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25 Jan 02 - 06:24 PM (#635639) Subject: Doing My Own CD From: GUEST,SlickerBill I'm a 40 something singer/songwriter. I've benn writing for quite a while now, and I've gotten good response regarding my stuff. And inevitably the question comes up; when're you gonna do a CD. i've thought about this quite a bit. I've looked into the grant thing, and in fact received a demo grant at one point, so I'm somewhat familiar with the process. But I gotta say the whole application for grant/ booking studio time/massive bank loan/ etc. thing just leaves me cold. So I'm thinking of just going really simple for now. I've got a little digital 8 track at home, and I'm thinking of putting together a kind of short run "demo" album of my tunes, and letting them go really cheap, even give em away just to get the experience of doing as much of it as I can and ending up with some kind of product. I think maybe this will either put the issue to rest for me, or, if it turns out okay, green light a bit more ambitious project. Does this sound just naive? Dumb? reasonable? it sounds like plenty of you 'Catters out there have experience I could use. Mind sharing? SB |
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25 Jan 02 - 06:52 PM (#635657) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: McGrath of Harlow Why not do it? It's easy enough, and much more convenient for anyone who wants to listen to the songs than a tape is.
I've just done it myself, and if I can do it, anyone can do it. Here is a link to a page I've put together about putting songs on a CD.
This page is more as a way of helping get it worked out in my head, and unless you happen to think the same way as I do it'll probably just be confusing. (I ought to rewrite it too, because I understand what I was doing a little bit better than I did, and should put in stuff about how to fade in tracks and fade them out and so forth, which is dead easy.)But it's got links to programmes that are handy for doing it.
When I'm feeling highminded I think of this as Samizdat record production. But really Gonzo is closer to the truth.
An eight-track would be fun, but for a singer and a guitar and ordinary basic tape recorder with a built on stereo mike seems to do well enough. Keep it simple seems to be the key. |
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25 Jan 02 - 07:56 PM (#635698) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: Cappuccino You're right - go ahead and do it. We're recording in my living room on the eight-track, and saving a fortune in studio time... and you get the hang of it pretty quick. We're still using the studio for some of the mastering bits which I don't understand yet, but do-it-yourself is certainly the way, and certainly the cheapest studio time you'll ever get! You go ahead and do it, and good luck! - Ian B |
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25 Jan 02 - 08:02 PM (#635702) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: bill\sables Do it. and I would like to place the first order for a copy when it is recorded Cheers Bill |
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25 Jan 02 - 09:15 PM (#635734) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: Jerry Rasmussen Me and Ian are trying to revive the old "recording in the living room" method of making records/now CDs. I tired to find an old wire spool recorded like they used to do but was told that they don't make them anymore. McGrath is right... you don't need 8 tracks, unless you're planning to add harmonies. I'm recording a gospel quartet with a four track machine... that means that the guitar gets a track, the lead gets a track, the bass gets a track and the other two harmonies sing into the same mike. If John and Paul could do it, why can't we. CDs are the currency of choice now, so you're wise to go ahead and record at home. Mixing down on a portable machine is more limited than a professional studio, but there are a lot of people around who have poured a ton of money into a home studio, and then don't have any business, so you could probably get a good master mied down at a very reasonable price. That's what I'm going to do. Then, you can burn them on your computer, if you have a CD burner.. Most of all, have fun! And you'll discover that once you start taping yourself and listening back, you'll be able to tighten up your music better. The first time I heard a tape of myself singing, I swore that I'd never sing in front of anyone again. So much for vows. Jerry |
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25 Jan 02 - 09:22 PM (#635741) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: hesperis It's fun! And it's a lot cheaper than going into a studio for it. And it often has less overprocessing on the sound. So yeah, go for it! |
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26 Jan 02 - 12:02 AM (#635852) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: GUEST,SlickerBill Geez, this is encouraging! I think you're right; it's the fun of it that should get you going. The thing is, so much of the process is overwhelming that you're almost afraid to get into it. People you talk to always seem to warn you like "Do it high quality or you won't be happy". But part of me thinks that if you keep it simple, there's nothing stopping you from keeping on doing it many times cheaply, as opposed to once really expensively. And hell, I kind of like the sound of more simple recordings. Iwas actually thinking of having a friend do the mastering at his home studio, partly to get another set of ears in on it. Thanks folks. SB |
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26 Jan 02 - 04:02 AM (#635921) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: Jerry Rasmussen The last two albums that I did, I did a track at a time. The first two I did for Folk Legacy were just using two mikes. The "Mixing" was done by moving people closer or further from one of the two mikes. The panning was done by moving people left or right. Both approaches had their advantages. Doing it track by track, you can get every track as perfect as you want, and balance and blend everything near-pefectly. But, there's something to be said for recording "live," and that's what I decided was best for the CD I'm doing now. There is an energy and spirit that you get when you're singing with other people that you can't quite get singing along with a tape machine, lisening to tracks on a head set that have been previously recorded. Sometimes, you can get all the notes right, and miss the song. Jerry |
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26 Jan 02 - 04:18 AM (#635924) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: Roughyed This is a really interesting thread. Can anyone recommend a good, suitable recorder for doing a CD at home? |
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26 Jan 02 - 05:32 AM (#635942) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: McGrath of Harlow I bought an old ghetto blaster with built-in stereo mikes for £5 in a garage-sale a few months back, and it seems to do the job pretty well.
