In May 2011, our SRH 940 Professional Reference Headphones went out into the world, and some pretty nice reviews have been making their way back to us ever since.

SRH940s are over-the-ear, closed-back headphones designed for audio engineers and in-studio talent from vocalists to voice-over pros, but savvy audiophiles know this means good sound in personal listening applications as well.

Or, as Gizmodo puts it, “amaaaaaaaaaaazing” sound. (Count ‘em: 10 extra as.)

Additional reviewer comments include, “Damn!” (MusicPlayers.com).

Reviewers have called the sound quality extremely clear, accurate, and detailed. They also appreciated the creature comforts, like the padded headband and swivel cups with soft velour pads—both of which make all the difference if you’re wearing them for multiple hours. And, since everybody likes a good deal, they consistently noted the exceptional quality for the money.

Check out the specs, the 360° demo, and all six reviews on the SRH940 page on shure.com.

The following article is an excerpt from Shure Notes for Houses of Worship, Issue #47 (October 3, 2011).

Running live sound in a church setting can be a very challenging and a very rewarding experience. Every week, the sound crew is faced with a mix of professional, semi-professional, and amateur musicians who all unite together for a common cause. Some understand what they need to hear in their monitor mix, and some have no idea.

My job is to be as helpful as possible, designing individual mixes so that the musicians can be at their best leading the church in worship, not worrying about their mixes. The better the musicians can hear, the tighter the band will sound, and the more inspiring and moving worship will be.

Three Methods for Providing Monitor Mixes for Musicians

1. Letting the FOH sound person dial up multiple monitor mixes utilizing the AUXES.

Advantages: Less costly than the other methods.

Disadvantages: Communication has to be very good between the mixer and musicians. This puts a heavier load on the FOH mixer.

2. Letting each musician dial up his or her own mix using a feed before it hits the FOH mixer into individualized mixer units for each musician.

Advantages: Each musician gets a very personalized mix. The FOH mixer can totally focus on the main house mix.

Disadvantages: Very costly, could be too complicated for amateur musicians who might be fiddling with their mix instead of leading worship.

3. Having a dedicated stage monitor mixing board with a dedicated monitor sound operator.

Advantages: The monitor mixer has total focus on providing stage mixes.

Disadvantages: Very expensive because more equipment is needed, as well as talented and knowledgeable operators.

Lakeside Christian Church’s Method

We have chosen to use method #1 for the time being. It’s simple, clean, and very straightforward. It makes it much simpler for the non-tech oriented.

We use a combination of Shure PSM®400s as well as smaller wedge speaker monitors. We accomplish this by using a FOH mixing board with 10 AUX sends:

We break out the mixes by sending AUX 1 and 2 into one of our five Shure wireless transmitters for our two principle worship leaders, Craig Crynes and Eric Ginder. By sliding the dial to mix 1 or 2 on the Shure P4R wireless IEM (in-ear monitor), they can custom-design their individual mixes even further by adding the other’s mix. I think it’s brilliant that Shure designed this feature into their wireless receivers. It enhances the mixing options in a very useful way.
AUX 3 goes to our five-person vocal team. Everyone on the team slides his or her dial to the same side as mix 3 and receives mainly vocals, piano, and light click track. I can solo any of these individual mixes on the FOH board to check vocal balances. I also make sure to get input from the vocalists as well, to ensure that they can hear themselves.

• AUX 4 is the mix for the electric guitarist, consisting of piano, click track, worship leader, and drums.
• AUXES 5, 6, and 7 feed amplified wedges that we use for various changing band scenarios (choir, extra musicians etc.).
• AUX 8 goes to another Shure wireless unit for the drummer. This mix has lots of click track, bass, some piano, and the worship leader.
• AUX 9 is another spare amplified speaker mix.
• Aux 10 is used for my reverb send.

The key to successful monitor mixing using this method is to keep each mix simple and clean. One of the most important aspects of monitor mixing is to thin the mix out. Each musician needs to hear a specific thing. Identify those important elements, and customize each mix for them. Only the important necessary components are in each person’s ear, while the ambient FOH sound fills out the mix.

One more thing: Using the personal monitoring system really cuts the stage volume down, making for a much clearer FOH mix, and a service full of inspiration and impact.

DAN MURPHY is the Sound Tech Director at Lakeside Christian Church and also owns Group Effort Sound Studio (www.groupeffort.com), which he started in 1976. He is constantly using the natural laws of science, technology, and physics to illustrate how amazing God’s creation really is.

