Musician 101 – Round 4

What to do to take it to the next level

by the Swami

photo credit Colorado Sound Studios

Back in the 90’s when I had a developmental deal with Sony, I was privileged to have several great mentors. Then the labels still had A/R departments and would look for talented artists to sign and then “train” to be a pro. For me, I was lucky enough to have such encounters. Here in this monthly column I will share with you not only the things I learned from “the big boys” but really from the school of hard knocks and the other school of figuring out what not to do.

Each month I will pick a different topic that I think truly makes the difference between amateur and professional.

Considerations for recording – DIR!

So you are considering recording your new material…Should you go DIY or spend $$ in a studio. Let’s take a look at both…

DIY – Pros: Cost effective, you own the recording gear, no time restraints.

DIY – Cons: Lack of knowledge and understanding of recording, lack of quality gear (mics, pre-amps, compressors, eqs, plug-ins), not having a properly tuned recording area, no mentorship or experienced engineering, distractions.

Going down the “DIY” road is a very iffy proposition. One thing to understand is once you release a recording, it is FOREVER. Sure you can release other recordings, but once it hits the public, there is no turning back. Just through my experience of receiving thousands of local recordings over the years, the number of projects that are actually done correctly are very few. Most musicians don’t understand compression or EQ, plus they are in the “bubble” of what sounds good. To get a true unbiased opinion on a DIY project is hard to come by as most band members and friends will say “it sounds good.”

Studio – Pros: Experience, quality gear, knowledge of equipment, sound booths/recording rooms, efficiency.

Studio – Cons: Money

Seriously, the only downside of going to a good studio (Coupe Studio, Colorado Sound Studio, Side 3 Studio for example) is it costs dollars. But are you really serious about your product? If you are, don’t waste time buying pro-tools at home, getting a half-assed pre-amp, a couple mics, and thinking you are going to match a good studios quality. It just won’t happen. With a studio, you get KNOWLEDGE – an engineer who knows the gear, has top notch pre-amps and mics, and can guide your sound. The other thing you get in a good studio is experience. The next time you go, you will totally know how to prepare, what to expect and how to be creative within the confines of the recording process. It can truly be magical if you embrace it.

Bottom line – Save your dollars and “DIR” (Do It Right!) – even if you have only a couple thousand, go record a couple of your best tracks – You don’t need to do it all once. EP’s are the new format and “singles” are making a big comeback in the music business.

To be taken seriously in the industry, your recording needs to be as good as it can be. Don’t overlook the impact a great recording has on critics, labels, and radio. They honestly don’t listen or consider material that isn’t properly recorded. Wait till you can Do It Right!

I will share more don’ts and do’s in future columns – but I am out of space for this month. Want to share your thoughts with me? Hit me up [email protected]

Tags: swami, musician 101

Category: Shop Talk