If I was trying to get something with a number of instruments, maybe something more sophisticated would be worth it, a better mike for example - but when you think about the kind of recordings that were made before the modern equipment was invented, it seems to indicate it isn't really needed for our kinds of music.
The great thing with a CD is you can skip over the tracks that embarass you... |
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26 Jan 02 - 07:57 AM (#635969) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: dwditty I am trying an evaluation of Cakewalk's Guitar Tracks. It seems very simple , good quality, and I am able to create MP3 files which can be burned onto a CD. I am very pleasantly surprised at the quality, especially how ambient noise is just not there. I have a couple of weeks before I decide whether or not to spend the $50 US, but it is looking like a good choice. he 30 day eval is free. WWW.Cakewalk.com. BTW, this is not the big, expensive, I-have-to-be-a-highly-skilled-recording-engineer-to-understand version. dw |
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26 Jan 02 - 11:01 AM (#636033) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: WyoWoman I'm recording my first CD this year, but a friend who has a professional studio is doing it. However, when I was fooling around with this a little last year, the thing I noticed most was the necessity of developing good microphone technique. I forget to pull back some on the louder parts, and my "P's" are popping like mad. However, you can go too far. I have two CDs that I just love, but the musicians went so far trying not to pop their Ps that they turned EVERY p into a V. PVery distracting. ww |
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26 Jan 02 - 11:03 AM (#636037) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: WyoWoman That was two distinct items and I ran them together:
1. Pull back from the mic on the louder parts. ;-> |
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26 Jan 02 - 11:36 AM (#636051) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: Rick Fielding Try not to get TOO simple. Sometimes clarity of lyrics can get lost. You can usually rent a small digital recorder from a music store for very little money (compared to going into a professional studio) and your words will come out clearly. I've enjoyed McGrath's songs, but I sure wouldn't complain if I heard the lyrics a bit cleaner. Those little mini-disc recorders also do a fine job with clarity. A good quality mike can make a HUGE difference as well. Cheers Rick |
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26 Jan 02 - 12:01 PM (#636066) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: Jerry Rasmussen Swan: It all depends on how much money you can spend. The recorder I bought is a Tascam 4 track. It recrods at twice the speed of regular tape recorder. That will make a great difference in the quality of the recording. After I bought it, the music store that I pop in to had another 4 track Tascam that has two speeds... the high speed and the regular speed, so I picked it up to carry around with me and record concerts. I paid $300 something for the new Tascam, after an almost 40% discount, and picked up the used one for a couple of hundred dollars. They both do a great job. As Rick pointed out, the mikes are almost as important as the tape recorder. I invested in near top-of-the-line mikes, discounted at $100 a piece. But, I made good sounding tapes on an old four track machine years ago, using mid-price Radio Shack mikes that cost more like $40 or $50. Of course, you can go all the way up from here, or all the way down. I didn't get into digital because of the cost, and I'm extremely pleased with the quality of the recordings that we're getting in analog. Good advice about working the mikes. Two of the guys in my group were mike shy when we first started the group, and it took endless reminders and many months before they were confident to really approach the mike. Now, they just about put the mike in their mouth. That's fine when you're using the mike to send a signal, but not when you're recording. It took the first two recording sessions (and playing back the results) before I could get the guys to pull back from the mike. There's a line in one of the first songs we taped, "The one who PPPPaid the PPPrice," and there was a very noticeable "pop" on the p's. We're going to have to do it over. I'm really pleased to see this discussion going on. I'm happy to share what I've learned, but there are many others who know far more than I do, so I expect I'll learn much more than I can share. Jerry |
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26 Jan 02 - 12:08 PM (#636069) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: Jerry Rasmussen So, MsGrath: I clicked onto your link and waited breathlessly as your photo unfolded. Then, I couldn't figure out where to go from there. I did find the listing of Mudcat members and where they're from, and found that fascinating. I've only been in the pond for a couple of months, and while I know a lot of folkies, having run a concert series in Connecticut for 27 years, it's taking time to match friends to monikers. I really would like to see the page that you set up. How do I do it? Jerry |
