Back in the days of analog recording, the master tape from the studio was sent to the manufacturing house where plates were cut from the analog recording. It was strictly an analog to analog transfer. Now, for anyone wanting to produce a record, a digital to analog copy. What makes it more interesting is that there is no exact recommendation for how the recording needs to be done. Many professional recordings are done at 24bit even though CDs maximum sample rate is 16bit. So, what should the ratio be when producing a new vinyl record?

In doing some reading, there was a comparison made of viewing a photo in 16 bit on an analog monitor and the same photo in 24 bit. If things go well in the presentation, you might see all sixteen. But if there is anything lost, the photo is no longer at 16, but more like a lower number. Thus, this number may be too low. On the other hand, 24 bit has room to spare if degradation occurs.

So how does the previous relate? With the change to digital music media in the 1980s, 16 bit was the standard adopted for CDs. On the other hand, a vinyl record if compared equally, would be able to play better at 24 since it is able to reproduce a wider range of frequencies than digital can.

If there is a choice (and there is), to choose between 16 and 24 bit when recording for the intended release on vinyl, I would choose going 24 bit and allow music to have as much glory as it can get.

REM pretty much was around my entire life and was a key band during my high school years. In fact, I remember having conversations with a friend of mine about a concert that was held in Albany back in the mid-1990s. At that time, their album featuring “What’s the Frequency Kenneth” had just been released. Yes, in some ways “It’s the End of the World As We Know It.”

In the last few years, we have seen the demise of the large box record stores such as Tower Records, Virgin Mega Store, Sam Goody and a few others that I can’t remember. Why have they disappeared? I have my theories, but for the most part I feel that it is due to the quality of the product that is being produced for a very large price tag. Most of the time we are searching for one particular track from an album (for lack of a better word to use). Why should we have to buy a CD at $20 when the track can be bought online for less than $1.

The other main reason why record stores have been disappearing is that CD sales have gone down. Back when CDs came into the market in the 1980s, CDs were thought to be the replacement to the vinyl record.  Why is this? It is possible that the sound of a CD is too cold and impersonal. Although it seems impossible that CDs will disappear, they have become a less demanded item by the listening public.

There is a new breed of record stores emerging across the country, but they’re not for purchasing the newest releases. They’re coming into existence primarily for the indie sales and vintage releases which aficionados are seeking. They are ”curated” rather than stocked and if there is something that someone is looking for, the store owner will seek it out. It will be interesting to see what happens with this trend over the next few years as the youth continue to discover the music from previous decades hidden on LPs and other non-digital media.

Our digital and technology driven world will continue, but I think that there will be a regression to want to be able to touch as see music history as well as have that person-to-person conversation about quality music.

The site which I located was BlankSheetMusic.net. What is unique about it is that it allows the musician to customize the staff paper to the specifications that are needed. For example, you may pick a single treble, treble and bass for keyboard, and four part for choral, just to name a few.

One neat feature about the site is that you can save your custom configurations for later. In order to do this, a FREE account needs to be created.

There are so many great features to this site and too many to mention. I’d highly recommend checking it out.

If we think back before the days of MP3 players and the Internet, the only place we could get the newest recordings from an artist were brick and mortar record stores like Virgin, Tower or Sam Goody. Based on my most current research, all three seem to be now gone. The only remnants of these giants are their online stores.

I remember growing up in the eighties and going to one of the major record stores and looking at all the endless racks that were filled with just about every artist that was current. And….there  was a choice between the vinyl, CD or cassette. Eventually the cassettes died as portable CD players around and then came MP3 players. The rest is history. It is now sad to see what actually is stocked on the shelves at stores and those who work there are not even familiar with some of the artists that are requested by us seasoned die hard CD aficionados.

It truly is a shame to see the traditional record stores go by the way side of online. But, it is also sad to acknowledge that the acceptance of less fidelity is getting higher. We have lost the art of being able to truly listen to music and appreciate it in a non-personal player. Along with the sound, the ability to study the album inserts and cover art is also going away. Some of the excitement of buying a new album was in the digesting of the album notes and other documentation that came along with the album, regardless of the format.

I truly feel that an unjust movement in the music industry has transpired over the past decade. Not only have we lost giant businesses, but have lost the ability to appreciate the art for what it is in the larger sense of the matter. The unjust to live music has also sanctioned this demise of the music industry. I hope that at one point we do experience a renaissance in the old traditional sense of experiencing music and the various art forms which were once associated with the release of a new album.

A great example of this is Bruce Springsteen. When he started out with Columbia Records, he had two so-so albums before he hit a good one with Born to Run. If Born to Run had not been a success, then Springsteen would have seen the end of his recording career. Now could you imagine that as he is a rock icon 30 years later? Back in the 70s Columbia had backed both previous albums which had lack luster sales. When Springsteen began writing for Born to Run, Columbia was ready to drop him as an artist. If Born to Run had taken a dive, that would have been the end. Fortunately, that album was the beginning of the career.

Today, this would not be the case. It’s either a go or no go hit and record companies are only looking to sign for one hit. That also makes it harder to ensure a success. Therefore, the independent labels have become the king over the majors.

With new compact gear and computer recording technology, it has become possible to almost record a whole song or album in a personal project studio, mix it down and publish it to the whole world in a number of different methods. This fast paced production in some ways, I feel, has allowed music quality to become mediocre rather than good. Combined with artists who are not good lyric writers, the number of songs which are considered timeless have depleted. We still turn to recordings which were done in the old fashioned method with dedication, time, and talent.

