I think this is hard, when you are recording yourself. Part of you wants to get the best sound, but catching the best performance you sometimes gotta strike while the iron is hot at the cost of a good sound. I thing that always kills my performance is going through a long and frustrating setup and try to think technically when you have to be in the creative mindset. A good solution is to setup before hand take a good break and then record, but it is not always easy to find the right sound again.
Thank you Graham... I've tried explaining this to persons when they ask how I get my vocals sounding so good. You've got to get the acoustics of the room set up as best as possible... then you've got to get the microphone set up... You've got to get your gain levels right... Get this right or nothing else goes right. Then, you've got to get your mic position correct... Do you want it warm and intermit, maybe a little more open sound? you've got to play with it... Then start recording. Do not rush the recording process... You are most likely not going to get it perfect the first take... Take you time, get the best possible performance and the best sound... it makes mixing a whole lot easier.
When I got my studio, I realized this slowly and still have to reset my mind. That's very good advice. When you are used to buying studio time you also get used to do everything in a hurry. When you don't have to pay, let's say, 500, 600 or up to 2000 bucks a day, you can get take much more time for everything.
Ludwig Reiter exactly! Because it’s so easy for you to record yourself at ANY time, you don’t come in prepped to actually treat it like you’re in a “REAL” studio! It’s almost like recording yourself becomes part of your writing process instead of having an actual STUDIO recording session
one thing i learned in the army was, "slow is smooth and smooth is fast" they were talking about aiming and killing people, but it relates to every aspect if music production as well. focus, listen, analyse, execute
Hey I think you where like the first person I actually subscribed too in relation to music production, and all these years later I'm still loving the channel, Graham.
Hahaha, Graham... you are a visionary man. That's why you just don't want to be bugged down with detail. It is tough on you now that you are mixing and mastering your own stuff - the details. Thanks for the vid man.
I say too, do this in the demo songwriting process. Take time to make the best choices you can. Do not rely on formulas. Much if this reminds me of Mike Seniors book. Bravo Graham for what you do. Blessings brother
I would say for recommendation, have 3 sessions for each thing! (If you’re by yourself). So 3 songwriting sessions, Rewriting or touching the problem areas up & then 3 recording sessions, focusing on the best takes. Limit yourself to 3 MAX & anymore than that, you could be wasting your time
"Learn this the hard way, now I'm just trying to find a spot between "Fast" and "Really slow"" Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be just one "spot". One girl, you record a little faster because she had a similar voice to previous singers and was a well trained vocalist. Another person, it took longer to lay down cause they were inexperience, or you were not use to their unusual timbre of voice, so you had to "experiment" with mics. (2 days later on the phone, "I'm sorry, can you comeback in to re-record the vocal part?") On one hand it's fun. On the other hand, it can be a pain...........(sometimes, you can run out of hands)
Yup, I tend to rush every stage, recording included. This is deliberate, mostly to avoid what I've seen many of my friends do - record over and over and never finish anything. But point taken, I can take a little more time and get better results
1:54 Define legit studio? My buddy has an apartment he turned into a studio and we still considered it a “home studio” because it’s one we have access too. With pretty decent gear
This is why I don't charge by the hour. There is this feeling of pressure in the studio to just move on because time is money...I prefer to give a project price and take as much time as it needs.
Awesome advice!! I am definitely gonna use this and I’ve downloaded your 6 step guide as well. Thank you so much for sharing and all your hard work! 😁😁😁
Makes so much sense. I often get frustrated with the sound of my dry vocals on my current mic... Neumann TLM 102. I should have tested more mics on my voice before making the investment. It’s a great mic just doesn’t make my voice pop. Def going back to the drawing board.
Veronica King Yeah, I invested in a U87, only to discover that it really didn’t suit the timbre of my voice.I ended up selling it on and settling on a Rode NT1 tube mic.
That Guy If your reply was to me... Yes, absolutely. I think the U87 was right around $3,000. And the mic I replaced it with: under $1,000. Don’t get me wrong, the U87 is a fantastic mic, with incredible build quality. But I bought it primarily for my own vocals, and it just didn’t flatter my voice. And my voice needs all the flattery it can get!