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26 Jan 02 - 12:20 PM (#636074) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: Paul Mitchell I did my C.D. a couple of years ago in response to people asking for one. It's been a real blast . I was lucky enough to have two good people help out for free, one recording me and one doing the art work for the cover. By using a proffesional C.D. copying company I got a very professional looking package, with graphics on the C.D. itself. However, I did my last run on my computer's C.D. burner, using paper lables, and no one has even remarked about it. I recorded the C.D. on one of these desk top digital recording things, not much different from what you are describing. I only used three tracks as it's just me and my guitar. So I guess you should be alright with what you've got. So, go ahead and do it. However, I wasn't prepared for people I had never met before knowing my song lyrics better than me! Or being asked to sign copies. That's all a bit wierd (but GREAT for my ego). Good luck and enjoy. Paul |
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26 Jan 02 - 12:41 PM (#636087) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: Maryrrf I was in your situation a year or so ago. I used the minidisc and "mixed" using Cool Edit on the computer. Like you, I was mostly doing it for fun and figured I'd be able to exchange a few CD's with other folksingers, give them away, etc. But now I package them up and they sell very well at my gigs. Our local Borders also stocks them. Nobody has ever complained or noticed that they were "homemade" - indeed I've received nothing but good feedback. I experimented with a Tascam tape recorder but I think you'd be better off going digital. The sound is so much clearer. The minidisc worked fine for me - just singing and guitar, but there are other options if you need more bells and whistles. |
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26 Jan 02 - 12:53 PM (#636099) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: Lane McGrath of Harlow, I tried the link that you posted - got your picure, which is great, but no info on making CDs.... did I mess up? Thanks |
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26 Jan 02 - 02:27 PM (#636158) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: GUEST,SlickerBill This is fantastic stuff!!!. had no idea there were so many out there in the same spot. Keep it coming cuz I'm learning tons here. What I've got here at home is a Boss BR8 digital 8 track set up, so I've got a few bells and whistles, but perhaps that's my problem; too many things to learn all at once. I know what you mean about the mic situation. I've been borrowing SM 58's , which seem okay, but seem to be missing some of the clarity I want. Tried a 57, but I'm one of these sinitus guys, with very loud breathing, and found I had to hold a finger under my nose to keep it out of the mix. I'm wondering whether renting a better mic might not be a good idea. What would be a step up from the 58? And same deal with me McGrath; tried your page but couldn't find the info. SB |
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26 Jan 02 - 02:50 PM (#636176) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: Alice I finally put some mp3 tracks together that I had recorded at home, uploaded them to mp3.com, and produced my own CD through that site. That way, I didn't have to pay for any materials up front, and they did a good job of printing the artwork for the CD cover and insert that I designed and uploaded - very easy. I used Sound Jam software on my Mac to do the recording. The only drawback was not being able to mic the track very well that has piano accompaniment, but that was only because I was working with a very basic set up with one microphone. |
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27 Jan 02 - 10:18 AM (#636579) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: Charley Noble Hmmmm! I'm 90% through this process with a Roll & Go demo. Maybe I can figure out what I've been doing and say something useful in another week or two. I'm working with the master CD from our recording consultant, burning demo CD's, designing and trying to get labels and inserts to print where they are supposed to (registration). At some point we'll send the whole thing off for a commercial run, which at our level is somewhere between 500 and 1000. |
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27 Jan 02 - 11:45 AM (#636613) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: Cappuccino We find you can get on-disc printing for a run as low as 250. Which for us, of course, is a massive run! Oh, keep trying McGrath's link, or buy the CD - it's good. - Ian |
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27 Jan 02 - 11:45 AM (#636614) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: Roughyed Thanks everyone. Very useful information. |
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27 Jan 02 - 02:44 PM (#636707) Subject: RE: Help: Doing My Own CD From: McGrath of Harlow No, you didn't ness up, Lane and anyone else who tried my link and got my mugshot from the Mudcat rogues' gallery - it was my mistake.
I'd used that link in another thread, to show someone a picture of my guitar, which was relevant because they were thinking of buying one with the same label, and there was some question as it was the same sort of instrument to begin with. The moral is, when you make a post with a link, always check it as soon as you have submitted it.
Here is the actual link that it was meant to be. (And I'll come right back and check it when I have pushed the Submit button.)
And of course Rick is right, better recording equipment is worth using. The point I was making is that you shouldn't put off getting songs onto CD just because you haven't got the sort of home-recording set-up you might like to have. And the most valuable bit of upgrading is the mike itself. |