The popularity of digital recording and making music from the comfort of a home computer or workstation has undeniably become the current movement in today’s recording world. However, although this trend is rather convenient, it’s also caused a lot of headache for some new artists and their management and
“real” studio engineers having to take on the onslaught of poorly recorded tracks (especially vocals), and less than professional recordings when it gets to the mix.

While sales of home studio software may be up, the professional quality standards that it normally takes to make a record ready for broadcast, or for having a product to sell through a record label or distributor has gone down somewhat as far as what’s being brought into the mixing stage from new producers. And recently, this problem effected my own investments and business.

In late May of 2005, while still working on Music Powers, I decided to take on the role of an Executive Producer; investing my own money into an up-and-coming rap artist that had been grinding; performing and recording his own music with different up-and-coming or “future” producers in Atlanta. After working out the studio payments and a spec deal for a great mix engineer, I soon found out that even though the producer and artist had a good song and a great performance recorded, the actual recording itself left a lot to be desired. It was pretty “low tech” and distorted, and eventually my high-priced, hi-profile mix engineer said that it really needed re-recording... meaning more money and more time put into something that should have been done right... the first time.

Ok crew, check it: If you are going in the studio; planning on recording a project to release, or getting a finished CD to a label for some type of real deal opportunity... your recording, whether done at a “real” studio, your basement, your laptop, or your granny’s bathroom... it should be approached with some
knowledge, proficiency and also a little detail. Why? Because poor recordings create poor pockets, when it’s time to mix and master. So for any of you who are at this stage, I am going to briefly make a quick list of things that I believe new talent and producer/engineers doing their own tracking, should at least come into some awareness about before taking their project to the pro mixing stage. Also, I am going to provide a few other helpful hints about recording and studios in general, for those of you who want to be more prepared for your next session...