The Self-Recording Band

Download the free Ultimate 10 Step Guide To Successful DIY-Recording here: https://theselfrecordingband.com/10stepguide

Download the free Frequency Chart / Spectrum Overview (Cheat Sheet) here:
https://theselfrecordingband.com/frequencychart

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

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Have you ever struggled to finish a song, album or any recording project? Does it take you forever to create your record, or have you ever abandoned a project and never finished it at all, because you got frustrated along the way? I'm pretty sure you have. We all have. 

The question is, what can we do about it? And what causes this issue in the first place? 

If you want to move forward, release more music and get things done in 2021, this episode is for you.

And this time we're not doing it alone. We asked the people who have witnessed more musicians get frustrated and struggle to finish their projects than anyone else. People who are observing and helping thousands of bands and DIY artists on a daily basis - The admins of big, popular (home-)recording Facebook groups:

• Amar Sharma (Home Recording Studio Zone, Overdrive Studios Spain) 
• Simon Beck (Home Recording Advice and Discussion)
• Mario Vila Nova (Home Recording For Everyday Musicians)
• Dan Stinson (Metal Audio Engineers, 12 Moon Audio) 

Those 4 experts are not only engineers and producers themselves, but also know the typical problems that keep coming up inside their huge forums. And they were generous enough to share their experience and advice with us, so you can overcome whatever is holding you back!

For full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/46


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

Send us Fan Mail

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

Download the free Ultimate 10 Step Guide To Successful DIY-Recording here: https://theselfrecordingband.com/10stepguide

Download the free Frequency Chart / Spectrum Overview (Cheat Sheet) here:
https://theselfrecordingband.com/frequencychart

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

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Happy holidays! 

Thank you for listening and for supporting us throughout this year!

In this episode we reflect back on the train wreck that was 2020, focus on the positive things that happened to us (turns out there were plenty, also thanks to you) and give you an overview of what to expect next, now that we're moving into 2021 and year two of our podcast.

We're super grateful for all the opportunities and connections this show brought us and of course we're super grateful to have you as a listener. Every message, every post, every tag, every review, every thread in our Facebook group, etc. We don't take that for granted and we will continue doing our best to offer you the worlds best education platform for self-recording bands.

Thank you!


For full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/45


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

Send us Fan Mail

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

Download the free Ultimate 10 Step Guide To Successful DIY-Recording here: https://theselfrecordingband.com/10stepguide

Download the free Frequency Chart / Spectrum Overview (Cheat Sheet) here:
https://theselfrecordingband.com/frequencychart

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

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In our last episode we’ve helped you find out how tight things need to be and what you can do to improve your performances. But it doesn’t end there. 

If you’re brutally honest with yourself, while comparing your best raw takes to your favorite records, you will probably still notice quite a big difference in the quality of the performance. 

Chances are your timing and intonation are still not 100% where they should be. And besides the fact that you’re probably comparing yourself to outstanding, world class musicians, the main reason for that is called editing. 

Now, most people have at least some idea of what editing is, but they either 

• don’t understand it completely 
• doubt that it’s really necessary
• or they even believe that it hurts the music!

We want to debunk that theory, demystify editing and explain why it is such a crucial step, no matter if your music is supposed to sound organic or super accurate and polished. If you want to end up with a professional sounding record that resonates with people you need to understand the importance of editing.

You gotta understand how powerful it is as a tool to ENHANCE the feel and vibe of your songs, not destroy it.

In this episode we explain what editing can do for you, the different ways it can be used and we give you some practical, real world examples that might or might not surprise you.

For full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/44


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

Send us Fan Mail

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

Download the free Ultimate 10 Step Guide To Successful DIY-Recording here: https://theselfrecordingband.com/10stepguide

Download the free Frequency Chart / Spectrum Overview (Cheat Sheet) here:
https://theselfrecordingband.com/frequencychart

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

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The second most important thing (after the song itself and the arrangement) is the performance. The timing, intonation and vibe have to be spot on to create the perfect feel for the song. 