Let’s start with the most famous question that sound people are asked. “Do you really know what all those knobs do?”

If you can answer that question, you may also know every frequency and its equivalent musical notes. Maybe you know the exact crossover point of every driver in your system, and you might even have calculated the RT60 of the main sanctuary, youth room and gymnasium.

Or maybe not. Whether you’re the person who actually DOES know what every knob on the soundboard does, or you are just starting out, the real question is: “How does it sound?”

Starting Out

When I first began doing sound, I bought a great set of headphones. I thought to myself – if I’m going to be expected to make something sound good, I should probably know what I’m shooting for.

So I started listening (like crazy) to CDs. Not just bands or styles I liked, but anything and everything I could get my hands on. I listened to the lyrics, chords, melodies and harmonies, but also to how it all fit together. I concentrated on the space that each instrument was taking up.

I noticed that certain instruments seemed always to be sitting in a certain spot — not to where they were panned, but to the frequencies they occupied.

Instrument Frequency Response

How To Get There

When building a mix, we need to think of the song as a line. Each instrument makes up part of that line. If we have too many instruments or frequencies trying to take up the same space our line gets bumpy and the mix gets muddy.

Listen to each instrument and think of a space for it on the line. Keep other instruments away from it (EQ wise) and you will have an easier time hearing that instrument. You wouldn’t want to have a really bassy, heavy electric guitar because it would be taking up a lot of the space the bass guitar really needs. Try to keep each instrument in its place.

Think of each instrument as to what the fundamental piece of it is. For instance the fundamental of a kick drum will be low frequencies. That’s not to say you don’t need highs to make it cut, but there really isn’t much midrange going on with it. Try to carve out some of the midrange of the kick to make room for the low midrange of the bass guitar.

Another example is electric guitar. Many engineers mistakenly try to make the electric guitar huge to get a ‘larger than life’ sound, but if you really listen to a guitar on a CD and focus on what frequencies are really taking up space in the mix, you’ll be surprised at how small the range actually is.

I always tell new engineers never to be “done” with the mix. Listen for changes, and more importantly, listen to make sure that everything is in the mix and working together. Be attentive to the mix and what’s going on inside it. It doesn’t mean you have to constantly turn knobs. Focus less on the actual sound of the individual instrument and more on how it interacts with other instruments in that same range.

There are no “magic” numbers that work every time because all instruments are a little different. The equation gets more complicated when we use different mics or the instrumentalist changes patches on their keyboard, but trust me… none of that is really important. What is important is that you focus on getting a natural sound that blends nicely with the competitors for the same space.

Bridging The Gap

Here are some general guidelines to consider when you are trying to find your space.

General Frequency Tips

Instrument Frequency Tips

Trust Your Ears

The most important question is “Does it sound natural?” Does it sound like the CDs you’ve been listening to? More specifically, does it sound like you were sitting in front of the real instrument? I keep this in mind throughout the performance.

I constantly glance down all the channels and think about each input. Kick, does the kick sound right? Bass, does the bass sound right? Guitar, does the guitar sound right? Piano, does the piano sound right? Vocals, do the vocals sound right? Then I think about it all again and ask if the guitar and vocal are walking over each other. Can I hear the piano? Is it because the guitar has too much midrange near the piano part’s midrange? Try taking a little low mids our of the guitar instead of turning up the piano. I think you get the picture.

It’s almost impossible to make the initial adjustments to instruments or vocals in the mix with the whole band playing. Instead I try to have a snapshot of what I think the instrument should sound like.

Learning to EQ confidently means you know where you are heading. That’s why I recommend listening to CDs with a good set of full range headphones. No cheap earbuds here… you need a pair that will allow you to hear the whole frequency spectrum, and preferably a sealed set, like good earphones or sealed headphones. You’ll be able to form a mental soundscape of that you can use when you are back behind the console.

Turn, Turn, Turn!

Here’s a bonafide “trick of the trade”. Turn some knobs. I mean actually get in there and turn the heck out of the EQ knobs and listen to what they do.

Here is a simple technique to use in sound check.

Grab the gain (Figure 1) on the mid EQ of an instrument crank it up a bunch…

Now grab the frequency (Figure 2) of the mid and sweep it up and down.

