StudioPros

At Studio Pros, we provide you with professional players, producers and engineers for the production of your songs. When it comes to recording the vocals on your song, it’s your time to shine and sing on tracks that our Los Angeles based studio musicians have laid down for you.

You have 3 options for vocals before we mix your tracks at Studio Pros:
1. Hire one of Studio Pros’ professional vocalists to sing your song.
2. Record your vocals at your home recording studio.
3. Record your vocals at a local recording studio.

If you’re planning recording your vocals at home, or at a local recording studio, here are some tips to get the best quality recordings:

Recording Vocals at Your Home Studio:

A few things to consider when you’re recording at your home studio are the environment you are recording in and the overall acoustic sound of the room you’ve chosen for your tracking room. If the room produces a lot of reflections, you may want to consider treating your room acoustically to absorb the reflections and deaden the sound. Remember that we are always adding our own processing and effects to your vocals.

Singing your tracks dynamically is good, but only up to a certain point. If the volume of your tracks is going from piercing loud to quiet as a mouse, this will make the mixing stage very difficult for the engineer. To get the maximum sound out of your vocals, control your dynamics by paying attention to volume and stepping away from the microphone if you’re singing louder than in quiet sections.

Sound quality is determined by the overall chain of sound which is your microphone, pre-amp, convertor/soundcard, then the recording software you’re using. If any one of these links in the chain is not up to par, you might want to consider taking your tracks into a local studio and have an engineer help you get a quality vocal take.

Recording Your Vocals at a Local Recording Studio:

If you wouldn’t consider yourself a technological wiz and don’t have a home recording studio, don’t worry. Save yourself money and time on home recording equipment and take your productions to a local recording studio to track your vocals for our productions.

When you’re choosing a local studio, make sure you’ve done some background checks on the engineer and facilities you’re about to use. Don’t book studio time without checking out the studio and getting referrals from friends, listening to demos or reading reviews. Get some rates from the studio and make sure it fits in your budget while still delivering a quality result. The average rate you should expect to pay for a vocal session is $50-100/hour.

Once you’ve chosen the engineer and studio to record your vocals, bring in the keyboard preview mp3 from the production as the instrumental backing track to begin recording your vocals. Once your recording is complete, you’ll then export each individual wav file of your vocal adding the 2 bars of clicks as described below.

How Do I Send the Vocal Tracks once they’re finished?

Once you’ve completed recording your vocals, export or bounce each vocal track as an individual mono wav file at 44.1 khz, 24 bit without any processing or effects. You’ll need to copy and paste the 2 bars of clicks from the keyboards preview onto each individual vocal track. Then, archive (zip) all the vocal tracks into one zip file. Log in to view the production order within your account, and upload the file.

To read more about Studio Pros vocalists.

To read more about Studio Pros Full Music Production.

I’ve collaborated with singer/songwriters and recording artists from around the world and a universal question seems to be “Now What Do I Do?”

If this question has at one time or another crossed your mind, you are not alone. This is a common question that we deal with on a daily basis at Studio Pros.

Writing is not the only thing that goes along with being an artist, but getting a great quality recording is just as important. If you have a hit song, and a bad recording, you aren’t doing yourself any favors. Being a songwriter takes hard work, and we’re here to make it EASIER for you.

It’s important to be confident in your product before you even get to the stage of sending it off to publishing companies . Are you 100% sure your song is finished? Make sure that you are not rushing your recording process and have taken the necessary time to get your project finished. The Pros can help you get a broadcast quality demo to send out to A&R representatives, record labels, and publishing companies. We’re here to help you get your songs forwarded or meet that goal of making that debut album you’ve been putting off for too long.

You need to invest in your product and be confident that it is recorded correctly. As we all would love to record from start-finish ourselves, there comes a point in a songwriter’s life where they have to realize that there sometimes are players out there that bottom line “are just better at it”. If you write a killer song, but aren’t the best guitarist, send it to the Studio Pros session guitarist. You’ll still be involved, but just getting a higher quality sound. There is no shame in this. Even the stars do this.

Instead of being frustrated with the A&R people who aren’t biting at “your song”, think back to the source of the problem. Are the songs as well thought out as they should be? Are you keeping in mind the current market for your work? Are your recordings up to par?

At Studio Pros we keep our ears open to current sounds, and apply them to your songs to bring them an up-to-date twist. We know the songwriting market and keep our ears fresh to the current mixing sounds artists are using. Send us a song you’ve written and try it out for yourself.

