How to Record Your Own CD

First things First: Knowing how you are going to record your own CD at some point is critical information.

First decide where you are going to record your own CD. Weather it be in a commercial studio downtown, or at a make-shift home studio in buddy's garage. This all depends of course, on you or the band's budget. Maybe a friend has recording equipment and is willing to record your band for free. Maybe his experience is very limited, and you might be better off to invest in your own recording equipment. Deciding where or who is going to record you to record you or your band is entirely up to you, but a very important first decision that needs to be thought out in the first step on how to record your own CD.

Why do you want to record your own CD? Do you need a CD for getting bookings for you as a solo artist, or a band?. Maybe it's only to sell CD's off the bandstand at gigs. Or possibly if you are a singer/songwriter having a record to pitch to music publishers or major record labels. Or maybe it's just something you want to do to give out to family members and friends at Christmas time.

Where your Band is At: Has your band got the talent that it takes to record these songs to a CD? How long has the band been together? It's not necessarily how many years the band has been together that is as important as how many years each person has been playing their instruments that matters most. Are you a garage band or are you in a touring group out on the road 10 months a year playing roadhouses? Do you or your band have an agent? Maybe you are old dinosaur band mates who just want to have 'one last hurrah' and record an album together one more time.

Anyway the point is if you are researching this topic, your band is at the place to talk about production. I suppose you can do it all including production, but only if you are prepared to work very hard at it.

Producer: Who is going to produce the CD? Is it one of the band members? Your Dad? Mutt Lange or Don Was, or is it you? No matter who the producer is, he has to be the visionary. The producer has to have a musical vision. Just because someone wants to produce an album, or plays in the band, or manages the band, that doesn't always make him a good producer for the band. Look around and find the right producer for your CD. It will pay off in the long run.

Engineer: What experience do you have with the getting sounds you've heard on your favorite records or sounds you may have in your head? What kind of microphones should you use on the kick drum or a snare drum or guitar amp? These are kind of questions a good studio engineer would know the answers to.

Studio Space : How much space do you really need for a studio? You could record virtually anywhere from a small bedroom to a garage or workshop to a huge warehouse on the other end of town. It doesn't matter as long as someone has taken time to be sure it is set up to be a recording studio. It's all up to you though most records are recorded in minimal spaces. Most of all, the studio has to be comfortable, user friendly and have decent sound properties.

Equipment: What the kind of equipment do you need to record your own CD? There are many brands of hard disc recorders, and computer recording programs software on the market today price at such low prices that even the most poor of musicians can afford them. I would suggest checking them out by reading as much literature as you can on various products out there online.

Material and Arrangements: Do you write your own songs? Are there other writers in the band or will you have to relay on outside material? Are your bands songs as good as songs you hear on the TV or satellite radio? They have to be if you want to compete in the music business today.

Money: How much does it cost to record your own CD?: coming soon

Technical Details and Tricks: I am working on this - coming soon.

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