Tag Archives: Crash Symphony Productions

18 Feb

Guitar Pickups

The importance of guitar pickups

Pickups are all about character and style. The pickups in your guitar are what amplifies the sound and picks up the vibrations from your guitar strings. Yet they are much more than that. They emit ideas of an era, an intensity and a different collection of sounds. Brian May spent a fortune on his pickups and had many different switches for different parts of the songs in the band Queen. They’re definitely as important as the type of wood your instrument is constructed from, your amplifier, and your gauge of strings. It is important when buying a guitar or entering a Sydney Recording Studio to give a lot of consideration to this area of the sound.

Naturally pickups exist in different sizes and shapes. They also aim towards different musical goals. For example, you’re not going to use the same one to play rockabilly that you use to play old rock or Heavy Metal. If you don’t choose the right pickups for what you want to perform, you’ll find it hard to get the tone you are searching for.

Below is a basic introduction to the different types of pickups available. Its not exhaustive but it will certainly get you started. This blog doesn’t go deep into the science or construction but it will give you an important overview. Then you can begin to understand what pickups are right for you when you are recording in a Sydney Sound Studio.

The basic construction of a Pickup?

Basically a pickup is a magnet with wire wrapped around it that transforms the vibration of your strings into an electronic signal or waves. This can be applied either on an electric instrument or on any acoustic instrument also.

Electric Guitar/bass Pickups

There are basically three main categories of electric pickups:  humbucker, single coil, and P90.

Single Coil


Single coil pickups use a single magnet. The Fender Strat is a great example of these kinds of pickups. Single coil pickups have a huge range of tones and styles and are used on much more than just Stratocasters. They are considered to be brighter and crisper than humbuckers or P90s.  Rockabilly, Chicago blues, country and surf rock all utilize single coil pickups effectively. Having said that, they sound fantastic in any genre depending on the mix and eq as well as effects applied. The one thing Single Coil pickups do not do well is heavy metal. Some bands and musicians make this work but generally they don’t take to distortion well. The sound doesn’t break up consistently with high levels of distortion in a Sydney Recording Studio. For this sound you want to be looking more at a Humbucker:

Humbucker

 


Humbuckers are basically two single coil pickups together. Single coil pickups utilise what is called a “60-cycle hum”. This refers to the fact that background electrical noise is transferred to your amplifier along with the vibrations from your strings. Humbuckers were designed to enhance or “buck” this hum and as a result have higher output. This can make them warmer and more useful for jazz or blues. It also lets them receive and put out much more distortion.  Humbuckers are by far more versatile and are a safe bet. A single coil pick up comes with a unique sound and style but can be a real risk in some settings. Arguably the humbucker will not perform country, rockabilly or anything that requires a “twang”. For that you can stick with your single coil!

P90

If you are looking for a compromise and something in between the single coil and humbucker sound.  P90 is for you. They have a higher output than single coil pickups, but not quite the heaviness and force of humbuckers. Their tone has more warmth than your standard single coil, but will never be as deep as a humbucker. Often blues artists will walk into a Sydney Sound Studio with a P90 because they want to get that blend of warmth and twang.

Here is a great guide online for  Electric Guitar Pickups.

Bass Guitar Pickups

There are a number of different categories of bass pickups : J-pickups (Jazz Bass), Split-Coil pickups, Dual-Coil pickups, and Soap Bar pickups.

  • J-Pickups
    J-pickups were first used by fender on the fender Jazz bass as early as the 50’s and this is the reason they are named so. They have a warm and clear sound, and are often used by soul, blues and jazz bassists. Having said that, plenty of rock musicians use them. Noteably Duff McKagen from Guns and Roses. 
  • Split-coil
    Split-coil pickups are two halves of a single pickup that are split in order to cover a wider range of the neck versus bridge sound. They are much more punchy than jazz pickups. Imagine a huge hammer with a lot of weight that is coated in cotton wool and butter. This might get you close to a visual image of the Split coil sound. They are used on the infamous P-Bass or Precision bass. They are also the most popular pickup because of they’re warmth and ability to punch through a mix in any Sydney Sound Studio. 
  • Dual-coil
    Dual-coil pickups create a humbucking effect for the bass. They are much warmer and fat and great for a vintage sound. Dual-coil’s are subtle and good for a small band where the mixing is clear and has lots of space for the bass. They will not cut through well in a large ensemble if you are performing live. Keep the Dual-coil for intimate settings. 
  • Soap bar
    Soap bar pickups are J-bass pickups with a wider casing. They are sealed and last longer. You will find Soap bar pickups in a lot of modern basses. They also have pins that protrude from the bottom of the pickup in order to facilitate different wiring combinations. 

