DONE Unit 48.2: Plan of Final Recording

Planning Recordings

It is very important to plan recordings as it allows us to be organised and prepare for several situations. Planning also gives us the ability to assess risks and any problems that we may face whilst recording and producing tracks. This will also give us time to develop skills in time for the final recording.

There will be three constant roles within the group, but we will interchange these roles depending on who is performing. The three roles would be: the performer, the person who sets up the studio, and someone who controls cubase. I will explain these in more detail below:

Role 1: This persons role will be performing. They need a range of skills, but most importantly they will need to be able to play the instrument. As this is a team project, its necessary for the performer to listen to the other team members and improve based on feedback from others. This person would play a similar role to Michael Jackson during the production of Thriller.

Role 2: This individual will be responsible for setting up the studio appropriate for the performance. and ensuring that both the performer and the person in the control room is happy with the mics and where they are positioned. Once this person has set up the equipment successfully, they can go to the control room and help out there on the mixing desk. This person would need to have a good knowledge of the different types of microphones used in the studio and would have to take instructions well in order to meet the requirements of the sound engineer. This person would play a similar role to one of the roadies/studio technicians (crew) during the production of Thriller.

Role 3: This person would be responsible for setting up cubase and leading the production overall. This would involve giving constructive criticism regularly based on the current recording quality. It is important for this person to be attentive and observant of the recording situation. Also, it would be necessary for the individual to have a good knowledge of the programme cubase and other recording equipment in the studio. This person would play a similar role to Bruce Swedien during the production of Thriller.

Recording Schedule

Performer	Set-up	Control Room	Instrument	Location	Mic
Riess	Lauren	Dan	Guitar	Studio	SM57 (Dynamic)
Dan	Riess	Jake	Drums	Studio	DRUM VARIETY (Dynamic)
Lauren	Jake	Riess	Vocals	Studio	SAMSON C01 (Condenser)
Jake	Dan	Lauren	Guitar	Studio	SM57 (Dynamic)
Dan	Jake	Lauren	Guitar	Theatre	C1000S (Condenser)
Lauren	Riess	Dan	Clarinet	Concert Hall	C1000S (Condenser)

Extra (if we have enough time).

Performer	Set-up	Control Room	Instrument	Location	Mic
Jake	Dan	Riess	Anything	Classroom	C1000S (Condenser)
Riess	Lauren	Jake	Anything	Open Air	C1000S (Condenser)
Lauren	Jake	Dan	Anything	Anywhere	SAMSON C01(Condenser)
Dan	Riess	Lauren	Anything	Anywhere	SM57 (Dynamic)
Sarah	Lauren	Dan	Piano	Studio	C1000S (Condenser)
Sarah	Dan	Lauren	Trumpet	Studio	C1000S (Condenser)

Potential Problems

During the recording, we are aware that several things can go wrong, but by planning ahead we can decrease the chance of these risks happening.
One of the problems that we could face would be equipment failure, for example: a lead could be damaged or a mic may not work. We can overcome this by ensuring that we have extra equipment that we could alternatively use if the original equipment is unusable. Or we could complete thorough check on the mics to discover what part of the mic isn't working and then we may be able to  fix that certain part of the mic. One of the first things to check is the actual AC power lines, as these can create a buzz or be the reason why you cannot hear any sound at all. Obviously, some of the larger more expensive equipment we cannot have spares of, as we do not have that sort of money. But the majority of the time the expensive equipment (e.g. a mac) doesn't fail as often.
Although I did mention that the computers are least likely to fail, sometimes the systems on the computers crash. For example the system may crash whilst we are recording on Cubase. We can't really do much about preventing this problem, except for ensuring that the computer can handle the programme. But if this problem does happen then we can just restart the computer and then see if that helps. If that doesn't work then we would have to call IT and ask them for assistance.
As we are all pretty new to using the studio equipment, some of us only have a little understanding of how all of the technology works and may sometimes forget what to do whilst being in the control room. This isn't a big problem, as we are only beginners and in time it will be second nature to us. But at the moment, the best thing to do is to familiarise yourself with the equipment. We could do this by watching YouTube tutorials about using the tech or we could try and spend even more time in the studio developing skills.