Streamlining the Production Process with Templates

We've used Pro Tools as our digital audio workstation of choice for about the past five years.  While every little project should, theoretically, have its own unique approach, we're in the process of creating music as quickly as possible.  So, to do this, we have made a basic template of tracks used for every project:

We've earmarked a few tracks for drums;
We have a couple mono tracks for guitars;
We have one track for bass;
We have a few stereo tracks for synths (if any);
We have kept several available for vocals.

We have also specified basic inputs, buses, and plug-ins for each template track.

We've saved this template as its own file.  Whenever we create a new Pro Tools project, all we have to do is import the tracks (which otherwise have no data in them) from the template file to the current project.  Almost instantly, we're ready to rock -- just add music.

Hopefully this song-a-week project will be realized sooner than later.  Cheers!

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Weekly Updates (Temporarily)

Quickly recording actual songs, as opposed to spur-of-the-moment, single-progression jam sessions, is taking longer than we'd like.  So far we're tracking the drums to the songs that have already been written (and they've been written quickly).  Once the drums are in, building the track with basslines, guitars, vocals, etc., will be fun.  It'll take some time, but it'll be fun!

Once we are a couple of finished songs in, we'll restart Chord du Jour on a daily basis, with new songs posted about every Wednesday (or a rerun Jam Session...whatever).

Please stay tuned!

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The XLR Connector

While there is some risk in degrees of accuracy, Wikipedia can explain XLR connectors better than me. Hint: The XLR is the usual cable for microphones. Another hint: Many XLR cables have a male plug on one side, while the other side is a female jack; many TRS cables have male connectors on both ends. Read more about the analogy between connector gender and zoological anatomy.

The TRS Connector

While there is some risk in degrees of accuracy, Wikipedia can explain TRS connectors better than me. Hint: Larger guitar cables have this in common with the usually-smaller headphone cables. Another hint: While the black rings often tell you whether a given cable is mono (one black ring), stereo (two black rings), stereo + video (three rings), or stereo + power (three rings), the rings are merely insulation to separate the important metal contacts that actually do the dirty work. Just hope that the work a TRS connector cable does is not so dirty as it is crystal clear quality.

Example Digital Audio Production Workflow

There's always room for jamming with other musicians anytime during this process. It might not contribute directly to the process, but it's fun and all parties will learn a lot from the synergy. This isn't the only process (feel free to add or subtract or repeat steps, according to your own process).

1. Songwriting. An instrument and a notebook would be helpful. A mini tape recorder/digital recorder to demo ideas might be helpful. The end product is basically lots of music with or without lyrics.

2. Arranging. This is where you try to make sense of the raw materials of music and lyrics, and put it in a nice little consumable package. You also decide which instruments will fit for the upcoming production.

3. Recording. Track drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, vocals, strings, brass, percussion, etc., according your arrangment. You can assemble an relatively large ensemble to perform live, with minimal overdubs, or you/a small band can build a song a few instruments at a time. If you are going to edit and mix later, you need to record multitrack - each instrument has its own input(s) or microphone(s).

4. Auditioning. Choose the good takes, and discard the bad takes. Punch in to quickly overdub fixes for decent takes.

5. Editing. This is where digital audio workstation recording begins to differ from traditional recording. You can easily compile the good parts of so-so takes to make a pretty spotless takes. Use this sparingly, as slight imperfections is human, and your human audience will better connect with emotional, human performances. Total perfection might lose the emotionality that makes a good recording.

6. Mixing. All the instruments that past muster must coexist. Make sure all that needs to be heard/felt is heard/felt.

7. Repeat the above steps for additional songs, if you are going to release more than a single, like an EP or a full-length album.

8. Mastering. Add that extra sheen to your track(s), make sure has the right dynamics (hopefully without playing into the loudness war), and have all your tracks (if more than one) work together as a collection - in sequence, and in equalization tonality.

9. Release to the world! You have your choice of media, from vinyl to CDs to MP3s and myriad ways to get your sonic creation to the ears (and hearts and minds) of as many people as possible! Cheers!

10. Repeat the process...

FXpansion VST to RTAS Adapter (Recording)

FXpansion's VST to RTAS Plug-In Wrapper is one of the most essential of essential Pro Tools add-ons. It opens the door for you to use a myriad of free/open source VST plug-ins in Pro Tools. (Just Google it!) Normally, VST plug-ins would not work in Pro Tools, as it uses proprietary RTAS technology instead. The adapter wraps most VST plug-ins so that Pro Tools will accept it for RTAS use.

