The Self-Recording Band

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-
2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-
3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--
Episode show notes:

I got a message from one of our coaching students and it really made me think.

This is what he wrote:
 

"I just wanted to say thank you. It's great to have someone who is so unrelentingly positive and upbeat as part of this. Whether we are talking on zoom, group chat, your video messages or even the podcast. Your positivity comes through all of it and makes it feel like what we're doing (music) is possible, and maybe even fun sometimes!"

While I love and appreciate this message, it also made me think and reflect on the whole topic of music being fun.

A lot of artist and DIY producers that I work with and talk to seem to forget their "why" sometimes. Why they even got into this. Why they wanted to write and produce music in the first place. 

And I've been there, too! When we get ambitious and dive deep into learning something, improving our skills and trying to reach the goals that we set for ourselves, we can get disconnected from the art.

It all turns into projects, tasks, deadlines, schedules and a long list of to-dos.

So how can we separate the to-dos from the process of actually creating art and make sure we enjoy making music?

Malcom and I explore this on the podcast and discuss a long list of ideas on this week's episode.

Let's go!

-Benedikt

--
For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/165

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-
2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-
3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--
Episode show notes:

Recording actual drums is not an option for many people, so naturally a lot of people are programming MIDI drums. 

But have you considered playing your MIDI drums instead?

You can program MIDI drums grooves by drawing MIDI notes with a mouse, using a small MIDI controller/keyboard or using pre-made MIDI loops that you can adjust to taste.

But what if you want to still play the drums? 

Maybe you've even tried using an electronic kit, but it just didn't work out. We know there's a learning curve and there are pros and cons to using e-drums. And there are definitely a lot of things to watch out for. 

If you can make it work, however, it can be the perfect solution to your drum problems.

So we invited our "DR Drums" again, Thomas Krottenthaler, and asked him to share insights from his experience recording professional albums with electronic drums.

Thomas has been working as a freelance engineer at Benedikt's mixing studio, Outback Recordings for a few years now. Together, they've helped bring hundreds of songs to life. Many of them include MIDI drums that they had to refine or re-program from scratch, depending on the project and what the artist delivered.

And Thomas is freaking AWESOME at that. In fact, he's awesome at all things drums. So here we go, this is what we cover on the episode:

Why people choose to use MIDI drums:

·      No big room with good treatment required

·      Acoustic drums are often too loud

·      No good drum kit & no frequent drum setup required (drum tech & tuning skills, etc.) 

·      No expensive mics required no multichannel interface and good preamps required

·      Acoustic drum recording is hard and takes a lot of experience

How to record drums using an electronic kit:

·      Different ways to record E-drums (Stereo out/ Multi out on module/ MIDI)

·      Which E-drum kit to get and how much to spend on it

And much more....

-Benedikt

--
For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/164

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-

2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-

3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--

Episode show notes:

Jack, a podcast listener, commented the following on one of our episodes:

"A problem i've been having lately isn't so much with getting good sounds or mixing as it has been with having a good process for tracking. 

Having a great rhythm track can sometimes be 80% of having a great recording, especially when recording on my own (tracking a band makes things more obvious for me). 

Getting a tightly played and edited rhythm track is so time consuming for me that I usually sub-consciously rush it just to carry on with recording the song, to speed up the process to get to mixing it and fun stuff quicker. The result is me having to go back and do a lot of this in mixing and editing tracks that are played to other tracks poorly."

This is why it's bothering him (it's not just time, but the end result):

"When tracking, I can play super tight eventually with a warm up but I sometimes cant get the feel totally right, even if it's tight, without editing and I'm not entirely sure how to do this properly sometimes. This is more strictly talking about recording demos. 

When I try do a more serious recording of a fleshed out tracking I will usually spend way too long on this and edit it within an inch of its life or rerecord too many things that could be perceived as great characterful mistakes. The end result is usually pretty lifeless and static. "

"I would love to hear you guys wax lyrical about a checklist for making a great rhythm track, with what needs to be ticked off before moving forward. Getting the feel right - ie. The pocket. 

Thank you for those great questions, Jack! 

Of course, we're happy to roll up our sleeves and answer them all! 💪🙂

Let's go!

-Benedikt

--
For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/163

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-

2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-

3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--

Episode show notes:

In this episode we’re taking a dive into something we don’t talk about often… recording piano. 

Mark sent us a message asking if we could talk more about recording piano. Solo piano, piano with vocals and sparse acoustic mixes generally. 

