Recording - October 2010 - 29

Pieces of the puzzle #2: the producer The producer will determine the project’s overall file formats from the start, keeping in mind expected collaboration issues and eventual delivery format. One aspect of this involves making rough mixes for offsite collaborators, as discussed above. There are some obvious basic guidelines: a bass player needs to hear a firm kick drum; a background vocalist needs to hear the lead she’s singing to. Beyond this, it’s not a bad idea to provide a countoff, tempo information, and indicate whether or not the song was recorded to a click. If a click track is used, I highly recommend that it originate from the DAW’s own metronome, so that the project is referenced to the bar/beat grid at a particular tempo. This makes cut/paste editing much easier, and allows an offsite keyboardist to use timebased effects and quantization. Another common file-sharing situation is an “upgrade” context in which a musician is working on a more basic DAW (Garageband, Cubase LE, or similar) and wishes to send the tracks to a more complete studio for overdubs and/or mixing. In this case, it may be necessary to make a bounce for each track, as many basic DAW applications don’t have extensive export functions. Also, it’s imperative to record in the highest quality settings available. Garageband by default records in

16-bit, but it is possible to change the bit depth to 24 under the “Advanced” tab of the Preferences menu. This is often a case, Reeves says, where you might wish to send the entire DAW document. He further suggests that if a project is destined to be mixed elsewhere, it also makes sense not to clutter it up with plug-ins, especially any third-party software not shared by the recipient, since much of this processing may be rethought by the mix engineer. Decisions, decisions There are a few more decisions regarding our exported tracks, best handled on a caseby-case basis. One is the matter of automation: volume fades, panning moves and such. I’m inclined to leave them in, especially when they form an integral part of my performance dynamics. There are a few producers, however, who want to micromanage these things on their own, so it’s best to know how to engage or defeat automation on your DAW’s track export options. Similarly, effects may be left on or off, depending on what they contribute. I’m inclined to remove all reverb, as it makes the mix engineer’s job harder if he feels it is the wrong ambience. I also tend to remove eq, although I might email suggested settings. A timed delay I’m playing off, however, forms an integral part of my performance and should be included.

Consider room ambience and whether or not it will function in the big picture. It can’t be removed. Guitarists who record through a chain of plug-in effects, amp simulators, virtual stompboxes and the like should definitely include these—but consider sending a “bare” guitar track as well. Going the extra mile To further aid the collaborative process, it’s also helpful to include a few extras. A quick MP3 mix with your parts placed as you intended (levels, panning, effects) will serve as a suggestive starting point to a producer who may not otherwise understand what you’ve intended. Keyboard players should include a MIDI file if possible. A DAW mixer screenshot, showing levels, effects and eq on the tracks you recorded, can be useful also. For pro studios and musicians working for clients, this kind of professional courtesy and cooperation can go a long way towards reassuring and keeping a customer. Next time we’ll round out this topic by discussing delivery systems, advanced file sharing formats like OMF, and some of the pitfalls you may find in fancier sessions. Bob Emmet (emmet@recordingmag.com) is a keyboardist, producer, and recording engineer in the Los Angeles area. Learn more at www.bobemmet.com.


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Recording - October 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - October 2010

Recording - October 2010
Fade In
Contents
Talkback
Fast Forward
Cakewalk V-Studio 20
Abbey Road Sessions—Good Reasons To Be Prepared
AKG Perception 820 Tube Microphone
A Basement Conversion—The Borla/Mouse Basement Studio
DAW Details
SM Pro Audio P-Control, DiDock, and CT-3
Green Glue
Alesis PalmTrack
It’s Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 7: Income Earned By Songs—Part 2
Reviewed and Revisited
Plug-In Outlet
Do It Yourself: Rack Panels For Under Four Dollars
Cockos REAPER—A Walking Tour
Recording’s Showcase of Sounds
Readers' Tapes
Advertiser Index
Fade Out
Recording - October 2010 - Recording - October 2010
Recording - October 2010 - Cover2
Recording - October 2010 - 1
Recording - October 2010 - Fade In
Recording - October 2010 - 3
Recording - October 2010 - Contents
Recording - October 2010 - 5
Recording - October 2010 - Talkback
Recording - October 2010 - 7
Recording - October 2010 - Fast Forward
Recording - October 2010 - 9
Recording - October 2010 - Cakewalk V-Studio 20
Recording - October 2010 - 11
Recording - October 2010 - 12
Recording - October 2010 - 13
Recording - October 2010 - Abbey Road Sessions—Good Reasons To Be Prepared
Recording - October 2010 - 15
Recording - October 2010 - 16
Recording - October 2010 - 17
Recording - October 2010 - 18
Recording - October 2010 - 19
Recording - October 2010 - 20
Recording - October 2010 - 21
Recording - October 2010 - AKG Perception 820 Tube Microphone
Recording - October 2010 - 23
Recording - October 2010 - A Basement Conversion—The Borla/Mouse Basement Studio
Recording - October 2010 - 25
Recording - October 2010 - 26
Recording - October 2010 - 27
Recording - October 2010 - DAW Details
Recording - October 2010 - 29
Recording - October 2010 - 30
Recording - October 2010 - 31
Recording - October 2010 - SM Pro Audio P-Control, DiDock, and CT-3
Recording - October 2010 - 33
Recording - October 2010 - Green Glue
Recording - October 2010 - 35
Recording - October 2010 - Alesis PalmTrack
Recording - October 2010 - 37
Recording - October 2010 - It’s Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 7: Income Earned By Songs—Part 2
Recording - October 2010 - 39
Recording - October 2010 - 40
Recording - October 2010 - 41
Recording - October 2010 - Reviewed and Revisited
Recording - October 2010 - 43
Recording - October 2010 - Plug-In Outlet
Recording - October 2010 - 45
Recording - October 2010 - 46
Recording - October 2010 - 47
Recording - October 2010 - Do It Yourself: Rack Panels For Under Four Dollars
Recording - October 2010 - 49
Recording - October 2010 - 50
Recording - October 2010 - 51
Recording - October 2010 - 52
Recording - October 2010 - 53
Recording - October 2010 - 54
Recording - October 2010 - 55
Recording - October 2010 - Cockos REAPER—A Walking Tour
Recording - October 2010 - 57
Recording - October 2010 - 58
Recording - October 2010 - 59
Recording - October 2010 - 60
Recording - October 2010 - 61
Recording - October 2010 - Recording’s Showcase of Sounds
Recording - October 2010 - 63
Recording - October 2010 - Readers' Tapes
Recording - October 2010 - Advertiser Index
Recording - October 2010 - 66
Recording - October 2010 - 67
Recording - October 2010 - 68
Recording - October 2010 - 69
Recording - October 2010 - 70
Recording - October 2010 - 71
Recording - October 2010 - Fade Out
Recording - October 2010 - Cover3
Recording - October 2010 - Cover4
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