Recording

Cottage Music for Music Recording for Music Mastering

for Music Production

The mobility of modern recording equipment means that the 'studio' comes to you,
utilising your preferred venue,
the convenience of your usual rehearsal areas,
a special acoustic venue, or
a unique performance event.

Capture those all-important elements -
the acoustic of individual rooms or halls -
the excitement of 'Live' performance.

We specialise in 'one-take' recordings
which we can then edit and enhance in a variety of ways.
We also have Studio-hire facilities available.

Music Recording
We are able to perform all the tasks associated with modern music recording - in house (and so maintain a quality-audit on every stage of the process).

This maintains the accuracy of the recording process. Everyone hears sounds slightly differently and is confident that what 'they' hear is the correct version. We find that the fewer ears (and differences of opinion) which invade the recording process, the more faithful the final product is to the original version.

We record your performance(s) and master a stereo copy - mixed with the requirements of you and your audience in mind.

We then produce the volume of production which you require - spread over the time scale which suits your sales activity and funds.

Recording

Performances can be recorded in two basic ways.
Either -

	making the performance space the recording area
	selecting microphones best matched to the voices and instruments involved
	capturing the acoustic balance of the music performed
	selecting the optimum arrangement of stereo microphone placement
	enhancing the nuance of individual's performance through 'spot' mic-ing

This is obviously the preferred method for recording 'classical' repertoire..
for recording conventional instrumental forces..
is instantly adaptable for folk and 'ethnic' combinations.

	taking 'line-inserts' from a 'front-of-house' sound desk or from your mixer
	selecting the aux. 'master' stereo-out pair

The simplest, the quickest, and therefore the cheapest option.
Ideally suited to 'Live' recording - with the minimum of disturbance to your performance.
It does mean that the performers must be supremely confident in what they are doing.

using sub-mixers

This simplifies a complex sound stage but does depend on the right balance being set before-hand
and then maintained during the 'heat' of performance.
It is a cheaper alternative to -

	taking channels as single (mono) line-outs
	recording in multiples of 8 tracks
	no technical limit on the number of channels for any recording

This is the method which gives you greatest control during editing and mastering -
if you think that your music requires it.
However - most equipment, most work involved, most expensive method.

All installation work and the supervision of the recording is undertaken with due regard to you and your paying audience, and microphones will be situated with the 'sight-lines' of both audience and performers in mind.

e-mail .. musicman@cottagemusic.e-mail enquiry

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Music Mastering

If you have made your own multi-track recording you will now require mixing facilities so that you will be able to complete your project.
'Mastering' or 'Post-Production' of a finished recording is not just a matter of adjusting volume levels of the different instruments in relation to each other.

You may require extra enhancement, reverbs. or delays, tape-noise suppression, de-essing (removing sibilants which have intruded onto vocal tracks), maximising of volume settings without over-peaking; many of the little 'tricks' which turn an ordinary track into an outstanding one.

Maybe there are faults and errors in performances which need 'removing' or hiding discretely away 'in the mix' so that they do not distract the listener's attention from what else is going on.

There are a host of activities which come under the heading of 'Production' or 'Mastering', all or which help display your talents to better effect.

We will be able to assist you with this aspect of music production, either by undertaking the operation ourselves - having consulted with your quite thoroughly and understood what it is you expect from the completed performance.
Because we can fit your activities into vacant schedules, this can produce cost savings.

Or we can work in immediate conjunction with you - so that you can hear the differences yourself and make your own decisions.
This is an individual 'customised' approach but does involve higher overheads.

e-mail .. musicman@cottagemusic.co.uk e-mail enquiry

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