Jamie Durrant’s FREE recording tips
ARIA nominated songwriter, ARIA chart hit record producer,
owner of Studio Riverview Lodge:
www.studioriverviewlodge.com
Tel:+61 0419 006391
Are you looking for help with recording techniques?
Need some ideas and or theory on mic placement, digital audio workstations,
music production and recording? You've come to the right studio website!
10 Big Don’ts of Music Production
FREE PDF e-Book
Written by Jamie Durrant this new e-Book is free when you subscribe to
Jamie Durrant's recording tips newsletter, its that easy!
So what's in the e-Book??
Here are two mini chapters to get you started, the rest are free -
read on you're about to learn some vital music production secrets!
1. Don’t assume you can fix it in the mix.
Mixing by nature is a method of fitting all of the elements or musical parts of your
recording into a cohesive and exciting (usually 2 track), stereo format. Although you
can equalize and effect instruments and musical parts during the mix, nothing can
substitute recording the ‘correct source’ with a wonderful mic chain. When I say
correct’ I am talking about the sound that best suits the overall production you’re
chasing – the exact sound you desire.
For example if you record a guitar part with a guitar that has old and rather dull
sounding strings, simply adding treble in mixing will add noise, pottential phase shift
and in many cases harshness to your source recording. A recording made with fresh
strings will have wonderful harmonic life and will need little if any eq in a mix. This
recording will offer the listener a higher quality ‘best example’ source as well as an
enhanced perception of realness due to the lack of *phase shift.
Remember you can’t turn a shit into gold so why not record ‘gold’ in the first place?
Isn’t that the whole idea!
*Phase shifts occurs when different frequencies of the sound source hit the ear at
different times creating a less than desired and less ‘real’ listening experience. The
same can be said for speakers with several drivers. Speakers with ‘time aligned’
drivers offer technically no phase shift or less phase shift therefore reproducing the
source recording more accurately.
2. Don’t slap the mic up and hope for the best.
Great mic technique is something that can’t be
learnt from a book. It takes knowledge of your
instrument or amp source, knowledge of
which mics can reproduce which particular
sound, or in which way they can interpret or
translate your source.
Further to this, room acoustics and player
technique can greatly alter a microphone’s
performance in its ability to achieve the
sound’ you are chasing to record.
Having said this, be sure to place your mic
in front of your source, then listen, move it at a 15 degree angle from your source then
listen, move it further away or closer to your source, then listen, and so on.
If you take the time to make sure the source of your recording is amazing, you owe it
to yourself to spend the time listening to different mic placements before you record.
Further chapters avaliable FREE in the PDF eBook.
3. Don’t use the wrong mic for the job (unless it’s deliberate)
4. Don’t destroy your recording’s integrity by using rubbish in your mic
chain
5. Don’t forget where your recorded source ends up. Learn your medium.
6. Don’t assume you know everything
and that you are always right
7. Don’t rush things, no matter
what the budget!
8. Don’t forget to plan your production
9. Don’t grind yourself into the
ground
10. Don’t give up, enjoy learning
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Studio Riverview Lodge:
www.studioriverviewlodge.com
Tel:+61 0419 006391