You will hear a spot where it makes that instrument or voice sound horrible. Once you find it, take the gain back to zero, listen for a second again, and then cut out about 6db of it. You will be amazed how much better that instrument sounds when you “get the junk out” as I call it. This is an amazing way to learn what frequencies sound like and the technique will eventually train your ear to hear the junk without boosting it first.

Becoming a master of EQ is like becoming a master painter. Sometimes you just have to throw some paint on a canvas and see how it works.

About John Mills

A frequent contributor to Shure Notes®, John is an 18-year veteran of the road. He was a frustrated Electrical Engineer who hated college. He left school to pursue a career on the road as a drummer, ended up as a sound engineer and after being blessed to work for many of the top Christian worship leaders, artists and tours, has landed at a job as an audio engineer for a design firm. He says, “I guess Mom was right, she always knew I’d finally got a real job.” Check out www.EliteMultimedia.com and www.TechTraining101.com for more about what John is up to.

Billy Ward: Touring and Recording Drummer’s Drummer

Multi-Pattern Mics and More
He’s worked with everyone from Yoko Ono, Robbie Robertson and Joan Osborne to jazz artists like Bill Evans Supergroup, Living Time Orchestra and Leni Stern while finding time to produce Big Time, an instructional DVD, his way cool Two Hands Clapping CD, and Inside Out, a compilation of his “Concepts” articles from Modern Drummer magazine.

According to one reviewer, “Billy Ward must munch on a steady diet of hipness pills. Everything he plays just sounds so cool.”

So, here it is. Ten minutes with the master.

Recording or Live Performance?
Recording, mostly

Gig
Drummer/producer

Years in the Business
30 lives

Where
New York City

Miking Application
Drums

What I Learned
There are many ways to skin a cat. Everybody has their secret ways to mic a drum kit, but in the end, there are no “across the board” rules because there are so many factors in achieving a successful drum sound on tape.

The room is the biggest factor, which is usually overlooked by inexperienced engineers. Then, of course, there’s the tuning of the drums and the drummer’s touch. Geoffrey Daking once pointed out to me in an article for Modern Drummer Magazine: “You can take six drummers in the same room with the same drums and mics and you will have six different drum sounds.”

Personally, I always encourage younger, budding engineers to get mics that have different patterns available (such as the KSM44 and KSM141 series mics). A figure-8 pattern (like in the KSM44) is tighter – like two hypercardioid patterns. If you are doing a multi-tom setup, placing the KSM44 for two toms is a great solution. Everybody knows that more mics are bad – they create a phase party! So that’s one solution for live or studio application.

For studio, when the room is sonically accurate or safe, omnis are so underrated! The KSM44s in omni are a wonderful snapshot of the drums.

As is the case with any drum miking, it’s best that the mics are at equal distance from the snare drum (and the bass drum too, if possible). The KSM series is understated – it’s non-hyped in the top end. Very mixable. The sounds sit within any setting because there is nothing false in the top end.

An experienced engineer will appreciate the choices that are available and the novice can learn from the huge differences in sound and EQ that come from a different pickup pattern.

Knowledge is truly power and the KSM series enables the user to have multiple patterns at a reasonable cost. Switchable patterns R U L E!

Shure Notes readers can keep up with Billy, check out his music, sharpen percussion skills with his book and DVDs and even – yes –join the BWSS (Billy Ward Stalking Society) by purchasing licensed gear that includes everything from coffee mugs to thong underwear at www.billyward.com

Raz-Man Jeff Rasmussen: Michael McDonald’s Main (FOH) Man

Jeffrey “Raz” Rasmussen ought to know a little something about mixing sound. He’s been at it for a good two decades now and has been the man behind the controls for about as diverse a group of artists as you can imagine: Rick James, LL Cool J, Oingo Boingo, Prince, Leann Rimes, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Tony Toni Tone and more recently, Michael McDonald. You get the idea. He’s a pro.

We asked Raz to weigh in with a problem and a solution.

Recording or Live Performance?
Live and Studio

Present Gig
Currently FOH engineer for Michael McDonald

Years in the Business
20

Lives In
Hollywood, CA

Challenge
Miking McDonald’s vocals was a problem since Michael’s wedges can reach up to 118db, which tends to really color the FOH sound.

Solution
Shure’s KSM9 has incredible rejection of background noise. The KSM9 really isolates Michael’s voice and allows me to get a natural tone. I tried a lot of different large diaphragm condenser mics. The KSM9 was the only one to offer this performance.

