I’ve been talking a lot about football on here recently and I thought I’d do a bit of a different blog for a change, to share some knowledge from my day job. A few people have been asking me recently for some tips on recording music at home. The internet makes it really easy for people to record and distribute their music and many bands start out by recording their own demos in their home, but it’s important to make sure that you make a half-decent job of it. Of course, if you’re planning to send your stuff to an agent or record label, you really need to get something recorded professionally, but there’s no reason you can’t get a good quality recording from your bedroom. I thought I’d put together a few tips for recording music at home – enjoy!
Get a decent microphone. The better quality the mic, the better the recording – it’s that simple. If you’ve not got a good microphone and don’t want to buy one, ask to borrow one from a friend or even loan one from a shop. It really is worth it.
Cut out the noise. Sounds obvious but you would be surprised at the number of demos I listen to that have dishwashers in the background, or friends chatting. Even less obvious things, like the background hiss from some electrical equipment, can make a difference, so make sure your recording space is as quiet as possible.
Mic positioning. As a general rule, the less distance between you and the mic, the less room there is for something to go wrong or interfere. If possible, plug instruments straight into your recording device (i.e. your computer) with the line-out socket on your amps. If you’re singing, use an old pair of tights as a ‘spit guard’, to go between your mouth and the microphone. This helps reduce the sounds of breathing and ‘popping’ from your mouth – as well as stopping the mic getting covered in spit!
Dampen. Any hollow, echoing sound is not your friend when making a recording and you’re likely to get this in your house, especially if you have wooden floors. You can reduce this by surrounding the recording area in anything that will deaden the sound – duvets and pillows, for example, or the classic egg boxes will help a little. Try to enclose the recording space as much as possible.
Let it flow. It’s amazing the effect a microphone can have on a musician’s nerves, even if they are just sitting in their bedroom with friends! The best advice is to just play as normal and try to forget you’re recording. With huge disk space on computers these days you can even leave it recording for a whole session – one or two hours – and go back to pick out the best bits, which takes some of the pressure off. Unless, of course, you play well under pressure!
I hope you found these tips useful – you’ll never get studio-quality at home but for a rough demo they should set you on your way to a half-decent recording.
I’ve been trying really hard not to think about the FA Cup but I can’t get away from it – I’m gutted. And going out to Liverpool as well! It literally couldn’t be worse. Well, it could, obviously, but we’ve not lost the Premier League yet! And it looks like Rooney’s staying with us, despite the rumours that have been circulating on transfer deadline day.
So I’m trying to forget about football this week (although I will watch the Stoke game tonight, obviously) and concentrating on some other stuff. There are a couple of really interesting bands in the studio this week and I’m enjoying working with them. The lot I’ve had in today have put down three tracks and I honestly think they could be something big – they’ve got a really original sound. And the (female) bass player’s not bad looking either.
Which reminds me – I’m off out on Friday night with a girl I met a couple of weeks ago in a Manchester bar. We got talking about restaurants in Manchester that we both like and it turns out her favourite is also mine, so we’re going there on Friday. She’s also a singer so it seems like we might have a few things in common – maybe I can help her with some recording! Speaking of which, I’ve had a few people ask me recently for some music recording tips so I’m thinking of doing a blog about it later this week, to help out all you bedroom musicians out there – watch this space…
Things have picked up a bit with the studio bookings this week. Maybe mentioning it on here helped! Only joking – I think it was just people gradually getting back into the New Year and now, three weeks in, they’re sorting themselves out. I’ve got stuff booked in every week until the end of February now, which is good. I like to keep busy – and I like to keep the money coming in of course! – but I also like the work. I guess I’m lucky with that, I’d hate to do a job I didn’t like. It’s a real mixed bunch of stuff too – some voice-over work for a media company, a few local bands doing demos and a Manchester-based film company, who want to record some narration for one of their films. Should be interesting!
With the studio worries off my mind I can start concentrating on some other things. The football, of course, takes first place, but I’m also going to make a real effort with sorting out this car as well. Me and Sally were driving past a big car place at the weekend and popped in for a look. They had a lot of choice and it was good to have a look at all the different models but their prices were really high. I’ve been looking on the net at some other big places for car sales North West. There are a few around so when I get some time later this week and at the weekend I’ll go out and take a look around. There’s got to be a car for me out there somewhere!