Despite working in heavier genres a lot, both Malcom and I have years of experience playing, recording and mixing pianos so we’re stoked to be answering Mark’s question on this episode.

We’re discussing these important things to consider when capturing a piano:

• Microphone choice
• Microphone placement
• Should you use a real piano or is a virtual MIDI instrument enough?
• What kind of piano should I use? Grand? Upright? Does it matter?
• How important is the room and do I have to capture it with dedicated room mics?
• Is your piano actually in tune and ready to be recorded?
• How do you get a piano to sit well in the mix?
• What makes a piano sound intimate and soulful? And how do you capture those details?
   
   

Pianos aren’t going anywhere and maybe it’s the component that’s missing from your arrangement that you hadn’t considered. 
 

Or maybe you’re a singer songwriter that works exclusively on piano, in this case you’ve got to take recording your instrument very seriously. It has nowhere to hide!
 
 We cover it all in this episode, so come on in. 

Let's go!

-Benedikt

--
For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/162

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-

2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-

3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--

Episode show notes:

And this time, it's not about pre-production or working on your songs and arrangements. It's about how to prepare yourself, physically and mentally, for the recording session. How to practice, so you can make the most out of your studio time and deliver what is needed to make a great record.

Practice to a click track.

Malcom starts by emphasizing the importance of practicing with a click track, both as a band and individually. And how practicing to a click enables you to record great takes, even if you end up tracking without a click. 

But tempo and meter are not everything. There is more that needs to be practiced and prepared for the recording session.

The interaction within the band is super important. When playing as a band, it's essential to pay attention to each other's mistakes and gently address them. 

Recording scratch tracks during pre-production rehearsals can help identify issues that need to be resolved before recording. 

Now that the band can play it all well together and everybody knows what they're doing, you need to practice your individual parts on your own, without other instruments and record them to a click track. Just for practice. 

This allows you to notice small mistakes and analyze your performance with the help of a DAW.  

It's crucial to pay attention to dynamics, tone, overall feel and cleanliness when practicing and recording.

At this stage, get ready to try some cool, unique tricks that Malcom is suggesting on the episode. 😎

And lastly, be prepared to leave your ego at the door if you want the best possible result. 

Proper studio preparation, rehearsal and problem-solving ahead of time can prevent roadblocks during recording.

So listen to this episode and adopt these effective practicing techniques to become world-class studio musicians. 

Let's go!

-Benedikt

--
For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/161

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-
2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-
3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--
Episode show notes:

Today we're going all the way back to day one of the home recording journey and talk about how to get started recording your own music.

We've been covering some pretty advanced topics, lately, so let's take a step back and discuss what we would do if we were to start over.

There's so much that goes into recording your own music that it can seem pretty overwhelming. And many people really don't need to hear about the advanced stuff everybody seems to talk about. 

They just want to know: "How do I start? What gear do I need, how do I set it up and how do I get those first recordings onto my hard drive?"

This is part three were we cover how to navigate your DAW and help you learn the most important tools.

The goal is to create a good first workflow for you, focussing on what really matters. This lets you make your first recordings quickly, without overwhelm or going down the wrong rabbit holes. 

Here's a step-by-step plan for you:

1.    Figure out the internal routing of your DAW (panning, groups, busses, sends/returns)
  

2.    Figure out your basic editing tools
  

3.    Learn how to work with MIDI
  

4.    Learn how plugins work and get familiar with the basics first (EQ, compression & reverb/delay)
  

5.    Create a simple folder structure and backup system that ensures you quickly find your songs and never lose the results of your
  hard work
  

6.    Have fun and practice!

On the episode we talk about exactly what to do at each step, of course.

Let's walk you through this!

-Benedikt

--
For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/160

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-
2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-
3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--
Episode show notes:

Today we're going all the way back to day one of the home recording journey and talk about how to get started recording your own music.

We've been covering some pretty advanced topics, lately, so let's take a step back and discuss what we would do if we were to start over.

There's so much that goes into recording your own music that it can seem pretty overwhelming. And many people really don't need to hear about the advanced stuff everybody seems to talk about. 

They just want to know: "How do I start? What gear do I need, how do I set it up and how do I get those first recordings onto my hard drive?"

