and back on track
I just spent the better part of the last two days dumping my mixes to wav files and mastering the mixes – I can't believe how much work this last bit has been!
I suppose it was a perfect bit of timing, being away for two weeks made sure my ears were fresh and that I wasn't mentally fatigued either.
The day I got back from my trip, I spent an hour or so just dumping the mixes to stereo wave files, and trying not to pass out from being exhausted. Needless to say, this didn't work out.
When I checked the files, many of them were too hot, and while they didn't distort, I didn't like that at all so I had to do them again.
And again. On a couple of tunes I did some semi major shifting of the mixes, and even doubling some parts so that they would sit better.
My motto: when in doubt, reduce the volume!
Strangely enough, some of the stereo outs from the mixes weren't balanced very well from side to side. Weird: I have never encountered this before, and while I fixed it as well as possible, I never did find the cause of this imbalance.
Today I mostly spent my time mastering the songs. I used the iZotope Ozone 3 – this is a fine mastering plugin, capable of way more than what I am using for. I will admit that the many presets are pretty much all that I need to get the sound I am after, although of course I have to use several depending on the material. As always I am mixing on my trusted piece of junk monitoring system: two Fisher speakers with the added benefit of Radio Shack midrange replacements since when I was given these speakers, those were blown. Oh yeah, and my pawn shop special $35 amplifier. I have about $75 total in my monitoring system.
Yes I know its junk but its what I have and if I can make it sound good on here, I can make it sound good anywhere.
Here is a promise: if I start making money on this CD, first thing I get is good monitors!!!!!!!!!! I will certainly deserve them at that point.
I have given some thought to the order of the songs on the CD. I am working under the old adage, put your best foot forward. In my case, this is going to be the most up tempo of my songs, Passion. Its also the busiest, with lots of guitars in addition to all the synths. Is it commercial? Beats me, but I hope it is.
I am not going to spend weeks and weeks deciding on the order of the songs, I just don't have the temperament or the time for that, and in the end, will I even know what difference it will make? I guess I am going to follow the model that I have found on many records, put the most lively stuff first, because that will make you want to play the record again. Case in point, put on Matisyahus' debut CD: the most catchy song is first, and by the time it ends its kinda mellows out.
But I always want to hear that first song, ya know? Of course I think all my songs are the best things you will ever hear, right? But I will judge them anyway. The one other minor point is that I am not going to put all the say songs with a flute together, I want to mix the songs with the live instruments all over the record.
Couple of other things, way out of chronological order: Friday I took some time and went to a couple of CD manufacturing firms, and have decided to go with CD Forge: they were recommended by CD Baby, where I am going to publish my CD, they have a good deal for really short runs, the people there were cool and easy to deal with, and all I have to do is show up with artwork and a CD and that's it.
I am also working on getting the CD art together, or actually having someone do it for me, and will comment on that as it happens.
Damn, this is a lot of work! And all I want to do is just write more songs…….