I've been putting out songs every Monday. Writing, recording, filming and editing a video in 1 day for the last 18 weeks. It's a song writing project and I'm enjoying it a lot. I think what you're saying applies to a beginner players more because a seasoned studio artist should be able to just bang out tracks quickly, especially if you're a "hired gun" player. Of course in a my home studio I don't have to go around and test what mics I need to use, since I know what I have and what works for my voice and instruments in my room. It's definitely a big advantage of the home recording world. If you're not someone who has spent years doing the studio thing, then this is good advice. It's always going to come down to good performances more than anything, so taking you're time to get the parts right is worth doing or just practice your brains out and learn to get it right in the first few takes every time you record! HAHA!
GaragebandandBeyond Yep! Im starting to realize the importance of not rushing to get a song finished myself. I've found that the more I listen, the more issues I find, and then I end up re-recording or re-mixing. If I just get a better take up front, it makes it easier. I'm far from professional, though, and I'm really busy, so my "practice" is done in the form of zillions of takes, most of which are horrible, and the best of which are usually just passable. But enjoying the process is important, right? :)
@@thesullivanstreetproject I totally know what you're talking about there! The nice thing is that you are indeed practicing your brains out doing it that way, so eventually you will just get to point where you can get a good take in the first 1-3 attempts. My advice for guitar parts is always to keep it simple and steady. The more you add or change from take to take, the worse off you'll be. Don't improvise a new thing every time you push record. Write the part, learn the part and then play it that way! In the end, recording at home is so much fun! And every time you do it, you learn more and get better at it. Life is grand!
For a youtube channel, blog or just getting songs written I'd agree with you. Grahams example here though was a very experienced professional taking the extra time and effort to get the best recording, even in your home studio there may be songs that sit out of your normal vocal range or whatever and slowing down to find if it works better a different way could make a lot of difference. depends on what you're aiming for on a case by case basis
I've found the self-imposed pressure of a deadline, or speeding things up to maximize my time has actually increased the quality of my playing and streamlined my process (by demand). I'm not over-thinking, dwelling on everything too much, trying to gild the lily so to speak. It's perhaps counter-productive for some people, but when I spent too much time on my stuff - from recording to mixing - the results were overwrought and not very musical.
I'm not sure about this entirely. I get trying a few different mics of different types to best match your voice but there is some gear that (if you have access) needs no trial and will always sound good, regardless of who's on it. Like a 1073 Pre into an Avalon 737 (for compression, and maybe EQ if you didn't do that on the 1073). And if you're DI'ing your audio interface will always be a fine choice. It should be common sense though to capture the best performance and sound at the source, it does make everything sound better.
@@sKarredtoon It's not so much about being lazy as it is knowing what works and not fixing it if it isn't broke. If you have quality gear just using your regular set up unless it isn't getting you the sound you want is just good recording practice as it doesn't inhibit workflow. To mess around when your not with clients and test out different gear on different sources is totally cool and definitely advisable. My clients and I just have a problem with going in to lay vocals and myself or another engineer messing with different mics and pres for 30 or more minutes when a U87 or Sony C800 into a Neve, and then Avalon (or any high quality pre/ pre combos) will get the job done and done well 99% of the time. Or if you want to DI a bass or keyboard and the engineer insists on testing 4 different pre's. Just use whatever Audio interface is present and as long as your in a studio with a decent high quality interface it will work great 99% of the time. When it doesn't then try one of the other pre's but don't waste time if you don't have to. Bottom line for me is know your gear ahead of time and experiment with no clients waiting on you and learn what works best in most cases for a variety of cases (drums, vocals, bass, guitar cabs, strings, etc.) and always have 1 - 2 back ups in mind for the times it doesn't work. Unless the artist wants a tone your unsure of how to achieve (or what it even is) or if your go to is failing you/ the artist then a relatively flat sounding mic placed properly with good pre's dialed in with correct gain staging and a little tone shaping EQ and compression will get you a great recording 100% of the time. I get the point of the video and largely agree: slow down and get it right at the source and don't rush getting a great recording. Just don't be needlessly experimenting when clients are waiting on you, and don't be the engineer forcing someone to wait or stop recording if you don't have to. I have not gone back to studios and lost clients over slowing them down too much.
