Before I start describing equipment, methods, styles etc, let's start with a song review so you get a feel for the level of quality I'm talking about here. "Sure Reminds Me" (link below) successfully climbed the charts on several indie music sites like SoundClick and Mixposure, sitting comfortably for some time in the top 10 and being featured in a Folk Spotlight for several weeks running.
Before we get started though, let's lay some ground rules:
Music Lover Reviews: The sky's the limit. Say what you want, good or bad (just keep it respectful without any trash). Compare it to mainstream music and tell us how you think it measures up in terms of sound, style and quality.
DIYer Reviews: I expect a bit more from you. Considering you're here to share in the learning, whatever you say in your review will help everyone learn more. I don't think you need to listen to the song over and over again; a lot can be said for first impressions, particularly in this business. Like the Music Lovers, say what you want, good or bad (keep it respectful without trash). Compare it to mainstream music as well as your own. Then, score the following criteria:
Scoring: x out of 5 (1=poor ... 5=excellent)
- Style (within the chosen style, how fresh sounding is it?)
- Lyrics (do they come across clear enough to get your attention)
- Musicianship (quality of the performance)
- Hook (how memorable is the song?)
- Sound (how close is the sound to mainstream?)
- Mix (do all the parts mesh/compliment each other nicely?)
- Bonus (bonus points for whatever you like/dislike - make sure you specify)
Okay... now that the business stuff is out of the way... let's listen to some music, shall we?
Words & Music by me. All instruments & vocals are real and performed by me with the exception of the drum arrangements done on a machine (more details on that in a future post).
I couldn’t agree more about BOSS Digital recorders. I have the BR-1180-CD (http://www.bosscorp.co.jp/products/en/BR-1180CD/) and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I already had an Shure SM-58 (who doesn’t?) but I also sprung for an Audio Technica Studio Condenser Mic which, honestly, is a difference of night and day in terms of dynamics (http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/wired_mics/53b8b7998922fb02/index.html). Mind you, I built myself a sound-proofed studio which helps a lot. If you’re in an area where there is any kind of ambiant noise, don’t bother with this condenser mic. It’ll pick up *and amplify* the pics I fiddle with in my pocket as I stand there singing. It’s that sensitive.
You say “The 4-track and microphone are pretty much all the hardware you will need…” but I think a cheap old second hand stereo (the kind with the big floor speakers) plugged straight into your digital board is a great (cheap) way of getting a feel for the sound quality and level you’re aiming for. Most of us (I think) grew up on those big monsters, so we know what they should sound like. Saves you having to burn a CD or transfer your stuff out onto some other media in order to really have a listen.
The kicker (pun intended) here is that the BR-1180-CD version comes with its own integrated drum machine that does everything described above. But if you can’t go that route, you might as well check out the open source option posted in a comment above. I like open source… here’s why:
Once you’ve transferred your files onto your computer, I recommend Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/). It does everything those other (co$tly) options do. No question. I’ve done it. As an example… a few years back I hired a recording engineer to digitally remaster some old songs that I had on cassette from many moons ago. It cost me $400 for one tape and the resulting CD is nowhere near the quality required for resale (or radio for that matter). With Audacity, I spent $0 and was able to digitally remaster the same songs to the point that I’m actually considering not re-recording some of them. It’s that good.
The money you save on not buying any software will make the cost of the BR-1180CD more attainable.
Good luck!