Steve Raybine:
Blog #26:
Assembling a CD
Currently, I have completed my third CD, which is entitled, "In the Driver's Seat." Much like my two previous CD's, "Balance Act" and "Bad Kat Karma," I have overseen every aspect of its development. In preparation for your own CD, I have outlined and described the many issues you will confront or will need to consider as you create your very own CD--enjoy!
1.) Composing the music.
a.) Let's begin by stating the obvious: "You can't have a CD without music." Therefore, if you plan on recording your own music (not a prerequisite, but essential if you consider yourself a composer), there is much work to be done. Composers and lyricists have their own unique style and method(s) of creating music. Some songwriters compose in a veritable 'whirlwind,' while others need more time to create their music. Alternatively, some songs are written quickly and others take longer. Regardless of your compositional methods or process, you still need a finished product. Once you have composed enough music for your CD (that varies according to the demands and expectations of the composer and/or lyricist), you can now contemplate the musical focus and direction of your CD.
b.) Every song you write or have written may not qualify for the esteemed status of a CD 'track.' The best CD's have a consistent musical direction or style that they want to convey to prospective audiences. Therefore, certain songs may be better served on subsequent CD's, which are more musically consistent with that particular project. Moreover, some songs are not as strong as others and should be rejected or rewritten before they are recorded and appear on a CD. This decision should be determined by the composer(s) and/or lyricist(s) and the producer(s) of the CD after much careful consideration and deliberation. Remember: a CD is not strengthened by a weak or poorly-written song. Before you record your songs, remember to copyright each of them with the Library of Congress--you must legally protect your intellectual property!
2.) Selecting cover songs for the CD (if relevant).
a.) Many bands decide to include one or more 'cover tunes' on their CD. By doing so, they are utilizing and maximizing the popularity and familiarity of the song(s) for their own musical benefit. If you do choose to include cover songs, I strongly recommend that you perform your own arrangement, as opposed to rehashing the song in its original rendition--little is achieved by employing this methodology. In addition, before you record and subsequently release your CD for sale, you must obtain the written permission from the original composer(s) and/or publisher. Failing to do so, could, and will likely, result in a lawsuit against you for illegally using the private intellectual property of someone else for your personal monetary gain. Once you've obtained permission to include the other individual's music on your CD, you will then have to file and pay for a mechanical license with the entity that governs its publishing rights. Don't be negligent in meticulously adhering to the correct procedure within this process, as a lawsuit against you is an absolute no-win situation for you and/or your band.
3.) Choosing the musicians.
a.) Selecting the best possible musicians to perform on your CD is essential. If you have a self-contained band, you will undoubtedly use the band members as the nucleus for the recording sessions. Generally speaking, this is a relatively efficient process, providing all the members share the same commitment to the music and have consistently equivalent musical talent as players. Alternatively, if you're someone like myself who is an individual artist that composes his own music, I hire sidemen to perform on specific tracks of my CD. Over time, I have found that certain musicians interpret specific musical styles more effectively than other musicians, which is why I select them to play on songs that reflect their musical strengths. Although this process is much more difficult to organize with everyone's different schedules to account for, the results can be stupendous if there is real musical chemistry that exists between the various freelance musicians. Moreover, negotiating a rehearsal and recording fee for the individual musicians can be tricky, depending upon your ability or inability to hire musicians. I've generally been pretty successful with this process, because I treat issues within the music industry as a business as well as an art form.
4.) Rehearsing and performing the music.
a.) Before you record your songs in a recording studio, it is advisable to spend significant time rehearsing and performing the music. The rehearsal process, much like the performing process, yields invaluable insights and an all-important re-examination of the song(s). As I mentioned above, if you're hiring freelance musicians for the CD project, you will most likely have to pay them some compensation for rehearsals. This is an issue that isn't relevant when you have your own established band, however. For performances, everyone, regardless of freelance status or established band members should be paid for the engagement(s). If the self-contained band members perform for little-or-no financial compensation, that is their decision, but is not a precedent that I endorse. Hopefully, both the rehearsing and performing procedures will result in more efficient and well-written songs. I strongly recommend videotaping or recording your rehearsals and performances in order to gain even greater insights into how the songs are progressing.