It may be a mixture consisting of the record companies and the artists that have allowed this to happen. Since the record companies are not as daring as they once were to accept new material, artists are not willing to expend the time to create material which will be overlooked. If cookie-cutter is what is being sought after by the labels, than nothing new will ever transpire unless independent labels take over.

You play in a Band or are a Music composer or dream of becoming one… Your next big step is going to be making a timeless album…

Despite how far or near this event looks to you these seven steps should be clear to you in your mind. Helps to have a clear picture of the future you are about to embark on…

STEP 1: Ideation

The initial spark can come anywhere. Typically one band member or the composer will come up with a starting point which is typically a guitar riff or a musical piece on the Keyboards or the Piano. It is best to have all band members participate in the ideation stage so that the band is truly greater than the sum of the parts. However typically in many bands there is one person who is the creative director of the entire show.

As an individual composer, your initial spark can come from many sources including the songs and musical genres that you are currently listening. This is not the same as being “inspired” or illegally ripping off someone’s musical work. However keep listening to new genres of music to have an open mind and greater exposure.

STEP 2: Background Arrangement

Once you have an initial starting point you will need to arrange other pieces of music around the initial riff. Say for example you have a killer guitar riff (Say a progression of chords) you may want to start the song with it or use it as the verse or chorus or main melody.

The other pieced of music will act to support the rest of the song. For example if you use your initial riff in the chorus you may want to use a lighter version (say an arpeggio version) of the progression or some complementary riff for the verse. Other derived musical pieces could become the bridge or the intro to the song.

Once you have figured out the pieces of music you will have to arrange the entire background of the song from the start to the finish as you want it.

Arranging is mostly done on computers using a very powerful computers say for example a machine with a 4/8 Core Intel/Mac processor. Various software like Logic can be used for arrangements. However if you are recording demo versions at home this can be done on much less powerful machines… even of your laptop!

STEP 3: Recording

Now as a composer or a band you need to bring in other instruments and/or vocals and record them separately.

For example you feel your composition could use a sitar solo in between or a Carnatic vocalist for backing vocals. (This is the stage to let your imagination soar!) The possibilities are limitless.

Once the lead parts of the song are recorded we can move on to the next part.

STEP 4: Music Production:

At this stage you may still want to nail a particular feel and add more instruments and effects. You may add or edit certain effects to the various musical parts you have recorded so far. The amount of processing you can do for each of the tracks you have recorded is again endless.

A word of caution: There is a point of time whereby you will not achieve much by spending sleepless nights tweaking some process into the tracks. Just be aware when to move on to the next stage! There are bands and composers who spend forever trapped in production! Just see where you draw the line between perfectionism and paranoia.

STEP 5: Mixing

This is where you give everything you have produced so far to a mix engineer and give him a basic idea of what you want to achieve in terms of the sound. The Mix Engineer will thereafter mix the song and give it the correct treatment. A mix engineer’s tool is of course the multiple Channel Mixer. In a typical professional setting it could be a 24 channel mixer with the ability to process any number of tracks.

STEP 6: Mastering

Once you are through with each of the above 5 Steps for each song that you want on your album you are ready to move into the penultimate step which is Mastering the Album.

The tracks which are produced so far are sent to a Mastering Facility where the final EQ adjustment including equalising the loudness of all the tracks takes place. The tools for this purpose used are Mastering Boxes.

STEP 7: Replication

The Mastered Tracks that are so produced are then finally sent to (hopefully!) your label company for final replication and distribution into hopefully millions of CDs.

Of course now that you album is ready for distribution you will have to make a huge effort to promote the album. That would require a lot many steps and in case you are an independent artist without the backing of a Music Label these initial steps are going to be a very difficult. Yet there is no need to lose hope if you are a band or composer who has found his sound the audience is out there. Make the effort and reach out to your audience. Use the internet to promote your music.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/the-7-steps-to-making-a-great-music-album-762567.html

About the Author:

Somit Bandyopadhyay is a Music Composer, Writer and hosts the Website 4guysformusic.com! The website offers a lot of resources for budding music lovers, musicians and composers including music tutorials, equipment reference, free classifieds, forums, music Genres and Artists.

Contact: 4guysformusic@gmail.com

Even though songwriting has its unique forms to follow, it all comes down to the writing of lyrics that the listener will sympathize with and understand. For example, any songwriter that writes about a breakup of a relationship will be able to have listeners understand because everyone has had those feelings. On the other hand, if we talk about a personal situation that someone else would not know, we need to paint a bigger picture containing more details about the story.

I’m not discounting that the musical portion is not important. Trust me, it is! Any good songwriter will use create a “hook” that will keep bringing listeners back to that song or album. In other words, we need to create that section that will continuously play in your head all day. A carefully crafted song should affect the mind like a drug affects the mind.

A great song will grab us, lure us into the story. It should take us from beginning to a climax where we are in great anticipation of what is going to happen and then resolve at the end. Without this recipe in a song or any piece of music, the listener will be lost or loose complete interest in the song. That is why songs from years ago still are played on the radio today. The listeners are hooked and want more. At the same time, the song become part of them. When the song is over, there is a desire for more. If this recipe were to be followed the way it used to be followed, the music of today would be as good as it was years ago.