Also, when getting the best performance you/ an artist can offer have a producer, suggest they get one, and if your the artist bring in some objective ears so you don't spend hours fussing over one messed up syllable no one will hear and trust them enough to know that when they say it's golden and you have the perfect take that you should move on and not get bogged down. It will help the song and the sanity of the artist/ yourself. Don't be afraid of comping if you have to, but try to avoid it when possible and get it right when recording it. Utilize the power of a DAW and don't just treat it like a tape machine, use vocalign, comping, subtle pitch correction if the genre calls for it (don't auto tune a jazz scat vocal or hard rock/ metal, it ruins the vibe), etc. to enhance a recording. As long as you avoid the "fix it in post" mentality and get it right at the source, and know when it's the best it can be even if it's not totally perfect the song will be best served. Let the minute flaws of slight tempo flux, human levels of (on key, in tune) pitch error, and such other things further the beauty of your creation.
Yeah I'me sure you can teach J. King a thing or two. Why did Avalon 737 compressor pop into you head as something that always just works, its slower than pond water, oh let me guess you read that Dr Dre's engineer used it on a couple of records.
@@jamesmcfadden1468 that is a part of it, but I also have had experience with it on multiple different singers and rappers as an engineer, as well as myself and it has never failed to do what I need it to and do it well. Never really tried it on anything besides acoustic instruments and vocals but as a pre or compressor EQ combo for vocals it is one of the best and will almost never fail. Every piece of gear has pros and cons. Its about knowing them beforehand, and making the best educated guess on what will work for your source. If your go to doesn't work then experiment and get it right but there are some pieces of gear that work for nearly everything nearly all the time. A U87 is another example of such gear. It's not perfect, nothing is but it will work great 9 times outta 10
Thanks for the knowledge and experience! One question though: What you mean by 'punching in'? Did you take those 2 flat words out completely and re-recorded it, did you stack it? Greets, Alex
Yeah, true, I try to push my artists just that little bit, but it is true in regards to knowing when the artist is getting tired as you don’t want to put too much information to the artist because you can end up overwhelming them. I use convolution reverb to change the recording dynamic. But most of the time I try to record without plugins but if a plugin helps an artist to feel more inspired in their sound and can get a special type of feeling in their recordings, then I will use plugins. Other than this, I use specialised tools to remove room noise in the recording process to help shield the recording from picking up unwanted background noises.
Man, I'm a fan of human beings getting in a room and creating something organically. If you go "hey guys, are we following the steps?" I think it kind of takes something away from that organic creation.
Graham can u PLEASE do a REVIEW for that new Mastering Company called LANDR , Its suppose to take someones mix that they do at home or in their own studio to the next level supposably. And claim to master it to perfection. They say "Create and well do the rest" please give your input I think this would be very helpful from your ears to us who have home recording studios. PLEASE
Eighty Eight Go to LANDR and give it a try. It’s free (2 songs per month, 192 mp3). Upload your mixed song and let them master it. They ask you if you want a little more volume, a moderate amount of volume or a lot of volume. I tried a song I recently mixed. It feels like all they did was put a limiter on it and call it a day. It wasn’t too bad. It was worth the price I paid for it (it was free).
Hey Graham, I'm a singer/songwriter wanting to be a solo artist. I have an old laptop and I only know how to do vocals, guitar, and piano (but not drums) but I want to record some of my songs so I can put myself out there. Any suggestions and/or tips?
It isnt hard to do drum programming and ezdrummer is a perfectly good vst instrument to program on your piano roll. Rule 1 - don't try to get too fussy, you just need meat n potatoes here ... 2 - start with just bass drum and snare. 3 - fill in with time keeping ride/hi hat/etc - 4 add toms and fills ... 5 edit velocity - accents, crescendos, emphasis on 1 and 3, 2 and 4, whatever the song needs. ... watch this series on drum programming ua-cam.com/video/Bge36qT8VpI/v-deo.html
I suggest Addictive Drums 2 from XLN audio. It's not too expensive since you can buy only what you need, it sounds good and the learning curve is not as steep as w/ Superior Drummer 2 for example. If you have any experience w/ midi it will be really easy and practical for you.
Some are realizing this isn't actually the best way to either make the best art OR make the most money. Hourly is not where long term gains are made, either good art or good earnings.