I watched a bit of Man City v Liverpool last night, in the Carling Cup. It was a boring game really, but I suppose that’s what you get with first round cup ties. There’s loads of stuff in the press today about Mancini and Gerrard arguing over Glen Johnson’s tackle. I can see Mancini’s point of view – if his player (Kompany) gets sent off at the weekend for a similar tackle, why does this one not even get penalised? There is an issue with consistency there, although I shouldn’t really be complaining because it was to our advantage at the weekend! That’s football for you I guess – sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don’t.
This week’s been pretty good in the studio. I’ve had two bands in for two days each, recording demos, and they’ve both been really good – nice people and talented, passionate musicians. I even did some backing vocals for one of the bands, on a track where they needed a big group sound. It’s not very often that I’ll do that but they did ask so I thought I might as well. Many studio owners are former or failed musicians who jump at the chance to be on a record but I have to say I’m not one of those! I do play a little piano but I certainly have no designs on being the next Elton John – or Jamie Cullum. I know what I’m good at and it’s definitely not creating music – producing it, yes, but not creating it.
Still, it’s always good to be reminded that there is a ‘proper’ music scene out there, away from all the sugar-coated commercial stuff, and this week’s bands have left me with a positive vibe for the weekend – let’s hope United are in a positive mood against Bolton on Saturday!
I wonder what price you would have got at the bookies for Scholes to come on as substitute at the weekend – you could have been a very rich man if you’d had known, which apparently even the other players didn’t until about an hour before kick-off. It was nice to see ‘Sat Nav’ (as the other players call him) back playing for United – even if he did nearly upset everything with a mistake that led to one of City’s goals! It was a cracking FA Cup tie though – obviously I would have liked us to have won comfortably but I can’t deny the second half made for some exciting viewing. Although, if I was impartial I’m sure I would have enjoyed it more!
We’ve drawn Liverpool away in the next round, on the weekend of 28 January, which should be a classic. One of the lads mentioned trying to get tickets for it but I don’t think I’ll bother – I don’t mind the odd away game but these special ones, with the rivalry, tend to be more hassle than they are worth. I’d rather just enjoy it at home. Anyway, back to the Premier League this weekend with Bolton at home – maybe Scholes will inspire the team to show a little more consistency in the league!
The studio is up and running again for another year. I’ve got a couple of local bands in this week recording demos and it’s the first time it will have been used since before Christmas. I don’t expect it to be booked out all the time but I was a little surprised we’ve not had more interest recently. This time last year I was turning people away so I hope this isn’t the start of a trend – I may look at getting a bit of PR consultancy, just to see if I can raise our profile a bit and make sure it’s being used regularly. That’s about as far as my business plan for this year goes really – try and get the studio well booked!
Right, I’m off to do some recording with today’s band so I’ll leave you with the little ginger wizard – good to have you back Paul Scholes!
Happy New Year! I hope you’ve all had a good break. Mine has been mixed – great to relax with family and friends and nice to leave work alone for a week or so, but the football, of course, has given me mixed emotions. Strange isn’t it, how a game can rule your life so much! Ah well – I wouldn’t change it. We had a great day in the corporate box at Old Trafford on Boxing Day, with an excellent five-goal haul against Wigan. That was one of those days when I just love being a Man United fan! And then on Saturday we lost at home to Blackburn; talk about highs and lows.
I read in the paper about Rooney, Gibson and Evans being fined and all dropped from that game for going out on Boxing Day and not training very well the following day. I can understand Sir Alex Ferguson’s need to be strict about things like that but it seems a little harsh, especially as all dropping did was to help us lose the game, which also means we’re still not top of the Premier League. We have a chance this week, depending on how Man City get on at Liverpool tonight, and our game at Newcastle on Wednesday of course. Let’s hope Rooney doesn’t hit the town again this week!
Anyway, the New Year means, of course, that most of us are making resolutions. Here are mine – only three this year and I’ve tried to keep them realistic:
1. Sort out the new car. I’m going to look at a new Renault Megane this week and I’m determined to get the car sorted this year.
2. Concentrate on work. I really enjoyed having bands in the studio last year so I’m going to make an effort to get more in and help them record some really good stuff.
3. Win the league. OK, so there’s nothing much I can actually do to help it but maybe my good vibes will help!
Well, 5-0 will do me for a Christmas present from Wayne Rooney and the lads. And a special goal from Ryan Giggs too, making him the only person to have scored in every Premier League season. That is some record. I know a lot is said about his age but it does seem remarkable that, at 38, he still looks like he could keep going for another ten years.
