Why Does 'Your Band' Need an Audio Engineer and/or Producer?

So you're an artist. You've got a band, maybe a few songs written, and have started playing gigs, but what you really need is a good EP (or album). Maybe you're looking for a recording studio with an engineer to record your songs, maybe you’d like a producer to help polish your songs, or maybe you've been recording and producing your own band and wonder why anyone would even want to hire an audio engineer or producer.

Once upon a time, recording your own band in your rehearsal space was a timely and very costly matter, and was generally unsuccessful until the era of digital recording mediums. With today's technology, creating a high-quality recording at home (or any other space of your likeness) has become effective and cheap. Even you can go to your local music shop and get your hands on a brand-new digital recording device capable of competing with the big studio downtown.

Studio Success Guide Pt. 4 - Vocals

Welcome to another edition of Phosphene Productions Studio Success Guide! This week we're going to discuss what it takes to achieve a killer sounding vocal take when recording in the studio. But before we get to the studio we have some things to prepare for... let's take a look.

Vocalists are generally classified as the “front-man (or woman)” of the band and usually have the biggest spotlight glaring on them. The singer carries the music along, tells a story of some fashion and keeps the audience interested. Though there are many different styles of singing (opera projection, screaming, whispering, etc...), generally the recording process is pretty straight-forward.

(*Just sing in the microphone right?!*)

Studio Success Guide P3. Guitar

In this section of the Phosphene Productions Studio Success Guide, we will discuss what it takes to achieve a great sounding guitar take, be it rhythm or lead, when in the recording studio. But before we begin, let's take a look at what you'll need to bring along to the studio and what you should do to prepare.

I'm going to assume that everyone understands that being well-rehearsed is a large part of getting that 'great' sounding take. Showing up unrehearsed can lead to a train-wreck and cause major setbacks and waste a lot of valuable time. So practice, practice and practice some more!

Phosphene Productions : Studio Tips #2 - The Bass Guitar

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Today in this edition of Phosphene Productions: Studio Tips series we'll be taking a look at the boss of the bottom end, the bass guitar.

The recording process for bass guitarists is usually a relatively straightforward process, but there a few things that you should keep in mind to ensure a rock solid low end in your song.
The first element of a solid bass recording is pitch. Pitch comes into play in a few different ways in the recording process but what we’re most concerned with is the intonation (or tuning), and the pitch range the composition is played in. Being a fretted instrument there are several factors which may affect your intonation, including the depth of the string slots on the nut, the position of the bridge saddle, or the placement of the frets themselves.

Phosphene Productions Studio Tips series: Drums

   

Today in this edition of Phosphene Productions: Studio Tips series, we will be focusing on getting the most from your drums. In the world of modern music,the drums (and the increasingly prominent kick and snare drums) provide the foundation the rest of the song must be built on. Without a solid foundation, your song may never reach it's full potential. With that said here's some tips to get the best sounds out of your drums (and drummer) when it comes time to record!