Beautiful Weather

The weather in Phoenix is becoming tolerable and at night it's beautiful.
Makes it more enjoyable to create and work on music without the double digits.
Good things ahead this month. Very excited about a couple projects that are going on right now. The perfect season!

Take Care,

Craig

The importance of a good recording!

Hello Everyone,

Although I am really busy I wanted to share some insight on how getting good recorded tracks from the start saves a lot of hassel as the project moves forward. You can't depend on mixing - I repeat you can't depend on mixing or a good producer even for that matter to bring bad recorded tracks alive. If you want the best all around you better have me record your tracks as well ;) In all seriousness, this is the beginning of your sound and you need to nail this. If I get tracks done in other studios or home studios I can usually make them rock. If there is hiss or room noise - a good low pass, noise gate etc. might do the trick, but if you want the most natural and organic sound from your tracks test them out.

Problems happen with spikes, digital clips (no mans land and can't come back) poor recorded tracks are a death to a good song. Check your tracks or have myself or another professional do your song from scratch. You will get the most out of my magic if I have control from the start or know how the start was created. Garbage in garbage out. Take the extra time and nourish your song. The song and you deserve that extra commitment.

Although I handle all aspects of a song from birth to graduation. I sometimes get songs that have been tracked somewhere else so if this is the case - here are some tips.

1. Make sure you know what your playing.

2. Make sure you like the sound going in. Very crucical to get the sound you want when you are recording it. That way you know what your going to get.

3.If you are sequencing and using midi make sure your midi channels don't have a lot of noise associtaed to them. Check your tracks individually if you have to. Find the source and figure out a way around it. Midi has a very high gain most of the time and that can cause hiss. You might not notice on one track, but if you throw a bunch of midi tracks together you will hear it and it will kill the song.

4.If you are recording guitar, bass, drums, or anything else analog then make sure your instrument cables, microphones, stomp boxes, etc. are giving you the desired sound and not static. If you hear radio stations, weird artifacts there could be a number of reasons why. I would always check with the cables first. Good converters, good power supplies, good grounding, are life savers when it comes to solid tone and a good sound.

5.Know your arrangement and don't depend on the mixing engineer to do 6 different mixes because your song wasn't ready - unless the mixing engineer is also being commisioned to produce and arrange.

6.If you play a part and you don't nail it, then find someone who can. The song, arrangement, and the playing will enhance the emotion and feel and even if it was recorded in a cardboard box you will still feel some kind of magic from it. Don't skip the quality all around. Even though I play multiple instruments, I wouldn't attempt to play a cello since I don't play cello. I would find a great cello player to enhance my production. The same should go to putting a song together. I play a lot of the instruments for my clients and sometimes my clients don't play anything at all. Find the right sound for the right part.

7.I love making music for a living and being able to make peoples dream come true. I love working with bands/singers, I love being in a band. Just remember the first step to anything is usually the most important because it determines where the next step will take you. A song is a life. Raise it right. ;)

Narcolepts on the Great Unknowns podcasting and interview

Narcolepts was featured on The Great Unknowns

Also you can see the interview here interview

Also Here is some information on the man behind the great unknowns

Thanks Michael it was a blast.

It's been a little I'm back!

I have been wrapping up some big projects coming your way soon.

Some new bands-stay tuned.

Here are some projects I can mention that are finishing.

Stone18- Classic Rock/Modern Rock/crazy guitars, great drums, and pure rock for all those who live for that kind of stuff ;)

Narcolepts- my personal baby.

Rain Rain- mixing the album. Electronic/Dance/Alternative. Rain is a very talented singer/songwriter who is not afraid to take chances and create chaos. My kind of project!

New singer/songwriter Francis Zagarrigo - Finsihed creating an awesome song with this guy and he has a geat voice. Looking forward to working more with him.
The first acoustic demo is finished.

Some other projects which I will mention as they get closer to conclusion.

Always creating.

I will have links to all of the projects once they get settled.

More projects in the works and very excited! Keep it moving.

Narcolepts - Debut Album "Waking Up in Strange Places"

Finishing up the debut CD of Narcolepts "Waking Up in Strange Places"

It's going to be amazing!


Been very busy. I will update soon.

Tips for Recording Vocals Pt.1

I have written thousands of songs and worked in all styles/genres. One thing I notice, especially when working with a singer for the first time, is their harsh judgment on themselves while the red button is lit and rolling.

