10 Tips to a Better Song

If you are getting ready to step into a studio to record, make sure that you start thinking before you ever put foot close to the microphone.  While recording has allowed for new wonders and expectations to be met with music, there is still the need to do some old fashioned needs to make sure that your songs are worth the extra track.  Following are ten tips that you can remember to make sure you have the arrangement correct before you begin recording.

1.Balance.  Is your instrumentation balanced?  You should have an even amount of ranges, from low to high.  If you have too much of one and not enough of another, your recording might not sound so great.

2.Harmonies.  You want to make sure that there is some good support going into the melody of your song.  Without the right harmonies, or alternative sounds to the melody, it will sound like your song is missing a piece of the puzzle.

3.Musical arrangement.  This is based completely around the ability to organize the instrumentation in the song.  Not only should it be balanced, but it should also include contrasts and similarities in how the music follows what you are trying to say.  If you are stuck with creating instrumentation that fits, get into some basic theory concepts to assist you.

4.Spacing.  More important than all of the melodies and harmonies, is the room that you put in between each.  This means that you don't want to rush through your song and you don't want to take too much time.  Make sure that you give some breaks with melodies and change up the harmonies enough to keep it interesting and moving correctly.

5.Tempo.  Often times, it is assumed that there is a specific tempo and that is it. However, you want to make sure that your tempos are defined and everyone follows them without missing a beat.  Once you get into the studio, you don't want anything to be off by a second, as it will cause the recording to become difficult to lay down.

6.Form.  The easiest way for a listener to relate to your song from the beginning is to have the right form.  If you are focused on lyrics, this will be the hook that is used during the chorus.  If you are experimenting with form, make sure there is always a place in the music that goes back and keeps the attention of the listener so that they can relate to the music.

7.Variety.  One of the overlooked parts of arranging is the variety that is in the song. This means that, even though you are repeating choruses or verses, make sure that you have some different movement or instrumentation in your recording.

8.Movement.  The movement of the song goes beyond the tempo and into the extra small things that you do with a recording.  This is what will make or break a song. Things such as louds and softs, ornamentation and other small add ons will help to move the song in the right way.

9.Consistency.  Along with the variety of the song should be a certain consistency that lets the song fit together.  This partly is related to the form of the song and also links to things such as tying the song together with the right lyrics and musical concepts. Within each of these areas, you can have some variation, but make sure that the frame work allows the listener to follow what you are doing.

10.Creativity.  Of course, this should never be left behind.  All too often are musical ideas that are heard that are close to what was heard before.  The first rule to a good song is always to let yourself go, follow your creativity and to let the rest fall into place.

With these simple tricks are ways that you can improve your song and get it recording ready.  From this, you will be able to make sure that your songs and pieces are polished, stand out from the crowd and get your voice heard among other musicians.

A Wave File Is A Wave File

Software products, theories and preferences within the recording industry have taken over the best to the worst options in what to use in order to get the perfect CD.  Recording engineers and specialists always spend their time thinking about the best way to mix and master a wave file and the way to really get the job done.  However, the need to have specific measurements for different software and hardware is one that is not necessarily important.

No matter what you record with, the brand that you use or the software that is a part of your studio, there is only one general rule that you need to remember.  That is that a wave file is just a wave file.  The sound that goes into the computer from your instrument will always be that same wave file, no matter what you try to use, change or create to make it the perfect wave file.

This means that the software that you use, the way that you plug in your information for recording and the type of instruments you use will all lead to the same thing.  The sound wave.  No matter how many theories or ideas cross over into what the 'best' is, it always comes back to this one general term.  This is important not only to not become overwhelmed by the amount of information available, but also to recognize that the entire process of recording is based around this one concept and how you can use it the best.

What one should be looking at in terms of the wave files is what can be done in order to create the best sound.  You want your mixing and mastering to lead you to the sound that fits you as being a unique and creative sound.  You also want it to keep a certain level of control with volume as well as clarity.  With every step in the mixing and mastering process, this is what should be in mind first, not necessarily what you go through to get it there.

Beyond this, your rule of thumb should be how to make the wave files to perform at their best.  This relates to taking care of the peaks and the low points so that it sounds in a way that is best suited to whatever format you are putting it in, as well as the abilities to create a complete sound to the ear.

The reason why these should have priority is because it is the demonstration of the wave file to the ear that becomes the most important thing in the end.  If you can remember this as your end goal with the recording, you can go through whatever is needed in order to make the correct associations with the songs that you are playing.