5.) Recording the music.
The first issue to consider when recording, is selecting the studio or studios where the recording(s) will take place. Obvious studio considerations are:
1.) Cost of renting the studio per hour
2.) Quality of the engineer(s) and ability to work with them
3.) Acoustic sound of the studio
4.) Overall ambience of the studio--it is advantageous to enjoy your surroundings when recording
Once you've factored in the above considerations, you can make a well-informed decision regarding your choice of a recording studio. The bottom line is achieving the best overall sound for your musical product. If you need to make compromises in any area, keep reminding yourself that how your music sounds is largely dependent upon how it is recorded.
6.) Editing the music.
In the contemporary music world of sophisticated technology, editing your music is easily achieved if the music is recorded using Pro Tools or similar software music programs. Depending upon the style of music you play, musical edits may be more-or-less significant when crafting the final product. For instance, some obvious musical edits to consider might be:
1.) improvised solos
2.) melodic treatments
3.) vocal tracks
4.) corrected errors
5.) supplemental horn parts
6.) song forms
The editing process is an integral phase within the overall musical design of most manufactured CD's. Although music editing can be a challenging and laborious process depending upon the arrangement of any given track, if the song results in being more cohesive and musically-balanced throughout, it is time well spent.
7.) Mixing the music.
Much like it takes a skilled music practitioner to successfully edit music, the engineer who ultimately mixes your music must have superior skills at hearing and achieving the proper balances between all the instruments and/or vocals (if relevant) on each recorded track. Once the mix specialist has achieved the best possible rough mix, I recommend that he/she give you and/or your producer(s) a reference copy for you to analyze for your input. Once you've submitted your musical suggestions back to the mix specialist, have him/her make another mix incorporating your suggestions and then give you and your producer(s) that updated reference copy for your final input. Finally, make any more adjustments per your mutual requests and complete the final mix for that song. Incorporate this process for each song that will appear on the CD.
From the above procedure, you can see that I am particularly 'fussy' about my individual mixes. Before we proceed to the final auditory phase, which is mastering the CD, I want to be absolutely certain that I have achieved the best possible mixes on each song. Otherwise, there will be obvious instrumental and/or vocal balance inconsistencies throughout the CD, which will undermine the superb sonic quality of my CD, which I can't tolerate. I'm always mindful that my musical sound is my musical identity--something for all of you to remember as well!
8.) Mastering the music.
The people that master CD's are specialists, not unlike all of the other engineer's, musicians, producer's, etc., that are also specialists within the recording and mixing process. Recording engineers' that master CD's possess acute hearing sensibilities that enable them to balance the over-all volume and sound levels of each instrument (vocals, too) on each track of the CD. They also arrange the order of the CD tracks and account for the space between tracks. It is of critical importance to hire a gifted mastering engineer for your CD project, otherwise there will be sound inconsistencies on your CD that will disrupt the flow and sonic appeal of your project.
9.) CD Graphics and Duplication.
Now that the CD is finished being recorded, mixed and mastered, it's time to assemble the CD package. You will need to find a business that will duplicate your CD's and provide graphics and assembly for the CD booklet, which varies in price and complexity. Some artists decide to hire independent graphic artists that work in concert with the CD duplication business. However, many CD duplication businesses have a graphic arts division and are able to do the entire CD package 'in house.' Moreover, you may need to also hire a photographer to take pictures for the CD booklet if that is part of your artistic vision for the finished product.
Completing a CD from start-to-finish is an exhausting and time-consuming enterprise. It is also an expensive endeavor. Depending upon whether you have a self-contained band or you hire various freelance musicians, the freelancers' will need to be paid for their rehearsal and recording time, as will all the bills paid for the studio recording fees; mixing fees; mastering fees and supplemental monies paid to your producer(s) and arranger(s). However, once you hold the finished product in your hand, you will experience a moment of great exultation...and relief. Enjoy the entire CD-assembly process as each step has its own challenges and rewards to offer. Good luck!
Copyright 2009 Steve Raybine
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