The Singer-Songwriter's Guide to Recording in the Home Studio
By Shane Adams
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- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good read pretty basic knowledge. If you have been studying in the field for a while.
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The Singer-Songwriter's Guide to Recording in the Home Studio - Shane Adams
To Robert Nyle Adams, the greatest of all.
BERKLEE PRESS
Editor in Chief: Jonathan Feist
Senior Vice President of Online Learning and Continuing Education/CEO of Berklee Online: Debbie Cavalier
Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Recruitment for Berklee Online: Mike King
Dean of Continuing Education: Carin Nuernberg
Editorial Assistants: Reilly Garrett, Emily Jones, Eloise Kelsey
Photos by Shane Adams (unless otherwise indicated)
Cover by Arnel Gregorio
Cover Photographers: Jonathan Feist (Top, featuring Lauren Marx), Joshua Resnick (Bottom)
To Robert Nyle Adams, the greatest of all.
ISBN 978-1-4950-0875-7
1140 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02215-3693 USA
(617) 747-2146
Visit Berklee Press Online at
www.berkleepress.com
online.berklee.edu
7777 W. Bluemound Rd. P.O. Box 13819
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53213
www.halleonard.com
Berklee Press, a publishing activity of Berklee College of Music, is a not-for-profit educational publisher.
Available proceeds from the sales of our products are contributed to the scholarship funds of the college.
Copyright © 2016 Berklee Press.
All Rights Reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the Publisher.
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION: THE MODERN SONGWRITER’S STUDIO
CHAPTER 1. HOME STUDIO SETUP AND GEAR
Computer
External Hard Drive
Recording Software:
Digital Audio Workstations
Microphone
Audio Interface
Monitors/Speakers
The Room
Noise Control
Minor Gear
Portable Recording Devices
Wi-Fi
Cables
Organizing Cables
Microphone Stands
Pop Filters
Mic Pads
Direct Injection Boxes
Electricity Control
CHAPTER 2. THE RECORDING PROCESS
Using Your Home Studio
Set Up and Go!
Creating a Mixdown
Troubleshooting Your Audio Setup
Stages of Recording
Designing Your Personal Sonic Landscape
Which Song to Record
Setting a Schedule
How Much Time It Takes to Record
Giving Musicians What They Need
Production
Finding the Right Tempo
Finding the Right Key
Tracking Strategies
Full Bands vs. One Player at a Time
Click Tracks
Producing Other Singer-Songwriters
Getting Great Performances
PostProduction
Mixing
Mastering
The Home-Studio Production Mindset
CHAPTER 3. RECORDING LIVE PLAYERS
Setting Up a Tracking Session
Signal Level
Instrument Settings for Optimum Recording
Correcting Phase
Types of Microphones
Microphone Patterns
Auditioning Microphones
Recording Vocals
Isolating Vocals
Recording Guitar
Acoustic Guitar
Electric Guitar
Bass Guitar
Recording Keyboards
Keyboard Audio
Keyboard with MIDI
Acoustic Piano
Recording Drums
Virtual Drums
Recording Other Acoustic Instruments
Know Your Room
CHAPTER 4. DAW SESSION MANAGEMENT
Recording Templates
Click Tracks
Take Sheet
Busses
Headphone Mixes
SubMixes
Track Documentation
Keyboard Shortcuts
CHAPTER 5. MIDI AND VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTS
MIDI Loops
Real-Time vs. Step-time Recording
Buying MIDI Files
Virtual Instrument Setup
MIDI Hardware
Synthesizers and Samplers
CHAPTER 6. USING LOOPS IN THE CREATIVE SONGWRITING PROCESS
MIDI Loops
Audio Drum Loops
Where to Find Loops
Working with Loops
Auditioning Loops
Loops in Templates
Layering Loops
Other Loop Generators
Arpeggiators
Arranger Keyboards
Software Loop Generators
A Final Thought About Loops
CHAPTER 7. EDITING
Cutting and Pasting Tracks
Volume Automation
Comping Tracks
Track Documentation
Overdubbing
Overdubbing over Rhythm Tracks
Overdubbing Multiple Takes
Overdubbing for Corrections: Punching In and Out
Editing Stray Sounds
Pitch Correction
Fixing Timing
Crossfades
CHAPTER 8. MIXING
Panning
Adding Plug-Ins
Depth of Field
Reverb vs. Delay
Compression
Grouping Tracks
Order of Events
Localized Adjustments
Reference Tracks
CHAPTER 9. FINAL STEPS: MASTERING AND MORE
Tools of Mastering
EQ and Compression
Loudness
Mastering Software
Mastering Speakers
Song Order
Hiring a Mastering Engineer
AFTERWORD
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I am indebted to the following:
• Jonathan Feist, my editor and co-conspirator. This project would not
exist without your confidence, guidance, and graceful endurance of duress. I admire you on too many levels to mention here. I am superfluously grateful for your friendship and apple knowledge.
