November 2011 Archives

While it may seem like common sense to prepare for a gig or a recording session, it is amazing how few people actually do it. And, even if they do prepare, they don't always prepare well. If there is one thing to be over prepared for as a musician, it would be a recording session.

Occasionally there are things that fly in a live situation. Sometimes the overall "tightness" of the band tends to mask or gloss over the "little things". In a recording studio, however, these seemingly inconsequential flaws are amplified and exaggerated. Every little scrape of the guitar strings, waver in a vocalist's pitch, or off time kick drum beat will be audible in the studio.

That's not a problem if your intention is to record an album with a "live feel". There are many bands that used to record in the same room simultaneously. This is not necessarily a "bad way" to record, but there are fewer bands doing it. Most bands are overdubbing their parts individually these days (i.e. First, the drums, then the bass, then the guitar, and then the vocals).

The implication here is that you can record the same part an unlimited number of times in order to get your best performance. There is, however, a balance that should be struck with your producer, band, or engineer. Spending hours in a studio isn't necessarily time-effective or cost-effective. Perfection isn't necessarily the result anyone is looking for; it can destroy a project. Consequently, the best thing you can do as a musician is come prepared.

Let's take some time to define what that means. Coming prepared means coming practiced or rehearsed. Certainly it's a good thing if you've had the chance to perform the song (to be recorded) dozens or even hundreds of times. However, that isn't always enough. Bring things back to a basic level. Practice with a metronome (you are going to be playing to a click track after all) at a slower tempo than you're use to performing the song. Listen with a critical ear and notice the little imperfections. Don't be too critical; that can be discouraging. However, practice listening impartially as much as possible. Take the time to notice every nuance of what you are doing.

Typically, it's not hard to separate the beginners from the pros. Beginners will often stop mid-track if they make any kind of error. Pros will keep going until the track is finished, even if they make a mistake, just in case there is anything in their performance that can be salvaged or sparks new ideas. Beginners don't generally bring any ideas to the table. They don't have any notes (it's a good idea to at least make some mental notes about what you are going to do), they don't experiment, and they collapse under pressure. By contrast, the pros will come prepared with a bunch of ideas to explore, keep focused, and generally just try to enjoy the experience.

Finally, how well should you come prepared? An old saying we've always used at Red Flame goes something like this: "know how to play your part forwards and backwards". Practice to the point where you feel you've over-practiced, and chances are it will be just the right amount.

Overdubbing is a common practice in a modern studio. Considering it was not commonly used until Les Paul made innovations in multi-tracking, it is still a relatively new technology. However, it is being used in just about every recording environment imaginable today.

While it is possible to record a virtually unlimited number of tracks at the advent of digital recording technology, there used to be greater limitations. For example, there was a time when a band could only record up to 4 separate tracks. If they wanted to add more, the 4 tracks had to be bounced and mixed down to 1 track, which meant that the previous 4 tracks could not be edited anymore.

There are bands like Queen that have taken advantage of multi-tracking to an extreme. Brian May says he used to overdub something like 30 guitar tracks, and certainly their huge, layered, choral sounding vocal sounds were not accomplished without the use of multi-tracking.

There are many bands today that create their guitar sound through the use of 2 guitarists. Both guitarists use different gear, and have different playing styles, so when their 2 performances are mixed together it sounds significantly different than if only 1 guitar was playing. Some single guitarist bands have also taken advantage of this idea by recording the same guitar part twice using a different amp or different EQ setting. And you thought they got their awesome legendary tone with only one guitar performance! More often than not, that is not the case anymore. Keith Richards, for example, was said to have recorded his parts through 2 guitar amps, one dirty and one clean!

Some producers even use "digital sounds" or MIDI instruments in order to thicken up the tone of a particular instrument. For example, I have heard that some producers use a sampled sound of a snare to thicken up the existing snare sound. While it could be somewhat time consuming to accomplish this process, the end result could very well be what the band, producer, or engineer envisioned.

There are many other reasons and practical applications for multi-tracking. Suffice it to say, multi-tracking is common practice in a studio today. Simply put, it is the ability to "record over", or add additional parts to an existing recording.

While it is true that software has replaced many hardware components in the modern recording world, software has not yet replaced microphones. Microphones are still a vital part of a recording studio.

