{"id":15824,"date":"2019-01-03T05:30:08","date_gmt":"2019-01-03T10:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=15824"},"modified":"2019-01-04T08:54:56","modified_gmt":"2019-01-04T13:54:56","slug":"western-n-c-recording-studios-help-artists-take-their-music-to-the-next-level-part-three","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2019\/01\/03\/western-n-c-recording-studios-help-artists-take-their-music-to-the-next-level-part-three\/","title":{"rendered":"Western N.C. Recording Studios Help Artists Take Their Music to the Next Level (Part Three)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Continued from Part Two<\/a>…<\/em><\/p>\n

Even though there\u2019s an impressively high standard of facilities, engineering staff and gear at the recording studios in western North Carolina, some studios are better suited for specific types of music. Robert George says that at Sound Temple, he tends to \u201crecord and mix music that is either acoustic or rootsy.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Sedgwick Studios, Andrew Reed often works with artists and bands who have an ambitious musical vision. \u201cWe specialize in artists who want to make records like Pink Floyd, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and even the Beatles,\u201d he says. Other studios focus on a narrower slice of the recording business. \u201cI specialize in adding orchestral sampled instruments,\u201d says Bruce Sales of 2BruceStudio in downtown Asheville.<\/p>\n

Hilltop Studios in Boone was designed specifically for vocal work. \u201cWe don\u2019t typically work with bands, says co-owner Reese. In contrast, Williams says that \u201cThe Eagle Room is best suited for a band with a four-piece rhythm section.\u201d And Saloon Studios Live focuses on recording live performances.<\/p>\n

Most studio professionals in the region, however, emphasize their ability and willingness to take on most any kind of audio project. \u201cWe do it all,\u201d says Rudolph. \u201cWe have recorded bluegrass, Americana, gospel, Christian rock, pop rock and metal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do metal, rock, rap, country, some jazz and even classical klezmer,\u201d Bishop says. He chuckles inwardly when he looks at his current schedule. \u201cI spent the first half of today mixing a band that refers to its music as \u2018gothic fuck jams.\u2019 Next, a lady will come in and record flute on a Christmas song. Tomorrow, I\u2019ve got a couple rap sessions. Friday I\u2019m off, and this weekend I start on a heavy rock, metal EP session.\u201d<\/p>\n

That kind of versatility is a hallmark of the region\u2019s audio recording pros. \u201cI work in any genre,\u201d says Eric \u201cMixerman\u201d Sarafin. \u201cAll that matters is that I adore the music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nearly all of the studios in the Western North Carolina region offer a full array of services that extends beyond recording. Mixing (balancing the multiple recorded tracks for a finished product), mastering (transferring finished recordings to a data storage device) and editing are the most widely available services, but some area studios can provide remote recording, songwriting, vocal and instrumental talent, physical and digital distribution, promotion, retail placement and even technical training.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Giraffe Studio<\/p><\/div>\n

Pro Tips on Preparation<\/b>
\nRecording at home means a musician can proceed at relative leisure, essentially making things up as he or she goes along. But working in a studio, the well-prepared artist is likely to end up with a recording session that is both more enjoyable and more productive. The producer, managers and engineers of studios in the region willingly offer some professional tips; much of this advice applies equally to the seasoned recording artist as it does to first-time visitors to a professional recording facility.<\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, these busy professionals are largely of one mind when it comes to the most important piece of advice for artists planning a session. That advice can be summed up in a single word: practice<\/i>.<\/p>\n

\u201cRehearse with a metronome, and record yourself at home first, listening critically,\u201d says Robert George. \u201cYou should be able to deliver your material as if you’re doing a real performance,\u201d says Reese. Harrington notes that artists \u201cshould be ready to knock out their songs within three takes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWork out your vocals and harmonies,\u201d advises Brad Rudolph. \u201cPlay the songs live as much as you can.\u201d Andy Bishop reiterates the point. \u201cJust practice,\u201d he says. \u201cIt makes the studio cheaper, easier and more fun if you’re not having to go to war with your own parts.\u201d<\/p>\n