Hitting the town with your new information

Armed with this basic information, you should be able to make a serious start in selecting the right pickup for you and your instrument. Use your ears, continue researching and enter a Sydney Recording Studio like Crash Symphony Productions with confidence!!

07 Feb
Recording studio

Buying a drum kit and understanding construction

The importance of Drums

Drums are vital in a band context. No doubt about it. They are the engine room for rhythm and create the atmosphere and the “groove” from which all the instruments int he band draw their “time and feel”. James Brown was a huge supporter of the idea that the drummer is the most crucial element for feel in a band. Not only the rhythmic feel but the style and “era” of the song are captured with drums. Different drum kits have different sounds. In fact, different drum kits with different tunings have different sounds! As a drummer in a Sydney Recording Studio you are a time keeper – yes, but you are also an artist with a palette of paints and colours to choose from. From where you place the stick to how hard you hit and which tom or cymbal you choose in any given moment, you have a heck of a lot of power to affect the mix in a Sydney Sound Studio and the feel of any song or band.

The importance of the style of kit

Lets be real. You can’t create a brilliant power ballad 80’s drum sound, or a funky mid 90’s RnB shuffle with a piece of trash drum kit. The last thing you want in any mix is to hear “pots and pans” sounding kits, or the thud of cardboard sounds because you tried to save money on a kit from China! Having said that, you do not need to spend a fortune. Its more about the type of wood and the basic construction than the price tag. With a little research you can find yourself a drum kit to record in a Sydney Recording Studio like Crash Symphony Productions. 

   If you’re learning drums and thinking about buying a new drum kit, its time to think about the gear you will use. Lets talk about finding the right hardware. It doesn’t matter if you play heavy metal, R&B, country, pop, reggae, rockabilly, jazz,  blues, or 50’s old rock ‘n’ roll, this blog will help you find a kit from which you can craft your trade in any recording studio.

Beginners and those snooping around for a new kit

When Buying a new drum kit, a full kit will usually contain all pieces of hardware that you require. For those who already have some hardware, purchasing a shell pack can save you a lot of cash. A shell pack contains the drums with no extra hardware except tom mounts and rims. If you already own a kit but want to add to it, an add on pack is a great way to go because the cost is often less than buying each drum on its own.

Of course if you are a total beginner and own nothing you can purchase a beginner drum set. These contain all the drums, hardware and cymbals you need in one hit. Remember you can upgrade later and add as you go. Let’s face it, in 6 months you might change your mind and decide to be a guitarist!! If you’re shopping for your child, make sure you go for a “junior drum kit” NOT a toy. Yes there is a big difference in quality but not in price. You will want to ask a music professional and stay away from the internet and large department stores. Head to a local music shop and chat about a small scale drum kit that is properly designed. A toy will only give your child a discomforting start and create bad habits and posture.

The type of music you play

Generally its a great idea to choose drum sets that fits the style of music you mostly play. Are you into Metallica or Ed Sheehan? Do you idolise Steve Gadd or Connie Kay? A basic rule is that kits with less and smaller drums are a good choice for jazz, traditional blues, and other acoustic styles, while drum kits with bigger drums are better for heavy metal, rock, and other louder styles like punk or even fusion.

Types of Woods and builds: Three main types

When buying a new drum kit, a crucial element that you should consider is the type of wood used in constructing your drums. Different types of woods are used for drum construction, and all have unique sound qualities.

  • Maple is the most common wood used for drum making. It has a warm tone.
  • If you are going for a harder and brighter sound that you want to cut through the mix in a Sydney Sound Studio, Birch is a great choice. Its tough, with a harder, crisper sound.  Its loud, bright tone makes it fantastic for recording, as it easily cuts through the mix. Birch has less muddy mid range and clear highs and lows.
  • Mahogany  is the wood you want if you are going for a vintage sound. Drummers who dwell in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s eras love this wood. Its got less crispness and harshness than both Maple and Birch and is especially great for music like The Beatles, James Brown old school funk, early Cream and even old rock like early 70’s Pink Floyd. Beware however that it is a very specific sound. Lovely and warm but don’t expect it to cut through the mix on a heavy metal track or a modern Nashville country band! It just won’t work for that!

