some people so if your interested im 21 and im into everything ish .

Eoin Madsen

A "demo" usually takes the form of an EP, which is generally 3-5 tracks. I'd be inclined to go with 4. I feel a rant coming on.

(In terms of getting someone to "produce" it for you, that'd be the hardest part. The role of the producer is to control or direct the recording process. I would say 9 out of 10 demos fall down because the band just walked into the studio and started recording, without any experience of how a session should go, or how they should prepare themselves and their material for it. The engineer can only guide you regarding the recording techniques and procedure. An experienced producer will help you avoid all of the pitfalls and help you get the most out of your music and your abilities. Expect it costs, and there's usually a percent taken if your cd is getting sold.)

At this early stage you'd probably be as well to just get some tips from other bands and some engineers and make sure you're well prepared for the recording session. Contrary to the popular image, real bands don't sit around in the studio writing new parts for their songs or coming up with interesting ideas. All of that happens in preproduction/practice, unless you like pissing your money away. For a good session you should plot out everything you're going to record, every single part in complete detail, and when possible the order in which you're going to record it. You don't make decisions in the studio, until something unexpected happens - which it invariably will. The better prepared you are, the better you'll deal with changing circumstances.

Preparation: just for example, if there's a harmony in the song, you should know it note for note and word for word, rather than improvising around a general idea. And - though I'm sure someone will leap in to deny this - most of the best guitar solos you hear on albums were written (and sometimes tabbed) well before the recording session.

The next thing to think about is click tracks. People often think of this on the morning of the session, when it's too late. Everyone (not just the drummer) should learn how to play to a click. It'll improve general timing, and it'll make for a much tighter recording. But you have to practice it, you won't just pick it up in a night. There's a difference between keeping approximately in time (from bar to bar) and keeping perfectly in time (from beat to beat). It's not that hard, it just takes practice. But it makes all the difference. If there's no drums, it's just as important. Aside from sounding more consistent, a track with perfect tempo has far greater digital editing possibilities (even for stuff as simple as drop-ins) and will make delays and modulation effects sound much tighter.

A few last things to remember: The order of a rock recording usually works: drums, bass, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, keyboards & misc, lead vocals, backing vocals. Change the stings on all guitars three or four days before the session. Change bass strings a week before. Bring spares for everything. Bring your own leads, just in case. Most guitar effects (esp. time based like delay/reverb) are added in post production, so make sure you can play the part without effects as well as with. Tempo controlled modulation, like autowah, chorus, flange etc are also usually applied in mixdown, while controlled mods like a wah pedal are much easier done at the time of the recording.

No recording clients for a week and see what happens? I'm going to get some coffee.

Eoin

RAIN

Thanks eoin i just had a look at your studio i like the way you price per song!im definetly goin to be giving you a ring to make a booking ,thanks for the advice!

Eoin Madsen

No problem! A little preparation on the musician's part makes my job a lot more fun. If you need a quote just email me: eoin@avaricestudio.com.

I hope to hear from you!

Eoin