6 Mistakes to Avoid as a Musician

Writing your own music can be daunting, as many different problems can arise. The entire process of writing, producing, and recording your own music can be frustrating, and great ideas can dwindle into nothing.

When you are in the process of creating your own music, there are a number of things to avoid in order to have the smoothest time possible. These tips can vary in importance from person to person, to make sure you know what you have the hardest time with.

Overthinking and Anxiety

One of the easiest things to destroy your creativity and ruin your songs is to overthink things too much. Make sure to not get too anxious when thinking of ideas, and also make sure to be very accepting of all the different things you come up with. You can always edit your ideas later, so don’t be troubled over any possible mistakes you might make.

Weak and Underdeveloped Ideas

Many artists can get frustrated when coming up with ideas, and end up just forming unfinished ideas together, creating an incohesive piece. Songwriting is supposed to be difficult and time consuming, so be sure to fully work through your ideas in order to create a fully realized, cohesive piece of music.

Bad Production Quality

Both overproducing and under-producing your song can lead it to ruins. You don’t want the quality of your music to be way too much, but you also don’t want the production to feel empty. Be sure to focus on the parts of the music you want to shine, and be subtle about the other things. You want to have music that connects well with the audience listening to it.

No Identity

In order to engage more with your audience, and create a truly great piece of music, you need to have a clear identity. A song without a clear identity or voice is easy to forget, and then is less relatable to your audience. Make sure to really put yourself into your work, so that you truly are relatable to your audience and engage even more people.

Weak Performances

While it is important to get the perfect techniques while recording, a song won’t be great unless it has passion and heart. In fact, a passionate performance is seen to be more desirable than a technically perfect one. Don’t be too focused on making mistakes, and be sure to give your performance a lot of character and heart.

Being Insecure

It’s extremely important for a performer of a musician to be very sure of themselves. Being insecure of your performance or music will look bad no matter how good or talented you really are. Being confident will bring the audience to your side, and can make you a better performer!

Conclusion

All of these are great things to take note of while in the process of creating your own music. It’s also important to remember to let your own ideas shine through your entire creative process, and to be true to your own brand of music.

If you need any help writing or recording your music, contact us here. We look forward to adding massive value to your brand.

Do you have any more ideas on what to avoid? Let us know!

- By Julianna Martinek

Best Tips Before Recording Vocals

Here is a small list of things to make sure you have before recording vocals, particularly for music. The list is organized from things easiest to hardest to fix in post-production, through mixing, mastering, or just general edits. Whether you’re an artist or a producer, it’s always a good idea to make sure you have these ideas in check before starting a recording session.

Volume

The first thing to check before you start recording vocals is also the easiest thing to fix in post-production, but will save you some trouble if you sort it out before you even start recording. Ensuring that the volume levels are satisfactory can help out with the rest of the session, and will save you some time in post-production.

Pitch

The next thing to check is pitch. Singers and vocalists range on their pitch abilities, but warming up the voice and to try and hit the proper notes is an important step. Certain notes and pitches can be fixed in post-production using auto-tune, however, a great performance that has some off notes doesn’t compare to an empty one with perfect pitch.

Sonics

Sonics is really the one thing that is mostly fixed in post production, however there are some aspects that can be fixed or adjusted during a recording session. For example, the vocalist standing too close to the mic can make the sound too “boomy”, or other noises interferences can make the sound seem unnatural and distorted. For the most part however, things such as “boomy-ness”, resonance, and distortion can be fixed in post-production.

Tone and Intensity

The tone, intensity, and sound of a vocalist's voice can only be fixed in post-production to a certain extent. A vocalist’s voice is the spirit of the recording, and the tone of the voice makes up a large part of the performance. Make sure that you have the right voice tones and intensity down before starting a recording session, it will save you a lot of trouble in post-production.

Groove and Rhythm

Groove and rhythm is another aspect of recording that is difficult to fix in post-production. A vocalist should be able to get into the mood of the song, and reflect that mood back into their voice.

Pronunciation and Diction

If you want listeners to be able to really understand and recognize the words you are singing or speaking, then your pronunciation of those words are really important. Diction in general is not something you can generally fix in post-production, so be sure to take the necessary steps to hone in on your enunciation of your lyrics or script.

Emotions

The hardest thing to get right during a recording session, but also one of the most important, is the emotions. The attitude or vibe or your song is something that can really only be sorted out during production, and it makes up for a lot. Successful musicians can use emotions to really enhance the feeling and quality of a song, so make sure you have the emotions down during a session.

Conclusion

Overall, make sure to always check back during a recording session to make sure you like the initial demo, and ensure that all the mistakes are things that can be fixed during post-production. Remember to give recording sessions your all, so you can be extremely satisfied with the end result after editing, mixing, and mastering.

If you need any help recording or creating a song of your own, contact us here. We look forward to adding massive value to your music.

So did any of these tips help? Let us know!

- By Julianna Martinek

Best Handheld Microphones for Interviews

If you’re looking for the right microphone to help you record interviews, here’s a great list! These handheld mics are effective for recording interviews both indoors and outdoors. They’re also all dynamic mics, meaning you can just plug them in and go, no charging or batteries required.

Audio-Technica AT8004L

This mic has a long handle, and is designed specifically for on locations interviews and sports broadcasting. It features an omnidirectional pickup pattern, and the length is great for interviewing multiple people and adding a mic flag.

Rode Reporter

The Rode Reporter is great for handheld interviews and presentations. It features an omnidirectional pickup pattern, and a frequency response made for voice reproduction, meaning you will get a clear sound in any condition. It also features a mesh basket that protects the mic from outside and environmental sounds.

Sennheiser MD 46

This mic is great for focusing on one person speaking at a time, as it is a cardioid mic that diminishes background noise. It also features a double layer grill to diminish plosive noises.

Shure VP64A

The Shure VP64A features a neodymium magnet for an increased signal to noise ratio. It also contains an internal isolation mount for handling low noises. It has a grill that is great for preventing water damage and is great for all weather conditions.

Electro-Voice RE50/B

This is another mic that features an omnidirectional pickup pattern. It also is great for diminishing unwanted background noises. There is also no need for batteries as it is a self generating mic!

Beyerdynamic M58

The Beyerdynamic M58 is another great mic with an omnidirectional pickup pattern. It has a long handle which is great for recording in person interviews. It is also great for reducing background noises so you get the clearest sound possible.

Conclusion

All of these mics are great for recording interviews in any condition. They are also great choices for any price range!

If you need any further help choosing the mic that is best for you, or want to start your own podcast, you can contact us here.

So which mic is your favourite? Do you prefer other kinds of interview mics? Let us know!

- By Julianna Martinek