Wow. What an excellent discussion. I don't think I can add to it, except to give you my own experience with my newest CD, "Fond Desire Farewell". I am so proud of this work and I think it's really my best yet. And I am not usually that positive about my own stuff. I *am* my own worst critic.

I've done it all recording-wise...I recall back in 1988, the quartet I was in was a guinea pig for a recording engineer student's senior project at University, and it sounds like it. But the music was really really good! You can judge for yourself HERE

My last two solo CDs were done in home studios, but both studios had really nice mics, serious Pro-Tools recording software and good engineers. Both CDs were mastered. Even though people liked the CDs (and I like them too) I felt that they could have been better, but I didn't know how or what I was missing. This applies more to the process than the result, though I do question some things sonically in the finished products.

For "Fond Desire Farewell" I decided to pull out all the stops (and lots of $$$) and hire Dave Mattacks to produce. That has made ALL the difference in my past work and this new project. In the past I always felt like I had no idea what I was doing, kind of stumbling around in the world of recording. I had to make all the technical decisions, an area where I don't really have that kind of expertise.

But...most of the new CD was recorded in a home studio. We did go to a "Big Boy Studio" (Dave's words) to lay down the foundation tracks in isolation rooms. We then recorded the other instruments and vocals in a home studio with no sound proofing. This proved to give us some hilarious instances involving birds, planes and a loud neighbor.

The tracks are now in the final stage of being mixed by a separate engineer whose specialty is mixing. I am blown away by the results.
We master at the end of this month.

Dave has been with me every single step of the way, from choosing the material all the way to seeing this through promotion. For myself, the entire process was worth every dollar spent and the experience was one that I do hope to repeat at some time. I really feel like I didn't pay him enough and the amount of time and energy he (and our main engineer) put in was extraordinary, I think.

For me, Recording has always been a chore and something I never liked. This project was different. Maybe it was the fact that I wasn't in charge. When it came my turn to sing, it seemed so easy. Not sure why, but it was.

Sorry to go on so long.

Deb Cowan