The Path That Took You There
Ryan Smith of Shure told me about the KSM9. He asked me to try it. I loved it right away.

He came to a rehearsal where both of us listened to McD’s voice soloed up in the headphones. Neither one of us could believe how much isolation the KSM9 was providing with such high monitor level. Not to mention that the tone was fabulous, too. Bravo, for the Mylar diaphragm! I also use KSM32s for overheads, but I place them equidistant from the drum kit and make sure that they are in the same phase plane. This eliminates any swishy, phase shifting sound when the cymbals are struck.

Drums

Snare: KSM27, SM57

Kick: SM91 (Editor’s Note: This product is discontinued. See Beta 91 or Beta 52 for other kick drum miking recommendations.)

Hi-hat: KSM137

Toms: Beta 98

Wood Block: Beta 98

Overheads: KSM32

Guitar: KSM27

Vocals: KSM9, SM58

Choir: KSM9, KSM32

Flute: KSM9, KSM32

Leslie
(Low): KSM27
(High): SM57

Shure Notes thanks Raz for stepping away from the mixing board long enough to participate in this issue.

Tree House: Dave Catching & Rancho de la Luna

Whether you call the genre acid rock, space rock or stoner rock, you are likely to know Dave Catching, a Memphis-born, former New Orleans resident, who, along with the late Fred Drake, founded Rancho de la Luna. An accomplished guitar-player with a long list of credentials, Dave has worked with Queens of the Stone Age, Mondo Generator, co-founded earthlings? and is presently touring with Eagles of Death Metal.

Our Shure Notes mission was to plug into some handy tips for creative miking. What began as that discussion quickly became an exploration of the elements sometimes required for musical creativity. It’s what some call the “Place Concept”. For Dave and a legion of other West Coast players, that place is Rancho de la Luna in Joshua Tree, California.

Recording or Live Performance?
I do both actually, and I do a lot of both.

Let’s talk about the studio, Rancho de la Luna.
It was founded by Fred Drake in 1993 (who died in 2002). He found the house and contacted me about starting the studio. A friend of ours was selling a bunch of studio equipment and we bought the gear from the guy. Within a week we had a board and a 24-track one-inch machine and a 16-track half-inch machine.

Then, Mark Howard who engineers for Daniel Lanois, stopped in a few days after our gear had been delivered to ask if it was cool to move his studio into the house for about six months. He didn’t expect to be recording here for more than two or three weeks – so we had the gear for sessions, or for our own stuff the rest of the time. Strangely enough, Daniel was Fred’s favorite producer so it worked out pretty well.

Rancho de la Luna, of course, is where The Desert Sessions are recorded.

Let’s talk about what makes this place so unique.
This is a little house in the middle of the desert. It’s not big and it’s not fancy. But it’s got a very good vibe. We don’t have state-of-the art equipment (except for microphones, of course) and it’s really kind of low-tech.

We do “The Desert Sessions” just about every year with an amazing group of musicians who have never met. It’s run by Josh Homme, a good friend of mine (from Queens of the Stone Age) and we all collaborate.

Since this issue is about creativity, let’s talk about the process or maybe, more appropriately, the magic there.
We have a ton of really strange instruments that we either get at swap meets or someone gives us. We collaborate in strange ways – maybe over dinner where someone has an idea and someone else adds something to it. We’ve been doing it once a year or maybe twice a year since 1997, but now that everyone’s been busy playing, we do it on a less regular schedule.

The place itself really influences the recordings. In the Desert Sessions, we’ve had everyone from Josh to PJ Harvey to the guys from Soundgarden. In L.A., people would be saying “you know, there’s a party” or “my girlfriend’s stopping by …” but out here, there’s none of that. People are more focused, the skies are wide open and you don’t sit in a windowless room all day. There are mountains outside and cactus to look at. Instead of being in the control room or the tracking room, you can sit by the fire pit and if you have an idea, we’ll run a mic out there where you can hear wood crackling in the background. We lay it down immediately. People get inspired by that.

Sounds like an experience that will free some and paralyze others.
If the equipment malfunctions, maybe it sounds different and cool. That encourages people to approach things differently. earthlings? was spawned partly by us having crappy gear. Our albums are kind of weird sounding because we discovered that ‘Hey. Maybe the keyboard’s broken, but it sounds really cool. Let’s throw it on tape.’ I thin k that might’ve had something to do with Josh doing Desert Sessions because he liked the way Fred and I worked. Nothing stopped us.

