General Music Chat

I've been following Bandmix very closely re Recording for the last year or so. Been trying to use Reaper but it doesn't speak to me at all.

I don't find it interesting either - I'd rather play my instruments or write songs. But Mean Ole Mr. Reality showed up and that just ain't happening. Talbot gets hip to recording or sinks into the darkness of oblivion.

A couple weeks ago I talked to a sharp cat at Ken Stanton Music in Atlanta and now I'm using Studio One hardware and software. After a bone crusher of a five hour marathon tutorial with my pal Greg - I actually get it. (not all of it - but what I need to get moving)

It was JimmyD's use of the term 'Mastering' that prompted my outpouring - that's one area I'm not at yet. Still fighting (and starting to win) with mere mixing! I'm no longer scared of it though - I'll ride that damn horse.

I do appreciate all you guys posting this stuff - I glean from it.

Talbot

Mike T - finding a DAW whose GUI is freindly is crucial, lot sof people find the Reaper interface too 'busy', as long as you find one that you can work with, go for it.

Ideally, mastering of a recorded work is done by a different person than the mixing - this is because getting a new set of 'ears' on the music really makes a difference. When you listen to something too many times, your ears get 'used to' things and you may not pick up things that another person fresh to the music does hear. I've been posting my early mixes over at homerecording.com. where there are some experienced people and a variety of listening environments and tastes, too. This can give a well-rounded set of critiques in order to tweak the mix further.

As Jimmy D says, mastering can get expensive. You're paying for the ME's experience and listening environment (a mastering studio is not the same as a tracking studio).

Mastering is indeed, voodoo of the musical sciences.

But it doesn't have to be as expensive as all that. If you interested I can send you to a guy that worked on some of the biggest albums in history. I think he only charged me like $700 a few years ago on a full album? Then again I just used a Polish guy, might be the best mastering yet, and it was like 7 songs for $800? I think?

It's really not that much to make sure your music sounds great, if you think it's worth that. The album isn't finished until it has been properly mastered. I just released a CD and realized it had not been mastered as well as it should have been (some weird things in the very low bass of a couple songs) and had it remastered by someone else. It really does make a difference, if you are someone who takes your recordings seriously.

If a CD doesn't turn out the way we like we do a split marketing campaign. Fresh tracks demo CD only $5, hipster decorative beer coasters $15. So far the beer coasters are way ahead.

If you're planning on selling a thousand, then it makes no sense to get them in small quantities because it won't even break even.


Diskmakers has a cardboard sleeve cover with 1,000 for $860 something...I just went with that option on my latest since people don't hang on to the covers anyway. I put a link on the package to the website, where they can find lyrics and photos. The cover only has credits and publishing info

about .86 each is a deal you can make money on...and you can also afford to give them away as promotion at that price too



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