A recording can have many issues. Dangerous timing. Thinness. Blandness. So I wish to share 5 strategies that may enhance your recordings. These are issues I do as an indie songwriter and artist who data all my stuff from residence and in addition produces and mixes music for different artists.
Easy Beat + Click on Observe
A click on observe may be troublesome to listen to if you’re recording. So to assist your self keep in time, layer the press with a easy beat.
Create a brand new MIDI drum observe. If the music is in 4/4, put the hi-hat on all 4 beats, put the kick on 1 and the snare on 3. For a music in 6/8, put the kick on 1 and the snare on 4 (or no matter emphasis with which you’re taking part in the music).
It doesn’t matter what drum sound you’ve gotten, it’s not going to be within the ultimate recording. That is simply to play in your headphones as you file your components that will help you keep in time.
Layering
In order for you fuller, hotter productions, layer stuff. Layer all the things. Then if you understand you’ve layered an excessive amount of, pull it again just a little. However actually, you possibly can layer something.
I prefer to file three or 4 takes of acoustic guitar (all taking part in the identical half) and pan them left and proper to various levels. It feels just like the guitar is providing you with a hug.
You may layer an 808 beat beneath your drums. Layer your lead vocal, background vocals, and harmonies. As an alternative of only one cello, layer it 2-3 instances.
Attempt it. You’ll see what I imply.
Utilizing a Reference Observe
You make music you want, proper? And also you’re influenced by others’ music, yeah? So why not go on to the supply?
Earlier than you file your subsequent music, discover one other artist’s music that you simply love. Then hear intently and discover issues concerning the manufacturing you wish to incorporate into your observe.
Is it the guitar sound? The groove of the drums? The softness of the piano? How the synth pierces via the combo?
Attempt to get that sound, vibe, feeling, what have you ever into your music. That is how you employ a reference observe in the course of the manufacturing stage.
Involving Others
Have a look at your all-time favourite songs. I guess they had been written by multiple individual. If not, I can nonetheless say with confidence, the creation of that manufacturing concerned multiple individual. The engineer, producer, session musicians, mixing engineer, mastering engineer. A number of of those roles had been in all probability crammed by somebody aside from the artist.
Might you discover ways to carry out all of those roles, from songwriter to mastering engineer?
Sure, you would. However the draw back of doing actually all the things by yourself is you miss what others may convey. You create in a bubble and run the chance of your music not reaching its full potential.
Invite others whom you belief into your artistic course of. It could simply heighten the tip end result and it is going to be much more enjoyable.
Experiment, experiment, experiment
The important thing to being a superb music producer is to strive each thought you’ve gotten. You received’t know what one thing appears like till you hear it within the music.
So simply file that loopy, silly, “on the market” thought. It could simply work. It may not, it’d sound like rubbish. Or perhaps it doesn’t work, but it surely offers you one other thought you wouldn’t have gotten with out that first dangerous thought.
Experiment. Attempt it. You received’t remorse the try.