This is a great place to create and write. The best place I’ve ever been. There’s just something about the vibe and it’s reflected in what’s been recorded here.

We know you use unorthodox instruments and kind of sketchy gear to capture that musical moment. What about microphones, though?
We have lots of Shure microphones. It started with my next-door neighbor who does sound for Queens of the Stone Age, then with Eagles of Death Metal, then the studio.

The (SM)57 is the greatest microphone that’s even been manufactured and I mean that. Right now, it’s on a guitar amp, it’s on the snare on top and bottom, and it’s on the bass amp. I have lots of other microphones but it sound great on guitar and drums, always. And it’s sexy – Robert Plant holding a SM57 – it doesn’t get much sexier than that, does it?

The following article is an excerpt from Shure Notes, Issue #13 (August 2005).

There are almost as many reasons to make your own recording as there are new (and yes, even established) artists making them. You may want to chart your progress as a performer or record a new tune you’ve written. Maybe you’d like to make your band’s music available on the web. Aim even higher and enjoy the artistic freedom (along with the profits) of self-producing your own indie effort.

Point is – whatever your goal, you need to understand the basic process and how to make the most of your freshman effort – whether you create it in your home studio, a project studio or a professional recording studio.

We’ll look at:

• Reasons to Make an Independent Recording
• Pre-Production
• Recording
• Mixing and Mastering

And while the focus of this issue is on producing your own CD, we’ve asked Cliff Goldmacher — who owns Cliff’s Walk-In Closet Studio in Nashville— to explain how and when to use a professional recording studio to your best advantage.

Why Do It? Or Just Do It.

We’re not going to spend a lot of time taking a long view of the leap-frogging advances in recording. Suffice it to say that the introduction of cassette tapes in the 1970s made it much easier to record (with portable, but bulky by today’s standards, multi-track equipment) and distribute music. When digital technology arrived, and along with it the availability of slick, affordable, user-friendly recording tools, “home recording” was born.

Here are some reasons to record:

Personal Archives
If you’re a performer, recording your music is a great way to preserve a chord progression, an arrangement, an interpretation … even your progress as a musician. It’s one thing to write down lyrics and chords — and another to hear how you and your band interpreted a piece of music on a particular day. You’ll have all the time in the world to experiment with your recording set-up, arranging multi-tracks or overdubbing.

Live or Songwriter’s Demo
You’ll need to do this if you’re pitching your band or your songwriter skills. In either case, this is a showcase of your talents and should capture the essence of either your live show or your music. In either case, you want to keep it simple and keep it short. Five or six tunes are probably more than enough to demonstrate the range of your offerings. This is your business card.

Independent Project
Not that long ago, self-produced CDs were a little like vanity publishing – the last refuge of the desperate. Today, things are completely different – and for one reason. The Internet. The fact is, with file sharing, piracy and music download sites, not to mention the popularity of iPods, record company sales are down. Those elusive record deals are harder to find and here’s more news: not that attractive.

Major artists, including Prince, Peter Gabriel, Phish, Fugazi, Ani Difranco – and scores of others – not only produce their own music — they’ve started their own labels. These artists want more control of their music and more control of marketing and profits. You may give up the record-company sponsored tour to support the new release, but you’ll be in charge. Out-of-reach, you say? Think Kyle Riabko, the 18-year old self-produced Canadian singer/songwriter who has toured with Keb Mo, John Mayer and Buddy Guy.

Pre-Production

This step is one of the most important in the entire process since it forms a bridge between why you want to make a recording and how you will make a recording. In its simplest form, it’s planning, the foundation of any creative project. While the feel you may want to capture (for a live demo, for instance) is spontaneous, the process is not.

The Price (and the Profits) of Success

“With digital technology, a CD can be recorded these days quite inexpensively. And, CDs can be manufactured for less than $1 apiece. Artists who record and manufacture their own CDs can sell them at shows for as much as $15 or $20 a piece. About 1,000 CDs sold means revenue of $15,000 to $20,000, minus recording and manufacturing costs. When you add in sales of merchandise and tickets, an independent touring musician can begin to make a living wage on relatively modest record sales. “

-Christian Bordal, “Marketplace”, National Public Radio, March 2005

The difference between making a demo to get gigs and an indie CD dictates everything — gear, personnel, instrumentation, timing and packaging. How much a recording costs you in time and money depends on having identified your destination and what it will take to get you there. Main goal of preproduction: Advance planning for smooth sailing.

