Unit 1: Pre-production (Report)

Pre-production report

For this project, I have chosen to record and remix a cover of "Always" by Blink-182 for my client (the band I am recording). 

I am planning to keep the recording process a quick and simple matter, and then will mix the cover using a set of industry standard plugins. 

In order to keep costs down, I am setting a budget of around £10,000. The money will be jointly sourced myself and by the band themselves; however, should the band not be able to raise the money in time, I would help out by either gaining a grant from a local organisation or by taking out a loan. 

Production/Post-production equipment

If the band chose to have the recording and mixing done by an external party, they would only have to pay rental fees for the studio space and the mixing/mastering fee, as all equipment (microphones, amps etc.) would be provided by the studio. However, since the band has chosen me as their engineer/mixer, we will have to start from scratch in terms of equipment (the band will bring their own instruments, however - this includes guitars, bass, keyboard and drum kit). Below is a list of equipment needed and the cost (production (recording) equipment in blue, post-production (mixing/mastering) equipment in red):

Equipment	Purpose	Cost
Shure SM57	Used for recording amplified electric guitars	£79 (gear4music.com)
Rode NT2-A	Used for recording vocals	£225 (richtonemusic.co.uk)
Samson Drum Microphone Kit	Used for recording drums	£200 (musicjunkie.co.uk)
AKG C1000S (x2)	Used as drum overheads	£200 (£100 per mic, gak.co.uk)
AKG D112	Used to mic the kick drum	£120 (gak.co.uk)
Fender GDEC	Electric guitar amplifier	£129 (gear4music.com)
Ampeg BA-110	Bass guitar amplifier	£159 (gak.co.uk)
Roland Juno-DI	Keyboard to record synth lines	£399 (reidys.com)
Instrument cables (x10)	Used to plug instruments (guitar, bass, keyboard) into amps/mixing desk	Around £50 (depending on brand of cable)
XLR cables (x10)	Microphone cables to plug microphones into mixing desk	Around £30 (depending on brand of cable)
Onyx 1640i mixing console	Used to record instruments and to balance volume of instruments whilst mixing	£1499 (richtonemusic.co.uk)
iMac computer	Used to record instruments onto and mix via using a DAW (digital audio workstation)	Prices start at £899 for the base model, up to £1849 for the top spec model (apple.com)
Cubase	A DAW used to both record, mix and master the band’s recording. Comes with mixing/mastering plugins included	£350 (gak.co.uk)
Native Instruments Guitar Rig 5	Used to virtually amplify a guitar/bass when connected directly to the mixing desk (direct input)	£169 (native-instruments.com)
Monitor speakers (KRK Rokit 6 set)	Used to monitor any current recording, listen back to and mix/master the recording	£339 (gak.co.uk)

The total cost of gear (without the iMac) will be £3888. With the cost of the iMac added in, the goal cost will range from £4737 (lowest price iMac) to £5737 (top spec iMac).

Even with a talented band, a good set of audio production staff is needed. Whilst I will be the band's producer and head mix engineer, I also have my friend Jon Wells, who will assist me in the recording process as my lead engineer. Within this role, Jon will assist me in setting up amplifiers and microphones, organising the band whilst recording and to help set levels of instruments before each take/track is recorded.

In terms of actually tracking the instruments, I will begin by tracking the drums. This will be achieved using an array of different microphones: firstly, the kick drum will be miced using the AKG D112: this is a dynamic mic with a low frequency response, which is perfect for recording the kick. For the overheads (used to capture the cymbals and toms), I will use two AKG C1000S condenser microphones: being condenser mics, they will be more used to capturing subtleties, such as the difference between hard and soft cymbal hits. The power for these mics will be supplied using phantom power from the Onyx mixing desk. Finally, the snare will be tracked using a Shure SM57; this is a dynamic mic that has a wide variety of uses, from live vocals, guitar recording to snares, making it a must have microphone for any studio. After drum tracking, the bass and guitar will be tracked; these will be recorded using the two amplifiers listed in the table above. Both amps will be miced with the SM57, as it is the microphone most suited to the task. As the SM57 is a dynamic microphone, it will be far less likely to feedback than if the C1000S (a condenser) was used. Next, the synth lines will be recorded; this will be done with the Roland Juno-DI, which will be plugged straight into the mixing desk using a direct input. Rather than using the headphones output, I will use the separate left/right outputs on the keyboard to capture a stereo recording. Finally, the vocals will be recorded; all tracks will be recorded using a Rode NT2-A; a condenser microphone perfect to capturing subtleties and volume differences whilst singing. To protect against acoustic reflections, the microphone will be enclosed in the studio's reflection filter, as well as having a pop shield to prevent plosives from overloading the microphone.