But all of the studio pros agree that there are times when the recording studio will serve as a more basic part of the creative process; in those cases, artists arrive with a more open-ended, undefined mindset that allows them to explore ideas instead of laying down a fully thought-out collection of songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really depends on what the artist is trying to accomplish,\u201d says Matt Williams. Though he often works with seasoned bands who know exactly what they want to do during their session, he welcomes and enjoys the less-defined projects. \u201cSome artists are working with me one-on-one to produce their record, which may mean that they\u2019ve only prepared rough demos, snippets of song ideas and lyrics, and basic ideas for tempos,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Yet even then, a certain level of preparation is very useful. \u201cI preface all sessions with an off-the-books meeting where we talk about the artist’s vision for their project,\u201d says Anthony Dorion. \u201cWe sort of map out what will be necessary to get there. This helps us both set expectations for the individual sessions and the project as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n

No matter which studio in which he\u2019s working, Eric Sarafin takes a similar approach with his clients. \u201cWe start with rehearsals, then we hone the basic arrangements during pre-production,\u201d he says. \u201cThen we go into the studio where I lead them through the process of making their record.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Giraffe Studio<\/p><\/div>\n

What Not to Do<\/b>
\nArtists who spend time in pro studios learn some lessons the hard way. But the region\u2019s engineers and producers are happy to run down a list of rookie mistakes best avoided. \u201cDon\u2019t stay out partying the night before your session,\u201d advises Harrington of Echo Mountain. \u201cCome in well rested and ready to work.\u201d agrees Hilltop\u2019s Reese. \u201cDon\u2019t drink too much alcohol the night before, get three hours of sleep, not eat anything, and expect to have a productive session,\u201d he warns.<\/p>\n

Reese offers another bit of widely agreed-upon advice. \u201cDon\u2019t bring anyone to your session who may end up being a distraction,\u201d he says. \u201cThe most common faux-pas I’ve seen people make over the years is bringing too many friends with them,\u201d says Dorion. He notes that different artists have different motivations for bringing people along. \u201cSome are nervous about going alone into a new environment, and others just want to be \u2018seen\u2019 in the studio by their peers,\u201d he says. \u201cBut inevitably that becomes distracting to the artist’s creativity, and in more extreme cases it\u2019s a hindrance to the decision-making process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several of the producers and engineers offer some advice that they all-too-often see ignored. \u201cDon\u2019t hire your friends who will play for free,\u201d says Robert George. \u201cDon\u2019t hire them to play on your record if their playing isn\u2019t up to snuff,\u201d agrees Harrington. \u201cIt sounds like a great idea to share the studio experience with your buds, but if they can\u2019t hack it, that adds up to a lot of wasted time and stress on your relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n

Click here to continue<\/a>…<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Continued from Part Two… Even though there\u2019s an impressively high standard of facilities, engineering staff and gear at the recording studios in western North Carolina, some studios are better suited […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15831,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,3668],"tags":[3675,3682,3336,3685,3678,237,3680,3676,3673,3690,3669,3679,3684,3677,3681,3674,3670,3688,3683,1638,3672,3689,3686,3671,3687,3691],"class_list":["post-15824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interview","category-music-business","tag-2bruce-studio","tag-alex-reese","tag-andrew-reed","tag-andy-bishop","tag-anthony-dorion","tag-asheville","tag-brad-rudolph","tag-bruce-sales","tag-crossroads-recording-studio","tag-donovan-murray","tag-echo-mountain-recording-studios","tag-falling-waters-recording-studio","tag-giraffe-studio","tag-good-flow-productions","tag-hilltop-studios","tag-jeff-collins","tag-jessica-tomasin","tag-matt-williams","tag-matthew-helton","tag-ozric-tentacles","tag-robert-george","tag-saloon-studios","tag-sedgwick-studios","tag-sound-temple-recording-studios","tag-the-eagle-room","tag-vance-pollock","cat-41-id","cat-3668-id","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15824"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15824\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15879,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15824\/revisions\/15879"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}