Here are some guidelines:

• Have a vision for each song. Know what you’re going for, whether it’s a pounding beat or a soulful vocal. Hearing it in your head (and being able to communicate what you want) will increase your chances of nailing it on the CD.
• Recording your songs during live gigs and pre-production rehearsals can be helpful. A simple cassette recording played on a boom box may reveal weak parts.
• Collaborate with bandmates, fellow musicians or, if you’re using the services of a recording studio, a producer. A cross-pollenization of ideas can make all the difference.
• Practice, practice, practice. Know the material and make sure everyone else does, too. Warm up.
• Have the right gear on hand. Choosing the right mic, for instance, may save you some of the hassle of fooling around with EQ later.
• Make sure everything works. This means instruments, recording gear, cables, connections. Have back-ups ready to keep the momentum going in-session.
• Know how to use it. If you’re doing computer recording, for instance, understand how to use the software. All those bells and whistles are there to make you sound like a pro. Your recording will reflect your knowledge of ProTools or Q-Base or whatever you’re using.
• Understand the limits. Recording a live band performance in a home studio is a pretty tough challenge. Live recording at home is better suited for techno, electronica, hip-hop or singer/songwriter projects.
• Get comfortable. Recording studios understand this. If you’re recording in a home or project studio, make the room as comfortable as possible because you’re going to be spending a lot of time there. This means paying attention to room lighting and temperature and of course, seating.
• Take care of yourself. Get enough sleep before the session so you’re ready to record. Make sure that you and your band mates stay hydrated – have water on hand, especially for vocalists. John Lennon’s amazing version of “Twist & Shout” was made in one take, fueled by cough drops and milk, after a grueling 15-hour recording session. If you’re not trying to achieve that ragged sound, treat your voice kindly.
• Allow enough time. You’re not under contract yet. Be realistic about how much time it will take to produce a recording that you’ll be happy with. If you’re recording in your own or a friend’s studio, you won’t have the pressures of hourly studio rates. And if you are using a recording studio, solid pre-production work will help you make the most of the time you have.

Recording

Here is where it all comes together – the tunes, the musicians, the engineers (if you’re in a recording studio) and the talent. You’ll be doing several takes for each song, with the first more or less a rehearsal. Listen to each take in playback and keep in mind that if you don’t like it here, you’ll like it a lot less when you’ve burned 500 CDs.

A Java Chip Frappuccino and a Herbie Hancock, Please…

Another reason for the move away from traditional record company deals is the fact that most artists don’t see a dime until the CD has sold a million copies – a mean feat in these MP3 times.

Enter Starbucks. The Ray Charles album, “Genius Loves Company” was actually released by the Starbucks Music Hear label and sold an impressive 700,000 copies. What’s next? “Possibilities”, a collaboration between jazz great Herbie Hancock and pop artists Sting, Christina Aguilera, John Mayer and Paul Simon. According to Herbie, “It’s a fantastic business opportunity. Unlike record stores, which are geared to young people between the ages of 18 and 24, Starbucks is not limited to younger listeners. Everyone goes to Starbucks.” And? “When you sign a contract with a record label … they can do whatever they want.”

-Source: “All Jazzed Up”, New York Times Magazine, July 24, 2005

Here are some guidelines:

• Treat this just like a gig. Wherever you’re recording, be on time and let others know what is expected of them.
• Technical accuracy is a given, but emotion and feeling in the final recording are probably even more important.
• If you make a mistake, don’t stop and start over. You can always go back and punch it in later.
• Assume that it will take at least five takes to get the one you like. If you’re considering a five or even ten-song CD, that’s a lot of takes. One more reason to pace yourself.
• Use the right microphones and use them correctly. This will save you time and trouble in EQ and will guarantee the best sound (learn more about recording techniques in our next issue.)
• Don’t try to fill all the tracks on the tape. You don’t need to force something that won’t fit.
• Keep the focus of your music in mind. If it’s the vocals, spend your time there.
• Get the sound you want while recording. Don’t try to fix everything in the mix. This is the time.
• Record individual tracks clean and add effects later.
• Keep guests out! This is work and they’re unnecessary distractions. The same is true of cell phones – turn them off.
• Be flexible. It’s great to have creative ideas, but realize that they won’t all work.
• Tune instruments often. Use the same tuner if possible; since some tuners may differ in their sensitivity.
• Maintain a track listing and time log.
• If you’re tired, rest. If you’re exhausted, quit for the day.

