
Courtesy of The Recording Academy on Facebook
Remote (Controlled): The Recording Academy’s Guide To Recording Music Remotely With A Producer & Engineer
COVID-19 may have changed our day-to-day lives, but it hasn't stopped music-makers from doing what they do best: creating. The Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing’s new virtual webinar series, Remote (Controlled), which premiered on Jan. 28, tackles the ins-and-outs of recording while socially distanced for those not ready to get back in the studio or who can't travel to one location.
The second episode, hosted by the senior managing director of the P&E Wing, Maureen Droney, and with appearances from Los Angeles Chapter P&E Wing Committee Co-Chairs Jon Yip and Cheche Alara, hones in on the challenges of working remotely with a producer or engineer. Tips from guest panelists, GRAMMY-winning engineer Rafa Sardina, Village Studios owner/CEO Jeff Greenberg and Former Studio Director at The Palms and engineer Zoe Thrall, can help creators avoid everything from technology breakdown to games of telephone to out-and-out personality clashes. Here are some of the gems from the second episode, which can be watched in full below.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
Sardina, Greenberg, and Thrall have three words for viewers: Prepare, prepare, prepare. "The reason for all this prep is to avoid the problems that may come up if something goes wrong," Thrall says in the clip. "Many times, you’ll only have a certain amount of time with the artist, so you need to optimize the time and capture the performance, and not be worried about having all the elements of the session during the session."
Communication Is Key
Greenberg stresses that using videoconferencing will go a long way in communicating small stuff like mic placement. "You want to be able to see where the mics are on the kit or on the piano or something like that," he says. “You have to communicate with them if you’re not getting a clear or great-sounding signal to move mics from time to time." Greenberg advises to have several options ready in case one fails: "It’s great to have anything—FaceTime, Zoom, any other way—you want to have as much redundancy in front of you as you possibly can, so if one goes down, you can keep going."
Once you have your system ready, tests are key for achieving good sound. Look out for feedback loops to avoid an ear-splitting disaster. "Especially if you’re using monitors in your setup,” Thrall instructs. “Otherwise, you can use a reliable pair of headphones that you feel are accurate enough to judge the recording." This way, along with having all the necessary adapters and chargers at hand, you can stop problems before they snowball.
In 2021, the routes to recording remotely are nearly infinite. As Thrall points out, one can even use remote-access software to control the producer’s screen when need be. But with that, the potential mounts to step on others’ toes. Greenberg stresses the importance of clearly establishing the chain of command to bolster efficiency. “The engineer should be the captain if the producer’s not present,” he says. “And if it’s a technical problem, the engineer should be in charge. Everybody else should stand by until there’s a solution found." It's the engineer's job to delegate tasks "because if you start getting five or six people interacting on one problem, it can turn into a situation where you take way too much time.”
Read More: Remote (Controlled): The Recording Academy’s Guide To Making Your Livestreams Look And Sound Good
Watch A Live Example
While this “Remote (Controlled)” episode has much wisdom to share, it won't leave music-makers hanging. It ends with a live demonstration of how to produce remotely—in this case, with a team 5,000 miles apart. GRAMMY-nominated composer John Beasley joins in to help by playing several takes of “Reverie,” a solo piano piece he wrote 25 years ago for his daughter. Sardina, who is engineering the track, guides you through the take.
"You’re going to be sending me your audio via AudioMovers; you’re running your own Pro Tools session from your laptop; the microphones in the studio are connected to some preamps [and] they’re going straight to your interface,” Sardina says. After Beasley’s takes, he offers feedback about mic placement: "I hear everything leaning a little bit toward the left and the lower notes… I think it has to do with moving both microphones toward the higher notes of the piano."
Beasley adds some advice: "Just like in any session, you have to be patient and kind of move with the flow. Anything can happen, as we well know. You’ve done enough prep work to where it’s not going to get in the way of you coming off with a good take and a good performance."
See below for a list of remote recording recommendations and best practices.
HOW TO BE READY FOR ANYTHING: PREPARATION IS THE KEY
PRODUCER / ENGINEER / COMPOSER
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Recording Preparation: Prepare beforehand and send the session, preferably the day before (NEVER immediately before)
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Arrangements – Have them in the original format (Logic, Finale, Sibelius, etc.) on a separate computer, and in PDF format.
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Scores – Have them in the original format (Logic, Finale, Sibelius, etc.) on a separate computer, and in PDF format.
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Lyrics – Typed out and double-spaced
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Samples
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Audio or song references
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Have redundant audio & communication methods
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For audio transmission
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Audiomovers over Ethernet connection
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Nicecast or similar over WIFI connection
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SourceConnect over a separate WIFI connection
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As an EMERGENCY OPTION, have a regular Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp option set up (in the control room or in the recording room, or both)
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For communication
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Zoom over Ethernet connection
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WhatsApp over phone line connection
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Skype or FaceTime over WIFI connection
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Direct phone line if nothing else is available
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Test the audio & communication methods by transmitting to yourself using a separate device (computer, phone, iPad, etc.)
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Test the system so you avoid any kind of audio loop/feedback. If you need to use speakers to monitor and listen to the session, test how you will communicate. If not, try using a reliable set of headphones, ones that you feel comfortable judging the session with.
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Talk with all the parties involved bout the contingency plan if anything goes wrong and someone in the team gets disconnected.
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Who has the authority to continue with the session, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY what part of the session should anyone continue with?
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One piece of music or song vs. another based on the relevance of who is still connected, importance of the music, deadline, etc.
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Slate all the takes and agree on the playlist numbers management.
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Try to send the recording of a take as a Pro Tools session. Always time allowing & preferably during a break of the session.
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Try to have the same session open at the non-recording end. Just to be able to follow song structure or other changes
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How to share computer access to assist your artist technically during a session, even riding the session from your end.
ARTIST / TALENT
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Send beforehand ANY recording recommendations to the self-recording artist or remote engineer.
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Explain how to maximize existing gear, and how to maximize efficiency…
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…by avoiding excessive setup changes. Explain how to get multiple setups ready from the get-go. Including how to document and recall preamp gain/EQ settings.
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…by preparing the paperwork (music charts, song structures, lyrics, musician splits) before the session starts.
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…by agreeing to what breaks to take, how often, and how long.
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Send a copy of your recommended audio & communication methods to the artist/talent, and explain your preferences (AS EXPLAINED ABOVE).
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And explain how to self-test the system before the session.
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