Woods for those on a budget

  • For those on a budget when buying a new drum kit, consider Poplar. It has very similar sounds to Birch but is not a hard to come by and therefore much cheaper.
  • A really great tip for those on a budget or just starting out is to know that Falkata is often used as a substitute for maple. It costs less yet has very similar sound qualities and acoustic results to Maple
  • Basswood is another cheaper option that can be a good replacement for Maple or Birch. Basswood has a smooth grain that takes look great with lacquer.
  • Lauan wood is another replacement quite specifically for those searching for the Birch sound. Again its cheaper but can get surprisingly similar results.
  • Oak is very similar to maple but slightly brighter. Though a whisker cheaper, many drummers actually prefer Oak over Maple. This is more about taste than anything else, and if you are just starting out, either will be fine.

Drum shells consist of several layers of wood know as “plies”. Generally speaking, drums with more layers of wood have a brighter sound and higher “fundamental pitch”. Drums made with less layers of ply mostly are fatter and warmer with a lower fundamental pitch.

Other nuances with drum building

Buying a new drum kit takes in to account an understanding of construction. Drum making, just like drumming is an art form in itself. Though this blog doesn’t go in depth, if you are a more experienced drummer and want to know more about the construction of drums its worth checking out other sites. (A list is provided at the bottom of this blog.) Things as simple as the angle at which a drum shell’s edge is cut makes a big difference in the sound. A steeper or sharper edge angle will give a bright sound with more cutting highs, while a more rounded edge gives a deeper, more mellow sound. It really is a science all its own and at Crash Symphony Productions we understand that science in its relationship to recording.

Drums have a number of different finishes and its good to understand this when buying a new drum kit. The most common is a vinyl finish which protects the kit and gives it longevity. However many people prefer a lacquered finish for the exposure of the beautiful wood grain. These things are aesthetics but lets face it, when you are not in a Sydney Recording studio, you need to be on your A-game as far as appearance on a stage is concerned. The drum kit is by far the largest instrument and visually it is the centre of the bands image whether in a Sydney Recording Studio or on a giant arena stage.

Sydney Recording Studio Cuica

11 Dec
sydney recording studio

Tips for EQ

Tips for EQ

EQing is a big subject but it doesn’t’ need to be intimidating in a Sydney sound studio. The best way to think of EQ is to understand that each instrument has its own “space”. We generally don’t want to invade that space with other instruments. We want to keep them distinct so they stand out more and occupy the frequencies that are most appropriate for them. Its as much about separating  instruments as it is about blending in a recording studio! For example: Generally you don’t want to have a really bass heavy electric guitar mix because it will muddy the actual bass guitar mix.  Another thing that can interfere with your bass guitar mix is unwanted lower mids in the kick drum. We want big lows on the kick and even some highs to give it some cut through but we don’t want it muddying up the bass mix. Sometimes when mixing we have to focus less on the actual sound of the individual instrument. Try and get a big picture of how it interacts with other instruments. Understanding frequency ranges is essential for this concept to flow nicely for you when you are mixing.

Tips for EQ inside certain frequency boundaries:

20 – 80Hz: These frequencies tend to be felt more than actually heard. They are where the “power” in the mix comes from. They give drive to the rest of the mix. The bass and kick drum live down here.

80 – 250Hz:  The danger zone!!! Please remember this. A lot of instruments meet here and all compete for space so it’s really worth cleaning this up on each individual track. We don’t’ want it to be overcrowded and muddy here.

250 – 2kHz: This is where you will spend most of your time creating and sculpting the beauty of a good mix in a sydney recording studio. The fundamental harmonics of most instruments are in this range. Learn what instruments are most prevalent in this region and clean up around them to let them really shine and stand out.

2k – 5kHz: Try and be subtle in this area. It’s very powerful and gives clarity to most instruments. Be careful not to go overboard here because it can make a mix sound harsh. Sometimes it can be a fine line between crystal clear, crisp clarity and rowdy harshness.

5k – 8kHz: Particularly important in a Voice over studio – this is where the “s” sounds live and where consonants are defined. You give clarity to a vocal in this region.

8k – 20kHz: This is great for the top end of the Hi-hats and all cymbals. It’s a shimmering place, adds brightness and sparkle to the mix of your Sydney sound studio.