Man City’s result against Stoke means that they keep hold of the top spot in the Premier League, for now. Like I said before, they’re just keeping it warm for us! And I’ve got a good feeling about the next couple of games, especially as I’m going to Old Trafford on Boxing Day for the Wigan game, in a corporate box with my mate Phil – bring it on! If we can get a result there (which we should do (not wishing to jinx us!)) and City get a beating away at West Brom, we’ll be top of the league – just how things should be!
I had a look at a couple of cars yesterday, including a Peugeot and a Renault Megane. Guess what? I still can’t decide! I think I’m going to leave it until after Christmas – it’s all a bit busy at the moment and I’ve still got a few presents and things to get before the weekend. Anyway, I probably won’t get a chance to blog over Christmas so this is me signing off for the year – see you in 2012! I’ll leave you with a few classic moments from the great man, Ryan Giggs:
Oh, and here’s my favourite Christmas song this year. I heard it on the radio the other day and haven’t been able to get it out of my head! Another legend, this one of the musical kind – Mr Stevie Wonder. Merry Christmas!
Being self-employed, I don’t tend to have too many work social evenings – there would just be me there! I do like to get out in the run up to Christmas though, so me and a couple of the lads are heading into town this Friday night to sample some of the best bars Manchester has to offer. We don’t like to go out with too much of a plan – just see where the night takes us. It’s worked out well with Man United playing on Sunday too. I can have a quiet Saturday and then have the lads round for the footy on Sunday – a decent pre-Christmas weekend!
I did miss the classic work Christmas do when I first set up this studio but not having one is a (very) small price to pay for being in the position I’m in now. I’ve had two different local bands in this week that were really good; great people to work with and really talented too. Completely different styles of music – one was a pop act, the other an indie band – but that’s what it’s all about really. I just like working with talented people and I’m really luck to be able to do that!
Next week is a bit of a wind down. I’ve got someone coming in to record some voice over stuff on Monday and Tuesday, then that’s it. I’ll spend Wednesday doing a bit of tidying and some accounts stuff, then I think I’ll shut up for Christmas, just in time for the Fulham game on Wednesday night. Perfect!
As you might have noticed, I sort of went off X Factor about a month ago, around the time Frankie Cocozza ‘quit’ the show (i.e. got chucked out). I used to like it when it was a singing competition (hearing great singers is part of my job after all) but it just turned into a giant media exercise. Anyway, I did have a look at the final this weekend, just to see what happened. It was fairly predictable, I thought, and I’m not surprised Little Mix won. You’ve got to remember who does most of the voting and it’s basically teenage girls, so like I say, no surprise really!
I must admit I did lose interest after a while and ended up playing Cleopatra slots for a lot of it, only paying attention when there was an interesting performance on, like Coldplay. So that’s it for another year anyway and I don’t think I’ll watch much more than the auditions next year. It will be interesting to see if the media machine can make it to Christmas number one this year, although they do have some competition again.
There are basically two others in the running for Christmas number one 2011 – the Military Wives Choir, who were formed as part of a TV show and sing a song especially written for them, and Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, which is being promoted a bit like Rage Against the Machine was the other year, with the express purpose of stopping the X Factor winner getting to number one. I like Nirvana (and I don’t particularly like Little Mix) but I won’t be supporting that ‘campaign’. If people really don’t like ‘commercial’ music and the X Factor taking it over, there’s a simple thing to do – ignore it! I’d be more inclined to support the Military Wives Choir and their song Wherever You Are. All proceeds go to military charities as well, so it’s all for a good cause. Check them out here:
This week’s carry on has really got me going off the whole X Factor thing. I’ve talked about the sob stories on here before so you all know I think they’re unnecessary. If they cut all that out of the programme they could get in twice as much singing! Anyway, this week I think they’ve really gone stupid on the X Factor and surely everyone now just thinks it’s a bit of a joke. I’m talking, of course, about old Frankie Cocozza.
In the last few weeks they’ve been increasingly trying to make out that he’s a real rebel – going out drinking and trying to be a proper ‘rock star’ (I’ve seen better rock stars in Chorlton, and that’s saying something!). But it’s so obvious that it was all just a ploy by the programme makers to try and make it a bit more interesting. After all, if they were that bothered about him going out so much and behaving badly they just wouldn’t have shown it on the programme! That they did just shows how desperate they are for controversy and, more importantly, the publicity that comes with it.
The judges keep saying ‘this is a singing competition’ but I’m beginning to think that’s just the programme trying to justify itself. It’s not a singing competition, it’s a programme that tries to get your attention by creating ‘dramas’ and fooling us that we should care about them. Well I don’t – I just want to hear some decent singing and for that reason I say good riddance Frankie!
