Devaluing Music

In 2015, the vinyl record market was up 32%, grossing $416 million in sales according to the RIAA. Compare that to the $385 million made from streaming music sites with ads such as; Spotify, YouTube, Pandora and we can confirm that the consumer has changed in recent years.

And that's not because vinyl has become less expensive, in fact the very opposite, a new copy of The Beatles "White Album" will run you about $40 USD or a copy of Bon Iver's "For Emma, Forever Ago" will run you right at $20 USD in most stores.

So, why the spike in sales for something as antiquated as vinyl, a medium of music listening that 20 years ago, experts would have said was on its way out? Some have speculated it's a counter response to the digital music world, that buyers want to hold their records and be able to point to their purchase. Other say it's a backlash to iTunes and the 'shuffle generation', that listeners want to have a musical experience once again and are seeking a more 'personal relationship' with the music they enjoy.

Whatever the reason...as Bob Dylan once said "the times they are a changin"...and some musicians are jumping on board while others are more hesitant.

I've seen a new trend with artists I've worked with NOT releasing their music online, but instead making CD's or vinyl records they sell at their shows. While the other half of artists, are ONLY releasing their music online and giving it away for free. Who's right?

Now, the rest of this post is a mixture speculation and research, but it's speculation based on experience and hours of research.

In 1999 something happened online that changed the course of the music industry forever...

Enter Napster.

In 1999, for the first time music fans could get their favorite albums FOR FREE at the click of a button and the only price was waiting for a progress bar. These songs were in the mp3 format, which is a quarter of the quality of the then reigning king of music distribution, CD's. A generation became accustomed to getting music for free and didn't mind the sacrifice in quality. Just two years later, the site would shutdown following a lawsuit by the RIAA, but the damage was done.

No one then could have foreseen the effects Napster would have on the music industry and the music industry and the consumer have never been the same since.

Fast forward to 2007, the rock band Radiohead did something unprecedented for a band of their popularity. They recorded an album without the help of a record label and released the album independently on their own site where fans could pay whatever they wanted for the album, even $0.00.

The media had a frenzy and The Times hailed Radiohead's album, "In Rainbows"..."easily the most important release in the recent history of the music business".  NME wrote, "the music world seemed to judder several times of its axis".

And that's exactly what happened. Soon after, independent bands were giving away their music. And in the beginning, it was brilliant and fan bases were growing, but in 2016...that model didn't seem to hold up like we thought it would.

In 2016, I talk to bands who tell to me that making an album is a risk and therefore want to try to cut costs as much as possible. And in that thinking of releasing an album as a risk, the art suffers. I believe with this mindset of devaluing music, not only are the artists shortchanged for their effort financially, but the fans are shortchanged from quality. I talk to a lot of artists who refer to the recording process as a marketing tool to get fans to the shows. The very artists have lost sight of the value of their art and see it as an 'audible show flier'. And because of this, music is released that isn't fully realized and with the budgets shortened...the music suffers...and when the music suffers...the fans die off.

These days, I see a generation of artists who are so 'hungry' for an audience to listen to their music, they give it away. On many of these artists' sites, paying isn't even an option. They may have spent hundreds even thousands making the record and they give it away in hopes that it grows their fan base. I've seen incentive programs where you can get the album, mixtape or EP for free IF you post a tweet or a message on Facebook that tells all your friends about this FREE album. Artists are looking for an audience and are willing to the go the point of 'virtual begging'.

I've also talked to artists who do music as a side project and work as electricians or school teachers during the day and have no desire to pursue a career in music, therefore give it away so everyone can have their music. And this to me is a fine reason to give away music. But the artists who DO want to pursue a career in music...I beg you to reconsider what you're doing.

I want to start by saying if you hope to make a living in music and you aren't currently purchasing music, not sitting through YouTube ads, but buying songs off iTunes, or getting a subscription to Spotify, or purchasing music at an ACTUAL STORE...you are hurting your chances of being able to make a living for your art. There is a movement currently where if you make something of value, consumers will pay money for it, with an emphasis on vinyl. We need to propel this surge of valuing music and artists should value themselves and their art enough to put a price tag on their work.

