We Just Want to Write Songs

Singer-songwriter:

I don't care about EQ.

I don't care about compression.

I don't want to become an audio engineer.

I just want to write songs.

Fair.

You started with:

Lyrics.

Chords.

Melody.

Emotion.

Then suddenly someone starts talking about:

Frequencies.

Thresholds.

Ratios.

Gain staging.

And LUFS.

It can feel like you accidentally enrolled in engineering school.

But music production is easier than it looks.

And you're probably much closer than you think.

How to Record Vocals at Home Like a Pro

Quick Summary

You don't need to memorize every technical term.

You need to understand the decision underneath it.

Most production decisions come down to three possibilities:

Too much.

Too little.

Just right.

That is audio engineering.

Over and over again.

🎸 Singer-Songwriter

I just want my song to sound good.

Exactly.

That's the point.

You don't learn EQ because EQ is interesting.

You learn EQ because:

The vocal sounds muddy.

The guitar sounds thin.

The piano is covering the voice.

You don't learn compression because compressors are exciting.

You learn compression because:

Some words disappear.

Other words jump out.

The performance doesn't feel controlled.

The technical tool is just there to solve a musical problem.

⚖️ Find the Two Poles

Here's the easiest way I know to understand production.

Find the extremes.

Then find the balance.

With EQ:

Too dark ←→ Too bright

With compression:

Too dynamic ←→ Too controlled

With reverb:

Too dry ←→ Too wet

With vocals:

Too quiet ←→ Too loud

With arrangements:

Too empty ←→ Too crowded

Once you understand the two poles...

The technical language becomes much less intimidating.

You're simply listening for where the song belongs between them.

Vocal Production Guide for Singer-Songwriter-Producers

🐻 Audio Engineering Is Goldilocks

Remember Goldilocks and the Three Bears?

Too hot.

Too cold.

Just right.

That is basically mixing.

Too much bass.

Too little bass.

Just right.

Too much compression.

Too little compression.

Just right.

Too much reverb.

Too little reverb.

Just right.

You make that same decision...

Again.

And again.

And again.

The knobs change.

The principle doesn't.

⭐️ Download my Free Music Production Guides or take my free Ableton Live Course ⭐️

🎛️ EQ Is Just Balance

EQ can look intimidating.

Lots of frequencies.

Lots of numbers.

Lots of curves.

But the basic question is simple:

Is there too much of something?

Or...

Not enough?

Too muddy?

Remove some low-midrange.

Too dull?

Add some brightness.

Too harsh?

Take some brightness away.

You don't need to become a scientist.

You need to listen.

How to Produce a Great Song: A Guide for Singer-Songwriters

📉 Compression Is Just Balance

Compression sounds technical too.

Threshold.

Ratio.

Attack.

Release.

But underneath all of that is another simple question:

Is this performance too uneven?

If some words disappear...

And others leap out of the speakers...

Compression can bring them closer together.

Too little...

The vocal feels uncontrolled.

Too much...

The vocal feels flat.

Somewhere between them:

Just right.

🎤 You Already Know More Than You Think

Singer-songwriters make balance decisions constantly.

Is this lyric:

Too obvious?

Too vague?

Just right?

Is the chorus:

Too repetitive?

Not repetitive enough?

Just right?

Is the performance:

Too perfect?

Too sloppy?

Just right?

Production isn't a completely different skill.

It is the same instinct...

Applied to sound.

🥷 You Don't Need to Become an Engineer

You don't need to know everything.

You don't need to master every plugin.

You don't need to understand every number on the screen.

You only need enough technical skill to protect the song.

To capture the idea.

Shape the performance.

And make the emotion easier to hear.

The technology is not the destination.

The song is.

And you're closer than you think.

⭐️ Download my Free Magic EQ settings Guide ⭐️

⭐️ Download my Free Magic Reverb settings Guide ⭐️

#protools #daw #homestudio #recordingschool #recording #musicproduction 

Also read: 

How to Start Your Own Online Business Teaching Music

Hey, I'm Futch - Music Production Coach and Ableton Certified Trainer

Learn how to make your first song and beat in Ableton Live with my

FREE 90-minute Ableton Live course

I've been teaching audio engineering and music production for 35 years.⭐️ 

Check out my new online music production program: Music Production Ninja...