It's real easy to criticize yourself while singing a vocal take. We have instant radars telling us it's not supposed to sound like that. When our energy drops, our belief in the performance is hindered. One thing you are doing is selling yourself to your audience. Treat it like the first date as you talk yourself up to impress that special someone. You are the star, so be the star! Own your song, and if I or someone else writes the song for you, own it anyway.

Don't rely on monitoring (although, it’s great to have a good sounding mix in your headphones) because it is very important to know what your voice sounds like outside of all the music you’re singing along with. I love tracking with the monitors blasting and getting a singer pumped, but I also like to know the singer is on top of song so I can hear if he or she is staying in tune. Don't think that Autotune or Celemony Melodyne will save a horrible vocal take. Too much Autotune will sound artificial (unless you want to sound like Akon or Kanye West), so I rarely use it. Learn to sing, practice, and exercise your vocals. With all this technology it's easy for us to get so lazy and say, "oh the computer will make me sound like a rock star." Wrong! Practice your chops, melodies, and most importantly, your breathing. If you run out of air on the first verse, how are you going to perform a 10 song set live?

I wanted to take some time and explain that being a great singer is not hard. It takes commitment and a relationship with your songs. Have faith in yourself, and trust that whatever the song calls for, you can deliver it. Study your favorite singers, listen to the way they phrase, know when to take a breath and extend the breath for effect.

This last tip is very important. Learn rhythm, and how phrasing relates to rhythm. Get a metronome and learn to sing in time and practice with beats or instruments. It's very important that you own the song and by falling off beat or not knowing how to phrase, is the first sign of an amateur. I'm usually working one on one with my clients, so I’m on hand to help them... but I can't stress enough how important practice and dedication is to becoming a great singer.

The one thing a singer can always use is a good vocal coach, and the committment to use one.

Just remember you are a star and if you can dream it you can live it. :o)

Some really good vocal coaching dvds, books, and other information are below.

Singing Success

Perfect Pitch

Singing for the stars

Seth Riggs

New Projects

Some very cool albums and ep's coming soon.

I'm writing some songs for singer Damon Daniels. We are making a soul/folk/acoustic style with some darker elements. The firsts song "OOh Baby" is a classic that will warm your soul. Yeah it's that good. He is going to sound amazing on it. Damon has a very strong/soulful voice and he is going to impress.

New artist Latonia Salazar came to me with an idea of something you would hear in the movie Twilight. She is a talented singer/songwriter that I have the pleasure of working with to create this mood of forest, open spaces and broken promises.

Country/Blues artist Roy Brown met up with me and showed me some classics of Johnny Cash, Alabama, and some other rock tunes and the idea came to me. Roy has a rich sound to his voice and we are making some modern/classic/country/rock songs with a twist of chaos and experimental elements that could make this one of a kind.

Once their websites are up and running and their other links are active, I will have all connections to these artists available.

More coming your way,

Blessings

"I'll Keep Smiling" video number 8 on top ten 10 countdown!

At the end of 2008 I finished electronic/acoustic/pop artist Joel Evans cd "Embracing the light, the dark, and then some..."

You can check out both of his albums here on cdbaby

Jet Kanashi - Enjoy the Sadness
Joel Evans - Embracing the light, the dark, and then some... will be out later this year.
Here is the single from the record. I'll Keep Smiling

On both albums I did the arrangements, produced, played all the instruments, mixed and mastered. Joel wrote the lyrics and collaborated on ideas.

I'm happy to say all the hard work has payed off and the albums are doing great. The "I'll keep Smiling" video is in the top ten video countdown standing off to some heavy competitors.
When Indie artists can throw down with major label artists like Pink, Madonna, Coldplay and it's the fans who choose who they would like to hear then the rules are changing for the better. Welcome to the new day and the new times. Here is the video I'll Keep Smiling

Be sure to check out "Embracing the light, the dark, and then some... " for a great mix of acoustic/pop/electronic songs that create a great listening experience in 2009.

Craig

Been Busy Be Back Soon

Keep it moving...

"References" Movie Premiere

Had a blast last night at the premiere at the Hartkins Movie Theater in Tempe Marketplace.
Jason Allen the director put together a great story with a fantastic cast.