The importance of the wave file is that it is your communication of music.  Because of this, you want to make sure that you use the correct tools and the ones that are best suited to what you need.  This isn't something that needs to be associated with the instrumentation, software or amount of things that you have in your studio.  If you know how to use a wave file and how to create the best sound, than you are on your way to making a professional CD. 

Choosing Your Mixing Board

The realizations that have grown in the studio for mixing are ones that have also led to new applications and ideas for putting together the right mix of instruments.  With this, has come a variety of technologies and options in order to ensure that every type of studio can easily change sound waves within the recording area.  These options are allowing for better mixes and blends within each piece of music.  Knowing the characteristics of different mixing boards can help you to decide what is your best option.

Number of input devices.  Each mixing board comes with a set of number of channels. Each of these channels will allow for one instrument to be placed within the mixing board.  You may have heard of concepts like the '24 mixer' or '36 mixer'.  The numbers that are being referred to are the channels used, each one allowing for an instrument to be in it's place.  Before you get a mixing board, you will want to think of how many channels you will need at one time, dependent on how many instruments you want or need to record at once.

Different uses for different environments.  There are different innovations that are used for different areas of mixing.  Because a sound board has to be able to adapt to both the software for recording and for the mix of instruments, different types of mixers will be available.  Some of these will be focused on performance mixing while others will be strictly for the studio.  You can determine which is being used according to the level control features and the way in which the sound board is built.

Analog or Digital.  Technology innovations with mixers are constantly re-defining the best and latest types of mixers to use within recording.  This has quickly made a transition from analog to digital mixers.  Analog mixers are defined by wired controls that mix in changes and live sounds.  Digital mixers; however, will use a digital interface in between.  Typically, the mixing difference can be heard in the sound as well as the options for mixing.  Because digital is using later technology, it is now moving into innovations such as audio streams, all in one editing options and more possibilities for controlling volume and input of the sound being used.

Extra effects.  No matter what type of mixer you are looking into, you always want to pay attention to the little knobs that are a part of the mix.  Depending on the mix and make of the sound board, you will also have different signal options as well as volume control options, dependent on the mixer.  The more complex you want to make the mix, or the more instrumentation you have, will also help you to decide on what effects you want to take place in the mix and before the sound recording.  You should keep in mind that, with these effects, they can not be undone if they are recorded that way as sound waves, meaning you will want to be cognizant of what is working and what doesn't in the mix.

Interactions with software.  Your mixing board not only provides you with options for pre-recording, but also should have options with how it interacts with the software.  Not only does each mixing board have different features within the board itself, but can also interact with the software in certain ways in order to mix together the sound waves in a certain way.  You will want to make sure that you have a mixing board that compliments your software system.

If you keep these things in mind with the right mixing board, it will save you time, money and will allow for the right sound to be developed from what you are creating.  Your end option will be the ability to customize your sound and to create certain controls within your music that best fit what you want to do.  By understanding the different qualities of mixing boards and how they can work for you, there will be the ability to have the perfect recipe for your instrumentation mix. 

Defining Signals for Sound

In recording, there are a variety of ways to capture the sounds that you want and to filter out the ones that you don't want.  These are all done through the capacities of equipment parts known as signal processors.  Typically, signal processors will be used during the pre-mixing and mixing stage as well as the set up of instruments.  They are also used as a combination of defining what the instruments need to turn into a wave and what the mixing can do to make the instruments sound at their best.  Following are some basic signal processors you should know. 

Equalization.  This is also known as EQs and is used in a variety of places of the recording process.  The main part of this is to create a balance between the ranges that are within each instrument, from the low to the mid and high ranges.  Equalization processors can be found in mixing boards as balance knobs as well as specialized functions in different types of software. 

Filters.  This is done to take out the extra sounds that don't fit into the song.  For example, if you have a buzz or white noise that you can't get out physically, you can filter the sound and allow for only the clarity to come through.  This is done by isolating the wave and recalculating the wave instead of the noise underneath.

Reverberation.  This is an effect that is used after the instruments are recorded into the software.  Reverb allows for the resonance that would be heard in a natural setting to be implemented into the song.  This type of setting works best for sounds that are already clear and need an extra effect to them. 

Delay.  This is the echo effect of signal processors.  Delays come in a variety of formats, ranging from changing the room to a larger room to an echo effect that stops the sound from occurring by milliseconds.  Depending on the technique and sound you are trying to create, you can use this specific tool to create a completely different sound in your music. 