Many singer/songwriters have had the satisfying feeling of getting their songs produced at a professional level after using our music production service at Studio Pros. We hope you will be our next success.

Click here to find out more about the Studio Pros music production service.

Let Studio Pros help you fill in all of the missing elements to your home recordings.

Adrian Sakashita is a composer who spends his time between Los Angeles and London as well as an online business owner.  This is the perfect case for Studio Pros, as Adrian can manage his projects from all around the world and still be kept in the loop on his production, while not wasting too much time at a studio.

 Studio Pros just recently worked with him on his latest work “Seduction” and filled in the missing pieces of his recordings using our studio musicians, “Studio Pros helps make better music!  I simply couldn’t resist the temptation and dove in head first a few years ago.  Since then, I’ve turned my attention back to composition.”

While Adrian has a home studio set up where he can record, he’s found collaborating with other musicians helps him get the finished missing elements to his music in a professional manner.  “The better results come from collaboration… and it’s more fun.  In the long run you save both time and money!  I consider Studio Pros to be my on-demand musical collaborators,” Adrian says. 

As a keyboardist, it isn’t practical for Adrian to waste time on a bass track or clunking out a midi drum part if he can hire studio musicians to play his trouble instruments.  Though Adrian can invest time and money in getting all of the home gear to accomplish creating midi sounds, why do it if you he can hire a professional studio drummer and save money? “ Real instruments and real musicians are a hard combination to beat.  That’s why I count on the Pros to help me out.”

Along with collaborating with us here at Studio Pros, Adrian took his online project to the next level and documented his step to step project by creating a music blog.  “I thought it would be fun to chronicle a project from start to finish.  I think many people are surprised at how a song develops from usually nothing more than a basic riff.  It was cool way to generate some immediate content for my humble little blog, and will hopefully help answer many of the questions I get after the fact.”

Check out Adrian’s step by step documentation of using Studio Pros: www.fastonkeys.com 

At Studio Pros we like to take from what’s worked in the past and apply it to what we’re doing today. We have worked with many artists that request this sort of “British Rock” sound, and we know just what they have in mind.

 

 Wake Up Now: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

“British Rock n’ Roll”, as they called it, was a significant change in rock n’ roll that took place in the late 50’s/early 60’s in the UK and later spread around the world. Artists were taking from US rock n’ roll influences and giving it a British edge. This style became the characteristic sound of the Beatles , The Rolling Stones , the Who , Herman’s Hermits, the Dave Clark Five, the Animals, The Kinks , the Small Faces, the Yardbirds, and Donovan among many others. It worked. People obviously liked what was coming out of this new era and it changed the wave of music forever.

When we have an artist’s reference to the overall final sound they are going for, we are happy to help in any way we can to produce their song the way they had in mind. Of course, this is not the only sound that we can achieve with our studio musicians at the Studio Pros recording studio, but an option for those post “British Rock” enthusiasts.

To get that “British sound” we tend to use a lot of compression on our piano tracks, space out the drums (big drum sounds are big in this style) and give the overall mix a dark overall sound with compression.

We’ve just recently done a production with songwriter Finnur Bjarki called “Wake Up Now” in the style of “British Rock”:

Tell us a little bit about your songwriting and what you do with your songs once they are recorded.

“I´ve been writing songs since I was a teenager. I use my acoustic guitar to relax write melodies. Some of the songs just come to me in 5 minutes or so, others need time to develop and mature.”

What made you go for the British rock sound?

“I grew up with U2 in my ears, The Smiths and the British metal. I have always loved the British rock. Maybe because I find a lot of British bands use the conventional instruments more than most bands today so they have this live band element. I like the sound of Keane, Coldplay, Starsailor etc..

The roots are always there and they dont get caught up in the technology to much.”

What are you planning on doing with your songs once they’re all recorded?

We plan to release a new CD by spring and almost all instrumentation is done by Studio Pros. Recording this way is something totally new to me and I had to get used to it. The professionalism is great, it gives me a warm feeling to hear my songs performed and given life this way and this has saved me a lot of time.

To listen to more of Finnur’s work: www.porterhouse.is

To learn more about Studio Pros music production service.

