As I get deeper into the recording of my new CD "BELIEVE"...the more I struggle with the DIY concept of writing, recording and producing music.
With my debut solo CD "ME, MYSELF & YOU!" I was very excited to be doing it all myself...recording , producing performing.....I did it all. This time around I am finding it harder to be happy with the results. Part of that is listening back to my first record and hearing all the things I felt were acceptable then, that I can't accept this time around. I guess that's all part of the learning curve particularly when you are doing it all yourself.
The other part of that discontent is listening to some of the new releases by major label artists....for example the new Chris Daughtry song "No Suprise". I listened to that song last night and then to my demos for my new CD and immediately got depressed. Now I know that is a multi-million dollar production and I am comparing it to my home DAW demos and it's not a real comparison. However, I also know when music fans are listening they really don't know the intricacies of the recording process [no disrespect to the fans...but most don't] nor do they care...they just know that Chip Gall's CD sounds shitty and Chris Daughtry's sounds great.
So how does someone like me compete with the Chris Daughtry's of the world. Well I am finally starting to realize in order to compete even close to that level you have to do some of the things the "big boys" do. So this time around my demos will be done in my home studio on a DAW, however the final product will be recorded at Big Room Studios in London Ontario. Big Room is also a home project studio but with much better gear than I use on my demos. Darren Morrison is the owner of the studio and is a solid engineer/producer in his own right. So that is how I am trying get the sound quality closer to the major players.
So the challenge now is to get the songs and performances up to a major label level. My first thought is what don't I like about my music. This is not a tuff call for me as I am very critical of my own work however I tend to settle on things just out of the need to "get it done". One part of that is becoming board with my own performances....solos start to sound the same....parts become to familiar and easy to write because they are all similar. To address some of this I am soliciting the services of a couple of my good friends who are incredible musicians and have played at the level I am trying to achieve. An old friend of mine [who will remain nameless for the moment] currently plays on many major label releases....the latest being Chris Daughtry's new CD [hey ya gotta go to the source]. I was chatting with him on Facebook about the Daughtry tune "No Suprise" and I told him I was working on my next CD. I mentioned it would be great to have someone like him play on my material....and his response was "shit man send me the rough mixes and let me know what you want". Needless to say I freaked...here is a guy getting paid big bucks to play on major label recordings, willing to lay parts down on my "Indie" tracks for nothin' else but the fun of it! The lesson I quickly learned was "just ask"...all anyone can say is no. I plan on putting this to the test with a few more of my musical friends and see what I can dig up.
My other internal fight is producing the CD myself. This [I have learned] is an impossible chore....you just cannot be objective when it comes to your own writing and performances. This time around Darren Morrison will Co-Produce the CD and I am considering soliciting the input of another friend who is a well know Canadian major label producer...again applying the "just ask" concept.
By giving up a little control and applying the "just ask" concept, I believe I can start to take my music and the CD to the next level...will I be in Chris Daughtry's league....certainly not! But it will be closer to giving me some sort of personal satisfaction that the CD will be better than the first and closer to what music fans expect for their hard earned cash.
With my debut solo CD "ME, MYSELF & YOU!" I was very excited to be doing it all myself...recording , producing performing.....I did it all. This time around I am finding it harder to be happy with the results. Part of that is listening back to my first record and hearing all the things I felt were acceptable then, that I can't accept this time around. I guess that's all part of the learning curve particularly when you are doing it all yourself.
The other part of that discontent is listening to some of the new releases by major label artists....for example the new Chris Daughtry song "No Suprise". I listened to that song last night and then to my demos for my new CD and immediately got depressed. Now I know that is a multi-million dollar production and I am comparing it to my home DAW demos and it's not a real comparison. However, I also know when music fans are listening they really don't know the intricacies of the recording process [no disrespect to the fans...but most don't] nor do they care...they just know that Chip Gall's CD sounds shitty and Chris Daughtry's sounds great.
So how does someone like me compete with the Chris Daughtry's of the world. Well I am finally starting to realize in order to compete even close to that level you have to do some of the things the "big boys" do. So this time around my demos will be done in my home studio on a DAW, however the final product will be recorded at Big Room Studios in London Ontario. Big Room is also a home project studio but with much better gear than I use on my demos. Darren Morrison is the owner of the studio and is a solid engineer/producer in his own right. So that is how I am trying get the sound quality closer to the major players.
So the challenge now is to get the songs and performances up to a major label level. My first thought is what don't I like about my music. This is not a tuff call for me as I am very critical of my own work however I tend to settle on things just out of the need to "get it done". One part of that is becoming board with my own performances....solos start to sound the same....parts become to familiar and easy to write because they are all similar. To address some of this I am soliciting the services of a couple of my good friends who are incredible musicians and have played at the level I am trying to achieve. An old friend of mine [who will remain nameless for the moment] currently plays on many major label releases....the latest being Chris Daughtry's new CD [hey ya gotta go to the source]. I was chatting with him on Facebook about the Daughtry tune "No Suprise" and I told him I was working on my next CD. I mentioned it would be great to have someone like him play on my material....and his response was "shit man send me the rough mixes and let me know what you want". Needless to say I freaked...here is a guy getting paid big bucks to play on major label recordings, willing to lay parts down on my "Indie" tracks for nothin' else but the fun of it! The lesson I quickly learned was "just ask"...all anyone can say is no. I plan on putting this to the test with a few more of my musical friends and see what I can dig up.
My other internal fight is producing the CD myself. This [I have learned] is an impossible chore....you just cannot be objective when it comes to your own writing and performances. This time around Darren Morrison will Co-Produce the CD and I am considering soliciting the input of another friend who is a well know Canadian major label producer...again applying the "just ask" concept.
By giving up a little control and applying the "just ask" concept, I believe I can start to take my music and the CD to the next level...will I be in Chris Daughtry's league....certainly not! But it will be closer to giving me some sort of personal satisfaction that the CD will be better than the first and closer to what music fans expect for their hard earned cash.
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