Recording - March 2010 - 14
large, you can start with them and upgrade at a later date. Compare a song you record with a song of similar style and sound from a CD you know well, through the same speakers; that will keep you on the right track. Can I afford to be a recording songwriter? Yes yes yes! While the sky is the limit when purchasing audio gear, getting into self-recording at the budget level is not prohibitively expensive. Four-track standalone DAWs can be found for as little as $200. For $150 more you can get a starter mic, cable and stand. Designate $250 for a beginner pair of headphones and monitors and you are done. For as little as $600 you’re ready to rock! If $600 seems expensive, than have no fear, as Craigslist and Ebay are near! Used recording gear is everywhere, and older mics, recorders, and speakers can be had on the cheap. You might even be able to borrow a mic from a friend and use an old stereo system for monitoring. The important thing is that you dive in and stop procrastinating! The sooner you start self-recording, the sooner you will find the money to upgrade your equipment. have avoided recording themselves, even after purchasing mountains of gear, fearful that the learning curve would be too steep. Still more musicians get enchanted by the equipment, finding their time spent playing with the gear, but not recording music. The truth is that recording is very easy, and if you start simple, allow time for experimentation, and keep a musical focus, you will eventually be productive. Read on for my Technology Block-beating tips. Keep it simple and experiment. You will not record a masterpiece the first month, let alone the first day, of using a DAW. Start slowly, learning how to record a single instrument, play it back, and save it for another day. Experiment with simple tunes at first, or focus on short song snippets. Rome wasn’t built in a day! If you pressure yourself to record great music before you know how, you will find yourself frustrated and give up. The more you play with your gear, the more you will grow accustomed to using it. Always keep an open mind, try new techniques, and push yourself beyond the comfort zone. Let the tune dictate your focus, and you will find yourself both making music and enjoying the toys. Learn to avoid the Upgrade Trap. If you are saving your songs until a new, better piece of gear is acquired, then you are setting yourself up for disappointment. The sooner you get recording, the more skills you will have when you purchase new gear. It is not expensive equipment that makes great recordings; it’s the ears and hands that operate the equipment. Don’t let the machinery dictate your music. Another pitfall of technology is its tendency to influence our musical styles. I find myself struggling with this all of the time. I will sit down to record a new acoustic song, but find myself overproducing the recording with needless layers, drum loops and effects. If you find yourself writing techno when you intended to record country, than you may have this problem yourself! Put on a favorite record and remind yourself of the music you love and want to create. Educate yourself There are different schools of thought regarding how one should begin selfrecording. Some argue that formal schooling or tutoring by experts is the best method for learning equipment and recording techniques. Others find books, videos, and various self-learning formats are ideal. I argue that everyone learns differently, and you should employ whatever resources available to supplement what you discover through experimentation. The key is to dive in headfirst! It’s not rocket science. Nobody has ever been injured by an amateur recording. Just remember you are not alone. Recording Magazine will be there for you, with articles every month reiterating the fundamentals and introducing advanced techniques. There are also plenty of Internet resources, as cited earlier in this article. You may also want to look into formal schooling. Audio education is rapidly growing in popularity, and is now found even at inexpensive community colleges. Whatever your style of learning, just be sure to enjoy yourself and keep a musical focus. Before you know it, the technology will be transparent and you will be recording great songs! Look over the shoulder of someone who has committed to a platform, and offer to help—and learn. Give yourself plenty of time to experiment before attempting