The studio I have chosen to record in is the studio located within Tamworth Sixth Form. I chose this studio for its modern layout, and great soundproofing, which will help to capture the best recordings possible. Whilst the studio would be free to use to students, the cost of renting the studio per day is around £120 - perfect for this project as I am planning to have the recording process finished in around 2 to 3 sessions. Despite other local studios in the area, such as Playhaus, having equipment readily available, I believe it would be best to start from scratch in my studio and choose the best equipment available; in addition, the Playhaus is more known for being a voiceover studio, and I would prefer to be in a studio that is more acoustically treated for recording instruments, not voiceovers/jingles.

One factor I will heavily take into consideration is health and safety. In accordance with the guidelines set out under national law, I will ensure the following rules are adhered to:

• All equipment will have been checked by an electrician to meet national standards and certified safe for use
• Any potential trip hazards (i.e. wires) are kept tidied away and will only be brought out for recording 
• Any item of food/drink cannot be consumed in the studio
• A fire extinguisher is located on site to deal with small fires, with a first aid kit also available for use

In preparation for recording, I have also put together a contingency plan, designed to troubleshoot and deal with any issues should they arise during the recording and/or mixing and mastering process:

• The studio is fully equipped with a box full of many different string gauges suited for guitar/bass
• To keep all takes coherent, I will ensure instruments are retuned after every take
• If the desk fails to connect properly, I will ensure everything is properly configured within Cubase; if the issue persists, I will restart the computer and desk. Back ups will be made incase of catastrophic data loss
• If a member of the band is unable to make it to a session, the recording timetable will be reorganised so other members can either record their parts instead, or take over and record the missing part if totally necessary 

Ideally, I would have the band transporting their own equipment in their van, but since this is not viable, I have chosen to rent a van to transport the equipment to the studio. Since we would be booking the studio out for several days straight, only two vans would need to be hired; one to transport equipment to the studio, and another to move it out a few days later. The cheapest service to do this is the DIY store B&Q, who offer van rental for around £15 per hour. As the band are local, it would not take any more than two hours each time in order to transport band members and their equipment in/out of the studio.

After recording is complete, I will undertake the task of mixing and mastering the recording. Thankfully, Cubase comes equipped with a full array of plugins, such as compression, delay and reverb, designed to make recordings sound more professional. 
                           

When mixing, I will mostly rely on using a handful of different plugins to enhance the recording:

• Compression - this 'evens' out the recording, so that both low and high frequency sound is played back at the same level 
• Reverb - this creates the effect that the recording took place in a live setting, such as in a bright room or a rehearsal hall; this counteracts the fact that the recordings were carried out in soundproofed conditions, with a lot of acoustic resonance removed
• EQ - this allows me to ensure each part has its own place in the final recording, by letting me adjust the frequencies of each track

Guitars, the bass line and synths will mostly just have reverb and EQ added, in order to add a live feel and to ensure each part has its own place in the mix. Each part of the drum kit will be EQ'd differently; for example, the kick will have bass added to give more of a 'thump' effect, whilst the cymbals will have some high end removed in order to take away some of the harsh frequencies. Other than using a small amount of reverb and compression, I will shy away from using too many effects on the vocals; instead, I will have achieved this already in the recording process. For example, the first verse will use one vocal take, but the second verse and choruses will use double tracking.

Below is the actual vocal track from the song as a comparison:

However, if necessary, I will use a "de-esser" effect. This helps to remove unwanted sibilance (mostly the 's' syllable) from vocal tracks.

After all of the instrument tracks are mixed together, I will then master the recording. This will mostly only involve two effects; compression (to ensure all of the frequencies play back at even levels) and EQ (to ensure the final overall mix is not too harsh or muddy sounding). Finally, I will then export the track from Cubase, both as a single WAV file and as the separate instrument stems should the band wish to use them later.

Regulations and Copyright
One main issue that would need to be taken into account is copyright, as the band will be selling and promoting their cover of the song online. In order to solve this, I would suggest the band write a letter to both Blink-182's music publishing company as well as their record company, Geffen, asking for permission to cover and sell their recording of the song. The band would need to take into account the methods that they would use to sell their cover; if CD's were being produced, the band would need a 'mechanical' license in order to cover any physical copies being sold. On the other hand, if the cover is being sold and streamed online (via services such as iTunes, Spotify and YouTube), a 'synth' license would be needed to cover all digital sales. Obviously, if both avenues were being used, both types of license would be needed.