• Donna Hague (my sixth grade elementary school teacher!), you were the first to believe in my potential and the first to plant the seed that I could write a book.
• Cheryl Syphus, the repercussions of your gentle and loving guidance towards a barely making it, scatterbrained, High School English ruffian, are still being felt today. You gave me a chance when no others would. I am truly in your debt.
• Robert Ball, the amazing musician and musical father figure who showed me the North Star and gave me my bearings.
• Buddy Hill, I tried your patience in your piano studio. You made the piano matter to me.
• Kathleen Flake, dearest of friends.
• Kenny Varga (KV67), my Nashville brother, chief musical collaborator, friend, ear, and musical twin. I feel like you are half of my brain—the better half. You have enriched my life in incomprehensible ways.
• Eric Price, my confidant and brother. The only musician I can truly read without thinking.
• Tony Lefler, my oldest friend on Earth. Our musical dreams as young boys led me here. The foundation of who I am reaches deep into the roots of our friendship.
• Keith Sandin, I admire you more than I can express. I am a better person because of your friendship.
• The Mahaffey family, the humor and love I experienced within the walls of your home are a permanent part of my being.
• Jesse Curtis, the smartest human being I know. Too many adventures to count...your friendship is the world to me.
• Rodney Greene, my faithful friend and chief midnight-long-talk-at-the-buffet companion.
• Kurt Thompson, cohort and leader of shenanigans. You are my model of success.
• Roger King Jr., you fearlessly harbor my deepest secrets and highest joys. You are the definition of friend.
• Mark Hardt, my unexpected bonus Boston brother. You embody the qualities of the consummate professional I desire to be.
• Rodney Williams, your spark and infectious drive continuously inspire me to be better.
• Ben Klinger, you opened the world of recording to me. You gave me my first session and have since remained a bright star in the constellation of my closest friends.
• Jan Stolpe, you started my production journey and engaged my love of gear. Your friendship, professionally and personally, is one of the hallmarks of my life.
• Rob Gonzalez, one of the most gifted musicians I have ever met. You were a star when we met, and remain brighter so today. Giving me Durgin Park changed the trajectory of my musical life.
• Frank DeBretti, by far, the most brilliant musician I have ever encoun-tered. You are the pinnacle.
• Tim Denbo, your talent continually astounds and inspires me. You have never given anything less than amazing.
• Johnny Rabb, you are the result of some sort of mad science experiment that combined tenacity, talent, decency, and humor.
• Bobby Stanton, your instruction laid the foundation for so much of what I do professionally. I am indebted to you.
• Pat Pattison, my mentor above all other mentors. I owe you my musical career.
• Jimmy Kachulis, I bow to your vast knowledge and infectious love of songwriting. The gracious weight of your legacy informs all I do.
• Justin McNaughton, you are the thoughtful, level headed, and (amaz-ingly) astute friend/partner I do not deserve.
• Tyler Castleton, you have my utmost respect and deepest affection, my friend. In every way you are two steps above your peers.
• Rich Parkinson, you are an unflagging reminder to work hard and stay true to your principles.
• Toni Maisano Ross, Gayle Quailey, and Creson Jones, I try every day to emulate your example of gracious leadership and enduring kindness to others.
• Leanne Segura, my biggest cheerleader and humblest supporter. I am a better man because of our friendship.
• Warren White, who allowed me to grow and expand my technical knowledge at Pro Audio Solutions. You remain a great teacher and friend.
• Wilber Schaeffer, Kim Barclay Ritzer, Jeff Tidwell, Shannon Shogren, my adopted Bonanza family. You are the epitome of talent and friendship.
• Deborah Owens, inspiration, muse, part Selene, part Euterpe, part Steena.
• Johnny London, sacred geometry! You remain inspiring!
• Clay Essig, my film brother. You’re an example of bravery and perseverance.