Or 'cause quality takes time? True professionals do not waste time just to get a few bucks more. They value their and their clients' time. Otherwise, they would not be worthy of the term 'professional'.
Yes, you can go to the lower, faster person on down the street. But that's the studio that doesn't have any of their recorded songs played on the radio.
"But that's the studio that doesn't have any of their recorded songs played on the radio." That has less to do with sonic quality and more to do with radio program directors getting paid off.
@@RealHomeRecording "That has less to do with sonic quality and more to do with radio program directors getting paid off." Though I agree with with the fact that "money talks" influences things, if you move quick and sloppy, then return and take your time, there is a good chance you will make an even better mix then before. Besides, think about it, if someone is paying off program directors, why not just pay off mixers (like they do for remixes) and make more money?
Get a Slate Digital Virtual Microphone ML-1 and VMR rack.. and save the time with just one take. and later change mics and preamp or compressor later.. ;)
Why not be honest about it? Is it so hard to ask people to join a mailinglist so they can download a PDF? How many mailinglists will i be on if i want 3 different PDF you made but they are all on their own web page? I know this is a trend on youtube and I also understand that there will be a way for you to make money, probably by selling something like lessons. That is fine but be honest about it. It will make you stand out and is much better for your reputation. I hope you understand what i mean think about it and change the way you present your free PDF's and i will join your mailing list. Who is trustworthy in little things will also be trustworthy in big things.
I am honest about everything. The PDF guide is totally free and if they don't want the extra free stuff on my mailing list they can unsubscribe at any time. I only have one list and if you download all of my guides you aren't put on any other lists if you are already on it. Easy peasy.
@@recordingrevolution You have great content. That's why i told you my feelings about this. Guess you got to hear something that is frustrating me for more then 2 years. It is not an attack on you personal. I have an email i use for websites so it is not a big deal in the end. Somehow it just feels wrong to me. See it as positive feedback, i would not have told you this if i did not liked you. And that there were multiple sites is new to me, nice to know that it is just one mailing list because it was a bit suspicious to me. I really appreciate your reply. Have a wonderful day
It does not make much sense, there is no one way to do things, many times you do have to rush to get it right at the very beginning, if not move on to something else, many people work better this way :)
So you are aggressive and plug in things quickly and maybe wrong then play in 290 bpm. Well, I'm a musician whisperer and you need to eat well, so the food and digestion feels better for your activities. Sugar and poisons are the worst. Use more pasta, potato and rice for stamina (instead of sugar bursts of energy) and replace some of the meat with other protein rich thingies. Fruit and vegetables are also essentials to include.
"Record as if the mixing phase doesn't exist." Great philosophy.
I think this is hard, when you are recording yourself. Part of you wants to get the best sound, but catching the best performance you sometimes gotta strike while the iron is hot at the cost of a good sound. I thing that always kills my performance is going through a long and frustrating setup and try to think technically when you have to be in the creative mindset.
A good solution is to setup before hand take a good break and then record, but it is not always easy to find the right sound again.
Tiggerdyret I agree, it's extremely challenging...but it's what keeps us coming back...
Thank you Graham... I've tried explaining this to persons when they ask how I get my vocals sounding so good.
You've got to get the acoustics of the room set up as best as possible...
then you've got to get the microphone set up...
You've got to get your gain levels right...
Get this right or nothing else goes right.
Then, you've got to get your mic position correct...
Do you want it warm and intermit, maybe a little more open sound? you've got to play with it...
Then start recording. Do not rush the recording process... You are most likely not going to get it perfect the first take...
Take you time, get the best possible performance and the best sound...
it makes mixing a whole lot easier.
When I got my studio, I realized this slowly and still have to reset my mind. That's very good advice. When you are used to buying studio time you also get used to do everything in a hurry. When you don't have to pay, let's say, 500, 600 or up to 2000 bucks a day, you can get take much more time for everything.
Ludwig Reiter exactly! Because it’s so easy for you to record yourself at ANY time, you don’t come in prepped to actually treat it like you’re in a “REAL” studio! It’s almost like recording yourself becomes part of your writing process instead of having an actual STUDIO recording session
one thing i learned in the army was, "slow is smooth and smooth is fast"
they were talking about aiming and killing people, but it relates to every aspect if music production as well. focus, listen, analyse, execute
thats good but kinda grim wtffff
Congratulations on all your success man
Hey I think you where like the first person I actually subscribed too in relation to music production, and all these years later I'm still loving the channel, Graham.
