Scene I: Singer calls recording engineer.
Ring-ring, ring-ring…“Hello?”
“Hi, can you tell me if you record opera singers? I need to make a demo and am looking for an engineer who can help me. …Oh, you don’t have a piano in your studio? Well, do you do live recording if I find a church to rent or something? No, only in the studio? Uh huh …and you think that the studio has the best to offer for recorded sound…of the voice…and that’s why you have a keyboard that can be made to sound like a Steinway or Yamaha through some kind of processing. Hmmm. Well, what do you charge? OK, that seems reasonable. Hey, can we schedule a session for next week? Great! I look forward to meeting you.”
Click.
Scene II: Next week. Singer enters the studio.
“Hi. I seemed to think that you would have a room with hardwood floors and maybe a higher ceiling—the walls are so padded! (Thinking: I wonder if this is what’s going to make a good sound.)
“What about my accompanist? Oh, she is going to be in the booth with the keyboard. Isn’t that going to be awkward? Are you sure?”
The engineer sets up the mics and she begins to record.
“Can I listen back to what I just sang?”
She puts on the headphones.
“Why does it sound so dry? And my voice sounds so close, not like it does when I’m in a hall. Can you fix that? Yeah, reverb would be good.” (Reverb options given). “Still, none of these sound right to me. It doesn’t really sound like my voice. Isn’t there something else you can do to make the sound more real, warmer and true to a live performance?”
Welcome to the world of recorded sound. If you believe that all recording engineers are created equal, think again. It is a world of inaccuracies, of perfectionism, of technical language, electronic equipment, gizmos, gadgets and hype.
How can you tell one engineer from the next? What is your reference point? How can you be sure that what you hear in your head is what you will be able to achieve with any particular studio or live recording? When you ask the engineer questions, does he or she answer in a language you can understand? Do you feel intimidated by engineers and their “gear,” their lingo and yes, even their egos?
STOP! Remember, you are in control. Even if you have never recorded before, you are the artist, you are the buyer, and you have a right to get exactly what you are looking for.
LISTEN! Like a live performance, we hear in much the same way we see: as an image—in this case, an audio image. The next time you go to a performance, notice the spacing between the instruments, both left to right and front to back (depth). Notice how the sound of the different instruments travels into the hall. Pay attention to the sound of the room itself. Imagine how your voice would work in that space with that particular combination of instruments, or with just a piano.
THINK! As you go through this internal/aural exercise, notice how you think of your voice, and how you want to have it represented in the recording. How would you describe your voice to someone else? Do you think you could describe to the engineer what kind of sound-concept you want for your project?
Nuts and Bolts: Are You Ready to Record?
Be Prepared—Before you venture forth into a recording project of any kind, be prepared technically, physically, artistically, conceptually and financially. Understand your strengths as an artist and have a clear idea about what elements you particularly wish to convey to your listener. Understand your target audience.
Think Ahead—Plan the actual recording stage of the project so that it can be completed at a comfortable pace, preferably allowing anywhere from 2- 12 months from the first rehearsal to the CD in hand, depending on the number of minutes being recorded.
Your Budget—When you are recording, it is especially true that time is money. Depending on how prepared you are, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours to record five minutes of music, either in a live space or a studio setting. If you are planning to have the recording edited, it can range from just a few minutes to several hours to edit a five- to 15-minute demo, depending on the number of edits. Time and money must also be alotted for mixing, mastering and packaging.
Recording engineer and studio rates vary from $50 to $250 or more per hour. Some studios have different prices for different activities (recording, editing, mastering) and some studios give package deals. You will also want to find out if you will be paying for any rental equipment or for additional staff help. If you rent a hall, check for hourly rates and package deals, and find out if you will be paying for any janitorial or hall manager fees. Factor travel expenses into your budget, everything from food to bridge tolls and hotels.
Consider your promotional costs once you have the CD. You may want to purchase a large number of CD’s to take advantage of bulk discounts, or you may want to duplicate only a small number so your investment will be smaller.
Do You Need a Producer?
To answer this question effectively, it is important to understand what a producer actually does. You can also determine which activities you wish the producer to be involved in, which functions you will carry out yourself (or have a volunteer to help), and then negotiate a fee accordingly. Some engineers act as producers, but if this is the situation, determine your terms of agreement with your engineer before you begin to record.
You can choose a producer to provide expertise in any or all of the following:
• Conceptualization.
• Pre-recording preparation/coaching/ rehearsals.
• Recording session producing.
The producer’s job in the session is twofold: 1) To work with the engineer in the mic setup to achieve the best results for that particular individual or ensemble, and 2) To make sure that the musicians have enough “takes” to be “covered” for the final recording and that the quality and feeling of the “takes” are at the highest level of communication and artistic achievement.
The producer (sometimes in conjunction with the artist) makes all edit choices from the recording session.
The producer works with the engineer on creating the right sound for the “mix” of the voices and/or instruments (positioning of instruments, balance, reverb, volume, etc.).
The producer works with the recording engineer during the entire editing process, making sure that the edits are properly selected and executed.
The producer works closely with the engineer during the final mastering of the product.
The producer oversees the image and packaging of the product
When recording, musicians tend to be very sensitive to energy, emotions, personalities, type of space they are recording in, etc. Whenever possible, choose a producer and engineer with whom you feel totally comfortable. Great producers tend to be those who have engineering experience, are musicians themselves, and have excellent ears for balance, intonation, and mic techniques. They understand the spirit of your project and are supportive individuals upon whom you can rely during the entire process.
When You Are Ready to Record
Where to Record—Moderate-size halls and churches provide the best acoustics for opera singers. A good space will have minimal background noise such as air conditioning, heating, traffic, airplanes, and noise from the building itself.
Choosing an Engineer—Find an engineer who is comfortable as a classical recording engineer and who is accustomed to recording singers in live spaces. It’s great if you can find an engineer who is also a classical musician and has had ample experience recording opera singers (as opposed to pop/rock singers).
Recording in a live space is by far the best choice for opera, but studio recording for singers is also possible, though only a sensitive engineer will yield truly satisfactory results. Some engineers record both live and in the studio. It may be worthwhile to find out the nature of the studio and if that venue will suit your project. If you are not sure, ask for a demo of both live and studio-recorded sounds. Find what works best for you, your sound concepts, and your budget. Ask for a test recording to determine if the sound is right for you.
Mic Types—Talk with your engineer about the types of mics he or she has available and what the mics do. During the setup for the recording, record samples on several different types of mics—condenser, ribbon, dynamic, omni, cardioid and figure of eight—then choose which ones work best with your instrument or voice and the space. It may take an extra hour to do this, but it can help you find the sound you really want—and that can be an invaluable investment.
Mic Positioning—The standard mic technique for classical music is a stereo pair placed somewhere from 3 to 15 feet from the musicians. It is important to know that there are two parts to recording: the performance and the room. There are a number of different mic techniques and you may want to discuss the options with your engineer and producer. The best technique includes the ability to balance the performance and the room, as well as the spaciousness.
Recording Formats—Talk with your engineer about the format that would best suit your recording project. You can choose from digital, analog and direct-to-computer.
Mixing—When you and/or your producer are working on the mix, make sure that the balance is what you want, both statically and dynamically. As I mentioned earlier, focus on the “image” that you are presenting.
Don’t get drowned out by the piano (or other instruments)! Singers need to be accurately represented sonically so as to reflect the solo artist aspect of the recording.
Summary
• Stay true to yourself in all aspects of the recording process.
• Request the recorded sound concepts you hear in your head.
• Follow your gut instincts.
• Have a great time!