Creating a ‘band sound’ when recording individual session players

One of the most common problems I encounter when producing a track is the lack of a ‘real space’ sound. Most self-recording artists are trying to make the best out of what they have. What they usually have is a small room with home recording equipment. Sometimes it is easier and more feasible to have a musician record a separate track individually instead of a full live band. In dealing with this situation I’ve found a few ways to create a full band sound out of these individual session player’s tracks. The greatest obstacle to overcome in recording tracks separately is maintaining a natural sound. We always need to remember that some styles simply aren’t meant to be recorded separately. Try recording a jazz trio individually and you’ll soon find it’s a mission impossible. In the end, some albums were just meant to be recorded live.

Style Options

First and foremost, when I’m trying to create a “band sound” the style of the music must be decided. This is important in order to ensure the authenticity of the song. Deciding on the style will help the session players generate the same mood for the song and make more efficient use of time. I usually listen to reference tracks beforehand in order to gain a better understanding of what kind of sound will be reflected in the song. Think about how the music was recorded, what types of instruments, amps, mics, rooms, were used in producing the track.

Sketch It Out

After choosing the style, an initial sketch will need to be created. I’ve found it important to give the sketch to the individual artists. This will keep everyone on the same page and help them feel out the desired vibe of the song. This sketch should be kept perfectly in sync with the click track. Keeping in sync with the click track is more important when recording separately as when recording together. When recording live, the players can see each other. Part of creating that full band sound, as if they were able to see each other, is to make certain that all the players are referring to the same sketch.

Making charts is another way to guarantee synchronization. Even though the players cannot rehearse together, they must know the structure of the song perfectly. Arrangement mistakes should be avoided and repeat takes should be reserved only for exploring different feels or ideas. Most experienced session players will know how to make a professional chart, so just ask! It will be ten minutes well spent.

In Sync

The easiest way to begin recording is to start with a rhythm instrument over a perfectly synced or even quantized scratch track. For example, the first live instrument to be laid down can be drums and then add the bass. Hold off on vocals, keys, and harmony instruments until the end. Provide the same atmosphere during every session throughout the project in order to maintain consistency. Check that the players are following every break, off-beat and dynamic part to guarantee a cohesive sound. Keep those reference tracks close at hand; they will help to ensure everyone performs with the same desired sound in mind.

Mix

When I’m mixing tracks it is very important to know what part is going to be the most prominent element. The singer will most likely be the lead component, with the rest of the band filling in the other frequencies and places in the sound field. Two instruments that play in the same range should not be situated in the same spot. That would be akin to two people talking at the same time to the same person! If this situation occurs, spread the tracks in the sound field using panning. Panning an instrument even a few degrees to the side will give the mix a new dimension.

Placing the players in the sound field is probably the most important task in generating a full band sound from individual musicians. Each player should be placed separately using panning, reverb, compression, etc. If you record at home, room mics are not as efficient in this setting due to lack of acoustic reverberation. However, using artificial reverbs on close miked instruments will help you mask these acoustic problems.

Live Drum Sounds

In order to optimize the room sound, try adding room reverb on the drums that are dominant in the 500-2500 HZ such as the snare, toms and floor. Applying reverb on the overheads or hi-hat will sound unnatural since large rooms do not resonate at the same high frequencies that they do for snare, toms and bass drum. If you are adding reverb on the overheads, make sure to cut the high frequencies of the reverb so the cymbal will stay sharp and tight.

When you are mixing, make sure you get a quality sound for your track dry before you start adding effects. My personal choice is starting with the room reverb, to compensate for the lack of room sound. Then I move on to some gated or hall reverbs depending on the style. For example, when recording a rock song, I choose a room reverb with about 0.9 seconds of time, a delay of about 0.8 seconds will create the feeling of a mid-sized room. Later, I add a gate-reverb of about 1.8 seconds. I always try to cut back on the long reverb on snares. That will date the track and take away from the freshness of the music.

Compressing the snare top channel with a long attack/long release compressor is a mix engineer’s best weapon. This is a great way to get an attack of the snare drum while bringing more room noise back into the mix. Achieving that ‘in-your-face’ sound is very popular in the rock and pop genre of today’s music. But be careful! Overcompressing your snare leads to an excess of high hat in your mix.

To finalize my mixes, I like to compress the final output with a 20ms attack at a 1:3 ratio. This helps me tighten up the drum and bass with the rest of the tracks before I send the song to mastering.

