What Separates a Pro Recording Session from an Amateur One?
Graham Cochrane of The Pro Audio Files.
Graham Cochrane from The Recording Revolution recently spent a day in the studio as a performer, enlisting the help of three-time Grammy-winning producer Jacquire King, and studying his approach from the other side of the glass.
Cochrane noticed that King’s recording process was quite long, but the result was that it significantly reduced the amount of mixing that he had to do later on. Walking you through King’s recording process, Cochrane dives deep into what separates the pros from the amateurs.
Jacquire set up Cochrane in a part of his live room that he knew would provide the sound he was looking for. Determining how different parts of your room sound takes a bit of time, but the best way to do this is by hitting record and listening to the differences in your recordings.
Three microphones were tested with Cochrane’s voice. Two different condenser microphones and a dynamic microphone were used. After setting levels, and recording a few of the song’s verses and chorus, King and Cochrane spent some time listening back to which recording they thought fit the song best. Doing this allows you to apply less EQ to your recording when you begin mixing.
Once the microphone was decided upon, they ran it through three different mic preamps. The same process took place, and they critically listened to each vocal take. King likes to record through a compressor, so a cycle of recording and listening took place yet again. They auditioned the input signal through an LA-2A, Distressor, and Sta-Level.
Once all the technical aspects of the recording process were set up, they were able to start focusing on the quality of the performance. King pushed Cochrane to produce a quality performance, but there does come a point which your talent reaches the limits of their abilities. Cochrane mentions that being able to identify this limit is something that professional recording engineers and producers are very good at.
Towards the end of telling us about his experience, Cochrane explains that there are six distinct steps in the creation of a song: songwriting, arrangement, recording, production, mixing, and mastering. Issues that come about in one stage of the process will snowball down the line. Getting the recording process right sets you up for success, so it’s worth investing your time into it.
Watch Cochrane’s full video via The Recording Revolution to learn more about his recording experience with Jacquire King.
Charles Hoffman is a Mixing and Mastering Engineer at Black Ghost Audio. After graduating from the University of Manitoba with an English degree, Charles completed his education at Icon Collective in Los Angeles, CA.
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