To Record or Not To Record - At Home, That Is

I will be honest. I am addicted to music recording. I love moving faders, adjusting levels, panning, reverberating, sequencing, you name it. I especially love all that software, and the colorful ways that they show the music as a waveform. It is just cool.

And I'm not the only one. My cousin has just become hooked as well, and all around the globe many many songwriters are falling prey to the "Call of the Cubase." After all, what once upon a time could break the bank, is now easily accessible on our desktops. Every songwriter can record his/her songs for a pittance. So is this a good thing? And should we all be doing it?

On the surface, it's a no-brainer. Well, why not record? It stimulates creativity. It liberates more music from the brains of its creators. It puts more pleasure into the world. And yet, there is a downside or two to consider when you plan to record your stuff, at least at home.

Natural selection was Darwin's theory, and it applies equally to music as well. I'll be honest, I'm not the greatest songwriter. I tend to write stuff that is too long, overly cliched, and requiring the vocal range of Luciano Pavarotti mixed with Paul Robeson. Every so often, though, almost despite my best efforts, I'll crank out a beaut. When that happens, it deserves immediate posteritizing (recording for posterity), but, alas, there is a long line of "I-really-shouldn't-record-this-but-why-not-it's-cheap-to-do-it" material in front of it. Each of those will take a good week of work to arrange, record, overdub, mix, master, remix, remaster and burn. Add to that two days of regret after I've listened to the atrocious thing, you have 9 days. If I had to pay for a studio, I'd only have gone with the winner, and thos eother songs would have thankfully remained mere twinkles in my eye.

That's the first thing to consider. It's not for the betterment of the world to record everything just because you can. With the advent of the home studio, the natural selection process disappeared, and people don't have the same pressure to let their material grow, become refined, and be sure that they are going for the gold before they start laying down tracks. Always ask yourself if you can do better before you start. Don't let the technology cripple creativity with its instant allure.

Now let's say you really have an ace song on your hands. No reason not to record this, you're saying, and you're right. But. Is doing it at home the way to go? The answer is a resounding ... depends. Depends on what gear you have, sure. But even more, it depends on what you are capable of doing with that gear. If the ease with which one can record at home has limited creative quality, it may do the same to sonic quality when the creativity has been truly remarkable. I love those gadgets, but I will admit that I can never seem to get the sound I hear in my head when I write those songs. If I were properly trained, I'm sure I'd have a different take, but I'm not, and how many of us are?

So my compromise has been to have all the fun in the world with the songs I'm not staking my future on, while the keepers get a professional to make sure that I'll get that record deal. I would highly recommend, however, to record your songs at home as a prequel, if you will, to the studio. The benefits are knowing how your song will take to tape on a basic level, as well as seeing any weaknesses in your arrangements. It is a great scratch pad, and then, when you get into the studio, you'll have a great head start.

I hope everyone thrills to this wonderful world of songwriting, and whether your goal is simply to give CDs to your friends and family or to be a megastar (hope we make it), you'll use home studio technology to stimulate creativity, improve your craft and career and have a blast. Happy tunes!

Seth Lutnick is a singer, songwriter and arranger. Visit his website, http://www.getitdone.biz, for more on creating and using a home recording studio, and personal action planning.

---

The Joy of Spontaneous Expression

Do you remember finger-painting as a child? How fun it... Read More

A Brief History of Gongs

The gong is one of the oldest musical instruments in... Read More

Suzuki Violin Vs Traditional Violin

The Suzuki violin method has come to dominate the way... Read More

Painting with Sound

Whenever I go to a Borders bookstore here in San... Read More

Motorhead Inferno

Motorhead-"Inferno"-Review by Les Lewellyn When David Grohl... Read More

Automatic Control of Chords

CORRECT PRACTICE IS INDISPENSABLE!Your success or failure at the keyboard... Read More

Greg Koch Fender Guitar History

The Greg Koch Fender guitar began to take shape all... Read More

The Life and Music of Beatle George Harrison

Propelled into fame as one of the Beatles, along with... Read More

Piano Lessons and Perfectionism

Are you a perfectionist? Does every note have to sound... Read More

Avoiding Injuries When Playing Guitar

To avoid any sort of injuries when playing guitar a... Read More

Right Hand Guitar Playing Tip

This lesson can open for you a secret of high-speed... Read More

Micing a Kick Drum

This months tip deals with micing kick drums.You wouldn't believe... Read More

How to Download Music From The Internet

Most of you have probably heard of the RIAA's quest... Read More

Learn to Read Music Online

If you or anyone you know wants to learn to... Read More

How to Make $30,000 with Your Music Before Years End

As an independent musician and/or recording artist, if you did... Read More

SOUNDS GOOD TO ME - Eliminate Throat Tension

As a vocal coach, I hear it all the time.... Read More

Composing for Dummies

When most people hear the word composer, they automatically think... Read More

Inspiration Wanted - Apply Within!

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for music students is... Read More

The Didjeridu

In Northern Australia the Didjeridu is seen as a phallic... Read More

Managing Your Time, when Music isnt Your Day Job

You CAN do everything.Repeat.You CAN do everything. What you cannot... Read More

A Guitar Lesson to Help You Develop Your Vision

Have you ever done any of the following?1. Made excuses... Read More

Arranging for New Age Piano

A while back, I wrote an article that compared flower... Read More

The Time Machine Exist!

We call it music, ever noticed how vividly music triggers... Read More

JOHN LENNON - The Man and His Times

John Lennon wasn't always my favorite Beatle; at first it... Read More

Music & Intelligence: Will Listening to Music Make You Smarter?

Will listening to music make you smarter? Will learning to... Read More

Buying a Violin

"How do I buy a violin, (or fiddle)?"That question has... Read More

Music for Cross Cultural Accelerated Learning

The Search for the Right MusicEver since Georgi Lozonav, the... Read More

Oh My Aching Head! Can Music Really Make You Feel Better?

We all know, if only instinctively, that music has a... Read More

Story of 50 Cent

G-Units 50 Cent , was born 6th of July 1976... Read More

Chords or Melody First... Which is Best?

There are basically two ways you can compose a piece... Read More

Creating Caverns - an Improvisation Exercise

In a recent post to my Yahoo group, I mentioned... Read More

Composing George Winston Style

If you're a fan of New Age piano, no doubt... Read More

Lori Nuic Sparkles

A soulful vibe along with an amazing voice is what... Read More