Dynamic Processing.  This consists of a variety of options for recording, all which take place at the very beginning of the process of recording.  The first type of processing is compression in which the wave will be limited to certain peaks on both sides, allowing it to stay closer to the middle.  The second type of processing is expansion, in which the waves move to higher peaks that are away from the middle.  Limiting is the third option, and stops the notes from sounding for a longer period of time.  The last type of dynamic processing is noise gates, which stops certain sounds from being recorded, especially if it is based around the resonance of an instrument. 

Noise Reduction.  This is done in order to dampen the noises that are being heard through the recording process and is typically done at every step of recording.  Noise reduction will include the ability to limit sounds and to reduce the lows or highs that don't need to be heard with certain sound effects. 

These main signal processors are used in order to control the recording process and sounds as well as to create the desired effects for the end result.  By using these different components at different times, it becomes easier to effectively create the sound you want through your recordings. 

Getting the Right Mix: Mixing Boards and Recording

The most important step from the instrument to the recording software is the mixing board.  This particular part of recording is one that allows you to put everything together the correct way, before you have to manipulate it in the computer software.  If you want to make sure that you are putting together everything right, you will also want to know exactly how the mixing board can benefit you.

A mixing board is also referred to as a sound board and is responsible for taking the instruments and mixing and routing them into the computer.  As soon as an instrument is plugged into a mixer, it will then turn into a digital signal, which creates sound waves.

A mixer works by allowing each instrument being recorded to have one area in which the signal is received.  These individual instruments can be changed with volume levels, depth of the sound and other features through the mixing board.  For example, if you are playing with a piano and a bass, they can both have a different input area in the mixer.  One can be louder and the other can be softer, with the bass having less treble, or high end sound, with the piano balancing out with more mid-range sounds.  It is these volume levels that then move into the software and allow for the sound waves to be recorded with a specific balance.

When defining the different parts of the mixer, there is also the ability to combine different types of volumes, depending on the knobs that are being used for the right mix.  These are known as input controls, and contain everything that allows for the specific sound of the instrument.  This starts with defining the volume through this one instrument.  There is also a trim or gain control, which defines the level of sound within each wave.

From here, the mixing board will allow for details of the sound waves to be defined through an EQ, which means equalization.  The main responsibility of this part of the mixing board is to change the frequencies within each range.  For example, if the EQ of the bass is too high, the higher frequencies can be boosted in order to balance out both ranges.  The EQ frequencies can be referred to with some general preferences that work within instrumentation as well as personal preference to allow the sound to be as low or high as you want.

When the instrumentation is received into the mixer and begins to be balanced, other options can also be put into the mix.  For example, the amplitude of the sounds can be defined through specific parts of the board.  There are also noise gates, which stops the sound from echoing before it goes into the recording area, or allows for some resonance to be in the mix.  There is also the ability with some mixers to compress the instruments, meaning that the sound waves will be shortened if they reach or go over a certain peak number, allowing you to keep control of the volume before it gets into the computer program as a sound wave.

After all of these options for individual instruments, the mixing board will then move into mixing the physical space.  Main volume areas as well as controls for outputs are used in order to ensure that everything is balanced while recording and remains equal in sound to those who are listening while recording.  Like the instrumentation that is moving into the software as sound waves, these areas have a variety of options for making the sound balance within the studio.

The idea with a mixing board is to make the right mix for both the internal software so that the sound files can sound the same, as well as the external area, so that all of the instruments can blend together while recording.  The different devices that are used within the mixing board help to achieve this through the different options for volume control and mixing options.

When you are looking into a sound board, you should always consider the options for getting the mix right, including the number of instruments that you can hook up to the different functions that the mixing board contains.  When you start to put together the recording with the right mix board, you will have a better blend of sounds and will allow the end result of the recording to mix together exactly right.

Getting To the End of the Road

If you have a home studio or a small set-up for your recording studio, you are probably familiar with the blues of the recording process.  It includes the down times of having to listen to the same things over and over again, trying to hear the different levels and parts of the instruments several times and spending hours just to get to the end of the road.

It's the recording blues that stop hundreds of small bands from completing a CD and taking ten years to get their next album out.  The difficulties that come with recording and the process that has to be done can be tedious, frustrating and can cause to burn out of either the songs, members or others who are working on the CD.

If you are recording, and even if it is by yourself, you don't want to stop until you complete the CD.  The levels of satisfaction that can be achieved can help you to do greater and better things and can help to influence those around you to do the same.  There are several perspectives that allow for the benefits of finishing the CD to be a part of what you are doing.  Sticking with the process, learning what you need to and plowing forward will eventually get you to the end result and allow you to be even more effective with your music and creativity.