Be warned, though, that not all free VST plug-ins are coded well enough for use in Pro Tools (you get what you pay for). For every new wrapped VST plug-in you must test it in Pro Tools, especially during the "Bounce to Disk" process. A faulty VST plug-in might cause an RTAS error, crash your session, or worse!

For more information, please go to the FXpansion website. The program usually costs between $100 and $120 (depending on the current conversion from Great Britain pounds to United States dollars). FXPansion also sells a sister program that wraps VST plug-ins as AU plug-ins, for use in Apple's Garage Band and Logic (and other Apple production programs).

Be careful, but have fun recording!

Digidesign Strike (Recording)

If you don't have a drummer with a drum kit at your disposal, Digidesign Strike will, at the very least, replace your drum loops. You can customize the drum performance, drum tuning, and mix - with several style and kit options to help you start. As of this writing, missing options include alternate drum sticks (brushes, rods, etc.) and a more intuitive non-4/4 time signature play. The latter can be remedied by sequencing the patterns yourself, with some knowledge about time signatures and accents.

This is Digidesign's introduction/advertisement video for Strike:

"Niiice."

Strike is an RTAS plug-in and will only work with Pro Tools (Academic, M, LE, or HD). Strike costs between $250-$300, depending where you buy. If you buy online, always remember to do a quick Google search of coupon codes to save money! Along with Bias Repli-Q, consider Strike an "essential" non-standard Pro Tools add-on/plug-in!

Pro Tools (Recording)

As of the writing of this entry, there are three levels of Digidesign's Pro Tools digital audio workstation (DAW) program:

M-Powered: Not counting the special academic version, this is initially the entry level for Pro Tools. This version of the software is made to interact with various M-Audio hardware interfaces. As I stated earlier, this version is basically entry level, but the variety of hardware interfaces available makes M-Powered Pro Tools very customizable. Check out m-audio.com for more information about the software and the hardware.

For example, the M-Powered program (with iLok dongle included) will cost about $250. Add a qualifying $150 M-Audio interface (the prices will vary, but this seems like an average entry-level price), and the DAW will cost about $400.

LE: This is the basic program for Pro Tools. It is often bundled with either the consumer level Mbox 2 series (Micro, Mini, regular-sized, and Pro) or the more pro-sumer level 003 family of hardware interfaces. Check out digidesign.com for more information about LE and M-Powered (mentioned above).

For example, a standard Mbox 2 package (which includes the LE software) will cost about $500.

HD: Take out a loan for this one. It's similar to M-Powered in that there are several configurations to make a Pro Tools | HD system, but these hardware configurations are exponentially more expensive than M-Audio's DAW. Digidesign has more info about the HD system, as well as the top-of-the-line ICON product.

For example, you must choose either the purchase of a new car or an industry-standard Pro Tools | HD system. With gas prices these days, you might want to lean toward building a music studio.

All of the above information does not include the additional costs of microphones, musical instruments, cables, a strong enough computer, and plug-ins (effects).

Happy recording!

BIAS Repli-Q (Recording)

If you are not a master at the mastering process, nor a wiz at fiddling with EQ settings, BIAS Repli-Q can help. This plug-in, which can be purchased separately at bias-inc.com or part of the BIAS Master Perfection Suite, can literally take the EQ profile of an existing recording and allow you to place it on another recording/track. Of course, it isn't a miracle worker.

Repli-Q is best at tackling one instrument at a time. For instance, if you have an existing recording of a sweet-sounding solo piano, you can use Repli-Q to take that track's EQ profile. When you have a less-than-ideal EQ'd piano recording, you can insert the sweet sounding EQ for pretty good results. You can make the new recording have anywhere from 0% to 100% of another track's EQ. For mono/stereo single tracks, 50-100% will usually have good results.

You'll need to be more careful when you take the EQ profile from a multitrack, bounced stereo master (consisting of several instruments mixed together) and place that EQ onto another bounced stereo master. I'd say to hover around 25% to have noticeable similarities but not go overboard to the 50-100% range, as it will not have good results.

You can also throw away all the above suggestions regarding EQ profiles when you just want to experiment! Steal the EQ profile from a vocal track and paste it onto some bongos (and vice versa), and hear what happens! You might like the result, or you might just remove the plug-in from the track: The choice is yours!

Have fun recording, producing, mixing, and mastering!