Demoing in the Experimental Studio

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Demoing in the Experimental Studio

• http//homerecordinghome.com/demoing-in-the-experi
  mental-studio/

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One of the best uses of the home studio is
demoing projects destined for professional
studios. When youre trying to get a record
contract, the quality of a demo is absolutely
crucial. It is a stepping stone to getting
recognized.
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Fly By Night (not the Rush album)
This is the demo where you can toss the
rules of recording out the window. Forget
about fancy mic techniques. Forget about
complicated mixing. Screw perfection. The
Fly By Night is for the songs that are just
being born. For the home engineer that is using
the studio as an experimental lab.
Image Davide Sonar Easy Song via Pop Screen
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Heres a brief primer on the Fly By Night

1. Set up a microphone. Any microphone. Get a decent
   signal.
2. Bring your ideas and your songwriting instruments
   of choice to the studio.
3. Relentlessly record take after take to get the
   ideas down fast.
4. Intermittently, take a short break to adjust
   levels and panning, slap on a few preset effects
   or add a drum loop.
5. Return to step 3.
6. Listen back for the strength of your ideas.

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There are only a few ways to screw this up

1. Spending time tweaking sounds mid-session. 
2. Editing fine details. 
3. Fine-tuning your microphone technique. 
4. Not smiling. 
5. You continue after the spark is lost. 

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The results of executing the Fly By Night
properly include terrible recordings charged with
amazing musical moments that you can feel and a
sense of possibility for future recordings. With
your terrible, rough demo in hand, youll know
exactly what you need to translate the emotional
impact of your demo to a finished product.
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Demoing in the Experimental Studio

• http//homerecordinghome.com/demoing-in-the-experi
  mental-studio/