Open new project, add two audio tracks place the microphones in the correct position, tune the 12 string guitar, drink some water and press the red record button.
There must be some kind of psychological explanation to the reaction of the human brain as soon as that red button is pressed? You can make anyone do anything behind a camera if you promise him or her the right things. Behind a microphone it’s different, people tend to freak out and think that their life depends on what they say or sound like. Either that, or they just become insane and start making weird noises, fart sounds and pretend to be animals. No one really likes the timbre of his or her own voice apart from David Attenborough. That’s a fact.
Stop me if I’m wrong but I find it difficult to find recent recordings of artists who sing and record one take acoustic tracks without modifying the sound too much. Using all the production tools and software available to anyone these days, there are so many ways to make your voice sound “better”. If I was to use all of the effect plugins at the same time, I could probably make myself sound like Britney to the Spears or Hannah to the Montana. Might try that actually.
I understand the value if the recording is done in a confined professional studio, recording a pop, hip hop or rock tune. But when recording at home, on basic equipment the effects added need to be very subtle or then it quickly ends up sounding fake and over polished like Nicole Kidman’s face. I mean you can’t polish a turd can you?
Many sound engineers and producers will probably highly disagree. It’s just that, many of the times that I hear a track on an album and then listen to the artist live, the two are completely different. It makes me wonder where did this go wrong? and, how can people accept this fraud? Just an example for all you women out there, if you were to buy Johnny Depp at an actors auctions room (yes they do exist) and brought him back home and actually realized that his breath stank, he hadn't cut his toenails, he had the tinniest weewee, was thick, humorless and dull you would probably take the receipt back to the auction room and ask for a refund (which they don’t allow by the way). I am probably exaggerating a bit, but who cares I am just trying to put my point across.
After spending long hours looking at the computer screen adding effects after effects to my voice and guitar to make it sound better, I ended up just recording five tracks completely acoustic. I don’t think it sounds fantastic but at least it’s genuine. I’ll probably regret saying this the day I record a multi-million dollar album, but for the time being, fuck it! I’ll stick to the art!
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