Unit 48: Music Recording (Pop Song)

Recording a Pop Song Cover

Track link

Task 1

Run-Through 

A run-through is where the team who is performing/organising, gets together and helps play the song at least on time or even 2 times to get used to the music.
I have used a run-through for my recording as i needed to make sure everyone understood the music and how all the pieces fitted together.

Rehearsal 

A rehearsal is where you continuously play the song to get the music in your head to guarantee that the sections of the recording blend together and make the piece complete. The team and i all practiced the pieces. 

Level and Sound Checks 

To make sure the recording is clear, i needed to make sure that the volume levels where balanced for all instruments to be heard clearly. This section is all down to the amount gain given as that increases the pitch and the sound of the sections. 

Performance 

A performance is an act of presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. I presented mine through Sound Cloud for different types of audience viewers to listen to and feel inspired. 

Gain 

I had to change the gain on most things to make sure the levels of each instrument blended with another as i wanted the vocals to be heard but at the same time i wanted to make sure the other instruements could be heard clearly and stand out as a whole. I needed to make sure that with the instruments the gain was set around 6-8 to guarantee the recording is clear.

Stereo Recording 

This is important as by doing a stereo recording instead of a mono it means your tracks are gonna be balanced and a pan wouldn't be needed. 

Multiband Recording 

I used a lot of audio tracks in my piece because of all the different instruments and how i wanted them to sound different and unique and stand out. Also i recorded the tracks on different tracks so i can organise the tracks.

Connections 

In order to record the microphones and the musicians i used DI and XLR to connect to the mixing desk.

Proximity Effect 

When using a dynamic microphone the closer you get to the microphone the more bass frequencies you get that why we insist that the musicians stand 6 inches away and dont lead into the microphone.

Live Recording 

For a live recording i used the studio for it as i needed to record all the musicians. 

Screens/Guards/Pop Shield

By using a screen, guard or a pop shield helps the sound not to echo as i want clean recordings i used the shield on my vocals as i wanted to quite the sounds a little.

Task 2

Direct Injection 

By using DI the bass player or guitar player doesn't need to go into the main studio they can shit in the room with the recorder, to do this i used a jack lead to plug it into the guitar then into the mixing desk.

Synthesiser 

in my recording i didn't use a synthesiser.

Electric Guitar 

For my guitar i used Cubase guitar rig and i also used EQ, Reverb and compression.

Keyboard 

I used a DI input into the keyboard as i wanted the melody to not be peddled as i have other instruments that do that.

Drum Kit

I recorded my drum kit in the studio using the microphones as i didn't use an electric drum so i couldn't use DI

Saxophone

I used a condensor microphone to record the saxophone in the studio.

Monitors/Levels 

The monitors and levels check for clipping and the mixers levels have to be at 0 so it balances it out.

Headphones /Fold Back Systems 

 I used headphones for the performers who were in the studio so they could hear the backing track whilst they performed.

Talk Back 

I used talk back to communicate back to the musicians in the studio if the microphone was feeding back to the control room i could change the gain and tell the performers what i was doing.

Track Sheets 

When i was doing my recording i got track sheets for each of the artists this was because i needed the performers to know when i needed them and what they were coming into the studio to do.

Identifying Tracks 

I identified my tracks by changing the colour depending on the track.

Overdubbing 

I used overdubbing on my piano this is where i recorded over the track to duplicate it and add things in certain places.

Listening for Distortion Checking Playback

By checking playback i checked for feed back and changing the gain levels