In essence, there are two important parameters when it comes to microphones:

1. There are different types of microphones that are used for different purposes. In general, you wouldn't use the same mic for a kick drum on a guitar amp. Without getting too complicated, this is because different types of microphones have different frequency responses, or in simpler terms, coloration.
2. Microphone placement affects the overall sound of what is being recorded. If you place a microphone two feet away from a guitar amp, as opposed to 6 inches away from the amp, you will get a different sound. A microphone placed at the 12th fret of an acoustic guitar, and another microphone placed behind the bridge of an acoustic guitar is going to produce different results. Microphone positioning and placement can create a variety of different results.

Click tracks have been around long before digital recording. However, if you are entering a studio situation fresh, it's something you will probably want to know about in advance.

So, what is a click track? In essence, it's something to keep musicians on time. By that I don't mean that you arrive at the studio on time or leave on time. What I mean is that a click track is an auditory device that 'clicks' at certain intervals, keeping you on time while you are performing.

A click track will 'click' at faster or slower rates depending on what you have the tempo set at. The reality is that every song has a tempo. Some songs have multiple tempos. Some songs are in 4/4 time, while others are in 12/8 time (and the click track will adjust accordingly). Quite simply, most studios are recording with click tracks today.

If you've ever been told to practice with a metronome, that is sound advice, because when you enter a studio, chances are good that you will be playing to a click track or at the very least, a drum beat that has been pre-recorded. Keeping time is an important skill to have as a musician.

Does this mean that click tracks are always used in a studio environment? No. In fact, there are certain producers who have moved away from using click tracks at all, citing that they get more organic performances from the musicians.

Certainly perfection has been taken to the extreme in studio projects in recent years. That's because you now have a virtually unlimited number of tracks to work with. There are bands that used to record around a single microphone and kept playing the song until it sounded right. This wasn't particularly time efficient or cost effective. Nowadays, you can come back to a part and overdub it or track it an unlimited number of times, as long as money and time and patience isn't an issue.

Bottom line: a click track is an auditory device that helps keep you on time.

If you are new to the studio environment, one of the things you will want to know about is the Digital Audio Workstation or DAW. In simple terms, a DAW is a piece of software that does a lot of things that traditional hardware recording components used to do.

Does it replace all outboard studio gear? Not necessarily. It is very common to see a combination of hardware devices used in conjunction with a DAW and other computer software. However, in some cases it has taken the place of a traditional mixing board as many people have come accustomed to seeing in studios.

What is the function and purpose of a DAW? The first thing to understand here is that most studios are now recording to a computer hard drive as opposed to an onboard disc, tape, or other external devices. A DAW enables you to record directly to your hard drive, allowing for quick access times.

Another function of a DAW is the ability to edit, mix, or master recorded tracks. We will be covering these subjects in greater detail later, but for now it's good to know that you can arrange, cut, paste, pan, and do a variety of other things to your audio files in a DAW environment.

You can also apply a variety of effects from a DAW platform. Originally this was done through the use of outboard gear. However, there exists a large array of plug-ins, called VST or Virtual Studio Technology plug-ins that serve the same function that many racks of outboard gear used to serve. With the use of a DAW, you can apply just about every effect imaginable, including EQ, modulation effects, distortion, among others.

In short, a large part of today's audio production is carried out on a piece of computer software called a Digital Audio Workstation.

Earlier this year I had the idea to put together an introduction to recording workshop. This workshop is now available by request. Presented here, for the first time, is some of the information and practical knowledge you could gain by participating in this workshop (not as hands-on as the real thing). I have plans of putting together an audio series on digital recording for musicians and audio engineers, so these blog posts will serve as building blocks and blueprints for that project.

Much like the music industry at large, the recording and studio world has changed a lot in the last couple of decades. Hardware has come down in price. Recording studios are no longer operating on hardware components alone. Most of them now use software devices like DAWs, also known as Digital Audio Workstations. More than ever, it has become an affordable proposition to set up a home studio and even create startlingly good results. In fact, I've often jested that if you're going to spend $5,000 - 10,000 on a recording course or audio engineering diploma, you could just as soon start a home studio on a healthy budget. For better or worse, this is not far from the truth.

This course may not equip you with everything you need to know. It is not intended as a comprehensive overview of all the details that come with running a studio, such as power conditioners, proper ground, electrical circuits, or all the cables you're going to need. Describing these details in an article or an audio program would certainly prove to be painful at best. I might make the occasional reference to these things, but ultimately they are beyond the scope of this program.

More concisely, this course is geared toward studio newbie's with very little or no experience. I will be talking about things from the perspective of a musician who still doesn't know what it means to work in a studio setting. What are the things a musician should know before ever entering a recording studio? How can they show up prepared and equipped to give their best performance?