Tips for EQ with specific instruments:

 Voice: If the voice is really booming you can use a high pass filter at 150Hz. If it is too thick and intrusive you can cut a bit out of the danger zone at around 240Hz. If you feel they are not standing out in the mix enough, boosting 2.5k will help them to cut through.

Bass guitar: Basses vary a lot and different instruments have different characteristics. Spend some time getting to know a bass during the input phase. Some melt like butter perfectly into any mix with very little work (like the Fodera NYC at Crash Symphony Productions). Others on the other hand require a bit more love and attention. Generally speaking if you feel the bass is too muddy, try cutting 160 – 200Hz. 700 to 1kHz will help the individual notes to stand out. This zone will also create that “new string” sound if the strings aren’t fresh. Be warned though, a lot of other instruments need that space between 700 and 1k so boost it sparingly and possibly automate it a little for “bass feature” passages.

Live Piano

Often the most complex instrument to mix. This really depends on the mics you are using and where they are positioned. Stay tuned for another article on this topic. If it is boomy  you can often find the problem between 200 – 350Hz. If it’s a bit honky and “barking” cut more towards 400 – 500Hz. Between 2 and 4kHz you can get it to cut through. A little often goes a long way in that region!

Kick and lower toms

They will almost always sound quite boxy at around 500Hz and you can usually cull a fair bit in that region. 5k is where you will get the cut through to make sure they aren’t just lost in lows and low mids. 60-80Hz will give you the power and the drive that you want mostly from a kick drum.

Hi- Hat

A hugely important instrument that can determine groove, subdivision style and so many other important characteristics in a song. Cut back on lows and low-mids. You don’t really need much down there. Above that experiment and look for the character you want. Don’t forget 8k – 20k where you will get the brilliance.

Snare

You can be fairly gentle with most snares (though of course they vary). Generally speaking they can stand to lose a bit around 600Hz. 4k on the other hand can really give them the smack and cut through they need to drive a song. Depending on the drum itself and how it is tuned, 200Hz can sometimes be appropriate to boost a little. Experiment and see if this is what you’re looking for. Refer to 80’s power ballads for this style of snare!

For further reading to optimise your work in a Sydney recording studio, make sure you check out Udemy!

tips for eq

 

 

05 Dec
sydney recording studio

Getting the best mix for you

Getting the best mix in a Sydney sound studio is an art form all its own. If you are new to mixing and want to sharpen up your skills and ears, this blog is for you!

General goals for mixing and balance

One of the most important thing about mixing is having goals and ideas about what you want in a recording studio. With out these you can easily wander aimlessly for hours playing with faders and eq. It can be a frustrating time killer in a recording studio so follow these pointers to keep you on track:

One technique is to just simply work out your volumes and balance before adding compression or heavy EQ. No amount of processing will fix an un-balanced mix. Sometimes it can be a good idea to strip everything back to silent and fade in each track one at a time manually using your ears. It is good to do this while looping a section in the middle of the song where most instruments and sounds are in play already. Of course you will have to rebalance after adding compression and other processes. With a good starting point in any  you will find it so much easier Sydney recording studio.

The next step in getting the best mix is to work on the panning. Panning can make a world of difference to the over all feel of your mix. Try and get a balance between left and right. The drum kit is particularly important in this regard.

When mixing drums, try and keep the solid hard hitting rocks of the kick in the centre. I’m referring to the bass drum and the snare. When they are central the mix will feel grounded and punchy. Hi-hats and auxiliary percussion like shakers and tambourine usually do well sitting between 0 – 20 from the centre. Experiment with different positions. When it comes to more unusual percussion like bongos, congas, timbale and even Tom-toms, you can be more extreme. Anywhere from 40 to 90 is good. Remember to keep them in balance and not outweigh one side over the other. Also it is worth bearing in mind that if you pan anything hard right or left you will lose it in a mono playback.

Bass is similar to bass drum and usually fairly central. The separation between those too (if needed) can be adjusted using compression and slight variance of EQ. Lead vocal is the other thing that belongs fairly close to the centre.

All the other instruments can comfortably fit to the left or the right. This is again a matter of experimentation. Using stereo effects on something think like an organ will ensure you don’t get weighed down on one side. Having said that you don’t want a thick rhythmic and chordal instrument clogging up the centre.

