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<\/b>2. Deadlines!
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Even if it doesn\u2019t sound funny and creative at all, you have to set yourself deadlines<\/strong> and organize your work. Sure, it\u2019s nice to lock yourself in a old mansion for months trying to write a masterpiece<\/strong>, but you still ain\u2019t no Led Zeppelin so\u2026 you need to finish<\/strong> your<\/strong> work<\/strong> as soon as possibile and avoid to waste too much time on details. As mentioned before, full blown details and inaudible details can be pinpointed later on, during the recording<\/strong> of your official album: for now you have to impress someone with a good and direct sounding tape that shows your capabilities and artistic skills more than the arrangements small details. Remember:\u00a0an amazing composed song recorded badly won\u2019t impress as much as a simpler and more straightforward rendition of it recorded with good results and decent mastering<\/span>. (for gig scouting and record deal scoring ONLY! We won’t ever say that a polished \u00a0generic song is always better than a raw rock’n’roll tune \ud83d\ude09 )<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now that you\u2019ve set your mind straight to the point, it\u2019s time to begin the fun part: recording<\/strong>! While being the best experience during the creation of your demo tape, you have to keep in mind a few details in order to avoid bad results: start by getting ahold of the best<\/strong> equipment<\/strong> you can. Your instrument must be fully setup<\/strong>, tuned<\/strong> and with fresh strings\/drum heads. Take the right time to familiarize<\/strong> with the various devices you are going to use, such as amplifiers, preamps<\/strong><\/a>, audio<\/strong> interfaces<\/strong><\/a> and so on. Make several tests before hitting the record<\/strong> button and have some fun! Remember that a good record is composed of both accuracy<\/strong> (timing and playing in pitch) and groove<\/strong> (having fun and not sounding too stiff). Enjoy!<\/p>\n Before mixing your tracks take the right time to do one of the most boring tasks in music production: editing<\/strong><\/a>. This involves removing noises<\/strong>, glitches<\/strong>, unwanted hiss but also quantizing<\/strong> the drum parts, checking that everything is on the grid and fix<\/strong> wrong parts (if you’re in a rush and you have two similar parts in the song, you can just copy-paste the right take on the wrong one). Performance<\/strong> errors<\/strong> and mistakes are generally not<\/strong> accepted<\/strong> on any kind of recording, given the amount of technology and helpful tools available today.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If everything went as planned, it’s now time to mix<\/strong>! The rough mix involves setting the levels<\/strong>, deleting unused parts, choosing the pan<\/strong> of the instruments and the overall balance. Once you’re done with this, you can start to shape and sculpt your sound with EQ<\/strong><\/a>, compressors<\/strong><\/a> and other effects<\/strong><\/a>. Keep the final touches like reverbs and modulations at the very end. Your song is starting to get a facelift and sound polished, fresh and clean. Crucial<\/strong>: aim for a clean and balanced mix<\/span> – there’s no use for busy and over saturated mixes, every instrument must be clearly<\/strong> audible<\/strong>. No cheats for mistakes coverups, go back to the practice room kid!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once you are satisfied with your mix, you should take some time to master<\/strong><\/a> your songs. Since you are aiming at being noticed, don’t waste too much time on dynamics<\/strong> and just raise the overall mix loudness<\/strong> in order to let every instrument be heard at any listening volume. Put a little bit of compression<\/strong>, some frequencies imaging<\/strong> and a touch of equalizer<\/strong> to let your song shine and push hard on the speaker. More about the Mastering topic can be found HERE<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n To really catch the listener’s attention, you have to choose your songs<\/strong> wisely. They have to be emotionally<\/strong> performed, with lots of\u00a0dynamics<\/strong> and , obviously, perfectly performed. You really have to feel the “soul” of the band through the song, no matter what the message is. You can talk about puppies or vegan black metal or anything else you want as long as you do it in a funny<\/strong>, emotional<\/strong>, unique<\/strong> and\/or captivating<\/strong> way.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Next is the visual part of your demo: the cover<\/strong>, booklet, band<\/strong> photo<\/strong> and whatever else you decide to throw in the package. Remember to keep<\/strong> the same style<\/strong> throughout the various parts of your record<\/strong>. Find an amazing photo (or create your own composition) for the cover art and follow the “mood<\/strong>” for the booklet, rear image and band photo as well. The key point is to capture the attention so try to think outside the box. Last but not least: try to be as professional as you can<\/span>, high resolution photos and quality stuff. Nobody wants to see your selfies cropped in a single photo.<\/p>\n Now it’s time to prepare the press<\/strong> package<\/strong> to send to various Radio<\/strong> Stations<\/strong>, Labels<\/strong> or Distributors<\/strong>. Pack your album (in MP3 format), a PDF with relevant informations (short bio, band members, social media URL), lyrics and some press photos ready to use and zip everything. You can host your package on popular website such as MediaFire<\/strong><\/a> or Dropbox<\/strong><\/a> and share the link – works much better than attaching files to emails, which is simply not possible if we talk about an entire Mp3 album. To avoid being rejected<\/strong> or just simply put in the “forgettable bands” tray, try to reach<\/strong> the right<\/strong> person<\/strong>\u00a0with a taste that will match the one of your music.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And it’s over! After the fatigues and troubles you’ve encountered during the process, it’s time to finally celebrate<\/strong> an accomplished mission! Set up a release<\/strong> party<\/strong> and stream the whole album through the PA or do a small<\/strong> gig<\/strong> to present the songs – either way invite all your friends<\/strong>, partners<\/strong>, collaborators<\/strong> and enjoy the night. You deserve it! What was your experience recording your first demo tape?<\/strong><\/b>3. Recording = Relax?
\n<\/b><\/h3>\n![](\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/L4gKRkblWlYoE\/giphy.gif\")
<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
<\/b>4. Take the time to edit
\n<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/b>5. (Don\u2019t) fix it in the mix<\/h3>\n
<\/b>6. Mastering @ Home<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/KeC89IqfigUbS\/giphy.gif\")
<\/p>\n<\/b>7.\u00a0Tell a story – and be convincing<\/h3>\n
<\/b>8. The form is art<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/4bzIGZNG6iJgs\/giphy.gif\")
<\/p>\n<\/b>9.\u00a0Time to pack up a press package
\n<\/b><\/h3>\n10.\u00a0Release Party!<\/h3>\n
\n![](\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/3KC2jD2QcBOSc\/giphy.gif\")
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\nDo you have any experience to share? \ud83d\ude42<\/strong><\/p>\n
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