With that in mind, it is often said that a true master is a master of the basics, so certainly even a master with an open mind could take away a couple of nuggets from this course.

The latest entry in the AC Podcast is an interview with Michael Bungay Stanier. He talks about the difference between bad work, good work, and great work, and how we often settle for good work in place of great work. What is great work? It's something you can tell your friends about without any hesitation! Good work is something you have to describe in "creative terms". Listen to the episode for more great insights!

If you've been taking music lessons for any length of time, then you've probably heard about the value of practice. If you have yet to establish a practice regime, then perhaps it has not been stated clearly enough. In fact, I don't think it can be overstated. Practice is the key to improvement.

Why is practice so important? Well, there are a number of reasons and explanations.

If you've been taking lessons with me, you may have heard me say this before. What does it mean? Let's talk about muscle memory first.

Basically, most things we do like typing, driving, or even playing video games involves some kind of muscle memory. If you had to stop and think about every little action you took, like what button to push at what time (as in video games), life would be an uphill process. Every time you come to a red light, you would have to remember to step on the brake. However, if you've been doing the same thing for any length of time, it starts to happen automatically. You don't have to think about it anymore.

Repetition is the magic key ingredient in developing muscle memory. If you don't give your muscles anything to remember, how are they supposed to remember it? This doesn't necessarily mean that you have to practice something for hours. However, next time you sit down to play something, try setting a goal of how many times you're going to repeat that exercise or riff; 10 times, 20 times, 50 times, 100 times...

Then, rest. What? Yes, I said rest. How do you expect your muscles to remember something if you're not giving them enough rest? Everybody takes a different number of repetitions for something to become embedded in their muscle memory. However, you also need to rest your muscles for this to work. Don't worry about what anyone else is doing; just do what you need to do to work towards your goals. Besides, you don't want to develop repetitive stress injuries.

This is a phrase describing momentum. Momentum can't easily be stopped after a certain point. The trick is that it takes time to develop. If you get into the habit of practicing every day, repeat that action over and over, it will become your new default. Once you have gotten to that point, you don't have to think about it anymore. It's not a question of if you're going to practice or not, it's a question of what and how long.

When you continue to practice, put in the days, months, and years (yes, years), all your practice is going to catch up with you. That's why I don't worry about seeing immediate progress. Somewhere down the line it will catch up with me, and I will be able to do what used to be hard. I won't be able to stop the wave of results coming my way.

This relates to what I just finished saying. You don't always see instant results from the hours you put in. It doesn't mean you're not getting better. It doesn't mean you're going backwards, even when it may feel like it. It means that your muscle memory is processing the movements you're feeding it. Don't get discouraged, and just know that your ship is coming in!

I don't think I need to say much more at this point. Hours of practice adds up, causing you to become a better player, better able to process and handle a variety of techniques, scales, styles, and riffs without much conscious thought. That is our ultimate goal, is it not? We want to become unconsciously competent at our instrument.

We are currently looking for a qualified music instructor to come on board at Red Flame. We will be putting together an official job posting down the line, but read on for a brief overview of qualities we are looking for in an instructor, and what to expect when you come on board.

Company Name: Red Flame
Title: Music Instructor
Employment: Full-Time Music Instruction (4 to 6 hours nightly)
Openings: 1
Location: Calgary, AB
Apply to: info@redflamerecords.com

• At least 6 - 8 years of significant experience on guitar
• At least 2 - 4 years of significant experience on piano
• At least 1 - 2 years of music instruction experience
• A solid foundation in music theory (diads, triads, chords, major & minor scales, modes of the major scale, circle of fifths, cycle of fourths, intervals, etc.)

• Professional (dresses well, has good personal hygiene and manners)
• Easy-going (laid back, fun-loving, and personable)
• Consistent (taking responsibility for your actions and doing the right things over and over again)
• Punctual (shows up on time, and keeps on task until the end of a session)
• Hard worker (goes the extra mile when there is no discernable reward on the other end)
• Reader (leaders are readers!)
• Growing (you are consistently growing and developing yourself)

• iPhone or Android phone
• iPad or tablet
• Laptop or Netbook

What do you get when you join the Red Flame team?

We are in touch with a variety of teachers, agencies, and music studios in town. If, for some reason you are not satisfied with your schedule, we can find a way to supplement it. Plus, you will develop some great relationships with people who have had years of experience in the industry, have the ability to ask questions and learn from the best.

