Gibson Music Blog

10 Recording Bloopers That Made the Album

Inspired by “engineering screw-ups” on Gearslutz, here’s a list of recording and mixing bloopers that made it past the mixing room onto the final release.

These aren’t performance missteps, where the band missed a cue, or the singer came in too soon. There are certainly countless examples of those but most were included intentionally, to add character or realism. Rather, the flubs below highlight mistakes in recording or mixing that could have been corrected before the track was released.

Some of the mistakes probably went unnoticed. Some, I’m sure, were noticed and begrudgingly accepted because of a deadline. But reassuringly for us amateurs, they all prove that even the pros aren’t perfect.

What a Producer Does and Why You Should Consider Using One

The best way I know to describe what a producer does comes in the form of this analogy: A producer is to a recording as a director is to a film. When it comes to making a film, the buck essentially stops with the director. It’s the director who steers the ship working with everyone from the actors to the technical editors in order to achieve his or her overall vision of the movie. It is exactly that way with a producer when it comes to making a recording. Not only must the producer have the experience to work with the studio engineer (often possessing the technical expertise to engineer the project themselves) but a producer must also have the musical understanding to help the artist with everything from song choice, structure and arrangement, to the all-important vocal performances that are vital in giving a recording its personality. In short, a producer provides the experience and necessary perspective to guide a recording from start to finish.

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The Alesis MultiMixer 8 USB 2.0

What it Is: The Alesis MultiMix 8 USB 2.0 is an 8 channel high-resolution mixer with multichannel usb 2.0 interface capabilities. You get four high-gain mic line XLR inputs with phantom power, 2 stereo ¼” inputs, 100 onboard 28-bit preset effects including reverbs, delays, chorus, flanging, pitch and multi–effects, and a very nice feature, a stereo digital out and 2 return inputs for monitoring via the USB 2.0 audio interface.

Why This Is A Great Opportunity: Not only is the Alesis MultiMix a great compact mixer with awesome digital effects, but it also is a USB 2.0 multitrack recording interface. The Multi-Mix 8 is perfect for duos and small combo groups who don’t need a lot of inputs. Run your instruments though the mixer for pa support at a live show, and record a live mix via the USB 2.0 to your computer at the same time. Back at the studio, use the MultiMix for your recording interface direct into the included Cubase recording software. The MultiMix is compatible with both Mac and PC operating systems, and offers great dual-purpose usefulness at a very fair price.

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Composite Vocal Tracks, Compression, and Reverb

Hard disk recording techniques have affected every aspect of recording, including vocals. Although overdubbing vocals has been a common technique for years, today’s programs let you do multiple tracks of vocals, and make a “composite” with all the best bits. We’ll cover how to do that, then talk a bit about compression and reverb.

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(Source: homerecording.com)

Why Less Audio Distortion Means Better Sounding Mixes

Distortion can sound great, we all love distorted guitar sounds, however there is a big audible difference between overdriving valves in a guitar amp and overdriving semi pro recording equipment.The following explains how to reduce harsh unpleasant distortion during recording and mixing.

All current digital audio workstations can operate at 24 bit resolution so what does this actually mean and how will it help your music sound better? One of the most important factors of improvement by using 24 resolution in recording and mixing is being able to set your recording and mix gain structure up for lower distortion.

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