The importance of EQ

One of the most powerful and intimidating aspects of mixing can be EQ. EQ has the power to separate instruments and draw out the unique characteristic of each element. for example a hi-hat can really sizzle and shine between 5-10k. A bass guitar will have more attack if you boost 700HZ. These are just examples and it is really worth studying this in a more in depth way. It is worth learning the characteristics of each instrument and what EQ’s correspond with the sounds you are trying to enhance in your Sydney recording studio.

One of the biggest challenges producers and engineers face is cleaning up the muddy low mids. Removing unwanted frequencies is actually as important as enhancing.  Adjusting the reverb EQ is equally important. Most reverb plugins have an EQ attached to them and it is important to un-clog the lower mids so things don’t get muddy. There are often presets you can use to make sure the splash around in stereo does not get to wild. Remember that the frequencies amplified in your EQ plugin will affect the whole mix. Make sure you adjust them individually for each track and also for global reverb. This blog does not go into that amount of detail but I highly recommend studying and experimenting with each instrument. Here is a great link for understanding the basics of EQ in a sound studio: Produce like a Pro.

Allowing your mix to breath with compression

Compression is similarly difficult to get your head around. Having said that there are some really straight forward principles around compression in a Sydney sound studio that can have your mix sounding punchy and clear. Not every studio is equiped with a pair of state of the art LA-2A’s like Crash Symphony Productions, but there are great plugins that can get you started in an amateur recording studio. A great way to start compressing a track is to find the loudest/busiest part of the mix and take each instrument until it shines. Hard sounding snares and intrusive lead guitar will need heavier compression but subtle vocals require less tampering. You dont’ want to suck the life out of your mix by compressing everything too hard. Here is a great site for improving your skills and understanding the basics of compression in a Sydney Recording Studio: Musician On a Mission.

sydney recording studio

 

22 Oct

Sydney Recording Studio, Juan Carmona and the Sydney Opera House!

Sydney Recording Studio

Juan Carmona performing with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House.

Crash Symphony Productions, our Sydney recording studio, had the honour of recording the internationally acclaimed Flamenco guitarist, Juan Carmona, at the Sydney Opera House. Sinfonia Flamenca was the official name of the event. The concert took place in early September and Juan was accompanied by the wonderful and flawless Sydney Symphony Orchestra. This is the story of that recording and how our engineers worked to capture a beautiful video of the event.

When the Sydney Opera House became a Sydney Recording Studio

The highest temple of musical performance in the southern hemisphere is the Sydney Opera House. It matches most other venues around the globe in both sound quality and architectural uniqueness. For any music lover to work there is an immense honour and extremely exciting.

There are some challenges in recording at the Sydney Opera House. Understandably, they do not permit cameras to be used on stage. This was the first challenge. It is important to the management of the Sydney Opera House that guests not be interrupted by cameras that are visible on the stage while the symphony is performing. Anything that would be considered a distraction from the musical performance is strictly forbidden. This means that our video crew required positions that were away from the audience. We needed to have very powerful high-definition telescopic lenses. These lenses would allow us to get in close to the musicians from far away.

How we used a Telescopic lens to get in close to Juan

In Juan’s case this is particularly important. Juan is royalty in the flamenco guitar world. The way his hands and fingers move across the fret board of his classical guitar was awe inspiring. We really wanted to capture that magic. Using the new Sony 100-400mm G Master series lens allowed us to zoom in close to his hands and make the viewer feel as though they were right on stage with him as he performed.

Our star engineer is Stewart Havill. Stew is the guy in our Sydney recording studio that has the most experience with videography. He operated the telescopic lens. Stew coupled the telescopic lens with a wide angle lens. This lens’ purpose was to capture the entire orchestra. We did this in 4k so that we could crop into sections if we need to do so. This wide angle was setup with a 4k recorder that allowed us to set and forget the camera as it recorded the whole performance.

The third and last camera was setup in the back of the auditorium looking down on to the stage. It had the eagle eye view. We were able to move between these spectacular angles quite seamlessly.

About the Performance

Importantly, there were two sections to this concert. The first was a small ensemble of seven musicians. Juan was the focal point and leader of the ensemble. Worthy of note, Juan had a marvellous flamenco dancer, Karen Lugo, that would take to the dance floor in front of the musicians. She had as much musical impact as the surrounding band members with her feet clapping away to the rhythm of the music. Her confidence and her musical grace was immense and, there’s no doubt, she certainly complimented Juan’s magical flamenco guitar work.

The second half of the concert saw the full symphony orchestra introduced into the musical equation. David Robertson conducted the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He brought them into synch with the latin group with absolute command and ease.

