Recording Heavy Guitars By Frank Gryner (originally published in Recording Magazine) Back when defiance was the primary sponsor for monster guitar tone, outcast rockers earned every second of that sustain with an attitude that would go on to change the world. Turning against the very technology that was originally built for clean amplification, an overdriven guitar offered a cutting-edge brand of rebellion—one capable of simultaneously offending your parents and getting you l

Spectral Dynamic Processing for Guitars By Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) Up until the last decade, spectral dynamic processing or multi-band compression was largely reserved for mastering and broadcast applications. The concept of allowing an engineer individual dynamic control over the separate sectors of the frequency spectrum is often looked upon as a corrective measure for an entire mix and less as a recording or mixing staple for separate instruments

Dynamic Guitar Tone Sculpting by Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) Last time we focused on multiband compression as a corrective measure used to fix problematic guitar tracks as opposed to viewing it as a viable creative tool to enhance your guitar tone. Being able to compress designated frequency bands separately that then blend into one sound can get a little confusing. Old school audio engineers often contend that spectral dynamic processing is dangerous i

The Thankless Job of Vocal Comping By Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) Okay, so you’ve just siphoned every last discernable noise from your singer’s mouth onto your hard drive and you have several complete, top-to-bottom vocal tracks to show for it. What’s next? Well, now comes the underappreciated task of vocal comping—when you edit the best moments from each of these takes and ‘compile’ a master vocal track Comping at the Bit Whether you’ve just recorded th

Recording Inexperienced Singers By Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) Sesame Street Cred Some of the best advice can come from the most unlikely places, but I think it’s ironic when the direction we need has been under our noses the whole time. Like a lot of people, when I was a kid, Sesame Street introduced me to the song “Sing” which was also a big hit for the Carpenters in 1973. These days the message of this song may seem naïve and simplistic, but when sup

Help for the Technically-Challenged by Frank Gryner via your friends & family (as published in Recording Magazine) We’ve assembled here because we care about you. It has become clear to the friends and family in this room that your avoidance of technology in the name of artistry, has negatively impacted your songwriting. Despite your obvious passion for music, you’re continuously blocking your own path of creativity by acquiring several bad habits that we intend to address

An Epidemic That Affects Recording Songwriters by Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) Matthew Good's definition of demoitis is "what happens when you listen to one version of something so much that when it's properly recorded it's difficult to accept." Most recording songwriters are afflicted by the epidemic of demoitis. If you're one of them, then an inexplicable attachment to the original "demo" version can have you running in circles trying to re-create "the

Drum Mixing Part IV by Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) We have covered kick, snare and overheads over the past several months, giving them the kind of individual attention for which there is no substitute. Now we're moving on to the global treatment of these elements (plus room mics)-this will make a significant difference in how your drums perform in the mix. A lot of people ask me how I get my drums to "slam" in the track. Getting something to sound "loud"

Drum Mixing Part III by Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) I see a lot of mix engineers allocate most of their time to carving out kick and snare drum tones and then proceed to apathecally throw the overhead tracks in there as an obligatory afterthought. The overheads may not have the crowd-pleasing effect of the air-moving thud of a layered kick drum, or the crack and smooth decay of your snare scenario, but without the rest of the kit, those elements would so

Drum Mixing Part II by Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) Dear Mix Engineer, I have a bone to pick with you. After having undergone a great deal of tuning, strategic damping, and having microphones moved in and out of me, I felt as though my true tone was captured on tracking day. Notwithstanding the makeshift piss blanket tent I endured for isolation, my full tone and in-your-face cttock was pretty much recorded the way I sound from down here. So you can imagi

Drum Mixing Part I by Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) Over the years, multi tracking has allowed us to do some pretty inhuman things with the natural sound of a snare, but the trick is to be able to get it to sound how you want it come mix time . This can be a tall order given the lackluster sound of most closemiked snare tracks. As a mixer, I've grown accustomed to inheriting the problems passed down from tracking sessions where poorly placed mics, clipping

Recording The Rhythmically Challenged by Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) With some focus on keeping everyone solution-oriented and somewhat creative, there are ways to get pro-sounding drum tracks from a semi-pro player without resorting to tedious beat-by-beat editing or sterile auto-alignment utilities. Less Human than Human I think this ranks number two on my list of Technological Advancements That Have Contributed to the Demise of Good Music. Grid-based

Have You Done Your Pre-Pre-Production? by Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) re·cord v. (ri-kawrd) 1. to set down for preservation in permanent form. 2. to serve, to relate, or to tell of for the purpose of preserving knowledge or information. One of the first questions I ask a band before I work with them is: "Why are you making all this noise?" The answer can solidify the direction of a recording project and provide a focus by which many production decisions

Dealing with Problematic Acoustic Guitars by Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) I typically avoid recording Ovation bowl-back guitars as I generally favor big, open, natural tone out of an acoustic instrument. When given no alternative but to track one of these guitars, you can get very good results by minding some basic principles. The advice I'll be passing along in this column should also work for any cheaper acoustic guitar from which you may be expected to

Raging Guitar Tones from Home By Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) We all know that guitar amp and cabinet simulators are an important part of most home studios. They’re a quick and easy tool to aid in songwriting and demo recordings, but can they go the distance on a master record? A lot of us have no choice—whether it is the ever-shrinking label budget or the projects that never had one, we’re faced with the issue of coming up with superior guitar tracks in

Dealing with Drum Ambience by Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) There are a lot of misconceptions about recording great drum sounds. I find that most engineers place too much emphasis on the type of microphones and their choice of outboard gear, over what I consider to be the top four faclors that contribute the most to quality drum sounds: the drummer, the drum kil, the drum room, and the miking technique in that room . They should all take priority over your

Thinking Like a Publisher by Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) Remember how long it took you to become a competent songwriter? How long did it take you to be able to make a decent recording? It can take this same kind of time and effort to build the network of industry contacts that will place your hit song in a major film, or in the hands of the artist you’d want to record it. This may be bad news for the shut-in all-star songwriter, but the reality is that i

What Do You Do For Money? by Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) Unfortunately, the last time I checked, a well-crafted, lyrically compelling serenade outside of your landlord’s door doesn’t preempt the eviction notice from getting tacked onto yours. In fact, most songwriters know all too well the difficulty in establishing real value for their work. While performing rights organizations like BMI and ASCAP are poised to collect the money that’s coming to you fro

Minding Your Own Business of Music By Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) As many major-label records as I’ve engineered and mixed over the years, I have to say that the projects I’ve found most satisfying were artist-funded independent ones. I’m a big fan of the underdog and there’s nothing I like to see more than an artist’s drive and desire paying off, propelling them from anonymity toward superstardom. It’s this creative spirit and enthusiasm to overcome the

Not-So-Hot for Teacher by Frank Gryner (as published in Recording Magazine) It doesn't seem so long ago when I was the one striking a posture-crippling pose in the seats of the Music Industry Arts program at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. With a roll of Ampex 456 under my arm I often braved the Canada cold at 3:00am-trudging through several feet of snow across the vast campus grounds with hopes of staking a claim to some unused studio time inside. I have to say, after s