Communicating With Session Musicians

Communication. The root of a lot of sessions that go wrong as well as relationships in general not working out comes down to this word COMMUNICATION. After years of working on productions in all styles, languages with different personalities, I thought I’d throw together a quick blog on what I have seen WORKS. Keep it short. Musicians in general don’t like to read. I have seen clients write paragraphs upon paragraphs of changes that they’d like to have made. What… [Read More]

Pro Tips With StudioPros: Pitch Correction

In this episode of Pro Tips with StudioPros, we are talking about Pitch Correction. What is it? How do you use it? I also want to comment on Filip’s amazing tan that continues to get better and better with each episode of the vlog. That’s some California living right there. If you have a project that needs some additional polish, we offer vocal tuning services here at StudioPros. Our engineer uses a program called Melodyne to tune the vocals note… [Read More]

Featured Artist: Donna Lynch

This month’s featured artist, Donna Lynch, came to me with a lyric sheet and one goal — to create a cool, laid back contemporary pop song with top 40 potential. After a few long phone calls, we came up with a game plan to fully produce her song, “What’s Inside.” The StudioPros production team created the chord progression from scratch and arranged the song using multiple keyboard layers, synth bass, a single guitar track, and Evan on vocals. The result is… [Read More]

Songwriter’s Challenge: Write a Standard Form Song

Beginners Guide To Song Form Part 2 After receiving such great feedback from you guys, we’ve decided to continue the songwriting form series. Last time we touched on the AABA format using Paul Simon’s “Still Crazy After All These Years” as an example, and today I want to focus on the most popular song structure-ABABCB. Understanding Song Structure Basics: ABABCB Song Form The ABABCB Song Form: The most common song form is the ABABCB form, which is a verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus song…. [Read More]

Recording Tips: Keep it Simple

When I record a song, I have a tendency to layer many instruments on top of one another. Like, millions of instruments. OK, so maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but I do tend to get carried away. Sometimes I’ll program a drum part that I think sounds pretty cool, but to beef it up I’ll double it on another kit. And then another. And maybe even a fourth. Then I’ll play a guitar part. And maybe I’ll add a lead… [Read More]

Recording Tips: How to Record Vocals

Unless you play instrumental music, the vocal track is the most important part of your demo. It’s the part of the music that most fans and listeners connect with the most, and that makes your vocal tracks the heart and soul of your recording. But recording vocals can be a tricky thing. How do you capture the spirit of a great vocal take without losing any of the raw energy of the performance? Here are a few recording tips for… [Read More]

Studio Pros Starter Kit

There can be a lot to think about when you start your first Studio Pros production.  Here are some links that you should browse through before you begin to ensure you get the most out of your experience—and to be sure you make an awesome song with us! Before You Record: Preparing the Perfect Pre-Production Files Using Reference Tracks to Get The Sound You Want Choosing the Right Instrumentation After You Start the Recording Process: How to Get The Most… [Read More]

5 things you MUST know before you enter a local recording studio with your own band

1. Decide whether you want to record live (with the whole band playing together) or record one instrument track at a time. Even though recording live seems more fun, it’s actually much harder and requires renting a bigger, more expensive studio. 2. If you plan to record live, you should first try recording one of your rehearsals with an mp3 recorder. Even though the audio won’t be high quality, you’ll get a good idea of how “together” your band sounds… [Read More]

Guitar Solos: How to Record a Great One

Sometimes an awesome guitar solo can add a new level of energy and fun to a song. In some cases, particularly in songs from guitar-focused bands like The Black Crowes and Van Halen, the guitar solo can be the defining moment of a song. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a bad solo can really bring a song down with it. Imagine that just when you are really getting into a song, suddenly a lame solo completely takes you… [Read More]

Hit Songs Need Clean Music Production to Be Heard

So many talented songwriters and composers love melodies and harmonies so much that they layer as many into their song as they possibly can. They want the best music productions for their songs, but think that adding more and more instruments and parts will make their production sound great. Unfortunately, it won’t! Less is more Have you ever noticed that some of the biggest hits of all time only have three or four instruments on them? Lots of classic Beatles… [Read More]

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