Collaborative Music via internet Pt 2: Vocals

Recording vocals at home

When recording vocals you need a high quality clear signal that can only come from good quality equipment. This is a minimum requirement to record vocals at home

• A Condenser Microphone (large diaphragm) Rode/AKG at the lower end of the price ranges but still likely to be $200 or £200 (as we always pay more in England)

• A Microphone Stand

• Pop filter (large)

• An Acoustic Shield such as SE Reflexion filter. There are now some cheaper copies such as the one marketed by Thomann. These can be very unstable because of the weight of the acoustic screen. By putting the SE Filter together incorrectly: basically the clamp mechanism that attaches to the stand is assembled upside down, it becomes more stable, putting the acoustic shield and the microphone on opposite sides of the mic stand (i.e not like the picture here).

• A good quality XLR cable. You cannot buy a good cable for £5.00

• An Audio interface. This connects your microphone to your computer converting the audio into digital via USB2 or Firewire. You get what you pay for. The most basic would be something like an Tascam, M-Audio or Edirol. Better quality would be a brand such as Focusrite

• Finally you will need some acoustic absorption behind you: a duvet or something like that fastened to the wall.

Collaborative Music via internet Pt 1: Getting Started

Musical Collaboration without boundaries in geography or software

This decribes my method of working in collaboration with other musicians. It gives the practical method that works in my joint projects. While using the tools that are available to me, it enables collaboration with musicians using other software tools. The steps are in fact modified to suit the project and the available tools of the collaborating musician but this gives a suggested method.

Sharing Recordings

Step 1

1. I create the recording. I use Logic Pro 9. Tracks are a mixture of audio and MIDI recordings and occasionally samples
2. When ready to share, I bounce or export the whole recording to MP3
3. Send the file to the next musician. Small files can be sent via email. Files, even MP3's, can soon get rather large, over 10Mb, so I use my own FTP site. I set up a username and password for each person I am working with so that they can download and upload files.
4. Send email with details of the new file, any creative or production notes.

Step 2

1. The collaborating musician receives the file via email or FTP
2. The next track is recorded
   
   • The recording should be just the new instrument without any trace of the original recording. This means recording using headphone to monitor, or by direct injection (directly recording the instrument into the computer without a mic)
   • The recording should be completely without effects. If effects are needed then they should be noted for applying in the mix
3. Bounce or export the new track to WAV, (AIF if an option) format, or if recorded as a midi track then to export as a MID file.
4. Send the new track only back via email or, if above 10Mb, via FTP
5. Multiple takes can be sent if you want
6. Send email with details of the new file, any creative or production notes.

Step 3

1. I receive the new recording and import into the project in Logic Pro
2. Apply any effects/instrument settings needed
3. Go back to Step 1

Collaborative mixing production

I am now involved with remixing and producing tracks so the method is similar

1. An FTP service is set up for the project to allow sharing of files
2. If the project is in Logic Pro 8 then the project should be saved so that alll files are saved in the project folders. The whole project folder is uploaded to the FTP server
3. If the project is created in another software such as ProTools etc then every track has to be exported as a WAV file. This should be without effects
4. Send email with details of the new file, any creative or production notes.

Notes

FTP

FTP on a PC is possible via Internet Explorer although this is not the best. There are a number of FTP programs available and many are free.
iMac: I recommend YummyFTP which costs $15
The settings you will need from me are the

1. Server name
2. your user name and password (which I set up for you)

Some legal notes

Any collaboration of this kind is the joint ownership of the collaborators. An agreement should be set up between the project participants establishing the joint ownership.
Samples - any samples used must either have been purchased together with the necessary rights for use in commercial work or have been recorded by the musician.

Please ask if I have used any technical terms that need more explanation. I will then update this note