I fear that if we keep devaluing music as we have...bad albums will become what the music fans come to expect and the art of making records will become cheapened by more half-ready releases and more 'disposable music'.

In the past five years, I've seen a growing trend of artists making their own album. And though I support the artists who have taken the torch and taken responsibility and care in making their music on their own. I've also seen  artists who see the need to cut corners to the point of pirating a copy of ProTools or Logic Pro, watching a few videos on YouTube and proceeding to make their album. Now, I don't condone piracy and think it shortchanges the music industry, but the issue I take with this is...there are audio engineers who have a deep appreciation for music and spent years perfecting their skills in the record making process to help make albums like the ones they fell in love with in their youth only to be passed up for convenience. And if you hop on Bandcamp today, you can download scores of these disposable albums where the care and knowledge of record making wasn't utilized.

I beg you to reconsider...

How can you stop this?

• See music as something of importance that brings people together. 
• Make music that you will be proud of years to come and that represents you well as an artist for future generations, long after you pass. 
• View your next record/single as a vehicle that could change your life and the lives of those who find it and decide what that's worth. 
• Don't take shortcuts or cut corners to save money, but invest into making IMPORTANT MUSIC. 
• Put a price tag on your art. 
• Support good musicians by employing them on your next project. 
• Buy music and help revitalize the music business so fans can have better music, artists can get paid and audio engineers stay employed. 

Lastly, I ask that you share this blog post, not for my gain, but as a wake up call to music lovers everywhere. Thanks for reading. 

Be kind+make good music.

Tips for World Class Vocal Takes

Put your wallet away. The secret to great vocal takes isn't something you buy. I've seen friends and clients shell out hundreds even thousands of dollars for top shelf mics, better pre-amps, and still walk away with less than stellar vocal performances. And it's not because they didn't spend enough or they still haven't found the right vocal chain. The secret to the best vocal takes you can get out of a performer is going to cost you, the engineer something more...effort! I've seen engineers just sit there and say nothing and just hit record at the end of each take. Reading a newspaper or checking social media while the singer is bearing their soul on the other side of the glass. Now, if that doesn't describe you...then good...you're one of the good ones. If it does...we can fix that!

Let's get this out of the way, because some of you go into every session with a skewed mindset. I'm not going to teach you how to make average singers sound like world class singers. You can't squeeze blood out of a turnip and you can't make an average vocalist Whitney Houston. But...you can get the best that they're capable of and that might be easier than you think.

The secret to great vocal takes is; a singer who understands their limits, positive reinforcement, and staying in the zone.

Understanding the Limits

An average singer who knows how to work their voice for a given song is a powerful thing. Sometimes part of the key is just lowering the key of the song or if it's a female...raising it...finding where the singer can sing comfortably. Sometimes it's knowing that they can't do that particular run they're going for and as the producer advising toward a less tricky one. Knowing your limits is key and the first step to capturing a great vocal take.

Ear Warmup #3: Sting "Ten Summoner's Tales"

Song: If I Ever Lose My Faith in You

A good tight low end but without being over compressed can be hard to get. This song is a great example of good pop low end a bright overall record, but with a smooth top.

Nominated for six Grammy awards and winning in 4 categories; Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Long Form Music Video.

Recorded at the Lake House and mixed by David Tickle at The Townhouse. Mastered by Bob Ludwig.

What Else to Listen For:The tambourine that drives the verses. Covered in reverb of course, after all the 80's just ended a few years ago at this point. All jokes aside, the tambourine acts as a bed for the other instruments, giving the song a dimensional quality not heard in today's hits very often. 

Ear Warmup #2: Soundgarden "Down On the Upside"

Ear Warmups #2: Soundgarden "Down On the Upside"

On this album, Soundgarden opted to not work with a producer, sticking strictly to the creativity and ideas of the band. Engineer Adam Kasper became an unofficial producer and did most of the engineering duties on the album. 

The band kept things simple and moved fast, leaving in ambient sounds and guitar noises.

