Preamble:
One
would
think it is easy not to suck. This is sadly not the case. It requires a
lot of effort not to suck.
So here are some
very basic rules that I wish to share with you (my potential
clients, who are almost
as broke as I am.)
Please understand that I make these points not as some arrogant techie
whose
has the sun shining
out of his butt,
but as someone who has made every conceivable error in recording
and
would
prefer not to be an
accessory after
the fact, yet again.
#1. Hire a
Producer.
The Producer's job is to keep your project from sucking. Unless you
have
produced at least three
projects (to
completion
and release) and/or operate your own recording studio, you are not in
any
position
to produce
yourself. The
Producer
is responsible for every detail of the recording. Attempting to perform
music
and yet be
objective enough
to make rational creative and technical decisions is ludicrous. I have
seen evidence
of this repeatedly.
Everyone wants to
produce but almost no one is willing to put in the brutal amount of
homework
necessary to do the job well.
Find someone you
like, trust and respect and pay them well to do the job.
Anything less
is home dentistry.
#2. Garbage in, garbage out.
A recording will only be as good as the source material. If you
own
a crappy little
transistor amp or
one of
those horrendous shrill tube monsters that does nothing but
squeal,
well then you ain't
gonna' sound like
Hendrix, Vai, Dimebag, Page (insert guitar god of choice) etc.
If you
want a
specific
guitar sound then buy
that gear.
If you own a CB-700 drum kit, you are not gonna' sound like John Bonham
and no amount of Pro-Tools
or other digital
fetish is going to help you do so. I don't do fix-its.
Get good gear and learn
to play well
(this
is just a suggestion.)
#3. The studio is
neither the place to jam, rehearse, write or party.
It costs money to
make
a recording. Use the time
wisely. Rehearse
your asses off before you get into the studio.
Rip the songs apart and
put them back together. Edit like
a MF. Get rid of
tedious and redundant parts.
When you get to the studio, you should
only
be concerned with capturing
great performances
and great sounds.
All other arranging details should be fairly well set
in stone. That being said, never
be afraid to try
an idea,
just don't waste a lot of (expensive) studio time.
# 4. Drummers:
a. A good quality
set of drums, good cymbals, new heads, sticks and good tuning are the
secret
to a great drum sound.
Forget anything
else that you may have heard. The best mics in the world will only
accurately
reproduce the sound of
the drums in the
room. And no amount of reverb, chorus, phlanging or pitch shifting is
going
to change that.
b. Lose the
excess
padding and dampening. That stuff is good for keeping the cops at bay,
but it is useless for making
a
decent recording.
I am not joking and don't even go near oil filled heads.
c. Crash cymbals
are cool and make a neat noise. However hitting them every four bars is
the mark of a mediocre drummer
and just sounds
annoying. Use them sparingly or forever be forgettable. If you must
relearn
to play in order to accommodate
this concept, start
now. If you choose to ignore this warning, I will take them away from
you.
d. A creative
suggestion:
give each part of the song a different drum part. Verses should not
sound
like choruses.
This is a common
arranging trick
and does wonders for making a song unique and memorable.
e. If it is hard to get parts of a song and/or the band to lock-up then simplify your parts. Most drummers play too damn much.
f. Give your time
and accuracy an honest assessment. If your time sux, then start
practicing
with a metronome.
If you have accuracy
issues, then start taking lessons from reputable teacher. I am not
lying
here. If your drumming
is
shabby it will
make your band sound like ass.
#5. Bassists:
If you hit the
strings
too hard they will sound like poo. Also fresh strings and a pro
intonation
job will go a long way
towards keeping
the rest of your band from hating you. Buy a tuner.
#6. Guitarists:
Don't be afraid
to try different guitar sounds. Many a boring a record has been made
because
the same guitar sound
was used over and over.
Make sure your gear is record ready. Really listen to your rig and be
merciless
with yourself.
Don't forget
to restring and
intonate your ax. Also, buy a tuner.
#7. Singers:
a. Microphones don't
lie. Get an honest assessment of your singing. If you are not up to
speed
get some ear and vocal training.
The singer is what
makes or breaks a band. And if you are writing the vocal melodies then
study the best songwriters.
It will help inspire
better content. A lame melody is a lame melody.
b. Sing in yer
own
frigging voice. There already is a Bob Dylan, a Misfits, a Slayer,
whatever.
They are not going to pack it in
because you made
a disc. Sing without affectation. Don't try to do tricky things, just
sing
the damned song, let the melody
and lyrics do the
work. And if they ain't cutting it write a new, better song.
#9. Lastly:
There is a time
when a group needs to abandon their influences and preconceived notions
of their music and trust their own voice.
If you look at every
truly great album or disc you own, you will see that common
denominator.
I am not jiving you here.
Some of what I am
saying may not sit too well. "Who is he to tell us what to do?" I am
the
guy who may be recording
your band and trying to make
ya' sound good. I want what is best for both of us and I am not going
to
live long
enough to try without a
specific degree
of co-operation. I want bands and artists that I record to make great
art,
work that they will be proud of, forever.
We won't get there
by raising the limbo bar.
Luv' ya, Steve Blake