What to Expect

Here is an overview for four types of recording sessions: Solo Artist, Bands, Rap Artists and Sing-A-Long (Karaoke) Demos. All sessions begin with a consultation.

Consultation

Our staff will meet with you to discuss the style of music you wish to record and get some examples of the sound for which you’re looking. We will also answer any questions you may have about equipment, studio gear, legal concerns and copyright, rates and finished product. We always make sure we have a common vision of the finished product before we begin recording.

Solo Artists

Preparation — We will make sure we have all the elements together to begin. This may include assistance with music charts, checking vocal ranges, setting tempos, etc.

Scratch Track — You will sing a temporary vocal track for us to work with as we begin production. Often this will be to a solo piano or guitar track and click track. This will let us check timings, form, keys and begin to talk over ideas for production. The temporary vocal track is just that, temporary. We can move it, cut it, paste in sections or anything else needed for the final template.

Basic Music Tracks — Depending on the production this may include live musicians, midi, or a combination of both. Sometimes the artist is present for all tracks recorded, and sometimes we do the complete production ourselves. For most productions we will lay these tracks down in stages, although sometimes they can be done immediately.

Final Vocal — Now we record the actual vocal to create the final vocal track. The time this takes depends on the difficulty of the song and the accuracy of the vocalist.

Final Music Tracks — Now's the time for background vocals and any other additional music tracks needed for the final product.

Mix-Down — we mix all tracks and await approval by the client. We make any changes the client wants. We can also provide audio mastering at this point.

Bands

Set-Up — we put all gear and microphones in place. The engineer will listen to each instrument. We may adjust instrument settings and set-ups. The engineer will have some questions for each player about their sound and desired finished product. During the consultation the engineer may have also asked for references to similar groups so he knows the direction you want to go with the finished sound.

Rhythm Tracks — This is the most important and most grueling part of the session. The engineer will be listening most closely to the drums. Once strong rhythm tracks are in place, you will listen through to the tracks to make punch-ins on other instruments where needed. Depending on the style of your music, we may lay all tracks simultaneously without overdubs. These rhythm tracks should all be completed in one session if possible to retain a consistency of sound and performance.

Overdubs and Vocals — Overdub guitar solos, vocals and any other additional instruments and/or effects. Some band recordings are done all at once and may not need this step. Some groups like the raw sound of a simultaneous “live” recording.

Mixing and Mastering — we mix all tracks and await approval of the band. We usually try to mix on a separate day from recording. It allows us to listen to the material with fresh ears and a new perspective. Sometimes we may call in a second engineer to mix your session once the tracks are finished.

Rap Artists

You're the boss. You tell us what you want. We've had several rap clients tell us we were the easiest studio and staff they ever worked with, that other studios had producers with their own agenda. You hired us, and you tell us what to do. We'll make suggestions, but you make all the decisions.

Get a Beat — You can provide your own beat, listen to our sample libraries, or we can program a beat from scratch for you. We suggest using a beat from our sample library, it's the quickest way to finish your production. If you want us to program a beat then please bring in some examples of the style of beat you would like, that will speed things up. At this point you can take the beat home to practice with for a while, or you can proceed right to recording. Please let us know what's comfortable for you so we know how much time to book. Most rap artists will do a complete session to create beats, then work on production later.

Scratch Vocal — Record a temporary vocal track so we know the form and style of your rap. This will help us produce a track that matches the tone of your lyrics.

Edit Form — We'll quickly go through the song with you to figure out where you want breaks, instrumentals, break downs, choruses and verses and any other general form considerations.

Music Tracks — Start putting down music and samples over the beat. You might just want a bass line or a complete string orchestra, you call the shots. We've had several projects where we laid down complete music tracks within an hour. That's fast!

Final Vocals — Create a perfect final composite track. Our engineers will take multiple tracks and edit your final vocal for a perfect performance. This is also the time to decide if you want different vocal effects for different parts of the song, and to lay in any double tracks.

Mix-Down — Give us a reference of the type of mix you like from a major artist release and we'll try our best to match the sound. Nothing leaves the studio until the client approves the final mix.

Sing-A-Long (Karaoke) Demos

These are the simplest sessions and usually very quick.

Record Music Tracks — The engineer will record your music tracks while answering any questions you may have about studio recording

Record Vocal — Our engineer will guide you through the recording. He will listen to your performance and make sure you re-record lines that are a little weak and could use improvement. In a sense the engineer is also your "producer" for the recording.

Mix-Down — This can be done quickly because the music is already mixed. The engineer will fine tune your vocal track to create a sound that flatters your voice and matches the style of your music.

Recording the Acoustic Guitar

Although the acoustic guitar is a relatively simple instrument by design, it is one of the hardest to get a great sound from in the studio. It's really not rocket science, but understanding a little of the physics involved doesn't hurt. I must not have been paying attention in school, so I learned a lot about getting a great acoustic guitar sound one mistake at a time. Drawing from my experience, I sat down and formulated these general principles for recording the acoustic guitar. Some of these may seem self-evident, but better not left unsaid.