Thankfully the Sydney Opera House already has extremely high-end recording equipment. For an evening it became the superlative Sydney recording studio. French engineer, Lauren Serrano, organised capturing the audio captured by the orchestral microphones while the CSP team focused on the videography.

It is worth mentioning that the audio mixer and video editor. Lauren Serrano worked on the audio mixing of the recording. Luca, our video editor and sound engineer, worked on the final cut of the video at Crash Symphony Productions. Luca did a wonderful job and put in a significant effort. His skills in videography are completely remarkable. He used a lot of slow-fade cuts to show off the multiple angles, simultaneously. For these kinds of concerts this is a commonly used technique.

Contact us if you need a concert recorded

In conclusion, Juan’s performance at the Sydney Opera House was nothing less than dazzling, and as a result, we had a ball capturing the event. If you would like your concert videoed and recorded by our Sydney Recording studio contact us here. Alternatively, call us on 0408 300 402.

 

25 Jun

Recording a Song called Wounds

Recording a song can be a challenging process. As if the songwriting part wasn’t hard enough! Bringing life to a song in a recording studio is both a technical and creative journey. When the end is reached it is the best feeling that I, in my short life, can think of. But recording a song has some challenges and I would like to use a project that I’m working on at the moment as an example. The song is called Wounds. It’s been written for a while, and even recorded once before, but the new version is proving a little tricky. Read on and I’ll explain why!

Recording a Song

James Englund is an Australian Singer-Songwriter Producer.

Recording a Song can lead you down infinite pathways…. but you can only take one!

The main issue that a producer will come to find when they begin recording a song is that there are a million different ways that it can be recorded. You can choose different tempos and keys, choose a traditional acoustic arrangement or a modern sound. All the different choices that the producer makes along the way make a huge difference to how the song will be at the end of the production. And that’s the way people will come to know the tune. The way they hear it. So, you’re asking “what’s the problem?”.

Here’s my first major issue when it comes to recording a song that I’ve written; I usually default to recording it the way that I wrote it on a certain instrument. So, if I wrote the song on an acoustic guitar, it’s so much easier, intellectually and creatively, to just go right ahead and record it on an acoustic guitar and maybe add a rhythm section later. After doing hundreds of tracks like that for many clients over the years I have realised, more than most, how boring that approach really is. It may have worked well in the 1960s but now it just puts me to sleep.

One Approach to think about

The trick, for me, is finding an interesting instrument or effect or melodic device to make the song sound unique. That’s really hard to do because it means I need to think about it for a long time. Often, I look at the lyrics and wonder what I can do to bring out the emotion of the song. I search through my mind, and even other resources like Youtube, to find something that will be really unusual for the listener.

Alternatively, it helps to have a track that is inspirational and similar to where you want to go. For my song, Wounds, I love the sound of John Mayer’s Gravity. I’ve listen to the song a few times. I feel there are similarities in the message and vibe. I’ve analysed John’s song a few times and wondered what it was that made it so emotionally impacting for me.

As I mentioned above, what I really love is that he doesn’t just default to the boring old acoustic guitar (Not that I hate acoustic guitar. I mean I spend my life playing it live and for pleasure). Instead, he has an organ / pad sound that brings the song in and holds down the main chordal harmony. It’s a sound that is somewhat familiar to us all as listeners, but yet it has an element to it which is different. The electric guitar plays the main riff over the top. This brings us to our next idea, the riff!

Recording a song with a unique Riff

Some call it cliché but I’m a real sucker for a riff. I love putting this kind of content into my music and it seems to be a reoccurring theme, pardon the pun, in many popular songs. A melodic stamp, if you will. My song, Wounds, certainly has this element. However, I’ve written the song on an acoustic guitar and I immediately recorded the song on acoustic guitar. Straight away it felt very meat-and-potatos.

I think that this is why I looked for a reference track. To guide me away from creating another boring song that has a stock-standed arrangement. Doing that is a sure way to have your song go completely forgotten and unnoticed. However, over the years, it’s always been the hardest thing for an artist to do. Most new artists can be very afraid to do something with their music that is dangerously original. It scares them and makes them feel like they’re doing something wrong.

Let’s make this first post – part 1!

