The 6 Non-Negotiables of Recording a Great Record

It’s easier today to record a record than ever before. But that doesn’t mean you should record it by yourself. Sure, musicians brag all the time that they recorded their record in their living room, played every instrument, and wrote all the songs themselves. I recorded my record in my home studio too. I get it. But I had the five essentials in tow to assure that I was making a “world-class” and “broadcast quality” record that could truly go the distance. I wasn’t going to put in all that time, effort and money to come up empty-handed. I wanted to be sure that I was giving my hard won body of material a fighting chance.

Especially as an artist trying to break-through you need more than a good record to break you, you need a great one. Here are the 6 Non-Negotiables of Recording a Great Record to take with you in tow on your next release.

1. Artist Development. Artist Development is one of the most critical elements of a great record. It is the process by which you come to your finest work. A process where songs, vocal style, genre and your message and brand are examined, probed, challenged and risks are taken and encouraged. It’s an experience for you to find yourself – to be more specific and detailed. To dig into what is happening in your life, to unearth something extraordinary. A process that exposes your vulnerability – that reveals things and causes epiphanies that lead to more compelling songs that resonate with people because they resonate with you. Or finding your style more clearly – what makes you tick and makes you different. But the funny thing is, it can’t be done alone, because no one has perspective on themselves. What parts of this process are you skipping over?

2. A & R: Signature Sound. Your songs are probably the most important part of your record – because without the right songs, no amount of production or marketing will make up for it. So what are the “right” songs? And how do you know if they are your signature songs? Well it starts with the Artist Development process in #1 above. The process that digs those songs out of you.

Then you need your circle of people you get feedback from = fans, friends and music professionals. Do some test marketing. If you get resounding yes’s or no’s pay attention to the feedback and go back to the drawing board until you’re hearing resounding yeses. If you want a record that will touch people besides you and really go the distance, this is non-negotiable. Big artists do this – they don’t just put out whatever they want and expect it to fly. This is a really important part of the process of making great records. By the way, you should always write more material than you actually record. Have at least 25 songs for a 12 song record (or 15 for a 7 song release).

Tip: A great way to write more material is to co-write. It’s a great way to write more material and try out different writers who are better than you. You’ll learn so much in the process and you’ll come out the other end with better songs. Who knows, you may stumble upon a writer combo that is better than the both of you. Besides the majority of great songs have several names after the title.

3. The Right Producer. This is where you have to do your research. Record producers are a dime a dozen now. And just because they are a record producer doesn’t mean that they know how to get your sound. They are not psychics and cannot read your mind, so don’t expect them to. Artists tend to be in their heads about the sound they want and don’t know how to detail the specifics enough to convey it, or to really know whether someone can deliver that or not. The litmus test is this: If you hear tracks that sound like what you are looking for you’ve got a match. If not – you don’t. No matter what anyone tells you – they can only deliver what you hear. Some producers are good at different genres and styles, but most specialize in one or two. Be sure to get a few handfuls of songs to listen to and see if you hear your sound among them. Also – listen for great vocals – not all producers are good at vocals (or hire a vocal arranger like myself to come in to assure great vocals ;)). Be wary of a producer who doesn’t specialize in their own unique sound and style – they might be too homogenized or middle-of-the-road to create a “style” for you. My rule of thumb is: If I like what I hear (not what they say) – then I’m all in – because that is what I am going to get.

4. Great Vocals. Getting great vocals on an album is an art in and of itself and the process starts way before you get into the studio. You want to make sure you have the technique and stamina to sing your songs on-pitch and with good tone. Additionally, if the instrumental tracks are ready before you do vocals, you’ll want to practice to them and it is even recommended to do vocal pre-production and work with a vocal arranger (see Step 5 below.) As many of you have probably found out, singing in the studio is a different beast than singing in front of an audience. The nuances of performance found in phrasing, arrangement and approach are magnified in the studio – so details count.

5. Vocal Arrangement. Every great record has a great vocal arrangement often produced alongside the producer by a “vocal arranger.” A vocal arranger decides how the artist will sing a song. It might be a line that the arranger thinks sounds better if the singer uses a vibrato in their voice, or a wavery tone rather than straight. Maybe the note should be sung an octave higher, or add a breathy tone to the words. She may say “Hey, add a riff, right there, or an ooohh aahhh.” Since the vocal is selling the record, you can’t afford to skimp here. It’s one of the secret weapons of a great recording.

Note: Hey – did you know that you can hire me – Cari Cole – to work on your next record? Well you can. I have arranged vocals on major and indie records that have gotten major placements and won awards. I will either go into the studio with you or we do pre-production recording ahead of time and I phrase the entire record for you (or select songs). Either way, the results are nothing short of miraculous ;). CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

6. The “Mix” + Mastering. Just two things – call me old-school but I highly recommend mixing your “digital” mix down to ½” tape – it’s incredible what it does to the vocal. You won’t regret it. Mastering does NOT have to be expensive and you don’t need a big name at all. And most importantly, find a mastering house that doesn’t squash the vocals. I use West West Side in upstate NY. Tell Alan Douches I sent you. Affordable and one of the best out there.

Tips for recording in your home studio: Be sure to have an Avalon 737 or its equivalent to record your vocals. Use padding to get a good vocal sound – you should have a recording engineer come assess the room you’re recording in to make sure it’s set up right. For drums and electric guitars I would do those in a real studio (percussion can be overdubbed in your home studio but you’ll need a tried and true drum room for a full blown drum kit and for guitar amps).

Need help with your next record? Book a VIP Day or VIP Half Day with me to go through the Artist Development process and/or a day of Vocal Arranging for your new record where I arrange your vocals and help you nail your vocal style. Don’t miss this chance to instantly uplevel your new release. If you book before June 30th you get a VIP discount – for more information email us at info@caricole.com for more details.

©2013 Cari Cole, Vocal Mag, Inc. All Rights Reserved.