Comments on: From Your Project Studio to The Sound Machine http://blog.discmakers.com/2009/12/from-your-project-studio-to-the-sound-machine/ Insight for Independent Artists Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:35:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Don Rogozinski http://blog.discmakers.com/2009/12/from-your-project-studio-to-the-sound-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-1329 Don Rogozinski Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:30:07 +0000 http://blog.discmakers.com/?p=3212#comment-1329 It's always so wonderful to read articles like this. I have a Pro Tools based home studio like so many other people, but I'm often told that my work sounds better than most. Yes, I pay close attention to the engineering stuff (mics, mic placement, placement of the instrument within the room, etc.), but the truth is, I try to hire the best musicians available. I was recently asked to produce/engineer a Salsa CD that had been previously recorded at a bad home "studio". Previously, my client had spent (to the best of my knowledge) $5,000+ on the project but the "engineer" eventually lost all of the tracks. So, when he asked if I would re-do the project, I responded by asking him if he wanted it done right or quickly (to help him save money). After he told me that he wanted to do it right, I immediately recommended that we get the best musicians he could afford. Well...of course, in order to save some cash, he wanted to try using a couple of his friends on the recording. I began by setting up mics/preamps and recording his friends on congas and bass. After realizing that these musicians were not going to do the project justice, I asked my client to let me bring in another conga player the next evening. Since the congas we used belonged to my client, we left them setup overnight without moving or changing them or the mic/preamps. When we started recording the new conga player the following night, my client could not believe how much better the SOUND was. I DIDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING!! Literally, the only thing that changed was the musician. Often, my students don't initially comprehend the significant impact a great musician can make on the sonic quality of a recording. Don Rogozinski Course Director - Producing Full Sail University Winter Park, FL It’s always so wonderful to read articles like this. I have a Pro Tools based home studio like so many other people, but I’m often told that my work sounds better than most. Yes, I pay close attention to the engineering stuff (mics, mic placement, placement of the instrument within the room, etc.), but the truth is, I try to hire the best musicians available.

I was recently asked to produce/engineer a Salsa CD that had been previously recorded at a bad home “studio”. Previously, my client had spent (to the best of my knowledge) $5,000+ on the project but the “engineer” eventually lost all of the tracks. So, when he asked if I would re-do the project, I responded by asking him if he wanted it done right or quickly (to help him save money). After he told me that he wanted to do it right, I immediately recommended that we get the best musicians he could afford. Well…of course, in order to save some cash, he wanted to try using a couple of his friends on the recording.

I began by setting up mics/preamps and recording his friends on congas and bass. After realizing that these musicians were not going to do the project justice, I asked my client to let me bring in another conga player the next evening. Since the congas we used belonged to my client, we left them setup overnight without moving or changing them or the mic/preamps. When we started recording the new conga player the following night, my client could not believe how much better the SOUND was. I DIDN’T CHANGE ANYTHING!! Literally, the only thing that changed was the musician.

Often, my students don’t initially comprehend the significant impact a great musician can make on the sonic quality of a recording.

Don Rogozinski
Course Director – Producing
Full Sail University
Winter Park, FL

]]> By: Endy Daniyanto http://blog.discmakers.com/2009/12/from-your-project-studio-to-the-sound-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-1065 Endy Daniyanto Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:23:45 +0000 http://blog.discmakers.com/?p=3212#comment-1065 “Spend the money on the players; don’t worry about the studio or having fancy equipment. If you spend the money on the players, everything else will pretty much take care of itself.” That's what I tell my friends and students! It always starts with the musicians. Cheers, “Spend the money on the players; don’t worry about the studio or having fancy equipment. If you spend the money on the players, everything else will pretty much take care of itself.”

That’s what I tell my friends and students! It always starts with the musicians.

