Music Mill 25th Jan- 'Recording: Beautiful- Christina Aguilera'

25th January 2010: 9.30am

  Today for the CDM (thats creative digital media)students, I had to prepare a song with a backing track for them to record for there assignment.

AIM:
To have a successful outcome by producing  a cover of 'Beautiful' by Christina Aguilera. To gain more knowledge that i can use for the future.


OBJECTIVES:

• To be professional in every aspect and to do what is expected of me (the artist) within the studio.
• Get involved within the recording process as much as i can.
• Ask necessary questions widen my range of understanding.

I feel that I have had experience in the past, within the studio but I have always been in the studio for another purpose than myself. Either doing backing vocals, or the technical side of things. It does come in handy that I have studied music technology for a number of years so I am not a stranger being in there! Its oh so different when your on your own...

The Day

There was three parts of the morning that I knew about this recording was the last section of the day. The other two are mentioned in other posts on todays date at The Music Mill. (go to these sites?).. click here. or click this one. LUCKY DIP! 

9.30 am

Only the sign of one person of the group there trying to set up on his own, so this gave me a chance to get my knowledge out (that is a bit dusty) and get stuck in helping set up the desk and the microphones. 

Even though the desk is very different to what I am used to it all works the same, through the channels and strips. After working for about an hour it became easier, it was a creative working session where I used trial and error to correct mistakes. For example- Just forgetting to turn mute off when re-recording over the track before. This is something I have learned many times but when you are in a different environment you forget the simplest of things- for the future I took more notes that I can refer back to.

Afternoon:

Recording the song 'Beautiful- by Christina Aguilera' felt better after the morning sessions of microphone testing. As my voice became warmed up for the recording and comfortable to do a run through and a first take all the way through. This is better because if you do it in sections it is very hard to "drop-in". (This is when you run up to a particular section and drop in on the part that you do not like or that you want to do harmonies over the top. You can do it again as many times as you wish, it is keeping with the song so nothing sounds out of place. This made me have a better understanding of how artists I personally listen to have different sections and get it PERFECT!  Clever really!! Did you know that before any of this computer business was invented to chop bits of songs together they would have to cut up the tape and stick it together again (TODAYS -CUT & PASTE!!) we shouldn't take it for granted!

This picture is of me. 
TIRED but still going on. 

Singing the same songs for a few hours can get on your nerves so if you are thinking of going to record a particular song THINK WISELY. You will end up hating the song when you come out of the recording session!! Believe me!! But when you listen to the song again you will hear things you didn't hear before or sections that you played over and over to get right end up being the bits you remember for a specific thing such as the harmony that you did. This gave me the chance to develop the recording to the standard that the producer wanted. 

I really enjoyed being the artist for the CDM students, they were very helpful and because I know them from sessions before, we had a friendship so it wasn't awkward. I have been in situations that have been really horrible and I did not perform to my best ability. Having a good relationship with your producer and engineer is helpful as you become more productive and time is used wisely.

At the most basic level, the role of the musician in the studio is to deliver a performance of high quality that can be released to the world (or at the very least, be turned into something that can be released).

My evaluative parts are written in questions I have asked myself. if i was reading this what would I want to know... Also it makes it easier for you as the reader as you can go to a section you are looking for or more interested in.

ARE YOU WANTING TO DO THE SAME?:]

 As I mentioned the studio can be a daunting place for many musicians, and as a performer there’s a fair bit of pressure on you to, well… perform. Here’s some advice to help you get a grip on your role in the studio and how to make the session productive, effective and comfortable...
Contact your local studio to see if you can sit in on a few recording sessions or see if and set up help is needed in the studio or for a local band helping set up with them, its a tedious process but 

you got to start somwhere :]

'I HAVE WASHED DISHES FOR Matt Helders'! (AKA 25% OF THE ARTIC MONKEYS) yes yes! (: If that does not give you an incentive I don't know what will!! 

TRUST THE PRODUCER

First, don’t listen to those people who insist you need to be in complete control of each studio session. Unless you’re producing your own work, you’re there simply to be recorded. You have complete control over your work, of course, but once you’re in the studio, trying to run things will detract from your overall performance.

Be willing to be led. You don’t need to be in charge. Giving control of the session to the producer will remove a whole host of anxieties and fears from your mind, allowing you to focus on your performance. They are there to look after the session and the recording. You’re not. You’re there to deliver the best performance of the song that you can.

PRACTICE & PREPARE :]

Don’t come in unprepared. Spend more than enough time practicing the song and knowing each and every second of your performance. Once you know your performance, though, don’t continue the ball-breaking practice sessions.

Knock back to a rate of practice that effectively maintains your current familiarity with the song, without overdoing it. You want to know the song perfectly, but you also can’t get to a point where you hate it by the time you’re ready to record. The lack of passion bleeds through onto the recording every time.

COMMUNICATE :o

Communication is always very important to a successful session.

Communicate your artistic intention and vision. The producer isn’t there to create a vision for you. They know that the artist is the one with the vision and that’s why the artist has created, painstakingly, these works of musical art. However, they can’t turn around and make that vision a reality without clear knowledge of it.

This sort of soul-baring discussion should take place well before you go in for a tracking session, but keep this in mind and feel free to steer the producer in the right direction and back to your intention as the session moves along. Remember, the producer works for you.

Communicate your physical and mental state. The producer can’t know whether to bother with another ten takes or call it quits until the next day unless you communicate your ability to continue.

There’s a tendency to only communicate negatives—feeling tired, voice is getting sore, fingers are getting sloppy on the frets. Remember that positives are equally important so that everyone can kind of gauge what’s happening and how much longer it’s going to happen for.

Get Familiar with the Studio Environment 

Know the space. Know the microphone. Know the engineer. Know the producer. Nothing makes a musician shaky quite like an uncomfortable and foreign environment. Take the time to know the sound and reverberation of the room you’re tracking in, the sound of the microphone(s) you’re working with, and get to know the people who will be capturing your performance.

I’ve spoken with producers who say that some musicians will “go into a funk” in an environment they can’t connect with; if the studio is too tidy, for instance. Leave nothing to chance.

DON'T BE AN IDIOT :)

Feel free to ask stupid questions, do a million takes and be a pain in the backside in general, but don’t be the moron who goes out drinking the night before a vocal tracking session and then come in with a voice that can’t produce an audible sound.

Don’t be the idiot who forgets to restring his guitar two to three days before a session and comes in expecting to use either old, crappy strings, or strings that keep going out of tune because they haven’t been broken in.

Be smart, respect the time of the producer and the engineer, and the fact that studios aren’t cheap. When you fail to prepare or take appropriate measures, you are letting everyone around you down.

ENJOY IT [:

As this chance does not come around every day make the most of it. Relax, enjoy & let the great tunes roll.... :) 

♥