This video is the most helpful thing I've heard in a long time. Thanks for sharing!
Hahaha, Graham... you are a visionary man. That's why you just don't want to be bugged down with detail. It is tough on you now that you are mixing and mastering your own stuff - the details. Thanks for the vid man.
Guilty!!!!!!man that's me.Great video. I found that out the hard way,after hours and days of mixing a song.Excellent advice.
Cant thank you enough for all the amazing information, advice and tutoring over the years man. God bless seriously...
I say too, do this in the demo songwriting process. Take time to make the best choices you can. Do not rely on formulas. Much if this reminds me of Mike Seniors book. Bravo Graham for what you do. Blessings brother
Learn this the hard way, now I'm just trying to find a spot between "Fast" and "Really slow"
Exaaaaaaactly
I would say for recommendation, have 3 sessions for each thing! (If you’re by yourself). So 3 songwriting sessions, Rewriting or touching the problem areas up & then 3 recording sessions, focusing on the best takes. Limit yourself to 3 MAX & anymore than that, you could be wasting your time
"Learn this the hard way, now I'm just trying to find a spot between "Fast" and "Really slow""
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be just one "spot".
One girl, you record a little faster because she had a similar voice to previous singers and was a well trained vocalist.
Another person, it took longer to lay down cause they were inexperience, or you were not use to their unusual timbre of voice, so you had to "experiment" with mics.
(2 days later on the phone, "I'm sorry, can you comeback in to re-record the vocal part?")
On one hand it's fun.
On the other hand, it can be a pain...........(sometimes, you can run out of hands)
Producers having knowledge and experience of how far they can push an artist is important.
Graham, great inside, spot on as usual! Thank you
Yup, I tend to rush every stage, recording included. This is deliberate, mostly to avoid what I've seen many of my friends do - record over and over and never finish anything. But point taken, I can take a little more time and get better results
1:54 Define legit studio? My buddy has an apartment he turned into a studio and we still considered it a “home studio” because it’s one we have access too. With pretty decent gear
Graham thanks for putting this together. Great information!
This is why I don't charge by the hour. There is this feeling of pressure in the studio to just move on because time is money...I prefer to give a project price and take as much time as it needs.
Good tips. Perspective and process. I’m going to put this into action this weekend🤙🏼
Awesome!!!!!!! I have bought some of your products. Thanks Graham
Awesome advice!! I am definitely gonna use this and I’ve downloaded your 6 step guide as well. Thank you so much for sharing and all your hard work! 😁😁😁
I love hearing your advice and really trying to incorporate it into the indie stuff I make for my channel!
I’ve found a love for the recording process. And that’s when my mixes started getting good😂
Makes so much sense. I often get frustrated with the sound of my dry vocals on my current mic... Neumann TLM 102. I should have tested more mics on my voice before making the investment. It’s a great mic just doesn’t make my voice pop. Def going back to the drawing board.
Veronica King Yeah, I invested in a U87, only to discover that it really didn’t suit the timbre of my voice.I ended up selling it on and settling on a Rode NT1 tube mic.
That Guy If your reply was to me... Yes, absolutely. I think the U87 was right around $3,000. And the mic I replaced it with: under $1,000. Don’t get me wrong, the U87 is a fantastic mic, with incredible build quality. But I bought it primarily for my own vocals, and it just didn’t flatter my voice. And my voice needs all the flattery it can get!
I've been putting out songs every Monday. Writing, recording, filming and editing a video in 1 day for the last 18 weeks. It's a song writing project and I'm enjoying it a lot.
I think what you're saying applies to a beginner players more because a seasoned studio artist should be able to just bang out tracks quickly, especially if you're a "hired gun" player.
Of course in a my home studio I don't have to go around and test what mics I need to use, since I know what I have and what works for my voice and instruments in my room.
It's definitely a big advantage of the home recording world.
If you're not someone who has spent years doing the studio thing, then this is good advice. It's always going to come down to good performances more than anything, so taking you're time to get the parts right is worth doing or just practice your brains out and learn to get it right in the first few takes every time you record! HAHA!