And “Spot on” doesn’t necessarily mean “perfect”. But what does it mean? Many people seem to struggle with deciding whether something is good enough or maybe already “too perfect”.

And it's a really good question! Here's why this matters:
As artists, we want to evoke emotions, we want our music to connect and resonate with people. This happens through the quality of the performance more than through the sound quality. Yep, it's true.

Tune in as we explain how to actually find out whether your takes are good enough or not and what to do to improve your performances, as well as the ability to properly assess them.


For full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/43


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

Send us Fan Mail

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

Download the free Ultimate 10 Step Guide To Successful DIY-Recording here: https://theselfrecordingband.com/10stepguide

Download the free Frequency Chart / Spectrum Overview (Cheat Sheet) here:
https://theselfrecordingband.com/frequencychart

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

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The show notes to this one are rather short. We just thought it would be cool to share some of the unconventional, crazy and fun things we've done over the years, in order to capture exciting, unique tones. 

These stories should serve as an inspiration more than anything. Feel free to try all of these for yourself and then take what worked and refine it, so that it's your unique thing. Or even better, come up with your own creative ideas! 

Techniques like these are not for everyone or for every production and they certainly don't work every time. But sometimes they do and if that happens, everyone in the room has a bright smile on their face, knowing that magic has just happened.

For full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/42


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

Send us Fan Mail

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

Download the free Ultimate 10 Step Guide To Successful DIY-Recording here: https://theselfrecordingband.com/10stepguide

Download the free Frequency Chart / Spectrum Overview (Cheat Sheet) here:
https://theselfrecordingband.com/frequencychart

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

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Have you ever lost an important file, or worse, an entire project that you've been working on for weeks? Yikes! I guess most of us have been there and never want to experience that feeling again, right?

The solution is a proper backup system and if you've learned about it the hard way, you probably already have one now. But how do you actually do it, so that it's safe, efficient, convenient and affordable?

There are different types of backups and archiving systems that are typically used for different purposes. And then there are different options for each of those. 

In this episode we talk about why this whole topic is SO important (beyond the obvious reasons) and we show you how we do it for our studios, businesses and personal lives.

If you think this isn't for you, because you've been lucky and have never experienced what it means to lose important data, you have two options: 

1. Wait until it happens and learn the hard way (it's just a matter of time)
2. Listen, take action now, prevent it from ever happening, sleep well and pat yourself on the back for being a smart person

For full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/41


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

Send us Fan Mail

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

Download the free Ultimate 10 Step Guide To Successful DIY-Recording here: https://theselfrecordingband.com/10stepguide

Download the free Frequency Chart / Spectrum Overview (Cheat Sheet) here:
https://theselfrecordingband.com/frequencychart

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

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Click vs No Click - Find the Best Approach For Your Project And Learn The Different Ways To Use A Click Track

There was a time when a click track was simply a tool to sync up different players and get them to play together easily in the right tempo for the song, especially when doing overdubs.

Then there was a time when using a click track was frowned upon and almost seen as "cheating", especially in certain rock genres. 

And then it became the standard, people were expected to be able to play to a click and most modern music was expected to be quantized and to be perfectly on the grid all the time. 

Now, of course, we're seeing a trend of going back to natural feel and not using a click track again. As so many other things, it comes and goes in waves.

Now what does that tell us? 

Well, there doesn't seem to be THE ONE right approach. And in fact, it's not just yes or no. If we choose to use a click track, there are many different ways to use it. 

So what do we do? What's right? What's the best way for our project? And is it cheating? Does music really suffer from using a click track? Can we have both the click track and an organic, natural feel at the same time? How do the pros approach it and why?

Let's discuss!

For full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/40


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

Send us Fan Mail

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

Download the free Ultimate 10 Step Guide To Successful DIY-Recording here: https://theselfrecordingband.com/10stepguide

Download the free Frequency Chart / Spectrum Overview (Cheat Sheet) here:
https://theselfrecordingband.com/frequencychart

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

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Get Your Low End Right From The Start (It's Not Just A Mixing Issue)

“Low end” in music production is a very vague term that seems to leave people confused and uncertain. 