If you're feeling down about your recording, keep in mind your end goal.  Keep visualizing yourself at the end of the road and how this will affect everyone else.  This begins with the achievements that this is able to bring you and what you have accomplished with the CD.  This is something that many don't have the will power, desire or capacity to do.  That already puts you ahead of the game.

More than that, never stop thinking about what your fans or potential fans would think if you have a CD out and how this will influence them.  Finishing the recording process and getting the CD into the public opens doors for you to make connections in a positive way and to do what you need in order to share your creative process with others.  Whether it is one person or fifty million, this part of the process is one that can be effective and make you want to set the next date to record your next CD.

In recording, it is not necessarily the end goal of the CD, even though this will bring rewards individually and towards those around you.  It is also the process of being able to hear your pieces in a different way and to manipulate the sounds from an engineering point of view, instead of just a performance point of view.  If you haven't stopped to enjoy the process of putting together your CD, start listening a little bit differently for the way that things fall together within the process.

The main advice for recording your CD is to keep the different perspectives in mind.  While the entire process may be tedious and difficult, allowing yourself to enjoy the process and think of the end benefits can help you to further your career as a recording producer and engineer as well as a musician who is able to share creativity with others.

Getting Your Recording Right

You finally have finished recording your piece, front to back and think that you are ready to mix everything together.  But, before you start, you notice that there is one little glitch right in the middle.  Before you start over again, or start to give up with your song, find the tools that will work so that you can get the recording right.

Software that is designed in recording is always designed with the human element in mind.  This means that you can play the instrument the way that you best know how, then create a way to get the exact sound that you want later.  While you want to be exact while you record, you can be somewhat merciful in knowing that this sometimes doesn't happen, then find the right tools to put it back together again.

One of the greatest software tools that can be used are punch ins.  This allows you to flag a certain area that you want to re-do.  You will be able to go back a certain number of seconds and replay.  You will then move into the area that needs re-done and record over what was already recorded.  You will be able to continue to play afterwards in order to fade back out and put everything together right.

With this option, you want to make sure that you can put all of the sound waves next to each other.  With some programs, the punch ins will slightly divide once starting.  Giving yourself enough room to prepare for the punch in as well as creating a seamless tie together of the two will help you to put everything together.

Once you have all of the instrumentation exactly right, you can start putting in the right sounds.  This is often times called the pre-mixing stage and is used in order to make your instrumentation have the right effects and resonance within your instrument.  You always want to do this before you reach the mixing stage as it will often times make a difference in the volume as well as the way in which the instrument mixes with other instruments.

The pre-mixing stage will always begin with the normalization process.  This is simply taking the setting of the waves and making it so that it peaks out in both ends.  When you normalize something, the frequencies will go up or down.  You should see the waves change in order to reach maximum and minimum peaks at both ends.  If you have your volume set correctly, everything will normalize to be around the same peaks, allowing you to mix together the sounds easier.

After this, you can set the sound that you want in the end for your instrumentation.  This moves into reverb options, flange, effects, fades and other instrumentation effects that adds in extra color to your instrumentation.  When you do this, you should make sure that you work with what will sound the best with your instrument and how it will change the sounds within your song.  Once you start to hear the right sounds for your instrumentation, you can preset this part and allow for time saving options when getting ready to mix.

After this stage, you will be ready to start your mixing of instruments.  Your check list for the pre-mixing stage is to simply make sure that your individual instruments has the right sound that you want for the entire mix.  This starts with the smoothness you will want from the song and moves into the options for getting the sounds that add a little bit extra into the mix of your individual instrument.

It's All in the Mix

You can play all day, but with recording, the real sound is all in the mix.  Mixing a CD with the different sounds, can help you to achieve a variety of things, and is one of the most important tools for putting your CD together with the different instrumentation and capabilities.  Defining the process of mixing and how you can use it effectively will make all the difference in how your CD sounds in the end.

The first thing to recognize is that there are two areas where mixing takes place.  The first is before anyone records onto a track.  All of the mixing that takes place at this point happens between the musicians and through the sound board.  This type of mixing will help to define the instrumentation for the computer software programs as well as for the musicians that are working with the mixer.

The most important part of this type of mixing is to make sure that all of the instrumentation is leveled and even with each other.  It is not necessarily finding a blend, but instead, creating similar volume levels and even balance between the different instruments.  This also helps to prepare the tracks for the final recording, which will include noise gates and deadening the sound so that the waves are able to be manipulated.

