Tag: recording session
The Importance of Staying Organized in the Recording Studio
by claybutlermusic on Apr.09, 2010, under Band Management, Career Building, Recording, Uncategorized
A while back, I wrote about my efforts to make my home studio more ergonomic and my workspace more organized. Today, I want to take that concept one step further and talk about informational organization.
Right now I’m teaching a recording class at a local college, and the students’ task is to produce a song demo for a songwriter. So far, I’ve noticed the old notion that musicians are the least organized people on the face of the planet. What’s worse, is that I find that I, myself, fall into that same category when it comes to producing a project. It seems that I have to force myself to do the small organizational tasks that ultimately help increase productivity in the end.
So, I’m going to share a few organizational necessities with you guys (and gals) to help you on your next recording session. I wrote about some of these in my book, Recording Basics: A Beginner’s Guide to Producing Music, but I feel it important to go into a little detail on the blog as well.
Recording Budget
The recording budget is perhaps the most important guide in a recording project. Even if it’s a small project, a budget helps you stay on track with how much you’re spending and where the money is going. Having a detailed budget form helps you to see certain expenses that you may not have thought of, like equipment cartage or album art.
Song Arrangement Matrix
When you’ve written a song, it’s a good idea to know what your arrangement will be for that particular song before you start recording. NEVER jump into recording a song without spending a decent amount of time fleshing out your arrangement. At the very least, decide when certain instruments play or drop out. Use a song arrangement matrix, which is essentially a grid that has blocks for each song section by instrument. Shade in each section (verse, chorus, bridge, etc.) which gets played by each instrument.
Track Sheets
Track sheets are vitally important to a recording session. We’re all tempted to think that we’ll remember every detail of a recording session, like which channel is Johnny’s guitar and which one is Bill’s, or that flub the bassist made in measure 149, but the truth is we simply forget those things. It may be weeks before a song gets edited after a session. Track sheets help you keep track of those important details.
Recording Session Checklist
It happens to us all. We drive an hour and a half to the studio only to realize that we’ve forgotten our [insert vitally important item here]. Use a checklist to make sure you have all the essentials and extras that you want to have handy. Include the even the littlest things like picks, sticks, strings, batteries, and a camera.
Equipment Inventory
Similar to the checklist, be sure to make an inventory of each piece of gear that you take to the studio. Not only will you see what you need (or what you may be missing) before you leave for the studio, it will ensure you keep track of what you must take with you from the studio. After an exhaustive eight-hour session, you might not be as alert, so check your equipment against your inventory to make sure you leave with everything.
Check this out!
After falling victim to a few of the aforementioned pitfalls, and after seeing my students do the same, I’ve created package of all these necessities called The Recording Session Toolkit. Now you can have easy access to budget forms, track sheets, song arrangement matrices, checklists, and inventories all in one place. I’ve done the work for you. Simply fill them out and put them in your project notebook. I’ve even included a handy studio prep guide to help you and your band get the most mileage out of your recording studio time. Try it out. Download it before your next recording session. I guarantee it will help you get the most out of your recording project!
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Produce Indie Music Videos via the Web?
by claybutlermusic on Dec.01, 2009, under Band Management, Career Building, Recording, Uncategorized
I ran across this service today, and it piqued my interest so much that I had to share it with you guys (and gals). This service helps indie musicians produce music videos with fairly professional-looking results. The concept is so genius, I’m surprised no one has thought of it before (wish I had)!
For about $500, TuneVid.com (in association with GoodnightKiss Music) allows the indie musician or songwriter access to cameras, video editing, and production support. Basically, you set up a pre-production phone call where you craft your video’s narrative and storyboard. Then, they send you a couple of (consumer) cameras, you shoot the footage, and send it all back to TuneVid. Their editors edit your video and send you the finished product to use in your press kit, website, youtube, etc.
Here’s an example of their editing work:
This service is great for musicians on a budget or for those lacking access to editing equipment. But it does bring to mind one caveat, though: your results are only as good as YOUR camera work. So, it really pays to have an understanding of lighting, camera angles, and production techniques to yield the best results. Great editing and titles can only take a poorly shot video so far. It’s like that old saying, “You can put a pig in a dress, but it’s still a pig.” Moreover, a great video for a poorly written or recorded song is, well, pretty much a waste of money. [Here's an article on improving your songwriting skills. Also, see one of our previous posts on breaking assumptions in songwriting.]
So, if you’ve got your songwriting, recording, and camera chops down, give TuneVid a shot. If any of you guys have any past experience with TuneVid or end up using them, comment and let me know how it turns out. I’d be interested to get your feedback on the experience.
If you need help recording your song, or if you have a song that you still need a couple of tracks on, we can help! Don’t forget Butler Productions does full production demo recording as well as individual instrument sessions via the ‘net.
Articles Update! (recent articles published by Butler Productions)
by claybutlermusic on Nov.13, 2009, under Band Management, Career Building, Marketing & Promotion, Recording, Uncategorized
Greetings!
I wanted to make you all aware of some new articles that we’ve published elsewhere on the ‘net. Here’s a list of the most recent ones:
- How to use Acoustic Treatment to Improve the Learning Environment in your Classroom
- How to Build a Home Recording Studio
- How to Get Started with Computer Audio
- How to Earn Passive Income during a Recession
- How to Adjust a Bowed Neck on a Guitar
- How to Set the Intonation on an Electric Guitar
- How to Boost Traffic to your Website
- How to Get Paid for your Music
- How to Boost Band Revenue with a Merchandise Table
- How to Start Your Own Music Publishing Company
- How to Take your Worship Band to the Next Level
- How to Improve your Songwriting Skills
- How to Record Electric Guitar in the Home Studio
- How to Prepare your Band for a Recording Session
- How to Generate More Interest in Your Band with SEO
Other non-music related stuff:
- How to Cut Grocery Expenses during the Recession
- How to Compose a Professional Email
- How to Make an Insulated Cat House for the Winter
- How to Apply the Lord’s Prayer to your Daily Life
- How to Winterize your Home and Save Money
- How to Maintain Communication with Your Child’s Teacher
Don’t forget to tell your friends and bookmark! As always, comments are welcome. Happy reading!
Need session players, singers, or voiceover for your recording project?
by claybutlermusic on Nov.06, 2009, under Recording, Uncategorized
Occasionally I post shameless self-promotional stuff. This is one of those times. On the up side, though, I thought it might be helpful to some of you guys doing recording projects that may be in need of session players but maybe didn’t know where to look. Well, look no further, my friends….Butler Productions Recording is here to serve you!
I’m currently taking sessions via the ‘net. Simply email an mp3 guide track, and receive a professionally recorded guitar or voiceover track that you can drop right into your recording project. You can choose to receive your files on a data CD-ROM or DVD-ROM by USPS or via FTP. Depending on the nature of your project and file size, you may be able to receive them via Email in a .zip file.
Contact me with project details and for booking. A 50% deposit is required upon booking the session. After your tracks are recorded, a low-resolution .mp3 “proof” of the performance will be sent to you for approval. To approve the performance, simply pay the balance of the session and your files will be sent to you promptly. Payments are made instantly and securely through PayPal.
We also work with other great session players in virtually any style, so feel free to inquire about other instruments as well. Butler Productions is here to serve you! Check out the complete scoop on www.butlerproductionsmultimedia.com/tracks
Rock on!
–CLAY
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