Mixed by the band themselves with the help of Adam Kasper, this is a great example of a project with the artist's vision intact from start to finish though a bit long, this is a fully realized project by Soundgarden. Mastered by Dave Collins at A&M. The mastering shows respect towards the dynamics of the performances and honestly who could do better on a project like this? 

Listen and comment if you like.

Ear Warmup #1: John Patitucci "Mistura Fina"

I wanted to start off right because maybe some stuff is going to click for many of you. 

The point of Ear Warmups other than to condition my ears to what good is in the morning is to ease into having to use them but without the pressure of the client's work. 

So, today's track is from bassist, John Patitucci's "Mistura Fina". His style leans toward Brazilian grooves as do most his productions. The first thing that's most important is this is expertly composed music by the best musicians in this field; Alex Acuña, John Beasley, Peter Erskine (my favorite drummer), João Bosco, Dave Weckl, Steve Tavaglione, Michael Shapiro and John himself. 

My point is...great musicians with great minds for composing do great albums make. 

Listen especially for the tight center bass/percussion relationship and the trade off between the guitar that's panned as "ear candy". They trade the attention effortlessly. 

Making the work much easier for Bernie Kirsh who engineered this album. Look up his other credits while you're at it.

How to Make Your Own Cooper Time Cube

This is a Cooper Time Cube.

This is John and at Blackbird Studio...he has a few of them lying around.

This is the current price for one Cooper Time Cube.

What does it do? In 1971 the original Cooper Time Cube was designed by Duane H. Cooper and Bill Putnam, who would later start Universal Recording and become synonymous with recording. It was an early attempt at a delay effect.

It has a great musical sound and sits in a mix effortlessly.

Today I'm going to teach you how to make one with just one trip to the hardware store.

What You'll Need:

• Duct Tape
• A Funnel
• Shure SM57
• A Speaker or Guitar Amp
• Garden Hose
• Razor Blade 

I drew a quick diagram of how to make this device. Ignore my bad art skills, but it should give you a good idea. 

The trick here is to get a funnel that fits securely over the speaker you have.

Keep in mind the original Time Cubes were capable of either; 14, 16 or 30 ms delays. You can aim for those or you can do your own thing. That's entirely up to you.

Good luck!

How to Make Mixing Revisions Easier

So, you have your mix...it's done...you sent it off and thought you were done, but now your client has a bunch of revisions that they'd like you to make...

This is what separates the men from the boys and the women from the girls...

How easily and quickly you can make these changes without breaking a sweat while still being precise and not ruining what's good about your mix is a crucial step to being a good mix engineer.

And the answer is...Mix Groups or VCA's!!!

As far as I know, Logic Pro X and Pro Tools 12 all have VCA's as a standard option now, but if you don't have VCA's or Mix Groups in your DAW of choice you can do the same thing with auxes, but it will be a bit more cumbersome.

For my auxes I send all my vocal tracks to a single stereo aux channel and that dumps out to my mix bus. All my drums and percussion go to a stereo aux track which also dumps out to my mix bus. And then all my music (guitars, keys, synths, bass) go to their own stereo aux channel which also dumps out to the mix bus.

I struggled with doing quick revisions for a long while and after a lot of failed revisions, disappointed clients and lost time...I came up with a strategy.

Let's say the revision note is, "bring the kick down". If you only bring the kick down you're going to ruin the flow of your mix balance. So, I have my bass and kick routed to the same VCA, so if I need to pull the kick down I don't lose the blend of my bass and kick.

"Turn up the vocal a half dB"

I have my hi-hat, snare and lead vocal channels routed to the same VCA. After you setup a solid blend for your hi-hat, snares and lead vocals, you don't want to lose them because of a simple revision. Route them the same so your hard work isn't gone because of one note.

Effects are another blend you don't want to easily ruin. Any instrument channel or vocal that has an effect channel it's being sent to I'll always route those with the VCA or Mix Group. Any delays or reverbs being used on the vocal are routed to that vocal, snare, hi-hat VCA I was telling you about. If the snare has a plate reverb those channels get routed as well.

You get the idea.

You can take this idea and adopt it and mold it for your your workflow and to fit your purposes.

Good luck and as always...

be kind+make good music.