For the sake of argument I'm going to assume that if you're reading this, you own a four or eight-track recorder, a small console, some basic outboard equipment, and you don't own any $2,000 microphones. If you own a 13-foot long console and a 48-track digital machine, you probably know what I'm about to tell you.

• If the guitar doesn’t sound good in the first place, you can’t make it sound good on a recording.
• Condenser mics will usually sound better than dynamic mics for acoustic guitars.
• Always record with new strings.
• Lighter strings sound brighter than heavier ones.
• Mahogany and maple guitars are easier to record than rosewood guitars.
• The sound you get has a great deal to do with the dynamics of the player.
• Tune, tune, tune, tune!
• While the performer is playing the guitar, listen from the same position you will place the mic(s). Move your ear around to find “sweet spots.” You'll learn more by doing this than you will from anything else.
• If you have somebody assisting you on the session, have them move the mic around the guitar while the player is practicing the part he or she is about to lay down.
• Pointing the mic at the sound hole almost never gets the best sound from the guitar.
• A compressor/limiter (used judiciously) will usually help you get a better sound.
• Every rule has exceptions. I’m sure someone out there has a great recording of a Sears Silvertone guitar with seven-month-old strings done with an SM-57 into a PA head with a cassette deck attached. Every player/guitar/session combination will be a little different.

Let's get right to it. For instrumentals (either steel or nylon string) or songs where the guitar is a “sonic canvas” (David Wilcox, Patti Larkin), try something like this. Place a large diaphragm mic about ten inches off the lower bout and pointed at the sweet spot you found from listening to the guitar. Place a small diaphragm mic six to ten inches from the guitar and about two frets toward the nut from the neck joint. Aim it between the neck joint and the sound hole. This angle will reduce boominess because the mic's cardioid polar pattern produces a natural roll off when it's aimed off-axis, while simultaneously delivering the attack of the fingers. A compressor/limiter maybe be helpful if the player has great dynamic range. Try a 2:1 ratio with a -6db threshold so that most of the guitar's natural dynamics are left intact. I don’t like to use any EQ at this point (save it for the mix), because it can interfere with the guitar’s natural sound. Try moving the mics around until you find the best sound. If you must use EQ, use as little as possible.

If the sound you want to get is a country/pop, strummed sound similar to the Eagles “Lyin' Eyes,” here's the formula: Use one mic set up like the neck mic in the first example. Pointing the mic toward the pick will give more attack and less warmth. Use a compressor/limiter to knock down any peaks (3:1 ratio), and set the threshold a little lower to give it a slightly “squashed” or tighter sound. Set the threshold higher just to limit the peaks and give a more open sound. You may need to EQ out some boominess. If so, try rolling off some bottom (100Hz), or cutting a couple of db at 300Hz. To add some “silk” on the top end, try something in the 8-10K range, but be careful, too much will add noise to the track.

For that John Mellenkamp sound, try medium gauge strings, a little more compression, and try adding a little EQ around the mids — lets say 700Hz-1.2K. That will give you a sound that is a little more “woodsy” (a highly technical term).

“Yeah, well what about Melissa Ethridge?” you say. Try this on for size. Use a guitar with a built-in pick up and a microphone to boot. You will undoubtedly get some phase anomalies, but that's part of the sound. Experiment with moving the mic closer and farther. That will affect the phase relationship of the two sound sources. Eventually, you'll hit on something that will put a smile on your face. You can pan the two signals left and right to get a broad stereo sound, but be sure to check the sound in mono. Phase problems can be a major hassle.

When mixing, you get a bigger sound by hard panning two tracks (either recorded with two mics, or the original to one side and a delayed signal (short delays are best) of the same guitar to the other side). Take it one step further by “de-tuning” one track about a cent. The two tracks will give the brain the psychoacoustic information it needs to perceive the guitar as bigger, while the pitch change will make it appear “fatter.”

Here are some of the mics with which I have had success. I haven’t used every mic available, and there are many other great mics out there, so this should not be considered an exhaustive list.
 

Large Diaphragm Microphones

• AKG C 3000
• AKG C 414 B-ULS
• AKG C 414 B-TL II
• AKG SolidTube
• audio-technica AT4033
• audio-technica AT4047
• audio-technica AT4050
• Electro Voice RE20
• GT Electronics AM-51 / GT57
  

Small Diaphragm Microphones

• AKG C 1000
• AKG C 406 / 416
• AKG C 460 / 480 B
• GT Electronics AM-30 / GT33
• GT Electronics AM-40 / GT44
• Neuman KM-184
• Shure SM81

Mixing

Most people think mixing is complicated. It's really not. Most engineers (myself included) like the fact that there's an air of mystery surrounding what we do. It makes us look smarter. It also allows us to charge more money. But, let's face it. It's not rocket science. It's really just the practical application of basic physics, a little bit of psychoacoustics, and a pinch of good taste.