At a sold out showing it was quite the event. You can check out the movie here, References, and read up on the cast and get your copy of the Blue Ray dvd and soundtrack, which is amazing. I'm not just saying that because I was a part of the soundtrack either. "She Says He Says" by Danielle Daigle (produced by me) was used on the end credits and I had other music in the film as well. It was a great night!

Mixing_Mastering Two different Steps

Once in a while I will talk some technical creative aspects of songwriting, music production, mixing and mastering.

Common question: What is the difference between mixing and mastering?

Mixing and Mastering, are two different steps.

Mixing is the art of leveling, equalizing and affecting all the various sources from many tracks down to a stereo Mix. It is also the painter's palette where your creativity and originality come to play. I like mixing big, and go beyond the stereo field and also have the listener lose themselves in my world for a while and create an emotion from them. If they can taste the pain or feel the mood it's a great mix. Technically speaking you can have a great mix but do nothing for the listener. It's all about putting who you are into the mix. Usually a mix starts out with multi-track audio files that were created while making the song. Stems which are multi-tracked audio files consolidated (joined/bussed) into a stereo group are also examples of how you can approach a mix. The mix should also be a dynamic and flowing process where you should feel the song's story and the changes. I will go into different tricks and methods of mixing as days go by for all the music junkies, gear freaks and just plain music lovers, who want to know what goes into a song. I have been blessed with being able to make a song from scratch by playing all the instruments, recording, produce and mix/master and have it sound like a record. I will share that information with you as we keep moving.

Now a little about Mastering

Mastering is the process of taking the stereo mix and putting it in the final album-ready form.
You can do this a number of ways. After your mix is sounding like you want it to then you would normally run the stereo mix through an analog, digital or software compressor (Device that pumps a variety of frequencies or signals to the ultimate amplitude and gluing them together).
Then you would want to Limit and increase the overall song level until it reaches its destination.
I know I might be losing some of you but hang in there. You want to bring your overall levels of your final mix to industry standard. You do this for two reasons.
1. To bring all the sonic qualities out of your mix and have them clarify what it is your presenting.
2. People love loud, clear, big bottom, driving music whether it's Rock, Acoustic, or Film Scores. Listeners want to hear it!

There are many steps in mixing/mastering from equalizer balance, panning, depth, space, compression, and overall gain levels. Some multitrack mixes have 48 tracks with full band and some have only three tracks with maybe acoustic/vocal. At the end of the day it's all about what works for the song and what kind of song it is you’re working on.

This was just to let some of you know what goes into a song on the backend when the song is finally recorded and you have all the tracks. It wasn't to go deep into how to compress a kick drum or bring the snap out of a snare. It was just to give you a heads up of all the details and creativity one needs to dive into these processes.

I will go in depth on different topics of recording, arranging, production, mixing, vocal tips, and everything else that goes with the art of music creation as time goes by.

At the end it's your attention to detail and your no limit to possibilities which will craft your mixes/masters, technicality is only a blueprint and how many people out there actually follow the manual. I like to create my own rules, but I do use the rules that work for me.

C

Some really cool bands

I'm sure a lot of you know about these bands I'm about to mention. If you don't I suggest you check them out. I'm always searching for inspiration wether it's music, movies, art or good conversation. I will keep you updated on some cool original music from time to time.

TV on the Radio

MGMT

Goldfrapp

Loius XIV

Dredg

Narcolepts

Pauline Taylor

Notice how they explore the fields of possibilities. I hope you enjoy.

Craig

New Website

It's Up and running. Enjoy!  www.craiglawrencemusic.com

Appreciation

I want to take the time and thank Danielle Daigle for all her hard work in putting this amazing blog together for me. Danielle also helped put the website together and took all the pictures.
She is an amazing talent.
You can see some of her pictures at Danielle Daigle Photography. She is also an amazing singer/songwriter who I am working with on her debut album
'Bum in the Mud' stay tuned for more of this fierce creature. If you can't wait for new material come check out the older material at Danielle Daigle Music and we will have 'She Says He Says' music video in the video section with film director Cam Welander and photo stills Shelley (Lawrence) Welander more on them as we move on. It's a family affair, It's a family affair ' great song if you haven't heard it check it out and take in Sly and the Family Stone.

Always take the time and appreciate the people in your life.

We create our experiences everyday so make them wise and make them count.

Have a good day.

C

First Day

This is the first day of my blog.  I'll be trying to keep it current... give me time, it's my first blog!  Stay tuned...