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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.

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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.

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Brenna Whitaker is a talented singer that has worked with Studio Pros over the years. She’s also had years of experience performing around the country and studied and had her own bands around the country from New York, Vegas to Los Angeles.

Do you have any tips for vocalists out there who are trying to record in their home studios?

First of all, find a comfortable spot to set up your studio in your home. Next, have a basic set up to where everything is accessible to you while you’re recording. Make sure the outside noise is quiet and you are getting the best sound with what you have to work with. It helps to cover the windows to reduce noise and hang blankets or tapestries on the walls to soften the echos. Be creative with what you have in your home recording studio. There are no rules for recording in your own studio.

Do you have any particular vocal warm ups you do before you step into a recording session?

Depending on how big of a range the song is, I usually have to warm up my voice for about 25 minutes. I like to go through a series of ooh’s and aah’s, scales are always helpful to get my voice going. Also, just singing harmonies to a song on the radio is a fun way to get ready to record in the studio.  Do you do all of your vocals in one take?
Every once in a while I have that lucky song. But most of the time, I have to perfect things by punching into the song. The trick to punching in is finding a spot in the phrase that doesn’t effect the fluidity of the song. You never want to punch in the middle of a phrase or word.

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“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.