GaragebandandBeyond Yep! Im starting to realize the importance of not rushing to get a song finished myself. I've found that the more I listen, the more issues I find, and then I end up re-recording or re-mixing. If I just get a better take up front, it makes it easier. I'm far from professional, though, and I'm really busy, so my "practice" is done in the form of zillions of takes, most of which are horrible, and the best of which are usually just passable. But enjoying the process is important, right? :)
@@thesullivanstreetproject I totally know what you're talking about there! The nice thing is that you are indeed practicing your brains out doing it that way, so eventually you will just get to point where you can get a good take in the first 1-3 attempts.
My advice for guitar parts is always to keep it simple and steady. The more you add or change from take to take, the worse off you'll be. Don't improvise a new thing every time you push record. Write the part, learn the part and then play it that way!
In the end, recording at home is so much fun! And every time you do it, you learn more and get better at it. Life is grand!
GaragebandandBeyond Thanks for the advice! I'll keep at it. :)
For a youtube channel, blog or just getting songs written I'd agree with you.
Grahams example here though was a very experienced professional taking the extra time and effort to get the best recording, even in your home studio there may be songs that sit out of your normal vocal range or whatever and slowing down to find if it works better a different way could make a lot of difference.
depends on what you're aiming for on a case by case basis
That were hidden mistakes ,thnx to put light🧐on those ,very useful👍👍👍🙏🙏
good points.. i will try a few mics next time
I've found the self-imposed pressure of a deadline, or speeding things up to maximize my time has actually increased the quality of my playing and streamlined my process (by demand). I'm not over-thinking, dwelling on everything too much, trying to gild the lily so to speak. It's perhaps counter-productive for some people, but when I spent too much time on my stuff - from recording to mixing - the results were overwrought and not very musical.
Great content
You really help me get a setup n push my music 🙌🏾
Graham's rocking that ring light.
Great advice!
Are there any videos of him doing a walk-through of his new studio?
Very good. I'll take this on. Thank you
I'm not sure about this entirely. I get trying a few different mics of different types to best match your voice but there is some gear that (if you have access) needs no trial and will always sound good, regardless of who's on it. Like a 1073 Pre into an Avalon 737 (for compression, and maybe EQ if you didn't do that on the 1073). And if you're DI'ing your audio interface will always be a fine choice. It should be common sense though to capture the best performance and sound at the source, it does make everything sound better.
Odin OfficialEmcee If you have different options don’t be lazy and try different things out even if you are set in your ways. You might be surprised.
@@sKarredtoon It's not so much about being lazy as it is knowing what works and not fixing it if it isn't broke. If you have quality gear just using your regular set up unless it isn't getting you the sound you want is just good recording practice as it doesn't inhibit workflow. To mess around when your not with clients and test out different gear on different sources is totally cool and definitely advisable. My clients and I just have a problem with going in to lay vocals and myself or another engineer messing with different mics and pres for 30 or more minutes when a U87 or Sony C800 into a Neve, and then Avalon (or any high quality pre/ pre combos) will get the job done and done well 99% of the time. Or if you want to DI a bass or keyboard and the engineer insists on testing 4 different pre's. Just use whatever Audio interface is present and as long as your in a studio with a decent high quality interface it will work great 99% of the time. When it doesn't then try one of the other pre's but don't waste time if you don't have to.
Bottom line for me is know your gear ahead of time and experiment with no clients waiting on you and learn what works best in most cases for a variety of cases (drums, vocals, bass, guitar cabs, strings, etc.) and always have 1 - 2 back ups in mind for the times it doesn't work. Unless the artist wants a tone your unsure of how to achieve (or what it even is) or if your go to is failing you/ the artist then a relatively flat sounding mic placed properly with good pre's dialed in with correct gain staging and a little tone shaping EQ and compression will get you a great recording 100% of the time.
I get the point of the video and largely agree: slow down and get it right at the source and don't rush getting a great recording. Just don't be needlessly experimenting when clients are waiting on you, and don't be the engineer forcing someone to wait or stop recording if you don't have to. I have not gone back to studios and lost clients over slowing them down too much.