a difficult song. This will not only allow you to learn the equipment, but it will help get comfortable with recording yourself. If you are a busy person, you may need to schedule yourself regular “recording” time. If scheduling helps, then great, but try not to think of recording as a chore. It should be a fun escape from the responsibilities of life. Keep it musical. Although I just exulted the worthiness of lengthy experimentation, the recording songwriter should be cautious about technology’s seductiveness. If you find yourself endlessly playing with your DAW, then you too are struggling with Technology Block. Remember that music is at the center of everything we do. After your initial experimentations, try recording a complex song. Beating Technology Block At the beginning of this article I asked three questions, the third describing the songwriter who has already purchased recording gear, but is intimidated and/or frustrated by the technology. Is this you? Do you stare at your gear, wishing you knew how to use it? Do you find yourself always fiddling with the toys, but never actually making music? If so, you may be infected with a form of writers block I like to call Technology Block. Relax—you are not alone in your battle with TB. Many songwriters Eric Ferguson (ferguson@recordingmag.com) is a musician, engineer, producer, and friend of the recording neophyte, working in Los Angeles. Check out his website at www.bluecupmusic.com.RECORDING MARCH 2010
http://www.bluecupmusic.com
Recording - March 2010
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - March 2010
Recording - March 2010
Fade In
Talkback
Fast Forward
Become A Recording Songwriter
When You’re The Band
Cakewalk V-Studio 100
The Evolution Of A Song
Blue Bottle Rocket Stage Two
Demoitis—An Epidemic That Affects Recording Songwriters
It’s Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 1: Copyright
For Your Bookshelf
Audio-Technica AT2035
Readers’ Tapes
Plug-in Outlet
Recording’s Guitar Column
Recording’s Vocal Column
Once Over—Reviews In Brief
Advertiser Index
Fade Out
Recording - March 2010 - Recording - March 2010
Recording - March 2010 - Cover2
Recording - March 2010 - 1
Recording - March 2010 - Fade In
Recording - March 2010 - 3
Recording - March 2010 - 4
Recording - March 2010 - 5
Recording - March 2010 - Talkback
Recording - March 2010 - 7
Recording - March 2010 - Fast Forward
Recording - March 2010 - 9
Recording - March 2010 - Become A Recording Songwriter
Recording - March 2010 - 11
Recording - March 2010 - 12
Recording - March 2010 - 13
Recording - March 2010 - 14
Recording - March 2010 - 15
Recording - March 2010 - When You’re The Band
Recording - March 2010 - 17
Recording - March 2010 - Cakewalk V-Studio 100
Recording - March 2010 - 19
Recording - March 2010 - The Evolution Of A Song
Recording - March 2010 - 21
Recording - March 2010 - 22
Recording - March 2010 - 23
Recording - March 2010 - 24
Recording - March 2010 - 25
Recording - March 2010 - Blue Bottle Rocket Stage Two
Recording - March 2010 - 27
Recording - March 2010 - 28
Recording - March 2010 - 29
Recording - March 2010 - Demoitis—An Epidemic That Affects Recording Songwriters
Recording - March 2010 - 31
Recording - March 2010 - It’s Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 1: Copyright
Recording - March 2010 - 33
Recording - March 2010 - 34
Recording - March 2010 - 35
Recording - March 2010 - For Your Bookshelf
Recording - March 2010 - 37
Recording - March 2010 - Audio-Technica AT2035
Recording - March 2010 - 39
Recording - March 2010 - Readers’ Tapes
Recording - March 2010 - 41
Recording - March 2010 - 42
Recording - March 2010 - 43
Recording - March 2010 - 44
Recording - March 2010 - 45
Recording - March 2010 - Plug-in Outlet
Recording - March 2010 - 47
Recording - March 2010 - 48
Recording - March 2010 - 49
Recording - March 2010 - Recording’s Guitar Column
Recording - March 2010 - 51
Recording - March 2010 - Recording’s Vocal Column
Recording - March 2010 - 53
Recording - March 2010 - Once Over—Reviews In Brief
Recording - March 2010 - 55
Recording - March 2010 - 56
Recording - March 2010 - Advertiser Index
Recording - March 2010 - 58
Recording - March 2010 - 59
Recording - March 2010 - 60
Recording - March 2010 - 61
Recording - March 2010 - 62
Recording - March 2010 - 63
Recording - March 2010 - Fade Out
Recording - March 2010 - Cover3
Recording - March 2010 - Cover4
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