And even if you understand what it is, getting it right can be super challenging. But it doesn't have to be! 

The key is to be intentional and strategic about it. And you need to start thinking about it right at the beginning of the whole process - during songwriting, arranging and recording. 

Don't assume your low end is going to magically come together in the mix! 

Sure, there's a lot a great mixer can do, but it starts way before that. If you are putting in the work, creating a great foundation right from the start, the results you'll get after mixing and mastering will be SO much better. And in case you're mixing yourself, your life will be so much easier. 

Listen now to find out what "low end" actually means, why it is so important (and difficult) to get it right and what you can do during writing, arranging, production and recording (before the mix) to get exactly the size, weight and energy you want in your songs.

For full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/39


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

Send us Fan Mail

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

Download the free Ultimate 10 Step Guide To Successful DIY-Recording here: https://theselfrecordingband.com/10stepguide

Download the Essential DIY-Recording Gear Guide here:
https://theselfrecordingband.com/gearguide

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

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"What Should I Buy - Digital Mixer Or Dedicated Interface?"

This is one of the most popular questions. People are wondering if a digital mixer with a lot of channels and all the bells and whistles can be a great alternative to the common, dedicated audio interfaces on the market.

It's not an easy question to answer, as they're designed for different tasks (or combinations of tasks). But it's true that both can theoretically be used as a recording interface. So let's break down the features, pros and cons and see if we can find a clear winner for your situation!

Bonus Content: Get Featured On The Podcast!

I'll start this with a question:

What’s the best thing about DIY-recording?

​The obvious answer:

It enables musicians to put their music out fast, regularly and on a budget. It removes barriers and makes great sounding productions something everyone can have for their band now.

But there is more to it:

A whole new community and movement has developed around the topic. Passionate DIY-engineers and home recording musicians from all around the world are exchanging ideas, helping each other out and sharing their knowledge, experience and, of course, their music!

It has become a social experience, an opportunity for people to get to know like-minded peers and form friendships. Which makes for even better music, because people get inspired by each other, help each other, collaborate and grow together.

We believe that the creative freedom, the diversity in today's music, the fresh ideas and the community that came with DIY-recording are the best things about it. And we don’t believe in competition. At all. We believe in collaboration. A rising tide lifts all boats.

That’s why we want to make the podcast and this whole project less about us and more about you, the community, the self-recording bands out there. We want to give inspiring people a voice and a platform. We want you, your ideas and philosophies on recording to be heard. And we want your music to be heard! We want to talk to experts and professionals and hear their advice, just as much as we want to talk to passionate hobby recording enthusiasts.
​

So here are four things we’ll be doing from now on:

1. We’ll be doing podcast interviews ​
   ​​
2. We’ll be doing Q&A episodes and broadcast your ideas!​
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3. We’ll be doing „ask the community“ episodes​
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4. We’ll be featuring your music on the podcast! 

Listen now to hear how this will work and how you can be a part of it!

For full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/38


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

Send us Fan Mail

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

Download the free Ultimate 10 Step Guide To Successful DIY-Recording here: https://theselfrecordingband.com/10stepguide

Download the Essential DIY-Recording Gear Guide here:
https://theselfrecordingband.com/gearguide

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

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You can absolutely learn how to mix. We’ve done it, lots of people have done it. 

The questions you need to ask yourself are: 

“What is my goal? Where am I right now? Where do I want to go? Who do I want to be? What’s the priority right now?”

There are basically three different scenarios:

1. You want your band and record to succeed
2. You want to become a great mixer and don’t really care about the success of that particular record
3. You want your band and record to succeed AND you want to become a great mixer

In this episode, we're talking about each of these three scenarios and about what to do in those situations. We're also talking about how to choose a good mixer for your project and we're showing you the fastest way to get better at mixing yourself!

We want you to get results, that’s all that matters to us and this episode is the perfect example of that. No BS, no fluff. The truth.

For full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/37

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

Send us Fan Mail

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