Also, when getting the best performance you/ an artist can offer have a producer, suggest they get one, and if your the artist bring in some objective ears so you don't spend hours fussing over one messed up syllable no one will hear and trust them enough to know that when they say it's golden and you have the perfect take that you should move on and not get bogged down. It will help the song and the sanity of the artist/ yourself. Don't be afraid of comping if you have to, but try to avoid it when possible and get it right when recording it. Utilize the power of a DAW and don't just treat it like a tape machine, use vocalign, comping, subtle pitch correction if the genre calls for it (don't auto tune a jazz scat vocal or hard rock/ metal, it ruins the vibe), etc. to enhance a recording. As long as you avoid the "fix it in post" mentality and get it right at the source, and know when it's the best it can be even if it's not totally perfect the song will be best served. Let the minute flaws of slight tempo flux, human levels of (on key, in tune) pitch error, and such other things further the beauty of your creation.
Yeah I'me sure you can teach J. King a thing or two. Why did Avalon 737 compressor pop into you head as something that always just works, its slower than pond water, oh let me guess you read that Dr Dre's engineer used it on a couple of records.
@@jamesmcfadden1468 that is a part of it, but I also have had experience with it on multiple different singers and rappers as an engineer, as well as myself and it has never failed to do what I need it to and do it well. Never really tried it on anything besides acoustic instruments and vocals but as a pre or compressor EQ combo for vocals it is one of the best and will almost never fail. Every piece of gear has pros and cons. Its about knowing them beforehand, and making the best educated guess on what will work for your source. If your go to doesn't work then experiment and get it right but there are some pieces of gear that work for nearly everything nearly all the time. A U87 is another example of such gear. It's not perfect, nothing is but it will work great 9 times outta 10
What if I got a senheisser boom mic? Will that work? If not then I only have one mic
A very timely guide! God bless you man!! Love from Philippines..
...been there...done that...wait...!!??? still doing it. But the lesson is learned. Thanks.
yeah that "front end" process is THE most important.
6 steps dt theory is really great
Keep up the good work Sir.
...excellent points; thanks!
Thanks for the knowledge and experience! One question though: What you mean by 'punching in'? Did you take those 2 flat words out completely and re-recorded it, did you stack it? Greets, Alex
Punching In, means re-recording only in a certain spot. Rather than a whole new take.
@@recordingrevolution Thanks for your quick response!
Damn I must be a lot closer to pro then I thought I was, I’ve been working on the same one song for 4 years
What if the goal is to get it really FINISHED once recorded? Tips?
Yeah, true, I try to push my artists just that little bit, but it is true in regards to knowing when the artist is getting tired as you don’t want to put too much information to the artist because you can end up overwhelming them.
I use convolution reverb to change the recording dynamic. But most of the time I try to record without plugins but if a plugin helps an artist to feel more inspired in their sound and can get a special type of feeling in their recordings, then I will use plugins. Other than this, I use specialised tools to remove room noise in the recording process to help shield the recording from picking up unwanted background noises.
Man, I'm a fan of human beings getting in a room and creating something organically. If you go "hey guys, are we following the steps?" I think it kind of takes something away from that organic creation.
What are your views on dubbing ? Wherein you need to submit your sessions within a limited amount of time
I never thought I’d hear that from you lol,,,,good tip
So true, so true!
Would you say that eq’ing everything is over kill?
If it needs it then eq away. If your not sure, try it and if it sounds better then great!
Graham can u PLEASE do a REVIEW for that new Mastering Company called LANDR , Its suppose to take someones mix that they do at home or in their own studio to the next level supposably. And claim to master it to perfection. They say "Create and well do the rest" please give your input I think this would be very helpful from your ears to us who have home recording studios. PLEASE
Eighty Eight Go to LANDR and give it a try. It’s free (2 songs per month, 192 mp3). Upload your mixed song and let them master it. They ask you if you want a little more volume, a moderate amount of volume or a lot of volume. I tried a song I recently mixed. It feels like all they did was put a limiter on it and call it a day. It wasn’t too bad. It was worth the price I paid for it (it was free).
Damn Graham - Tone down the Ring Light.
Very true but not always. Motown wrote, recorded and mixed "It's The Same Old Song" in two hours.
The brands don't matter. The api sounded best. Riiiiiiight.
