Making a Recording

Making a recording can be as simple or as complex as you desire. The main variable involved is the quality of the performance and the recording. Generally, the more complex a project is or the higher desired quality of the recording, the more time and effort will be needed to meet your goals.

There are 5 general sequential phases involved in recording.

1. Pre-production - decide on songs, style, accompaniment, arrangements, and other musical details.
2. Tracking - record vocal and/or accompaniment tracks.
3. Editing - depending on the desired quality, adjust the timing and/or pitch to improve the quality of the recorded tracks.
4. Mixing - combine all the recorded (and edited) tracks into a stereo mix of the song. The balance of the parts is adjusted, tonal and spatial effects are added, and small defects can be removed.
5. Mastering - ensure that all the mixed songs have an overall sound and volume consistent with the rest of the songs and establish the order of songs on the album.

At the end of these phases, you will have a “master” recording of your songs. At this point you need to consider how the album will be distributed and what physical and digital formats are required.