A summary of the process for music CD's

1.  Call us to discuss your needs and budget.  It will help to know the exact number of songs you plan to record since our quotes are based on the number of songs we track.

2.  Start working early on licensing.  You will need a mechanical license for each song that is not Public Domain.  The process isn't that difficult, but can be a bit of a hunt and therefore, time consuming.  Note that licenses are not required until the duplication step.

3.  Select your musicians.  Recommendations are available upon request. 

4.  On the appointed date(s), come to the studio and track instruments and vocals.   The amount of time tracking takes depends on a variety of factors.  We should be able to get in the ballpark when discussing the details of your project in advance.

5.  After all tracking is done, the next steps is to go through the various parts to fine tune the edits and fix any issues that turn up.  Mouth noises, timing and pitch are typical items that require attention.

6.  Time to mix!  This step involves selecting EQ's, compressors, reverbs, panning and any other processing and volume adjustment necessary to massage the various recorded parts into a blend that sounds like a record.

7.  Mixed songs are approved by the client.  We often do this by posting MP3's on our web site that clients can download.  But you are also welcome to request an audio CD.

8.  The approved songs are "mastered".  For maximum quality, we recommend taking the songs to a dedicated mastering facility and engineer.  Experienced professional engineers will pretty universally tell you that the unbiased involvement of a (trusted) mastering engineer is essential.  One of the main jobs of a mastering engineer is to bring an unbiased and emotionally uninvolved set of ears to the project.  They still use our mix, but have the advantage of not having already heard it dozens of times. If your budget or inclination doesn't favor hiring a separate a mastering engineer, we would be delighted to master your project.

9.  Your CD master will be shipped.  It is typical for us to ship the master directly to the duplicator of your choice.

CD COVER ART AND DUPLICATION

We've worked with many companies over the years.  In our opinion, one company stands above the rest for quality and client satisfaction.  We recommend Disk Makers in New Jersey. www.discmakers.com

There are a bazillion other duplication companies, but all others we've tried have left us disappointed to some degree due to washed out or inaccurate color printing, poor communication, missed deadlines, bland or amateur graphics, surprise expenses and even audio manipulation.  The way we look at it, our success depends on your success.  You'll find Disk Makers has that attitude also.

HOW TO SELL YOUR CD'S ONLINE

We are partial to a company called CD Baby and routinely refer clients there.  For a very small fee (less than you could do it for yourself), they handle everything from online credit card orders to downloadable songs on iTunes and Amazon.com.  You may begin setting up your CD Baby account even before you record.  They have two web addresses of note:

to buy CD's
to set up an artist account

ODDS AND ENDS

The amount of time it takes to record a song depends on a variety of factors. It is often stated in the recording industry that you should expect each recorded minute of the final production to take about 1 to 3 hours to prepare.  Factors include the number of tracks, how many takes the producer requires for each track and how much post production is required.

For details on licensing, click here.

If you can help it, don't put off recording until you have a big deadline. Please communicate your anticipated schedule to us before dates are set.  We truly do not want to ever disappoint anyone by not being able to deliver according to expectations.  If we are already booked, we can refer you to one of a few other local studios that we have close relationships with and trust.

Please bring copies of your music for all musicians that will be involved in your recording. 

Make sure to get plenty of rest the night before, especially if you are a vocalist.

For greatest efficiency, only bring people that are directly involved with the recording.

Dress for comfort.  Tracking is physical work and it will help to be as comfortable as possible.  Go for clothes that keep you cool and that don’t make noise when you move.  Fashion is the last thing to worry about.  If you plan to do some photo work during the project, it usually works best to focus on getting the right photos and then change clothes and focus on performance.  Many will also want comfortable shoes because one can spend a considerable amount of time standing.  If your feet start to get tired, don't hesitate to request a chair.

The engineer will cue you when to start.  Unless you are playing with a metronome, you will be given a verbal cue something like, "Go ahead.  We're rolling." Please don't talk, sigh, play, or move for a count of eight after you finish a take. 

Try to generally hold your position and not move your head and body around excessively, though it is perfectly natural to "work" the mic a little.  Mostly we want to keep a fairly consistent distance from the microphone.  Levels and EQ can change noticeably if you move too much.

Instrumental musicians should tune up after every song just to be on the safe side.

Singers keep something warm with you to lubricate your throat. Don't drink anything cold (especially ice) because it will tighten up your vocal cords. Room temperature water or warm herbal tea is best.  Avoid caffeine.  Keep in mind the recording experience is all about getting the best performance and that means doing what is best for your voice, not your taste buds.

Goofs are normal and will happen to everyone.  Just relax and do your best. One reason you go to a recording studio is to get your best recorded.  Perfect takes are like a hole-in-one in golf.  Happens, but not often.  We can easily go back and re-record just the parts that need fixing.  This is a normal part of the process.  Most clients record a take or two, pick the best take and then re-record whatever parts need to be better.

If one song isn't happening, forget that song and move on to another song, or we'll take a short break.  If you feel yourself getting tense about a song, take a break. A break after every couple of songs can help a lot.

We don't encourage tracking and mixing on the same day.  In our experience, the best mixes happen after the ears have had some rest.

Above all, have fun. Remember, your attitude will come across on the finished product.

EVALUATING THE MIX

Listen to your CD at a moderate or quiet level. This is how most people will hear it.