Making your individual session players sound like a full band isn’t hard to accomplish, even in a home studio. Try out some of the techniques I use to create a live sound whenever I am recording individuals vs. a full band. There are no rules to recording. Be creative and have fun.

Learn more about Studio Pros Mixing and Mastering Services

Ever wish someone could help guide you through the entire music production process? I know I do, and for that, I turn to Studio Pros.

Musicians are notorious for being a bit behind the game when it comes to getting things done on time. That’s what we’re here for. At Studio Pros, we help you record your song every step of the way. We make sure our session players deliver quality material, in a timely fashion. Sure you could book time at an expensive recording studio, and spend thousands of dollars on your album, but why not keep the money you’d save NOT doing that, and work with us instead?!

If you’re having trouble getting things done in a timely fashion, and people aren’t taking recording your demo seriously, I have a few suggestions for you.

1.  Hire Studio Pros.  Don’t waste time trying to organize musicians and overcoming technological problems when you could be concentrating on writing new material. 

2.  Check ups. Don’t be anonymous.  Make sure you are interacting with the production team at StudioPros and are collaborating on musical ideas with the musicians.

3.  Show there’s prospect. Nothing gives musicians more hope than the prospect of a future in music. Get serious about your goals, and show them you have a plan.

4. :  Set a deadline.  Whenever you have a project goal in mind, make sure you have an “end in sight”.  Always set a goal for a project completion date.

I’ve often been frustrated when it comes to recording my songs with the help of my musician friends. It seems to be more of a waiting game than anything. “Let’s do it tomorrow at 9” has turned into, “How about next week, I’m really tired tonight”. There can always be an excuse for everything if you don’t give these flakes a reason that’s worth working hard for.

Learn More about Studio Pros.  Get your tracks finished now.

There’s a reason that guitarists should stick to their guitars and songwriters should stick to their songwriting…

Sometimes it’s better to go to studio musician for some outside recording help. Outside ears can bring attention to the minor flaws you may have in your home recordings that you’ve unconsciously brushed aside as being “good enough”. Studio Pros is the best place to outsource all of your musical needs. This allows you to be creative without the time consuming effort of trying to do everything by yourself at your home studio.

 The music industry is changing! Now anyone off the street can go and record a song with their home equipment and post it on their myspace page and call themselves an “artist”, but what is being lost in this process is quality. 

I must admit, I have the same problem. I’ve fallen into the trap of trying to do it all on my own; writing, engineering, grueling over a bass line (and let me be honest, I’m a terrible bass player), playing keys, guitar…whatever it takes. When I go back and listen to my self-produced albums I have to be honest with myself and say, “this really could be a lot better”.

Let a studio musician take care of that guitar part you’ve been trying to get out. Hire a session bassist to play that line that you’ve been trying to have your talented slacker musician friend record. Studio Pros is your best friend when it comes to meeting your musical goals and producing your music. Don’t wait around anymore. Get it done. And to top it off, get it done quickly and professionally at a low cost. What more could you ask for?

Learn more about Studio Pros studio musicians.

“This song sounds cheesy.” You’ve all said it at one point in time.

How do songwriters avoid this problem? Sure, Michael Bolton rocked the “cheese” in the early nineties and Christopher Cross made hits in the eighties with this “out-dated” production style, but let’s keep moving forward. How do you avoid sounding like “you just can’t let the good ole days go”?

Several steps in the song writing and production process of your song can help you avoid taking a step in the wrong direction on the cheese-o-meter. First of all, try to avoid overplaying in a song. A really good song should sound perfect alone with just an acoustic guitar and a vocal. It’s always good to get an outside ear to hear a song when you first write it. Even if your audience doesn’t give you too much feedback, you’ll have that initial instinct while you’re playing to help you determine if it’s a “good song”.

Secondly, avoid overproducing your songs with excess of instruments. Midi sounds are something you really need to be careful layering.

Drum sounds are also a make or break when you are recording a song. The best thing to do in this case is to listen to some current artists that you like and copy the drum sounds they are using in their recordings. Listen to the drum track and picture the room it was recorded in, the effects that were applied to the mix, and also the placement of the drums in the mix.

Keep your ears open when you are getting to the music production stage of your song. Take from the current sounds around you, and interesting recording techniques from the past. New ideas are good. Recreate old sounds instead of replicate. You’ll have an interesting and “cheese-free” song in no time.

Learn about Studio Pros Music Production Service.