Have you produced your own Cd or album, for the first time? Sounds good doesn’t it? perhaps not. Maybe your first self made recording doesn’t sound as good as you think it does.
Let me preface by saying that even my current recordings may not sound all that great. However, I can tell you this, my first Cd production absolutely sucks compared to my current stuff. In fact, at least one song from my first Cd production made it onto my “Sing Hallelujah” project. Re-produced, with new instruments and effects, and more understanding about what I was doing, the song is 100% better than it was before. In fact it ended up being my title track.
The sad thing about my first Cd project, which was call “Love Revolution,” is that none of my friends were honest enough to tell me that it sucked. And why should they not be supportive of what you are doing. However, I ended up spending $1,400 having Cds printed. I thought they would sell like hotcakes.
Then the truth came out. Why weren’t people buying my Cds? I thought it sounded great. My friends were telling me it sounded great. But when it came to people parting with their hard earned cash the truth came out. The Cd is not that great. Now days when I listen to it sometimes I am embarrassed and would not let anyone hear it if they begged me.
So before you spend hundreds of dollars having your project printed up into Cds, it might help if you hold it up against some of the music that you like, music that was produce by a pro, in a real studio.
Sound quality, the mix, balance of the recordings means everything. Do your lyrics flow with natural rhythms? And lastly if you are satisfied with your songs, the balance and mix of the recording, seriously think about having your project mastered.
Now, I have not even had any of my projects mastered. I have tried to come as close to a final polished sound as possible but there is still a lot I don’t know about getting that commercial sound.
Mastering is a whole other aspect in the process of getting your project to it’s final sound. You might very well be able to produce a good product in your home studio, or, you may get a good recording at a recording studio, but the final process must be done in a mastering studio (my opinion) by a professional. Someone who’s only job is to add that finished and polished commercial sound.
As I said though, I don’t even follow my own advice. That is because of insufficient finances. I have been using Bias Peak 6 to try to get that finalized sound. It has made things better but there is still something missing.
Anyway, I started this article to say you should really determine what your project sounds like before spending money to print Cds. The companies that provide these service will sell you what ever you want. They will even offer you mastering services, even if your project sucks. And they will never come out and tell you, “Your CD really suck, and you shouldn’t spend the money.” They want you to spend the money, cuz it make them happy! They don’t care if it sucks.
I don’t know what to tell you about determining whether or not you have a winning project. I always compare my music and sound to my favorite artist for sound quality, mix, levels, and most of all is it a song I like and would buy? As far as that goes I only know what I like. If I can stand to hear my song more than once I can only assume that others will like it too. On my first project there were songs I didn’t want to hear but I made the Cds anyway. Live and learn. Do your best not to put out crap.