Hey Graham, I'm a singer/songwriter wanting to be a solo artist. I have an old laptop and I only know how to do vocals, guitar, and piano (but not drums) but I want to record some of my songs so I can put myself out there. Any suggestions and/or tips?
Hi Tanner! I am not Graham, but I can help if you like. I do acoustic guitar, drums, pad, tambourine, shaker etc. :)
It isnt hard to do drum programming and ezdrummer is a perfectly good vst instrument to program on your piano roll. Rule 1 - don't try to get too fussy, you just need meat n potatoes here ... 2 - start with just bass drum and snare. 3 - fill in with time keeping ride/hi hat/etc - 4 add toms and fills ... 5 edit velocity - accents, crescendos, emphasis on 1 and 3, 2 and 4, whatever the song needs. ... watch this series on drum programming ua-cam.com/video/Bge36qT8VpI/v-deo.html
I suggest Addictive Drums 2 from XLN audio. It's not too expensive since you can buy only what you need, it sounds good and the learning curve is not as steep as w/ Superior Drummer 2 for example. If you have any experience w/ midi it will be really easy and practical for you.
Cause they're getting paid by the hour?
Some are realizing this isn't actually the best way to either make the best art OR make the most money. Hourly is not where long term gains are made, either good art or good earnings.
Or 'cause quality takes time? True professionals do not waste time just to get a few bucks more. They value their and their clients' time. Otherwise, they would not be worthy of the term 'professional'.
Yes, you can go to the lower, faster person on down the street.
But that's the studio that doesn't have any of their recorded songs played on the radio.
"But that's the studio that doesn't have any of their recorded songs played on the radio."
That has less to do with sonic quality and more to do with radio program directors getting paid off.
@@RealHomeRecording "That has less to do with sonic quality and more to do with radio program directors getting paid off."
Though I agree with with the fact that "money talks" influences things, if you move quick and sloppy, then return and take your time, there is a good chance you will make an even better mix then before.
Besides, think about it, if someone is paying off program directors, why not just pay off mixers (like they do for remixes) and make more money?
Get a Slate Digital Virtual Microphone ML-1 and VMR rack.. and save the time with just one take. and later change mics and preamp or compressor later.. ;)
Slow dowwwwwwn thanks Graham!
Wisdom
Guessing the $300 mic was a 7b 🤔
Ineeded this lol
Why not be honest about it? Is it so hard to ask people to join a mailinglist so they can download a PDF? How many mailinglists will i be on if i want 3 different PDF you made but they are all on their own web page? I know this is a trend on youtube and I also understand that there will be a way for you to make money, probably by selling something like lessons. That is fine but be honest about it. It will make you stand out and is much better for your reputation. I hope you understand what i mean think about it and change the way you present your free PDF's and i will join your mailing list. Who is trustworthy in little things will also be trustworthy in big things.
I am honest about everything. The PDF guide is totally free and if they don't want the extra free stuff on my mailing list they can unsubscribe at any time. I only have one list and if you download all of my guides you aren't put on any other lists if you are already on it. Easy peasy.
@@recordingrevolution You have great content. That's why i told you my feelings about this. Guess you got to hear something that is frustrating me for more then 2 years. It is not an attack on you personal. I have an email i use for websites so it is not a big deal in the end. Somehow it just feels wrong to me. See it as positive feedback, i would not have told you this if i did not liked you. And that there were multiple sites is new to me, nice to know that it is just one mailing list because it was a bit suspicious to me. I really appreciate your reply. Have a wonderful day
At 200 bucks an hour (or more), it's kinda understandable why people rush in pro studios, lol.
Balls!!!
4 people ddn't take their time lol! 😆
the new artists do sometimes
Were you paying per hour? Lol. Most clients don’t know the importance of this or can tell the difference.
It does not make much sense, there is no one way to do things, many times you do have to rush to get it right at the very beginning, if not move on to something else, many people work better this way :)
So you are aggressive and plug in things quickly and maybe wrong then play in 290 bpm. Well, I'm a musician whisperer and you need to eat well, so the food and digestion feels better for your activities. Sugar and poisons are the worst. Use more pasta, potato and rice for stamina (instead of sugar bursts of energy) and replace some of the meat with other protein rich thingies. Fruit and vegetables are also essentials to include.
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