This is part two were we cover how to set up your DAW and interface, so you can start recording and avoid the most common mistakes

Here's a step-by-step plan for you:

1.    Set up the DAW & interface (Sample rate, I/O, interface control software, etc.)
  

2.    Understand basic functionality and layout of DAW (editing window & mixer, project folders, file locations)
  

3.    Make sure signals go in and out of your computer and interface
  

4.    Avoid clipping and use the correct inputs of your interface
  

5.    Figure out how to record without latency

On the episode we talk about exactly what to do at each step, of course.

Let's walk you through this!

-Benedikt

--
For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/159

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-
2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-
3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--
Episode show notes:

Today we're going all the way back to day one of the home recording journey and talk about how to get started recording your own music.

We've been covering some pretty advanced topics, lately, so let's take a step back and discuss what we would do if we were to start over.

There's so much that goes into recording your own music that it can seem pretty overwhelming. And many people really don't need to hear about the advanced stuff everybody seems to talk about. 

They just want to know: "How do I start? What gear do I need, how do I set it up and how do I get those first recordings onto my hard drive?"

This is part one were we cover the always important big picture things to keep in mind and of course everyone's favorite topic: Gear! 

Here's a step-by-step plan for you:

1.    Remember and always keep in mind what you are making and why you are making it. This will help you stick with it and overcome the roadblocks that will inevitably come up.
  

2.    Make it less overwhelming by breaking your big goal down into smaller chunks
  

3.    Start with your songs, arrangements, instruments and playing technique
  

4.    Only get the gear you really need

Knowing what we know now, this is the gear we'd get and what we would do with it:

·      Interface (there's better options than Scarletts, these days 😉)

·      Microphone(s)

·      DAW

·      Headphones / Monitors

·      Basic room treatment

·      Supplies (strings, drum heads, picks, etc.)

On the episode we talk about specific choices, of course and explain what really matters when it comes to gear, so that you get the best return on your investment without frustration and headaches. 

Let's go!

-Benedikt

--
For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/158

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-
2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-
3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--
Episode show notes:

Sometimes knowing what not to do is more helpful than learning a new trick. 

So in this episode, I (Benedikt) want to break down the biggest home recording mistakes I've seen from working with self-recording bands this month. So you don't have to make these same mistakes.

I get to work on a lot of different songs every month and many of them are home recordings. So, naturally, the source tones often have problems. I always try to optimize at the source and coach the artists I'm working with, so that we get the best results and so that they can deliver better recordings more easily next time.

This week we start sharing these things with you, too, because that will increase the overall quality of self-recorded records and hopefully make producing your next DIY record an easier and more enjoyable process for everyone.

By the way: 

These things are not only important when you're working with someone else. If you mix yourself, you don't want to self-sabotage, but give yourself the best chance of creating an awesome mix and make it a more creative, straight-forward, less frustrating experience.

Also: Note that none of these have to do with not having expensive gear, or anything that would cost you lots of money. They are all things you can control and fix with the tools you already have.

Let's go!

-Benedikt

--
For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/157

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]

Here are three next steps for you to take:

1. Get our free video training & checklist, "Standout Mixes - The DIY Musician's Guide To Exciting Mixes That Stand Out And Connect":
theselfrecordingband.com/standoutmixes
-
2. Apply for The Self-Recording Syndicate, our personalized coaching program!

It all starts with a free first call where we talk about your music, give you feedback and a step-by-step action plan that you can then implement on your own, or together with us.

Best case: We end up working together and completely transform the sound of your music forever.
Worst case: You get an hour of free coaching and feedback.

Sounds fair? Cool. Apply now and book your free coaching call:
theselfrecordingband.com/call
-
3. Join the free Facebook Group ("The Self-Recording Band Community"):
theselfrecordingband.com/community
--
Episode show notes:

Do you know what music producers like Rick Rubin actually do and get paid for?

CBS News just released a 60 minutes piece, featuring Rick Rubin, which caused some pretty wild discussions on the internet. 

Rubin explained his role and said things like

·      "I don't know anything about music"

·      "I can barely play a few instruments"

·      "I don't know how to operate a mixing desk"

Let's discuss this.

On this episode we're answering questions like:
 

·      What do we think about the statements Rick Rubin made there? 

·      Is he just being modest?

·      What does he get paid for if he doesn't know any of these things?

·      Aren't those things exactly what a producer typically does or needs to know?

·      And if you really don't have to know any of these things to be a legendary producer, what is it that a producer actually does?

Let's go!

-Benedikt

--
For full show notes go to: https://theselfrecordingband.com/156

Send us Fan Mail

If you have any questions, feedback, topic ideas or want to suggest a guest, email us at: [email protected]