[Dixielandjazz] FW: Bands with CDs

[Jim Kashishian]

Thanks to those that liked my suggestions on live recordings.  Kevin tells
me that he prefers a studio recording, which is fine.  Some musicians prefer
the cleaness & tidyness of a studio recording, however, as I said before, I
find the cd buyer at a gig prefers something live.  
 
Kevin mentioned that applause & background noise can be added to a studio
recording, but it is not as easy as it sounds, and I would stay away from
such antics.  I was required by a record company to do just that to half of
a recording that was done in the studio (a rock band).  The rest of the
recording was live.  To match the two ambiences took a lot of time & effort.
My bill to the record company was well over $10,000, and I put in a note to
them that if they heard what they were paying for, then I hadn't done my
job!   :>  Cheeky, but true!  It had to sound just like a seamlessly live
recording.
 
Some of my notes in my previous email will be useful even for a studio
recording, such as time limits on a cd, the brochure suggestions, etc.  I
would also include the necesity for mastering, where many small details can
be attended to.  In a band effort, it is always best to have one (or 2 at
the most) appointed members to make the decisions.  If you leave it up to
the whole band to make decisions you may never, ever finish your recording!
Have a plan of the tunes you want to do (with a couple of extras, just in
case), and a plan on order of solos, etc., before going into the studio.  
 
If you go into a studio school setup, as you mentioned you might, Kevin, I
would aim for the "let's set up just as though on a small stage".....all
close together.  The studio guys will most likely want to get you separated
into little sections blocked off by screens & using headphones.  Unless your
guys are session musicians, they will find this a strange way to play, and
you won't get the friendly atmo you get on gigs.
 
We even find that sitting close when on a large stage at big concerts is
better for us.  We arrive at a big gig, and immediately have to pull
everying from the far sides of the stage into the middle, where we can make
believe we are in a small club.  I even suggest a nice carpet, and some
living room lamps around the band many times.  Gives the intimate feeling
for great playing.  Same thing goes in the studio.  The less cold &
separated the better.  You can still boost a vocal, etc., in the mix even if
there is some drums getting into the vocal mike, although the engineers will
insist that you can't!
 
Good luck, Jim