GETSIGNED.COM PRESENTS READER’S DEMO TIPS My demo tip would be to use a "live"
drummer as much as possible--even if it is just you alone in your recording
project. Why? No matter how skilled you are at programming, your programming
will always sound just like programming. Now, if it's your goal to have
your recording sound mechanical like that (club, electronica, some hip-hop),
than that's fine. But, if you're music is pop, rock, folk or country,
spend some money and pay a session drummer at your local recording studio.
A&R reps like me will notice your honest, earthy, human approach.
Good luck.---Jared My tip is to practice a lot with your band
before you spend big bucks at a recording studio. Don't work out parts
when you're on the clock. Trust me, you'll save a lot of money!---Sara
B. I'd contradict the first tip, in many cases. A real drum set is a
pain to record, mainly because you've got to get all of the squeaks
and side noises out of a drum set. I've found that if you want to have
more of a live and earthy sound, play the drums using a synth and a
MIDI keyboard or a If you have a decent computer, it's possible
to ditch the four track and record digitally, if you have no budget.
Just clear up a few hundred megs of disk drive space, and get a hard
disk recording package.---Ken W. My demo tip is to work out all of the things
you would work out during the mixing process - where to add effects,
how much compression is desired, any sound effects (such as rain, dialogue,
etc.) or anything else you seem to hear in your head during the songwriting
process. This will save you much time, money, and disagreement among
your fellow band members.---Joe M. Many books and/or people will tell you
"not" to compress overhead mikes on drums. A slight 2:1 compression
can however make small cymbals sound larger and give more sustain. Experiment
with different threshold settings. Having a brand spanking new demo
is like having a baby - you overestimate the enthusiasm of the commoner
for your new creation. you spam the entire music industry universe and
beyond with your unsolicited material. my advice is: don't try to reinvent
the wheel, here. I have never, ever heard of this approach working for
ANYONE. Do your homework. Send demos to radio stations, magazines, web
music sites, bookers, and bonafide contacts you have made. Concentrate
on indie organizations who will be more open to hearing you. Don't waste
your time and money spamming labels. It really is a no-brainer. I have
recorded many, many sessions. I have recorded many, many songs... close
to 550+. Take my advice with a grain of salt, but I have found that
the bands or artists who know their material inside and out do ten times
better in the studio. This may sound like a given, but I can't count
the times I have recorded bands who insist they're ready when they're
not. When I think of ready, I imagine a player
who can sit down with a metronome (or click of some kind) and play their
entire part to a given song- WITHOUT THE BAND! Think about it. Can you
play your parts without having to rely on your fellow musicians or do
you have to wait for your drummer's fills to cue you on certain parts?
Or your singer? You should be able to perform your instrument solo.
For those of you saying, "We're more creative if we just wing it..."
I have found that those who are well prepared "wing it" far
better than those who are not. But then again, if you want to pay some
studio $75/hour while the band works out their parts, that's your cup
of tea and pocketbook.---Chad D. Austin, Secret World Records,
secretw@twave.net ,website: http://users.twave.net/secretw/. _________________________________________________________________________________ |