• Much love and respect to my VIP tribe. I am honored to be part of your family. Please add and especially
before each of your names! Dave and Shannon Stroud, Ingrid Schnell, Mindy Pack, Lisa Haupert, Wendy Parr, Gregg Consentino, Kelly Farrell, Camiah Mingorance, Line Hilton, Ian Davidson, Darcy Deutsch, Stephanie Bare, Steve Giles, Nicole Larsen, Chris Johnson, Whitney Nichole Cytryn, Juri Tiara, Eddie Robson, Karen Moondragon, Kyle Martin, Joshua Alamu, Tersila Romero, John Henny, Joy Fields, Nara Boone, Kaya Carney, Tom Harrison, Sheena Ladwa, Jewels Jaselle, Denosh Bennett, the Peros family, Iari Melchor, Dahlia Lagos, Karen Titze Cox, John-Mark Seltzer, Erin Reagan, and Chrissy Rogers. (I know I’m leaving many out . . . forgive!)
• Mike O’Rear, a true icon of Music Row. It was an honor working for you. I learned so much in your office and in your presence.
• To my friends and family at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: Ali Tonn, Nathalie Lavine, David Bogart, Danie Herbst, and Kelley Jones Luberecki. I am humbled by your awesomeness.
• Tammy Bondurant, I am indebted to your timeless love and support.
• Josh Preston, you are who I want to be when I grow up. You are a true music industry renaissance man. I am grateful for your friendship (and Lisa rocks!).
• Michael Hinckley, I am proud to be your producer, and prouder to be your friend. You are a musical inspiration to me.
• Carin Nuernberg, you are so amazing to me. I am grateful for your friendship, support, and leadership at Berklee Online. The world is a better place because you are in it.
• My Berklee and private students: your unfailing creativity and verve inspire me.
• Maura-Lee Albert, I am grateful for your patience. There is no better mother on Earth.
• Maurgea, Evangelia, and Isadora: There is no father alive more proud, and more captivated by the brilliant light and love of his beautiful daughters than I. I love you to the moon, the stars, the sun, and back (don’t forget the whole world).
There are a number of factors in today’s music industry that have contributed
to the rise of the home studio. Most obviously, recording technology to let average musicians record and release their own music has become affordable, easy to use, and exceptionally high quality. If you have a computer, you only need a few hundred more dollars to be able to make recordings at a quality level that could have cost millions of dollars to produce only a few decades ago.
Other factors are also driving the need for home studios. The industry model is shifting away from artists being signed by major record labels, in favor of them producing their recordings independently. The advents of close fan contact via social media and of audio streaming have put more emphasis on artists producing singles, rather than albums. So, we are frequently releasing singles, rather than working on larger albums, and the former economy of scale that could come from using a commercial studio space is no longer driving our patterns of writing and releasing songs.
Artists at all levels are finding the need to have their own home studios, even if they only use them for scratch recordings and still do their final work in commercial spaces. But many artists are no longer finding the need to use a commercial studio.
For many years, I have been consulting to songwriters in Nashville and around the country about how to develop their own studios. Sometimes, these are stand-alone commercial spaces, but more often in the artists’ homes. Many of my clients are new to the recording process. But some are very experienced. For example, I’ve been working with Byron Gallimore, the GRAMMY®-winning producer for Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and many others, on putting together a home studio to make quick demos—actually, in one of his big, walk-in closets. He then brings his artists to world-class commercial studios. On the other end of the spectrum, I work with many songwriters who are just getting into it, and simply want to be able to have an affordable way to record their music and get it out there.
Personally, for the artists I produce, we tend to record in our home studios, and then send our tracks to dedicated mixing and mastering engineers. While we can certainly do these tasks in our home studios, there are benefits to simply having fresh ears and greater experience managing these phases of the projects, so I try to bring in other engineers when the budget allows. Mastering studios, in particular, tend to have gear that is superior to what is affordable to the rest of us. While a home mastering job will typically focus only on adjusting loudness, a mastering engineer can also fine tune the track’s overall sound and make it sound a lot more pleasing, and doing this well requires a lot of training and experience. It’s possible to get it pretty close in a home studio, but I personally feel that you can get better quality by having specialists handle the mixing and mastering. There is also a great benefit in having someone with fresh ears make final, subtle adjustments at the end of the process.
So, there are different ways that people set up, use, and integrate these spaces into their processes.
Typically, my clients seek me out after investing a fair amount of time on their own, trying to get it all to work. A common experience is that they go to one of the big gear retailers and get sold a bunch of gear that is unnecessary or inappropriate for their needs: the wrong kinds of mics, or interfaces, or software that they don’t know how to use. They waste a considerable amount of time trying to figure it all out, and then eventually, realize that they are in over their heads.
In this book, I will share some of the common advice and techniques that they find most helpful, and that finally leads them to getting the full benefit from having their own recording capabilities.
And those benefits are very significant.