Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Making tracks


Gary,

I would very much like to make a demo CD within the next five weeks here in Portland. Is there any chance you would be willing to help me prepare for and record the CD? If so,
roughly what would you charge, and if not, is there anyone you can recommend?

Yours, D.



D, What a fine idea for you. I'd be delighted to assist.

You will need the following jobs done to make a good demo:

Track recording job list

Phase one: preparation
~ producer (who hires and pays everyone - probably yourself.)
~ artist (again yourself .)
~ music director (with above, choose, find and pace the material)
~ back-up band and support musicians as needed.
~ recording venue contact (home? studio? remote?)

Phase two: Production
~ Recording venue scheduled
~ Recording engineer
~ Recording conductor
~ performers from above
~ Mix engineer

(from here down, things can be minimal with demo tracks)

Phase Three: post-production
~ Mastering engineer
~ package design artist
~ license & copyright agent

Phase Four: distribution
~ distribution manager, who oversees:
~ media construction
~ packaging construction
~ marketing and promo
~ sales and delivery
~ end accounting

Of the above jobs, which do you need me to help you with?

As you saw on my website, I generally charge $37 for 45 minutes of vocal coaching. I slide that down when more is purchased to as low as $97 for three hours. I generally charge the same for other work I do where I'm expert: vocals, keys, conducting, directing, coaching, producing.

I am not expert at distribution, nor recording or post engineer anymore. I taught sound engineering decades ago, and was expert at it then. Mike technique is the same, but media and post- tools are different. I have no recording venue I use a lot lately, but know of several locally, if you need one, as well as other musicians.

If you have material and a venue in mind, this project might take as little as three hours.

Estimated recording time formula:

For music appropriate to the skill set of the group at hand, plan on recording time of:

~unrehearsed amateur reading musicians: one hour per minute of track.
~concert ready amateur musicians: 15 mins per track plus 30 mins per session plus three minutes per minute of track
~ unrehearsed professional reading musicians: one hour contracts generally limit product to 15 minutes of finished track.

Yours, Gary,

(Mentor@voice-mentor.com) www.voice-mentor.com
Online voice lessons - music, speech, computer support.
My passion. Your art.