The art of producing and recording Music II

By Ari Mendes

On the last newsletter we talked about the overall topics on how to produce and record music (and any type of audio, for that matter…). We’ve identified the major role players, and had an overview of what major changes the industry has gone through in the past decade, i.e. the so called digital revolution. On this newsletter we’ll outline the various stages involved in the process, from the moment a tune is created, to the CD manufacturing process. On the next newsletters we’ll approach each of the following stages in depth. Be ready for some cool tech talk!

Pre production : That’s basically creating the strategy , the game plan you’ll be abiding by. Laying down your dream, and coming up with the plan that’s going to help you achieve it with the minimum amount of stress. Choosing the right songs and creating the right arrangements with the help of your producer. Defining your sonic landscape. Creating a comprehensive schedule and sticking to it, etc, etc. It will not only save you a lot of money, but will capture your music at its best. Most studios and producers would prefer to work with organized people. Being a producer and a studio owner myself, I’d rather make less money on studio hours and have a great product in the market. Success in the music business is defined by developing careers and long-term relationships, NOT making a couple more bucks in the studio…. More on this topic on the next newsletter.

Recording: To be able to achieve a good cost / benefit ratio in the studio, you’ll have to be logistically prepared. After all the pre production is done, it’s finally time to lay down some tracks. Exciting, isn’t it? But it will take you some understanding of the technical aspects and procedures required to be able to record the killer tracks you deserve. Setting up all guitars , backing up all your keyboards patches and your computer data, being well rested. Spare strings, drum sticks, anyone? Lots to talk about.

Overdubbing : After the rhythm tracks are recorded, we’ll add the overdubs, also known as “sweetening” . Extra guitar and keyboard parts, vocals, brass, percussion, etc. At this stage we’ll also make sure that all the music recorded is what you want. I always recommend that you take your rhythm tracks home and analyze them before coming back for the overdubs.

You may want to redo some parts after carefully listening to them outside of the studio environment.

Mixing: All the music recorded on individual tracks will be mixed to a stereo format. All the cleaning and editing will be done here. We’ll add effects like reverbs, delays, chorus, flanging, etc…We’ll compress and equalize when needed. Automate fancy panning tricks. Work with volume changes on solos, etc. Big, very important part of the whole process.

Mastering: Let’s say each song is a chapter of a book. Mastering will add a homogenous coating to all the chapters, making them look (sound) like a book. Smooth transitions between tracks, overall volume and equalization, a nice, clear sonic statement. Too complex a subject to be defined with a few words. We’ll talk about this later.

Duplication: Graphics, pictures, credits, thank yous, choosing the right plant for your CD duplication could be a long, tedious process. I’ll give you the non-stress shortcuts on this one. Should be taken good care off to avoid delays on your CD release.

Distribution and sales: Self explanatory, we’ll get there!

See you on the next newsletter!

Peace!

Ari Mendes can be reached at producer@amenstudio.com , or at his studio, 772 5010697.