I have so much more to say about this topic. In the next post I’m going to look at perfectionism and how it is the great white shark that feeds on songs. I’ve learned (after recording many songs for other artists) that keeping the ball rolling, and not getting caught up on details, is the key to success! This has certainly been my problem when I’ve worked on my own songs. It’s as much about psychology as it is about music. Until next time, happy producing!

13 Apr

Recording Studio and an RCA 77dx

Recording Studio Gods were surely looking down on us this week! We fatefully acquired a beautiful vintage RCA 77dx ribbon microphone. The story of how this microphone became ours is certainly worth sharing.

Recording Studio Luck at the Op Shop!

My mother, her old mum, and all her two sisters, are avid trawlers of Sydney’s op shops. There’s a lot in Sydney. When I was younger I used to tag along to “Vinnie’s” to see what little finds there may be waiting to be found. Fast-forward a few decades and now there’s a group called LifeLIne. They’re basically a charity. They take donations of old and unused goods, sell them, and then help the poor.

This week I woke up one morning to a text picture my mother had taken of an old microphone in a LifeLine shop. I instantly recognised it. It was an RCA 77dx Ribbon microphone. These microphones are iconic microphones both to look at and how they sound. They are well known for being used on many Elvis and Bing Crosby recordings. They have a particular sound to them which is impossible to emulate without the real microphone being available. When you see pictures of Elvis in a Recording Studio it’s usually with one of these microphones in front of him.

Recording Studio Recording Studio Recording Studio

My Reaction to the Finding!

I thought “there’s no way this could be true!”. So I went up to the shop and spoke to the girl who had it in a locker. She had certainly done her research. The microphone didn’t have an XLR cable attached to it. So I couldn’t use it in the Recording Studio immediately. She was charging a third of what these microphones sell for on Ebay and they all come from America! Getting one to Australia would be painfully expensive. On the price tag it said “ONO”. Without hustling I asked how much she was prepared to shift on the price. A lot! I couldn’t believe it.

I left the shop and made some phone calls and I called the microphone Gurus of Australia that I know very well. Both Gunter Wagner and Glen Phimister were very surprised to hear about the find. After consulting Glen he suggested that I “couldn’t really go wrong” in purchasing the microphone for the price they were offering. So I made the buy!

Assessing the Quality of the RCA 77dx

The main concern with the microphone was with the quality of the internal electronics. Ribbon microphones are extremely simple microphones. The likelihood of not being able to restore it to working order was very minimal. When Glen opened up the microphone he couldn’t believe the quality of the microphone. He felt that it had never been used. It was as healthy on the inside as it looked on the outside. Basically unused! The one thing required was to install a lead so the microphone could be used. I left it with Glen.

A day later I get a call from Guru Glen. “I’ve finished with your mic”, he said. “How does it sound?”, I urged! “It sounds great! To be honest, I really don’t think this microphone has ever been used!”. The Recording Studio Gods were on our side this time. I was over the moon. I can’t wait to use this microphone on some records and get that old school vintage sound the proper way. It was a great week for our Recording Studio Crash Symphony Productions!

If you would like to record with our ever growing array of vintage gear call us on 02 9953 7686 or contact us at [email protected]

 

06 Apr

Sydney Recording Studio for Home

As a commercial recording studio Crash Symphony Productions often get enquiries from people with very small budgets. When they learn of our rates they sometimes freak out! As a result, we’ve actually gotten really good at giving budding musicians advice on how they can start working on recording at home. You may think that this is counter-intuitive to business? Well, actually, it’s not. We’re going to begin a series of articles that repeats this advice that we give to those callers. We’ll explain why it actually helps us all in the long run. And not for the reasons you may think. Read on to learn more about producing your own music in your own Sydney Recording Studio.

Why it help everyone if you set up your own Sydney Recording Studio

Here are some reasons why it helps us to give these callers advice. Firstly, the more you know about music production the easier it is to communicate with engineers and music producers that may one day help you. This helps get the results that you want in the studio. Of course, we do our best to communicate in layman’s terms but when someone requests ‘echo’, and what they really want is reverb, it gets tough. Secondly, when musicians have a chance to record at home it helps them work out what they really want on their recording. People who are new to recording often have no idea about the process, no idea how to communicate what they want, and no understanding of how long the process can take. Thirdly, if a musician is able to work on their own music at home it gives them a chance to take the project as far as they can. When they do get to a point where they need professional help they are more aware of exactly what it is that we can do to help them.