Cheers,

]]> By: SIDNEY TIMOTHY http://blog.discmakers.com/2009/12/from-your-project-studio-to-the-sound-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-1054 SIDNEY TIMOTHY Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:23:42 +0000 http://blog.discmakers.com/?p=3212#comment-1054 i record on a roland2480,and i went through alot of diffrent problems at first...like position of the mic...sounds bouncing off of walls and floors...i feel great about how far i have come sense recording with this machine,i always hear alot of people refer to protools and i here there sound and its not a big diffrence,actually i liked my sound better than theres,i mean i find digital better to me......better effects and tuning i record on a roland2480,and i went through alot of diffrent problems at first…like position of the mic…sounds bouncing off of walls and floors…i feel great about how far i have come sense recording with this machine,i always hear alot of people refer to protools and i here there sound and its not a big diffrence,actually i liked my sound better than theres,i mean i find digital better to me……better effects and tuning

]]> By: C Raynard http://blog.discmakers.com/2009/12/from-your-project-studio-to-the-sound-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-954 C Raynard Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:56:50 +0000 http://blog.discmakers.com/?p=3212#comment-954 I thought the article was very informative. As a producer, arranger, artist, very valueable nuggets. Thanks for sharing. I thought the article was very informative. As a producer, arranger, artist, very valueable nuggets. Thanks for sharing.

]]> By: Arthur Barry http://blog.discmakers.com/2009/12/from-your-project-studio-to-the-sound-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-938 Arthur Barry Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:37:20 +0000 http://blog.discmakers.com/?p=3212#comment-938 What technique(s) did you use to improve your singing? Im looking to improve my own. What technique(s) did you use to improve your singing? Im looking to improve my own.

]]> By: Eric http://blog.discmakers.com/2009/12/from-your-project-studio-to-the-sound-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-934 Eric Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:47:21 +0000 http://blog.discmakers.com/?p=3212#comment-934 Great article. It really starts behind the mic! I remember adding a lot of FXs to the recordings of my voice years ago because I never liked the color of it. Now, I used very little reverb on most of my voice takes, since I improved my singing quality. E. Great article. It really starts behind the mic! I remember adding a lot of FXs to the recordings of my voice years ago because I never liked the color of it. Now, I used very little reverb on most of my voice takes, since I improved my singing quality.
E.

]]> By: Samille Johnson http://blog.discmakers.com/2009/12/from-your-project-studio-to-the-sound-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-933 Samille Johnson Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:21:06 +0000 http://blog.discmakers.com/?p=3212#comment-933 This engineer is right on with everything he said. The one thing that got my attention was printing reverb to tape because it cant be undone. With keyboards sometime the time based effects are part of the timbre which makes for the sound of the say Rhodes. Other times you have to add verb which i think a little goes a long way. One critical thing i like doing is checking along the way in MONO. People dont seem to realize how checking the mix in MONO can iron out a lot of problems. They tend to forget about the elevator, the clock radio, the airplane speaker and not to forget the AM STATIONS THAT BROADCAST IN MONO. Thank you Mr. Engineer for your wisdom, for this art of engineering is truly an art, and it really dosent matter as much about the type of gear as opposed to knowing how to use the gear you have. I started with a 6 channel TAPCO MIXER and a 4 track Reel to Reel and a Shure SM57. That was in the early 80s and now that i have the digital workstations i dont know, it gives you an array of choices. The bottom line is this,, IF IT SOUNDS GOOD, IT IS GOOD. Samille Johnson Chief Engineer AudioWorkShopStudio Victorville, California www.audioworkshopstudio.com This engineer is right on with everything he said. The one thing that got my attention was printing reverb to tape because it cant be undone.

With keyboards sometime the time based effects are part of the timbre which makes for the sound of the say Rhodes. Other times you have to add verb which i think a little goes a long way.

One critical thing i like doing is checking along the way in MONO. People dont seem to realize how checking the mix in MONO can iron out a lot of problems.

They tend to forget about the elevator, the clock radio, the airplane speaker and not to forget the AM STATIONS THAT BROADCAST IN MONO.

Thank you Mr. Engineer for your wisdom, for this art of engineering is truly an art, and it really dosent matter as much about the type of gear as opposed to knowing how to use the gear you have.

I started with a 6 channel TAPCO MIXER and a 4 track Reel to Reel and a Shure SM57. That was in the early 80s and now that i have the digital workstations i dont know, it gives you an array of choices.

The bottom line is this,, IF IT SOUNDS GOOD, IT IS GOOD.

Samille Johnson
Chief Engineer
AudioWorkShopStudio
Victorville, California
http://www.audioworkshopstudio.com

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