The Internet has heavily affected how music is monetised and sold. Previously, record sales made artists the most money; record deals were signed, and labels marketed the image and the music. These days, record sales have heavily declined in favour of streaming services and illegal downloading, reducing profits made on music. Artists such as Prince feel that artists cannot make money from the Internet and should focus on touring. After a period of decline, live music has made a huge comeback, with festivals such as Glastonbury, Download and Reading/Leeds making million in profit every year. 

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/nov/12/prince-interview-paisley-park-studios-minneapolis

However, other artists, such as David Bowie, felt different about the Internet. Before his death earlier this year, Bowie felt he had to embrace the Internet and related technology. Until 2006, he had his own Internet Service Provider, "BowieNet", to allow users to access exclusive content. Previously, he had also experimented with CD technology to immerse listeners in his music, creating software to allow people to create their own music videos based on his songs.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/11/david-bowie-bowienet-isp-internet

Another example of artists who have embraced technology are Radiohead and U2. Both bands have practically gave away their music in order to give it wide exposure around the world (Radiohead giving their 2007 album "In Rainbows" away under a 'pay what you want model', and U2 giving away their 2013 album 'Songs of Innocence' away for free for six weeks to anyone with an iTunes account. In U2's case, the move proved controversial; a large outcry came from those who didn't want the album (even if it was for free), forcing Apple to develop a removal tool to allow users to remove the album from their account's history and any connected devices that had downloaded the album automatically. Despite this, it still gave the band a large amount of publicity worldwide, thus 'spreading the word' about their music.

There are two main organisations that deal with copyright when it comes to music. PRS for Music (Performing Rights Society) collect royalties from those who play sound recordings in public spaces (such as in shops) or who perform covers in public. The group offers a wide range of licenses for different purposes; for example, a venue playing live music would need a completely different license to a TV channel looking to use a piece of music in one of their programs. A similar group called PPL (Phonographic Performance Ltd) also collects royalties for similar reasons. MCPS (Mechanical Copyright Protection Society) collect royalties from physical copies of a recording when it is reproduced (i.e. for CDs and digital downloads).

In terms of the project, we would need to play a fee in order to be able to reproduce the song, in addition to the band being able to play the cover in concert should they wish to. However, this arrangement also protects the cover itself. The rise of the Internet has led to streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, which have came under fire for apparently not paying artists and songwriters the correct royalties. A well known case is PRS suing the streaming website Soundcloud, which has over 175 million users on the services per month; the reason for suing is the supposed lack of royalties being paid to intellectual copyright owners. 

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/27/prs-for-music-takes-legal-action-against-soundcloud

Recently, Adele chose not to allow her new album 25 onto streaming services for this exact reason, and has also used lawyers to remove illegal download links from the Internet. Piracy is another problem for the music industry, as it allows for users to download music for free, stopping copyright owners from receiving money for their work. If the band's cover was to be uploaded to such sites, this would further hamper any profit made from the recording. In addition to torrenting websites, video services such as YouTube have also come under fire for allowing users to upload artists' music, ranging from single songs to entire albums. This has forced them to implement the Content ID, which detects other user's works being used illegally. Once a content match has been detected (or has been reported by the intellectual copyright owner), one of two actions may happen:

• The content is removed, and the user is given a copyright strike for uploading the content
• The content remains, but the user cannot monetize the content; instead, any advertising revenue will now go to the intellectual copyright owner

To protect the cover, I feel the band should choose to focus on selling the song on online stores such as iTunes, in order to make the most profit. Streaming could be implemented, but at a later date once some profit has been made. This will ensure the band will make some money from their recording, and will also allow Blink-182 to receive their correct royalties for originally writing and recording the song. Even though the band may encounter the issue of piracy, the PRS license used to give Blink-182 their royalties can also be used to protect the band's cover from copyright misuse, so any illegal download links should get taken down quickly once a copyright take down notice is issued.

Studio Plan/Layout (location recess)
Below is the planned studio layout for recording, showing the places for the amplifiers and drum kit. Anything not listed (i.e. the synth, the computer, monitors and mixing desk) is located within the control room.

Risk Assessment