Monday, April 30, 2012

Choosing the right Recording Studio

Recording Studios come in all shapes and sizes. So what are some of the main requirements when choosing a studio? Once again, it's all about "your" specific needs. Let's start with the basics. Is it a professional space? By that I mean is it clean, organized, well maintained. Do they offer the latest in recording and mastering software? Do they have equipment and instruments in-house? If price is an issue, are they affordable? These are just some basic questions to ask before starting your next project. Hope to see you soon in the studio.

Chris and Kevin
Digital Street Studio and Media Productions
Dover, Delaware

Friday, April 20, 2012

Sometimes you just need to listen

One thing I've discovered while working with many clients is that they have a certain sound they're trying to achieve. For the most part, many have a great ear for detail and direction. My job, is to get them from point A to point B. Which brings me to my point. You have to be able to communicate with the client. Understand what they're telling you and apply that to their music. There's a lot of room for experimenting and without a doubt, there's more than one way to approach mixing. It's very common to have 2, 3 , or even 5 different mixes of the same song. Allowing the client to maintain ownership of their music is key and really comes down to listening. Hope to see you soon in the studio.

Chris and Kevin
Digital Street Studio and Media Productions
Dover, Delaware

Friday, April 13, 2012

Volume and Frequencies

The more I work with sound the more I discover. For example, you're at a bar and the band is playing. It's loud! Okay, our brain only undertands that it's loud. Now, to really understand the difference you have to know a little about frequencies. In our everyday environment sound and frequencies affect us on a daily basis. More often than not, our brain will let us know when something is not sonically pleasing. First response......"it's loud!" or "turn the volume down"! However, the more you understand about frequencies, the more accurate you will be in determining noise issues. An unwanted frequency can make the difference in having a conversation at a reasonable volume or screaming to be heard.  Hope to see you soon in the studio.

Chris and Kevin
Digital Street Studio and Media Production
Dover, Delaware

Monday, April 9, 2012

Experiments with microphone placement

Depending on your ability to record multiple tracks at the same time, try this experiment. Set up 3 microphones at different locations in the same room. One within a few inches of the source. The second will be half the distance from the source and nearest reflecting surface (wall or barrier). The third will be turned toward the reflecting surface only a few inches away. Record a short take and listen to each microphone location. Depending on the size of the room and reflective properties, this simple technique may serve useful for future projects. Hope to see you soon in the studio.

Chris and Kevin
Digital Street Studio and Media Productions
Dover, Delaware

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Playing and recording music to your ability

So often I see...and hear musicians trying to play and record music that is beyond there ability. I say this in a very humble way because I to had learn the same lesson. I knew I would never sing like a Chris Cornell or play guitar like SRV. No matter how I tried or how long I practiced, I would only be as good as my ability. So...I started writing music with that in mind. I heard a phrase years ago and I remind myself of it often "leave the ego at the door". For drummers and percussionist, don't expect to play double bass well if your ability is four on the floor. I would much rather hear a solid pocket drummer than someone playing beyond their ability stuggling with tempo. The same holds true for any other musician trying to play beyond their ability. As a band, look at your pieces and understand what you do well. The Rolling Stones made a career out of it. Hope to see you soon in the studio.

Chris and Kevin
Digital Street Studio and Media Productions
Dover, Delaware

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Creating Your Own Media Market

At Digital Street Studio and Media we have begun to help artists and small businesses create their own media marketplace. Setting up websites and blogs with audio and video in a concise and organized template creates a business opportunity market around the artist or small business. Putting all this media in place does not however guarantee success. Most artists and business owners get their media all set up but do not consistantly promote their message. If you do not add  and deliver content almost everyday, all the media that you have in place will "wither on the vine". 
Hope to see you in the studio.

Chris & Kevin
Digital Street Studio & Media
Dover DE

Monday, April 2, 2012

How to record guitar

When it comes to recording guitar direct, I think musicians are divided. Some love the tone of an amp and microphone instead of a direct signal. I can't argue with that, mainly because you capture so much more sound. The trade off is signal quality with a direct signal being easier to manage. By going direct you will not have any room noise that a microphone would normally capture. However, the trade-off tends to be a thinner sound that may take a little time to bring to life. There is no wrong or right when it comes to these two different recording techniques, it's just personal prefference. Hope to see you soon in the studio.

Chris and Kevin
Digital Street Studio and Media Productions
Dover, Delaware