About Logic Pro X

The first thing we begin with is the DAW or Digital Audio Workstation. This is where all the action happens inside your computer. It’s the program where you record your audio. Think of it as your canvas. For many people out there this is super obvious, but some people don’t even know about these programs. Our Sydney Recording Studio, Crash Symphony Productions, works predominantly in Logic Pro X. This is a program that is now exclusively an Apple program. It’s extremely cheap and you get a huge amount of bang-for-the-buck. It’s a big program, too. The reality is that most engineers and producers won’t even use all the functionality that Logic Pro X offers. The key is to learn about what you want to achieve and aim for that. There’s a mammoth amount of learning material on Youtube that you’ll never have a problem learning how to do something.

Sydney Recording Studio

About Pro Tools

The next big program that our Sydney Recording Studio also owns is Pro Tools. This was one of the first audio production programs. It is found in almost all the large recording studios because they adopted this program very early when studio recording changed over from analogue tape recording to digital recording. There’s no doubt the Pro Tools is a powerful program. We find that we only use it for when we are working with UK or American film companies. They send us big Pro Tools Projects and then we record the actors into those projects and send them back. We wouldn’t recommend people who are starting out building their own Sydney Recording Studio to invest in this program. Support for the software is expensive and difficult to get, it’s an expensive program for what it offers, and it is hard to learn. Logic Pro X blows it out of the water.

Sydney Recording Studio

About Ableton Live

The last big player that we’ll talk about is Ableton Live. This is a seriously strong contender for your first DAW. It all depends on your genre of music. If you’re into electronic, hip-hop, “In-the-Box” styles of music then this is probably the program for you. We have found that a lot of young producers who create this type of music are using this program. So many, in fact, that we were forced to purchase the program for our recording studio. One of our young-gun producers, Adam, is a guru in this program and so we found that he uses it a lot.

Sydney Recording Studio

There are other great programs out there that are useful like Cubase and Reaper, and many more. However, one of the great things about recording on computer is being able to take the project around to different studios, track some content directly into your project, and then bring it home. If you choose a more obscure program as your DAW it is more difficult to do this. Our clients, who use logic, can send us the Logic Pro X projects. We can open these up just as they are on their home computer and continue working on the project. If they want us to mix or master it’s a lot easier when there is some kind of DAW compatibility between your home studio and the commercial recording studio. There’s no doubt that there are ways around this issue if it becomes a hurdle. However, the workflow is a lot better for all when we can open up your project the way it was in your bedroom.

Next, we’re going to look at what you might need to record into your DAW in your Sydney Recording Studio.

For more information about our Sydney Recording Studio contact [email protected] or call 02 9953 7686.

30 Jan

Video Production Sydney Vig

Get heard and seen by more people with Crash Symphony Productions. We are a music and video production Sydney Studio. There’s no doubt, we are pioneering new avenues for our artists to get heard and seen online. As you’ll soon see, our idea is to combine our state-of-the-art audio skills with new high quality video technology.

Video Production Sydney

Video Production Sydney Vig

Our studio has invested big in the way of the future and that is live streaming. But it’s not just anything that we are live streaming. Live stream your gigs from our recoding studio and put on an amazing audio and visual gig for your online audience. The term is “vig”. What’s a vig? It’s an online video gig.

Let’s face it, people are glued to their phones now. Make sure they are watching and hearing your new songs when they are on their phones. Engage them through live streaming. You can easily beat everybody else by streaming high quality audio and video. We will offer multiple camera angeles and make the AV experience really interesting for your online followers.

Furthermore, you get to walk away with extremely high end video and audio. Let it be understood, not only will you be reaching  your audience through live streaming, but you’ll have quality material to edit after the fact. Video Production Sydney vigs are where the music industry is headed. Unquestionably, this is the opportunity to get ahead of everybody else and put on a great live show. Our studio is pioneering the way for the technology. We coined the term vig and have found that our clients are getting incredible responses. It goes without saying, if you have merchandise, if can more easily b sold online through one of your vigs.

In conclusion, the vig is a highly technical event. It isn’t easily achieve at a home studio. To find out more about Crash Symphony’s vigs contact us on 0408 300 402 or here.

25 Nov

Audiobook: ‘Mythos’ by Stephen Fry

What Audiobook Are We Listening To?

This week at Crash Symphony Productions, we’re listening to Mythos as written and read by Stephen Fry. This audiobook brings to life the classic Greek myths, retold in Stephen Fry’s inimitable voice.

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