don't sit on it too long

dobro

dobro

Well-known member
I'm gonna cross-post this, cuz it's legitimate in this case.

I've learned something about putting recording projects together: don't sit on it too long.

My best results are when I keep at it and take it a long way to completion the same day/same week, rather than leaving a lot of time between the different stages of writing, recording and mixing.

The advantages: if I record the song shortly after I write it, it's still got that freshness and, for lack of a better word, wonder. The magic's still there. And when I listen to the various tracks I recorded the next day, it's a lot easier to select the keepers the cull the others. And all that careful listening generates ideas for arrangement and other tracks. Plus it's a *lot* harder to pick up the trail months down the road when I find out that I have to redo a track for some reason.

And then there's the mixing: that's when I *really* listen carefully and learn all sorts of stuff. It's at that stage usually when I notice the tracks that I thought were okay but which actually need to be redone. And like I said before, it's easier to redo a track when your chops are up, and harder later on. I know you have to leave time between recording and mixing. I know that. But don't sit on it too long.
 
In my case if I dont get it done in a day/week I might as well trash it. Like Mr. Hicks said I have a short attention span.
 
I have a serious problem finishing projects. I am finally finishing up my album (final mastering was yesterday!). I recorded the first track over two years ago.
 
I have a long running collabobration in which I experienced a serious slump in this respect- energy and inthusiasm had to be rekindled.
A very similar condition can happen when you put your best first effort into a mix, and everyone's excited, it feels final, then someone comes back wanting to do it again, only slightly different...
Wayne
 
That idea doesn't work for me. More often then not, a new song for me needs to have some perspective to ensure that the arrangement and lyrics are right. Every project where I didn't take such consideration had flaws that could've been fleshed out and corrected had I given it at least a month to settle in my mind.

As for freshness and excitement, that comes when actually tracking the song. No matter how much I have rehearsed the parts before hand, that moment when I am finally committing to tape has that spark I need to play my best. The fact that the spark is there after all the preparation is confirmation to me that the song was worth recording in the first place.

Cy
 
In the little time that I have been recording (almost one year) I've drawn a couple of conclusions that work well for me. I am a singer and it is best for me to record when I am in what I call a groove. It is when I can record tracks with no mistakes and am really "in voice". When I am in a groove it is best for me to go ahead and record as many tracks as possible. After recording tracks I then go back to the first song I record and do the mixdown. It seems if you go back and do mixdown of your own songs right away you are not hearing just what is coming out of the monitors you are also hearing the memory of what was coming out of the phones during recording and this does not give accurate reference for mixdown.
 
I think this partly depends on the genre and production style. Certain music is more dependant on freshnes and feel, and is actually harmed by overproduction. Other music is more like a complex wine, requiring time to ferment and age. Bruce Springsteen and Alan Parsons might be dated but good examples of each.
RD
 
I agree that this issue is dependent upon the genre.

Personally, I think that time will tell you if it's truly work that you believe in. I usually can tell the good from the bad by playing songs for several months.
 
Yeah, for me that's true too - I don't know at the time I write and record a song how good or bad it is - I'm too involved in it, and too close to have any idea. I'm really surprised by how bad some of my stuff is six months down the road. LOL

But the point I'm making is that taking the song from writing to recording to mixing as quickly as I'm able without pushing too hard or too fast is a really good thing for the song. Maybe it's different for others.
 
I go through this all the time. Coming back to work on project that have lost momentum and taking too much time to generate a clean head. I think of it much like the process we work in with modern DAWs, just because you can eq every microscopic freq., edit every breath out of a vocal or compress the life out of everything with ease doesn't mean you need to.

Start a project, finish said project with the inspiration and vision you have today not the next 3yrs.
 
I think it cannot be applied as a rule.

I have this project I started two years ago and only now I am finishing to mix the first three songs. It would be a mistake if I had tried to do it in a rush. Beside I have used a technique that is familiar for me in graphic designer and that seems to work great for music production too: sometimes I close my project, forget it for a little while and a couple days later I just open it and hear it again. I have a completely fresh and new impression about what I did before.

i have three more songs to conclude this project that are still being recorded and even feeling myself more comfortable to mix and such now, I doubt that I will finish those songs before Christmas or so!

What I mean is that each one will have a way to achieve the best results. More time, less time. It will depend on several factors: your age, your experience, your availability, if you do it for hobby or for money, etc. Too many variants.

:)
 
It's weird how what you thought were great lyrics, when you write them, are awful after backing away from them and then returning to them a few weeks or months later.
I agree with finishing the tracking while the song is fresh. Sometimes I will be tracking and after much tweaking of mics and amp settings get a killer guitar sound. Then, after a take or two, you have a mediocre flawed guitar performance with fantastic tone...but you're tired and call it, a day instead of pushing for that spot on performance. Then later, when you return to the song, you would love to fix the mistakes but know you will never get that particular magic tone again.
 
jimistone said:
Sometimes I will be tracking and after much tweaking of mics and amp settings get a killer guitar sound. Then, after a take or two, you have a mediocre flawed guitar performance with fantastic tone...but you're tired and call it, a day instead of pushing for that spot on performance. Then later, when you return to the song, you would love to fix the mistakes but know you will never get that particular magic tone again.
Click to expand...

Well, it is just a matter of take notes about your setup before to go to bed! Unless, of course, that the magic tone was anywhere else but only in your ears!

:D
 
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