Tips and Tricks for Laying Down Tracks

Arranging and putting together a recording sometimes takes something a little bit different than getting a band together and mixing in all of the music.  There are now more options available for piecing together your songs, making sure that everything is in the right place and keeping the sounds together correctly.

Tip #1: Take advantage of repeats and patterns.  Everything musical is built off of a pattern.  If you have patterns in your song, don't take the time to keep re-writing them into the music, especially if you are not playing it live.  Creating a loop with that specific musical phrasing will be much more effective and will save you time.

Tip #2: Know where to find loops.  Most recording packages come with pre-made loops that you can use for general patterns.  This is especially effective if you need a rhythm pattern or a general beat.  While loops shouldn't be the basis of your song, for the general back ground songs, this is a great thing to use.

Tip #3: Always think in layers.  Whether you are using patterns, loops or recording live, the best way to get through the recording process is to think in layers.  This should be happening from the arrangement of the song, but should continue to the actual production and mixing.

Tip #4: Know what to put in first.  There are logical and effective ways to put down tracks to the different instrumentation.  You will always want to start with the rhythm track because of the ability to have a repetitive loop and to keep everything on the right track.  You will then stack from lows to highs, starting with the bass sounds, moving to mid range, and then high range.

Tip #5: Vocals are the icing on the cake.  Even though the singers are the front of the stage, in recording they keep to the back.  Before you bring a vocal person in to record, you will want to have the layers of your instrumentation completed, including the mixing.  The voice can then be compressed in and will blend in nicely with the rest of the instrumentation.

Tip #6: Familiarize yourself with more than one program.  Most recording studios will have a preference of their favorite programs to use for everything.  However, the more versatile you are in your recording software, the more capabilities you will have to find the right sounds, arrangements and capabilities within the software.  You will want to ask around to see what software is best at what.

Tip #7:  Know the background from the front.  One of the largest mistakes made in recording is having the balance and the back arrangements as the foreground.  This all comes back to the volume control in your pieces.  You will want to research what the standards are for each volume setting before you start recording.

Tip #8:  It's easier to get louder in volume than softer.  If you are just starting the mix, start low.  Typically, you will want to test each instrument or pattern.  They should be set around -6.0.  From this, you can move up.  You never want your volume to get to 0 when recording, especially before the vocals as it will cause the sound to be too loud, to peak with the waves and to be imbalanced.

Tip #9: Testing.  When you test each of the sounds you want to look for volume control.  Each of the instruments should not max out into a yellow or red zone.  The volume should show a nice half way point with all of the instruments.  Some can be higher than others for the mix, but if you keep this general rule in mind, it will be easier to keep the instrumentation fitting together with volume.

Tip #10: Know when to pre-set.  If you have a certain sound you are going for, know what needs compressed or put together in a certain way, don't hesitate to do it before you begin playing.  This is especially effective with the mixing.  However, you don't want to experiment unless you are ready to lay the track down several times with different settings.

With these tips, you can build your pieces more effectively and with less time.  Knowing what to use when with your computer, as well as what to set in the right place will help you to get the exact sound that you need.