Here are some brief answers to common questions.
What steps are involved in making a recording?
Once the project has been planned, the actual recording comes first, either in sessions (where mistakes are rectified by re-takes to allow editing later) or live (what you hear is what you get). Back in the studio, the recorded audio is edited (where re-takes were available) to remove any mistakes and unwanted sounds, then mastered to create the finished article. The master disc can be kept on its own, used to duplicate others in small numbers, or sent (in a different format) to a pressing plant for larger-scale manufacturing. [Back to top]
What is the benefit of recording in sessions?
If your recording is made in dedicated sessions, any passages of music that contain mistakes or extraneous noise can be recorded again, and these re-takes used to ‘patch’ the offending passage in the original ‘take’. Several full takes can also be made, so that the best can be chosen afterwards. With a live recording, there is only one ‘take’, so there is no opportunity to ‘patch’ mistakes afterwards. Obviously, some recordings are made of live events – in this situation, the live nature of the event is part of the project. [Back to top]
How does digital editing work?
Digital editing is not miraculous. It doesn’t magically correct wrong notes or poor tuning. Where, however, an otherwise good performance of a piece of music contains a small number of errors, those parts can be re-recorded with the mistakes corrected, and these re-takes digitally edited into the original take – this is called ‘patching’. It does require the mistake to be played correctly at some stage! Where a particular take contains a significant number of mistakes, re-recording the complete take is generally more successful. Ensuring a seamless and undetectable ‘patch’ is part of the skill of a recording engineer. [Back to top]
Can a live recording be edited afterwards?
Not really. Because there is only one ‘take’ of the recorded material, there are no corrected re-takes to use in patching any mistakes. Some unwanted sounds can be removed with a spectrum editor, but the success of this depends on the type of sound and when it occurs. [Back to top]
Who does what in a recording session?
Apart from the performers, there may be a number of people involved. The recording engineer is responsible for setting up and operating the recording equipment, and they may be assisted on larger jobs. The producer follows the performance and liaises with both engineer and performers to help ensure a good performance. In some cases the engineer will also act as producer. [Back to top]
What does the recording engineer do?
Unless you have arranged for a producer or other people to be involved, the recording engineer will do everything required for the recording. This includes unloading and carrying all necessary equipment in to the venue, setting up and testing the equipment, making and producing the recording, packing up and loading the equipment afterwards, plus editing and mastering in the studio. [Back to top]
What does the producer do?
The producer gives practical direction to the project. They follow the score during the recording session, mark errors, discuss aspects of the performance with the musicians, direct re-takes, liaise with the engineer in terms of the recorded sound, approve edits and more. The engineer can usually do this, but you can organise your own producer if you wish. [Back to top]
Who should I choose to be the producer for my recording?
The producer oversees the artistic direction of your recording. If choosing your own producer, you should choose a musician who understands the music you are recording. They may be a colleague or a friend. They don’t necessarily need to have knowledge of recording, but they do need to have good ears, musical instincts, and communication skills, and you must be able to trust them to take good decisions and act responsibly. Attention to detail also helps, and they should be involved from the planning stage right through to the end of the project. If they haven’t produced a recording before, they will be thoroughly briefed before recording begins. If you wish, we can arrange a producer for you, although the rate they charge will vary from person to person and will be an extra charge. Where the engineer acts as producer, there is no extra charge, and this is usually sufficient for smaller-scale recordings. [Back to top]
Where should I make my recording?
In many cases, the venue is chosen for you, for instance by making a live event recording, or recording a resident ensemble of a particular venue. At other times, you must select a venue suitable for the music you intend to record. Of primary concern is the acoustic – how the building affects the sounds made within it. Choral ensembles and organs usually sound best in a mildly reverberant acoustic such as found in larger churches and certain halls, whereas other instruments and ensembles benefit from a ‘drier’ acoustic.
Your ears should have the deciding vote, so ensure that you listen to (and if possible, play in) a prospective venue before taking any decision. You should also bear in mind a number of secondary requirements – lighting, heating if cold, electricity, resident piano, ease of access and times and dates of availability. If you have difficulty, we may be able to suggest a suitable venue or help you choose between a number of options. [Back to top]
What repertoire should I record?