The best way to learn anything is to copy the masters. Listen with headphones. Listen with nobody else around to bother you. Shut your eyes.

Take a blank piece of paper and diagram what you hear. Draw a head in the middle of the page (bird's eye view). Listen for the kick drum. Where is it? Dead center? Great -- then draw a little box near the center top of the page and write "kick drum," in it. Snare Drum? Same deal. Bass guitar? Also down the middle. Piano? Low notes in the left ear. High notes in the right. Isn't that remarkable? The piano's laid out just as if you were sitting at the keyboard. You're starting to get the idea.

Most engineers mix their instruments from the perspective of the listener or the perspective of the player. I mix from the player's perspective. In other words, my drums are panned with the high tom on the left and the floor tom on the right.

When you shut your eyes, you should be able to visualize an aural "landscape." It's like standing near a mountain lake in Colorado. In the nearfield you would find the grass you're standing on. In the semi-nearfield you'd find the lake. In the distance, a stand of pine trees on the other side of the lake. To the far left, a patch of aspen trees. On the far right, a small row of mountains. And far beyond the lake's opposite shore, a majestic mountain range. Each of these items has a space within the landscape, and together they make up the whole picture. Mixing is just like that.

Let's take a look at an imaginary track for a pop/rock song. The kick drum, snare drum, and bass should all be down the middle, and should be the most predominant elements in the mix with the exception of the lead vocal. The bass and drums form the song's feel or groove. If they're mixed correctly, you're already half way home to a great mix.

Start with the kick drum. Adjust your mix monitor level to where you normally like to listen. Bring the kick fader up to a point where it kicks the mix bus meters (the console's stereo output) up to -3db VU. I like to work with VU, not peak meters. Peak meters are for wussies. Add a little 2.5 K for attack if you need to. Roll off a little 300HZ if the kick is a little tubby in the lower mids.

Bring up the bass guitar fader until the bass becomes a cohesive unit with the kick, and the two of them seem to hit you in the chest. Now add the snare to the mix. Bring it up to a level that rivals, but doesn't exceed the level of the kick and bass. Add a little plate or room reverb to the snare. Try a 1 second decay time for starters. Adjust to taste.

Bring up the toms and overhead tracks. Keep them panned so that the cymbals on the left side of the kit are panned to the same side of the mix as the high tom. The mid tom should appear don the middle, and the floor tom and cymbals from the right side of the kit all appear on the right. If your toms sound like cardboard boxes, try adding a little bottom, rolling off some 300-500HZ in the lower mids, and adding a little top end to give them some crack (not that kind! You've got a sick mind). I don't bother with a hi-hat most of the time. Someone once told me that it usually takes care of itself, and remarkably, it does!

Let's add the guitars next. First, the electric. Pan it almost full left. Take a short delay from the guitar and pan it almost full right, but a slightly lower volume. Your brain will tell you that you hear a big, wide guitar that appears mostly on the left side. Pan the acoustic guitar to the right. Add a little harmonizer to it. Detune it one cent. Pan it to the left. Result? A big, wide acoustic guitar that cuts through the mix, but doesn't require more volume to do it. That's the secret. By careful thought and panning, you can have a full mix that doesn't compete within itself.

Let's add the piano now. I usually pan it as if I were sitting at it, but if the guitar on the left is playing in a lower register, then I don't pan the low end of the piano there as well. They'd compete for space with each other. In this case, let's assume it's okay to pan the piano to nine o'clock for the low end and three o'clock for the high end. By using a stereo compressor set to a fast attack and slow release, you'll make the piano "tinkle" a little more on the top end, and "growl" a little more on the low end. Hence, you'll be adding another instrument, but once again, it won't fight for space.

Time to bring in the background vocals. Let's make the assumption that we have two tracks of group vocals — three voices in each stack. Let's make them sound like the Eagles. Pan one group far left, and the other hard right. Suck out some lower mid-range to make them sound airy and angelic. See? Just like the Eagles. OOPS — better add some stereo reverb. A nice plate sound with a 1.5 second decay ought to do it. There you go, Eagles.

And now for the big kahuna — the lead vocal. Piece of cake. Slam it right down the middle. Make it loud. It's important. Treat it as such. This year, the pros seem to like their lead vocals dry — so you can eschew the reverb if you'd like. If not, try a little plate or chamber on it. Again, keep it short for most types of tunes. You can also try a (very) little delay on the lead vocal. It will make it more apparent without adding volume.

That's one of the real tricks to mixing. Making instruments easy to find in the mix, but without using volume to do it. Eq can be a huge help in that department, but it takes time to understand what eq does to individual instruments, and how it affects a whole mix when the instruments are all added together.

The mix I described above is rudimentary, but it will help you get started. Use the formula over and over until you master it and you mix sounds great. When you can get it to sound great at the drop of a hat, then, and only then start experimenting. As with most disciplines, practice and experimentation are the keys to success.