A poster on Gearslutz asked the pros to share demos of hit songs. The Killers demo (on page 2) is a study in the role played by a great producer.

a VERY VERY old demo of the Matchbox Twenty song “3 AM”. This was recorded around ’93-94 and is from the Tabitha Secret days, which was the name of the band Rob, Paul and Brian were in before they started Matchbox Twenty.

Some thoughts on mixing for radio, a situation I hope we all find ourselves in someday:

Also, remember that since the track will be so compressed, it’ll bring out your background stuff (reverb, FX, you name it). So you may mix a little dry for that situation.

The more systems on which you listen to a mix, the more confident you’ll be that the mix translates well. So just how many ways are there to check a mix for compatibility?

I SO walk to out of the room to check what mixes sound like. When you realize that most listening is done from everywhere but the sweet spot, it only makes sense to me.

Tags: professional-engineers, radio

Don’t reflexively reach for EQ: If an instrument doesn’t sound right, try changing the source. Move the microphone, adjust the amp, or try different equipment. Small adjustments can make a big difference. And the less processing you need to do, the easier it’ll be to mix.

Have a goal in mind: With a plan in mind before you start recording, you’ll have a much better idea when you’ve captured the right take. As the saying goes, if you don’t know where you’re headed, how can you tell when you’ve arrived?!

Be comfortable: Whether you’re performing, recording, or mixing, you’ll fare better with fewer distractions. You don’t need concerns about heat or thirst throwing you off your game. If it’s hot, turn on the A/C (and if that’s too loud, just shut it off while the tape is running.) If you’re thirsty, especially while singing, drink lots of water. If you’re tired, take a break.

Tags: tips-digest

Gearwire has a 3-part interview with Dave Huizenga, who scores and records the music for Cold Case Files (part 2, part 3.) Dave discusses his equipment, techniques, and philosophies, offering lots of great behind-the-scenes details, especially for those who dream of adding Music Director for National TV Show to their resume. (It could happen! Dave needs only a modest Protools DAW, similar to the units many of us have in our bedrooms and basements, to do his job …)

Update: It’s actually a 5-part interview (thanks Darren!) Part 4, Part 5

Tags: business, professional-engineers

Terry Howard, Ray Charles’s engineer, offers some tips on mixing professional singers:

Electronic Musician magazine interviewed Howard last year, and he shared his thoughts on working in digital with Ray Charles:

That’s the whole thing: when you get into working a microphone with the proximity effect and knowing when to get close and far and how it changes the sound, you’re not necessarily paying attention to the level. And the other problem, when everything was 16-bit you could not go that low [with the recording level]. Once you got down to a certain level, the resolution started to change and the sonic quality was not as good as analog. At 24-bit, you can record stuff down 20 dB, and have that headroom. People forget that.

Tags: professional-engineers

Independent Artists Embrace Technology
The other highlight for me was a fireside discussion with Terry McBride, the founder and CEO of Nettwerk Music Group… Here is [sic] some of the points he made during the discussion:

On the subject of DRM:
• DRM will go away this year.
• If the major labels get rid of DRM, online sales will likely double within the first few months.
• We need a price war for online music to evaporate the free market. The tipping point for this to happen is somewhere between $0.49 and $0.25.
• The RIAA’s litigation is based on fear and control.

P2P effect on legal music sales “not statistically distinguishable from zero
A new study in the Journal of Political Economy by Felix Oberholzer-Gee and Koleman Strumpf has found that illegal music downloads have had no noticeable effects on the sale of music, contrary to the claims of the recording industry.

CPCC Goes For Broke
The blank CD increase represents an astonishing request as the CPCC is now openly asking that more than half of the retail price of blank CDs to be comprised of levy costs. A backgrounder on the CPCC notes that blank CDs cost about 50 cents and that the levy currently comprises 21 cents of that cost. That is an enormous cost – 42 percent – and the collective wants to increase that by an additional 28 percent. This is a staggering market distortion …

They’ve got the music in them — and in their garage
At $30-and-up per hour, cutting an album in a professional studio can run into thousands of dollars. For unsigned, do-it-yourself musicians, setting up a pro-quality home studio is the ultimate fantasy.

Tags: business, newsdigest

From Mix Magazine, here’s a great interview with Andy Wallace, the engineer who essentially defined the modern rock mix (with bands like Nirvana, Linkin Park, and System of a Down.)

The Pro Tools thing is a mixed blessing. The younger guys who have never had to cut tape or edit by bouncing on analog have a different perspective and are more easily caught up in over-editing. Not so much to the detriment of the material, although that can certainly happen, but just taking up too much time. Editing stuff to a degree that doesn’t matter. You’re never going to hear it.

The article is peppered with lots of technical tips from Andy. One that stands out: He often rides the cymbals higher in his mixes during the chorus. As the author points out, this is never obvious to the listener, yet Wallace’s tracks have such a distinct sound it must be an important factor.

Tags: professional-engineers

Here, Stevie Wonder takes us through the recording of I Wish. This is a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process (and on a much grander scale than my experience with Gert.) However, it also illustrates the importance of talent in a creating a great record.

The lesson for amateur producers: Capture a top-notch performance, and the rest takes care of itself…

Tags: production, video

As amateurs, learning to use effects like reverb and compression, we’re often told “bring the effect up until it’s just noticeable in the mix.” Sometimes, this is easier said than done. We’re amateurs after all, and often we haven’t yet learned how an effect is supposed to sound in the mix. How can we judge “just noticeable” when we don’t know what we’re listening for?

Practice and experience are the sure-fire methods, of course. But if your recording environment lets you invert the phase of a track, there’s a simple trick you can use to make small changes more obvious.
(more…)

Tags: freeplugins, hearing, mixing, phase

Did you watch the Grammys last night? Did you find the whole affair a little self-serving? You’re not alone.

Microsoft’s own developer tools for Vista are still in beta. Basic hardware drivers are missing… Unless you have drivers in hand for your computer, your graphics drivers, your sound hardware, and confirmed Vista-ready updates for your critical apps, I wouldn’t even bother putting Vista on a second partition

Tags: windowsxp

I mentioned Charles Dye in the post on using distortion for better mixes. Dye turned his Hard Disk Life series of articles into a (highly touted) video tutorial called Mix It Like A Record. Here’s a clip from the video, with Dye discussing his use of channel-strip emulators, which add distortion, to achieve a more cohesive mix.

Tags: distortion, professional-engineers, video