The repertoire you choose should depend on the kind of recording you want to make. You shouldn’t choose repertoire that you can only just play, as the nerves of a recording session could lead to a faltering performance with many mistakes. As well as making editing difficult, an experience like this will sap your confidence. Try to choose repertoire that you are comfortable and familiar with, and practice it thoroughly. If playing as part of an ensemble, ensure that the ensemble rehearses together too. You should arrive at the sessions able to give a good performance of your chosen music, as practising during the recording session is less than ideal! [Back to top]
What should I record on my demo disc?
Your demo disc should work as an audio-equivalent of your CV. A listener is unlikely to listen to more than thirty seconds of each of three or four tracks before arriving at an initial impression. If this impression is bad, the rest of the disc is unlikely to be heard. Therefore, as well as selecting a variety of music to demonstrate your versatility, each track should make an impact quickly. It goes without saying that you should be selecting music that showcases your performing ability. [Back to top]
How much repertoire should I record?
For a standard CD, you should record at least an hour. The format holds a maximum of 74 minutes, and short programmes often attracts critical comments from reviewers. For demo discs and live recordings, the repertoire chosen for other reasons will dictate the length. Demo discs don’t need to be overly long – the aim is to make a quick and favourable impression, so eight to ten tracks are probably sufficient. [Back to top]
Who will design the artwork for my CD?
Canticum are fully equipped to handle any artwork requirements. We are happy to accept as much input as you wish, from sketches on the back of an envelope to full-colour drafts. If you have a preferred design agency, we will liaise with them to ensure that their finished design is press-ready for the disc manufacturers. [Back to top]
How many discs should I order?
This is a tricky question, unique to each project. You need to consider the manufacturing cost, the sale price, the break-even point, the potential profit, and the anticipated sales. For instance (purely theoretically) if you order 500 CDs at £1 each, you will need to pay £500 up-front. If you then sell them for £10 each, you will need to sell 50 to break even. Any further sales will be for profit, up to £4500 in this case. However, if you only anticipate selling 100 discs, you will still have paid for the 400 that remain unsold and you will only make a maximum of £450 in profit. Determine your sale price and anticipated sales figures first, then work backwards to find an order quantity to suit. We can help you to reach a decision as part of project planning. [Back to top]
How long will a recording project take to complete?
This depends on a variety of factors, but for rough planning, you should anticipate on spending at least a month planning and organising, the recording should take one to three days, the editing, mastering and artwork will probably take two weeks, and you should leave four weeks for manufacturing (or six weeks after September). The gaps between each of these phases depend on availability of people and venues and the speed of decision-making. We aim to give a more accurate timescale to work around when quoting for a particular project. [Back to top]
What is the difference between CD-R and ‘normal’ CD?
Whereas normal CDs are pressed in a factory in quantities of 500 or more, CD-Rs can be ‘written’ individually in small duplicators or PC drives. CD-Rs offer the option of manufacturing disc runs of less than 500, ideal for small-scale recordings and demo discs. The data stored is identical on both, but the method used to store the data means that CD-Rs may not always be playable on older (or some very cheap) players. Nowadays, the majority of players should cope well with CD-Rs. [Back to top]
What will you record to?
Every recording session will be recorded to two separate digital devices. One will be a good stereo mix, probably to 24-bit DAT tape. The other will probably be a 24-bit multi-track recording, either straight to PC or onto DTRS tape. The multi-track recording allows the project to be remixed in the studio if needed. Once the sound has been converted to digital format and stored, all editing and mastering remain in the digital ‘domain’ to ensure no loss of quality. [Back to top]
How long does it take to set-up and pack away for a recording?
You should leave at least an hour for unloading, setting-up and testing, and at least half an hour for dismantling and loading afterwards. In addition, you should allow time after setting-up for ‘sound checks’ to allow the engineer to fine-tune the position of the microphone and their levels – this needs to take place with the performers on site. [Back to top]
Do I need to pay to record copyright music?
Yes. Any music written by a composer either living, or who died less than 70 years ago is still in copyright and royalties must be paid. They must also be paid to the publisher or arranger in certain circumstances, depending on the work chosen. The obvious exception is music that you have written yourself to which you still retain copyright. The easiest way of paying these royalties in the UK is by obtaining a licence from the MCPS.
The fee for commercial recording is highly dependant on the works chosen, but for recordings of less than 1000 discs made for limited sale (not through commercial distributors or more than one retail outlet) a cheaper licence can be obtained. This limited licence is ideal for demo discs or smaller-scale recordings of local or niche interest. We include the MCPS fee in some of our packages, and we will always handle the application process for you if needed – for this we only pass on the licence fee at cost, if not already included. [Back to top] |
