he worked with force him to use studio effects in post . Steve had spent hours coming up with the sounds that to him were part of the songs , while the producer had something completely different in mind . While we are lucky that a lot of Christian music is recorded using all our beloved guitar gizmos , recording with delay and reverb is tricky if you can ’ t play a part from start to finish without punching in . Guitar , like vocals is not just mechanics , and getting a “ punch ” to sound like it was part of a previous performance is hard enough without effects , so keep this in mind .
RECORDING If you are judicious in how you approach your pre-production , the recording process should be fun and relatively easy . If everyone walks into the studio knowing what they ’ re supposed to play and have taken the time to rehearse , they are simply recreating something they ’ ve already
done . If everyone has been diligent , people know what needed fine tuning before setting foot in the studio . This makes recording a lot easier , and a lot more fun . It will also get much better results .
MICROPHONES That said , there is nothing worse than having a great performance that doesn ’ t sound good . Noting there is a ton of gear on the market , here are a couple of tried and true suggestions for getting great tones ! ( photos below ) Drum Mics I ’ ve been super impressed with the Audix FP7 drum mic package . Other noteworthy mentions include Sennheiser 421s on toms , and a Shure Beta 52 on the bass drum if you like an extrameaty attack . In terms of placement , YouTube is a great resource , and the Audix folks have done a great job in creating a useful range of how to videos .
Guitar Mics You can ’ t go wrong with a Shure SM57 . With the help of an LED flashlight , find where the edge of the dust cap is on one of your speakers and place the mic at a 90 degree angle to the cab , touching the grille . The further you move away from the center of the speaker the darker the sound will be , and the further you move away from the cabinet the smaller it will start to sound , due to the lack of proximity to the sound source . Vocal Mics An Audio-Technica AT4040 is a great place to start . They sound great and won ’ t break the bank !
NEXT ISSUE In the next issue I ’ ll be covering some production tips on tracking and mixing as well as suggestions on virtual keyboard sounds and controllers . Until then , happy tracking !
Audix FP7 Drum Mic Pack $ 499 MAP Sennheirs MD 421 II $ 379.95 MAP ShureBeta 52A $ 189.00 MAP
Shure SM57 $ 99.00 MAP Audio-Technia AT4040 $ 299.00 MAP
Feb � Mar 2017 ChristianMusician . com
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