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Creating
an audio CD:
What it takes.
Music CD -- from recording sessions:
[e.g. Violin & Piano, Solo Piano, Choir, String Quartet,.....]
The Recording Venue
Usually recording sessions are made on location at known venues like churches or halls.Known venues, since one needs to be assured first of all that the accoustic is appropriate for recording and also for the particular combination of instruments. The next considerationfor a recording venue is that it is going to be a quiet place. The great advantage ofusing venues such as churches is that the accoustic is natural and in combination withnatural recording techniques and careful microphone placement the final result willsound appropriate.
How long does it take?
The recording sessions needed to make a one hour cd usually last approx twelve hours (i.e four three hour sessions). The time is usually dependent on what final result one is looking for. If one is making a student demo cd, sometimes there is a tight budget consideration and the process can be cut back accordingly. The recording sessions are mostly done over two days. Editing is carried out over three days.
Using a Recording Producer
The recording producer is a cruical part of any recording. It is the producer who directs the recording sessions and makes what are sometime split second choices which determine whether sections are to be re-recorded before the end of the session for later editing. In cases where budget is tight for a project a trusted musician (colleague of the musicians) can be appointed and I can guide the process through recoding and editing. The most important thing is that the producer has a keen ear, knows the music and can encourage the musician/s through the recording sessions.
The Process
Before the sessions the musicians will have rehearsed and prepared. The recording sessions are run with a view to capturing the best performance from all musicians. It is all a matter of perspective -- it is a balance between getting everything right technically and achieving a musical performance which will welcome many repeat listenings.
Before the first note gets recorded the microphone positions are adjusted for the best internal balance in the music and to bring out the individual tone quality of the musicians, including the natural accoustic quality of the venue. Short takes (in this case test recordings) are made and all concerned producer/engineer/musicians will hear playbacks to get a feel of how it is sounding. Sometimes further adjustments are made to get all round agreement and the final balance is created. This is an important stage for it determines how the ensemble will sound on the final CD.
In order
to capture the best overall atmosphere for a piece it is usually recorded
beginning to end and then finer short takes are done to cover for wrong notes/noises
etc. If the work has a number of movements they are usually recorded in seperate
parts of the session. The opening takes are usually the whole movement and
are sometimes called 'run throughs'. The recording producer will mark the
score for the weaker sections, as it is being recorded and will decide what
sections need re-recording
to enable enough cover for clean editing later.
Generally the first run through is played back for the musicians/director. This is important as it gives direct feedback as to how things are shaping. If the general feel of the piece hasn't yet emerged or there are lots of notes which need cover - it is decided to go for another run through. After these first takes shorter sections are recorded (all are numbered) and used to patch intothe best run through in the editing process. The general aim is to find that one is covered adequetly, so that after editing, the weakest patches are recorded to an accepted standard. Tricky passsages need going over many times to sound clean. This is a normal part of the process.
Following the recording sessions a proof copy of the original run throughs and cover takes is made for the producer to listen through and mark up in the score for editing. In some instances in certain types of traditional music there isn't a score -- then the editing process is carried out beteween the sound editor and the musicians/procucer in a more direct fashion.
Once a definitive list of edits is ready the editing takes place. Sometimes after the first few editing sessions it is noticed that some further and more refined editing needs to be done. The producer/musician then has to reconsider some of the earlier choices and chose alternative takes for certain sections. A good way to think of this process is like cleaning a window. The more one cleans, the more one notices the blemishes which are left. Of course one has to stop at some point and accept that the window is cleaned - otherwise we would never come down from the ladder and never finish. This is why it is necessary to have a producer/musician colleage, since it creates an element of indpendent detachment from the process and relieves the musicians of this type of descision making which can be difficult if one is close to the performance. suffice it to say that I have also recrded musicians who have acted as their own producers. The process just takes a little longer.