If there's something you don't understand, don't worry! We have qualified people on staff to mentor you and show you how to go about solving an issue. And, if we don't know, there are other people we can ask! We take pride in training and mentoring our staff to the point of unconscious competency.

At Red Flame we understand what it means to be a full-time music instructor. Your student load fluctuates, your income stops (or reduces greatly) during holidays and the summer, and you have to sacrifice your evenings instead of working during the day, which is when most people work. Red Flame can supply you with additional opportunities (depending on your skill set), to supplement your cash flow and get you through the slow seasons.

This is another common question I get in music lessons. Or, rather, I should say it is a question that comes in a couple of different forms. It usually sounds something like this:

• "When I get fast enough, it will sound good, right?"
• "I'm not fast enough. How do I get faster at playing my instrument?"

If you've caught yourself saying these words (or something similar), it is not a good habit. You are missing a fundamental point that I usually touch on in lesson #1: accuracy over speed.

What this means in layman's terms is that taking the time to articulate each note you play concisely and accurately is more important than the speed at which you play it. Now you're probably wondering how that is going to help you get faster at playing. Unfortunately, there is only one way to gain speed on an instrument: develop your fluency. Actually, this is good news, because that means there's a straight path between where you are and where you want to go, if you're willing to take it.

"But that's not the point", you cry. Yes, I understand what you're trying to get at. What you're saying is that the song doesn't sound right, because you're not playing it up to speed, right?

Well, first of all, that's not necessarily true. You may actually be playing it up to speed without knowing it, but you're missing some other key element like the phrasing of a particular riff, or accenting certain notes, or the overall timing. It's not going to sound like the song unless you pay more attention to the previously mentioned factors, most of which fall under the category of phrasing.

The other alternative is that you're really not playing it up to speed. No problem. Go back to my previous point and read it again: if you're phrasing the song correctly, it will still sound reasonably good no matter what tempo you're playing it at.

Sure, if you really wanted to, you could play something fast and sloppy, and some people do that (even some pros). My personal philosophy is never to take something at the threshold of your speed limitations without first developing muscle memory through repetition. Take the time to develop accuracy. If you can play it slowly, you can learn to play it faster. It's a good idea to build up speed gradually, however.

Finally, there is a way to improve your speed: it is called practice. There are various speed drills and finger exercises that will ultimately help you develop fluency, as I mentioned earlier. These exercises are to be treated the same way: a) play them slowly and gradually increase your tempo, and b) put accuracy as a priority over speed.

So, in a battle of speed vs. accuracy, who wins? Accuracy, hands down. Speed is just a byproduct.

I just recorded a bit of bonus material for my podcast. This time, I talk about all the projects I've been working on recently. Check it out at the link below:

DAW Universal Update #1: November 8, 2011

Another great entry in the AC Podcast, False Assumptions talks about causality. Todd Henry implores, are the things we're doing really ineffective? Are we coming to false conclusions because we "tried something once"? Is the approach right, but is failing at the execution stage? Listen to the episode to see if false assumptions are holding you back.

We now have the PDF for the Christmas Recording event up and running. Take a look!

I talked at length about the M-Audio Fast Track Ultra in a previous post. Ultimately, I did go back to Long & McQuade and replaced it with a Motu UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid. I have yet to give this unit a test drive, but I do like the fact that it has USB2 and FireWire connectivity.

Meanwhile, the sales guy at L&M mentioned that the crackling and popping I was experiencing could be due in part to the Wi-Fi card in my laptop. Without pointing out how stupid this is (come on people, can't we can up with an audio interface that plays well with computers?), I will say that the thought did occur to me. I was trying to connect to a Wi-Fi connection while I was recording and wondered if it was interfering with the device. This may have been my mistake.

Still, I was unable to get any channels besides 1 and 2 working, and this was a more serious issue for me. Sure enough, the sales guy at L&M plugs it in and it works (on a Mac). I was having some serious issues getting it going on my Windows 7 system, so he was kind enough to replace it no questions asked. I paid the difference between the two units, and came home with an UltraLite-mk3 Hybrid. I have a great feeling about this.

It's just about that time of year again. Are you prepared for Christmas? This year, Red Flame is going to be offering Christmas recording sessions for students of all ages. If you or your child is interested in putting together a special project to commemorate the season, why not record a Christmas song? It's a great way to create memories, and it could make for a great gift too!

More details are on their way!