Saturday, June 26, 2010
The Difference Between a Producer and Engineer
An engineer handles the more technical aspects of the recording process such as mic and mic placement, what type of processing (eqs, compressors and reverb/delay) to apply to the sound. The producer is in charge of the big picture and making sure that the sounds the engineer are using work for the production he/she is trying to create.
A good way to describe this in very simple terms is that the producer can say "I'm looking for a U2 "Streets Have No Name" guitar sound" and the engineer figures out the best way to technically achieve that. The producer comes up with the idea of what he/she wants to hear and it's the engineers job to do it.
It's important to note that the producer is in charge of all the pieces of the recording: song arrangement, musicians, and the final sound and mix. The engineer is another piece of this puzzle handling one part of the final product. It's also important to mention that these roles sometimes get blended together; sometimes the producer will jump on the computer and adjust something and sometimes the engineer will offer opinions on the production. In fact the final product is often better because of this intermingling of roles, especially when the producer and engineer work together.
I do both engineering and production on various projects depending on what my client wants. You can check out my site here: www.MorphProductions.com
Monday, June 7, 2010
Logic 9 "Cannot Save" error
If you're not using Melodyne and you have that problem just get rid of whatever memory hogging plugins you're using, usually big audio sample instrument plugins like the ones that East/West makes.
www.MorphProductions.com
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
API 512c Preamp Tips
The API 512c has a notorious hot output which makes you have to lower your pre level (there's no output level on this preamp). Unfortunately this means you can't drive the transformer in the pre as hard as you'd like. The work around for this is to get some sort of attenuator. Based on a recommendation I got a Shure A15AS attenuator. The advantage of this one is that it's adjustable in 5db increments (-15db to -25db). You can get a good price on one of these units here:
This thing is always attached to my 512c unless I'm recording a professional voice over or audio book where I want as clean a sound as possible.
It's nice having the extra control and the option of more sounds from the API 512c that this little device allows.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
How to be a Successful MC
Remember that any artist's first "break out" song is always the hardest one to do. It has to be the one that convinces managers and labels to sign on with you, radio to play you and most importantly people to put down their Jay-Z album and pick yours up! After that song it definitely becomes a little easier to open doors.
If you're looking for beats feel free to check out some of mine here:
Hip Hop/R&B/Pop Beats
I'm also available for mixing/recording and production gigs at my studio:
www.MorphProductions.com
Music Industry Books
I remember reading a version of this book when I was 16 in the early 90's and it really helped give me some ideas as to how an indie artist has to promote and build their own career. The book has been updated since then of course but anyone who's recording their own music and plan to sell it should definitely pick this up and read carefully.
I read this book about 8 years ago when I was still in the thick of my Sony publishing deal and I remember continually thinking, "yep, that just happened, that happened to me last week..." etc...
The reality is the music business is unlike any other business out there and if you want to be in it in ANY capacity you should learn the ropes. This book is coming from the record producers perspective but the information in it is good for anyone who's looking to get involved with the industry. Here's a link to the latest version:
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Creating Harmony Tracks with Melodyne
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Factor's Funding Renewed!
Canada Music Fund Renewed!
For Immediate Release
St. John’s, Newfoundland- 04/17/2010- The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, today announced that the Government of Canada is renewing sustainable funding agreements with FACTOR to administrate programs from the Canada Music Fund.
“Our Government is pleased to continue supporting the Canadian music industry and building on its success, by renewing sustainable funding agreements with our trusted partners FACTOR, MUSICACTION, and the SOCAN Foundation.” Minister Moore said.
The renewal will be for a five year term and will include new programs that will significantly increase the Canadian Music Indutry’s reach globally.
Heather Ostertag, stated, "The Honourable James Moore and the Government of Canada have clearly demonstrated their commitment to Canadian culture by providing a five-year commitment to the Canadian music industry. This commitment will ensure that FACTOR can continue to support Canadian artists, taking their music to the world. Canadian talent is unique, it is distinct, and the Canada Music Fund has played a strong role in the success of our artists."
Today's news will ensure that Canadian artists and the Canadian music industry will continue to receive support for initiatives and projects through FACTOR's various programs.