This stage of mixing is then redefined after all of the tracks are recorded.  The mixing process after this point is dependent on finding the individual instruments, their strong areas and making sure that they sound right with those areas.  By the time you begin mixing within the software program that you are using, all of the instruments should be normalized.  This means that the peak points of the waves will be at the same number that is calculated through the noise levels of the wave.

Mixing then becomes a way to enhance the individual instruments through the piece.  While doing this, you will want to be thinking of the other instruments and how they link to this; however, this is not as important as the need to bring out the best in the instrument that you are using.  There are a variety of components that you can use to do this and to make sure that your mix in the end has a better sound.

The first part of the mix that you can use is enhancing the sound through special effects.  Each of the instruments can have their own, or can have equal effects that allows everything to sound unique.  Things like creating effects for a certain type of room so that there is more resonance to building reverb around instruments are all effective parts of the mixing process that enhances the instruments.

After you have the effects, you can take the wave files and make sure that the necessary areas of each instrument are enhanced.  You will want to create things such as volume envelopes throughout the piece in order to bring out individual instruments in some places and to let them be in the background in other areas.  This will help you to define what you want to come out the most in the song.  You will also want to create levels of highs and lows within the waves of the individual instruments so that everything remains balanced within the song and with the specific instrument.  The last step to the mixing process is defining the volume level and figuring out whether you want to move the levels up or keep them the same.  Remember to always give yourself room with the volume levels so that you can balance out the levels during the pre-mastering and mastering stages as well.

By the end of the mixing process within the software program, you will be able to have all of the instruments equalized out with their volume levels, effects and different areas of sound.  This will allow you to begin to blend in the instruments, first individually and then as a group.  By understanding the details of mixing, you will have more abilities to create the exact sound that you want for your piece. 

Keeping the Balance: Equalizing Instruments

If you are rehearsing or performing with a group, you automatically know that the last step before getting onto the stage is to make sure that everything blends.  There is nothing that kills a performance of music more than not having the right fit.  I'm sure many of you have experienced going to a performance and hearing a female voice taking over the entire band or noticing that one of the mics stopped the rest of the instrumentation from getting into the right groove.

Recording is no different in terms of finding balance.  There will be two areas in which this happens, one which is with the physical recording, and one which is balanced through the EQs, also known as equalizers.  When you are working in your studio, you want to make sure that you are aware of both of these sound levels for your recording, as it will make the entire difference in how your sound turns out in the end.

The first part of the sound balance comes from the physical presence.  This will be done through the mixing board.  With this, there will be the need to balance the instruments as they will be recorded into the tracks so that the volume does not peak too high and so each individual instrument can have a natural sound to it.  When building this part of the equalization, you will want to pay attention to both the input into the computer as well as the output that the individuals hear through the monitors.

The main concept during this part is to make sure that everyone is equal.  This means that the volume levels should be about the same on everyone.  Remember that the lower it is, the more room you have to change the mix later.  You don't want anyone to peak with their instrument during any part of the recording.  Sound checking will help with both the input and output part of the recording.

The EQs are the next important part of getting the right mixes together.  This is something that will be done from the mixing to the final mastering.  During every step of the way, you will want to make sure that you have a balance between the high and low sounds and that one does not dominate over another.

There are a variety of standards that are followed in order to keep EQs in certain levels.  This will be based on personal preferences as well as industry standards that are divided by genre of music.  The main thing to keep in mind; however, is to not let one frequency be too loud over another.  This means that the low part of one instrument should be about the same as the high end.

This should be the same for the instruments that are blended together.   Unless you want some extra bass boost that comes through the recording or want the piano to dominate over the other instruments, make sure that everything is at about the same volume level.  Not only can you do this through the normalization, mixing and mastering, but you can also place envelopes throughout the individual instruments.  This will allow for certain parts of the song to be kept at a certain level then move back up to a normal dynamic level at another part.

The best way to check and see if all of these components are working correctly is to see how the monitors sound.  Your monitors should be placed up high and on both sides of the room so that you can hear how the sound is bouncing back.  The low ends on the bottom of the monitor will tell you if the bass is too high and the high ends will let you know if the high ends are too high.  You can then adjust according to your preference until you have a fit.

Whatever your style of music, never start without getting the balance between individual instruments and the whole put into place.  The more you know about this mixing process and EQs the better your CD will come out and the more professional it will sound.  Finding your preferences and looking into the standards will give you a head start on keeping everything balanced.