March 2005
Recording: 10 Good Things to Know When Recording Your Independent CD
1. Include some variety in your production. If every track is bursting
with instruments, solos, and vocals, try a simple accompaniment of only
one instrument. If the CD consists mostly of simple tracks, try adding
a live drummer, horn, or percussionist for extra color and pop.
2. Try to include a live instrument or two if your production consists
mostly of synthesized and sampled sounds. Keyboards don’t have the
variance of pitch, timing, and sound complexity that acoustic sounds
have, so the result can be a smaller, closed-in type of aural space.
Just a few real-time performances can breathe a lot of life into a
track.
By Jack Lee
3. When recording your master vocals, make sure your microphone is of
the very highest quality. It is the most crucial part of the recording
chain, and no fx or equalizing can make up for a poorly recorded vocal.
If you find that popping your t’s and p’s is a problem (even with a pop
filter), raise or lower the mic just a little bit to avoid singing
directly into the capsule.
4. If you are working with the EQ of the voices and instruments during
mixing, it’s always a good idea to “subtract first.” Find the frequency
band that sounds indistinct or “muddy” and lower the gain. Remember
that an instrument that sounds great when heard on solo might not sound
as good when all the other tracks are playing.
5. Always create a instrumental-only TV track. After the mix is
completed, turn off the lead vocal and record the instrumental track
only. You never know when this track will come in handy. Perhaps it
could be used for lip-syncing, or maybe part of the track could find
another life in a different context, like background music, a jingle,
or source music for film or TV.
6. Make sure your song sequence is working to maximize the impact you
want your music to have. Arranging the order of your songs is a minor
art form of its own! Because most people listen to CDs from the
beginning, make sure your first three songs are among the strongest you
have. Avoid successive songs in the same key or tempo. Songs in keys
that are only a step or half step apart can sound discordant. You can
change the order even after mixing and mastering is complete. Try
getting a dub with different sequences and “live with it” for awhile.
7. Don’t skip the mastering step. By adjusting song levels and tweaking
the EQ, mastering could improve your project 10-15%. It’s a good idea
to find outside people who specialize in mastering, as they will have
fresh ears on the project and are used to thinking about a CD as a
whole.
8. Make sure your CD’s graphics look professional. This is the main
clue that consumers get about the time, care and passion you put into
your project. And, if you are going to charge as much money as the big
kids, make sure it looks like money. Also, be sure to include the bar
code, as many retail stores will insist on this.
9. When arranging your manufacturing, know the difference between
reproduction and replication. Reproduction is duplicating your master
CD onto a pre-existing disc in the same general way as you do on your
home PC. It is the quick and affordable choice for small runs (under
1000 copies), but sometimes has a higher failure rate than replication.
Replication involves a glass master and produces the same type of CD
you’ll find at your record store.
10. Don’t forget to promote. There is nothing like the stimulation and
inspiration of expanding your audience and getting your music heard.
Give your audience a chance to buy your music and learn more about you
online. Offer your CD at your website and with web music stores like CD
Baby. For promotion, it’s the best deal going.
About the author: Jack Lee is a producer/muli-instrumentalist who
specializes in working with independent artists. He played lead guitar
for Atlantic records’ Mother Earth and then toured as a piano player
with Country Hall of Famer Earl Scruggs before deciding to come off the
road. After moving to LA, he established his own studio and production
company and has worked in the studio with many artists including Kenny
Loggins, Albert Lee, John Doe & Exene, Jim Messina, Jeff Pevar, David
Crosby, and many others. Lately he has concentrated on recording
independent artists, often contributing instrumental parts and
arrangements. |
