I'd like to start off by clarifying something. It isn't necessary to have a big sound to sound amazing. But, many bands, in their initial attempts at recording their songs find themselves disappointed at the results. It doesn't help that bands who have obtained this big sound rarely go out and start talking about how they did it. Either they don't completely understand it themselves or they just don't want to give away their secrets. But, fortunately for this blog, certain producers and engineers aren't quite as mum about how they did it.
So, why does a band like Nirvana sound so intense and the local rock band's demo sounds very flat? Well, one reason is the music itself. Some people are better songwriters and intrinsically understand how to write a powerful song. But, even then, some slick production can take it to the next level. For example, Nirvana's song, "Drain you."
Another good example of how studio production can go a long way are the early demo's of Weezer's "The Blue Album." They original demos sound good, but nothing in comparison to the final versions.
But, what can you do to fix this problem? When you go into a studio you are only given a certain amount of time to make things happen unless you have major financial backing. The engineers could possibly be the nicest and most dedicated professionals on the planet, but they have a time-line in mind as well and they can't make major decisions for you as far as guitar overdubs and where to put them. These are things that you have to either figure out before hand through self-recording your own demos. The more you know what you're going to do before you go into the studio the better, unless you have more than a weekend to get it done.
No comments:
Post a Comment