Mixing

Now that everything has been recorded, it’s time for the mix-down. This is where you’ll blend individual tracks, adjust levels and add effects. Main Goal of Mixing: Balance track levels.

Here are some guidelines:

• Understand there are limits to what you can achieve in this phase. That’s why it’s so important to get the sound you want in the recording stage. A Les Paul isn’t going to sound like a Strat – a dark ringy ‘jazz’ snare won’t ever transform itself into the bright ‘cracky’ snare heard on many country tunes and there’s not a button made that will make Vanna White sound like James Brown.
• To keep the sound consistent from recording to the mixdown, use the same speakers (if you’re not recording in a professional studio).
• Listen to your music at moderate levels in your car or on a boom box. This is how most people will hear it, and mixing at loud levels will fatigue your ears and distort the “true” sound.
• Use sound isolating earphones in the mix-down, then playback on a small pair of speakers at low volume levels.
• Give it a rest. What’s true in recording is also true in the mixdown. Come back to the project with fresh ears.
• Think about the big picture and the overall sound.
• Don’t fight for your instrument to be heard: “I need to hear more guitar/bass/tambourine…” Do what is best for the song.
• Decide which format you want the finished mixes to be on. Use the format that makes the most sense for your needs.
• And don’t forget to make a safety copy. It’s the best and cheapest insurance you’ll ever have.

Mixing involves more than ‘setting the faders and rolling the tape.’ Most mixes have a certain degree of dynamics: instruments being brought up and down at various points throughout the song. It’s a way of adding a sense of movement and liveliness.

Don’t be afraid of using automation. When there are a large number of moves to make, a computer has the facility to execute changes more consistently than a roomful of guys with their hands on the faders. If enough moves are involved, automation is often less time consuming than mapping, marking, and practicing a mix until you finally ‘get it.’

Mastering

You’ve reached the final frontier – the last step before the duplication process. This is where you put the finishing touches on the mixes and make sure that everything is right. Main goal of mastering: Get your recording ready for release.

Been There, Done That: One Band’s Experience

Kurt Dinse is a professional musician we know who performed with the band Apocalypse Hoboken from 1992 to 2000. In that time, the band released four full -length records, two EPs and “many, many seven-inch singles”. Today he is a successful graphic designer and creates a different kind of digital magic. We asked him to recall his studio days and what he learned from them. This is what he had to say: “After doing a bunch of demos on personal 4-track recorders we saved our money and went to a real 24-track studio. We did it over several weekends or whenever we could get the time and money. I was surprised at how long the process took. I wasn’t expecting that. You need to make sure that everything sounds just right. I learned a lot about drum tuning and vocals during that time. You really need to listen to the sounds not just the song. One of the most important lessons we learned is that good mastering is everything to a recording. The first CD we did sounded so thin compared to other bands recordings. That was because we left the mastering to the guy that was pressing the CD. From then on, we always made sure that the band was present for the final EQ.”

You’ll want to:

• Put some time between the mix and master steps. Live with various mixes before you and your associates make the final decision.
• Clean up the beginnings and endings of the final mixes.
• Place the tunes in order, with the strongest first. First impressions are important. If listeners don’t know you or your band, you need to catch their ear.
• Adjust the spacing between songs, and
• Match volumes for consistency from track to track.
• Think about adding a degree of EQ or compression.
• Edit sections of songs or splice different takes together.
• Consider having a different engineer handle the mastering if you’re using a pro studio. Fresh ears can make a difference.
• Make sure your master format is compatible with what your duplicator uses.
• Make at least two copies. If you’re recording in a home studio, you may not have back-up of the DAT you left in a taxicab.
• Independent recording is an art and a science. It begins with a musical idea or lyric that floated around in your mind a few months or years ago and ends with the polished presentation of that idea in a form that you can share with the world.

Sources for this article included:

Cliff Goldmacher, Owner, Cliff’s Walk-in Closet Studio, Nashville, TN
Curt Juergensen, Director, Tokyo School of Music
Steve Revilak, Producer, Newbury Sound, Boston, MA