When it comes to people who really want to be able to record their songs or music, there are basically 2 types of people:
There’s the person who dives in and buys every piece of recording equipment they hear about hoping that one of them will contain the magic genie that will make their songs into great sounding records.
Then there’s the type of person who does a couple of Google searches using questions like, “how do I make good quality recordings of my songs?” And they quickly become horrified by the whole topic because the simple question they entered into Google unleashed a shitstorm of complicated and mostly contradictory information.
First, The Easy Home Recording Blueprint begins by describing and demonstrating a very simple approach to the actual mechanics of recording.
Then it proceeds to demonstrate simple to do, but very powerful editing and mix techniques that, once again, are exhibited in order to show they are possible using far more simple methods than are normally preached.
Woven throughout, is the discussion of the actual true nature of various sounds themselves. (i.e. various frequencies, which instruments/sounds possess specific frequencies, how they interact, how to make them behave together and EQ’s role)
This is the very heart of my entire philosophy of recording and effective production – which is to foster a deep, almost organic understanding of sound —> the benefits of this kind of understanding are quicker, simpler adjustments and far simpler tools to do so.
Because… it is my belief that many, many aspiring recording artists are drawn to ever more complex (and expensive) tools, effects, plugins etc, because they are constantly in a state of trying to “rescue” their recordings and mixes. They have created a reality where recording and mixing is literally a battle. Why? Because I believe they don’t truly understand what they are hearing.
At that point in The Blueprint is where I feel the videos earn their keep. Because after a few short tour of the hardware type videos, they go on to show the actual recording and mixing of a song I did for an actual project.
The videos show the decisions I make regarding EQ, instrument/sound choice, sound design decisions, and showing the most simple and effective choices to achieve these decisions – culminating in the final mix – and again, the whole process being achieved using the most simple of tools available in a recording software environment. This all as my way of proving the philosophy I described above.
I took this approach in order to avoid any semblance to a technical instruction manual.
My goal is to instill not only the “how to” side of things but to instill confidence, creativity and artistry in those using the Blueprint.
All the best,
Owen Critchley