When you upload a track to SoundCloud or Bandcamp, when you play your track to a non-musician friend, when you share your sounds with the world… Ask yourself: is your track a mature and developed musical expression or a first draft? If you’re just starting out or you’re not too serious about your music, your [...]
Yoda was right.
by Kim Lajoie on April 14, 2013
Believe it or not, in my line of work I get to meet a lot of artists. And I hear them say some funny things from time to time. Not ‘haha’ funny, either. And every now and then, I hear someone use a variation of ‘wait and see’. It’s usually followed by something like ‘see [...]
Half of life is showing up
by Kim Lajoie on March 20, 2013
A young audio engineer recently got in touch with me asking for some career advice. As always, I’m happy to help and I invited him to my studio for a chat. After taking over a month to make a booking, we actually got to the date and he didn’t show up. He didn’t send me [...]
A non-musician’s experience in the recording studio
by Kim Lajoie on February 28, 2013
Rick Bennett: Alex, the lead vocalist, spent 40 minutes on the first line alone. There were many times that he heard something in a recording that he didn’t like, but I couldn’t, for the life of me, hear the issue. I also felt a bit of loneliness for Alex–all alone in the isolation booth, and [...]
It’s not enough for your raw tracks to sound great
by Kim Lajoie on February 19, 2013
A great mix needs great-sounding raw tracks. Of course. But tracks that sound great on their own won’t necessarily sound great in the mix. That’s because ‘great’ isn’t a particularly useful descriptor. If you have a raw recording and were told to make it sound ‘great’ (with no other guidance), your options would be open. [...]
Practice doesn’t make perfect
by Kim Lajoie on February 2, 2013
Sure, it’s a catchy saying. But that doesn’t make it true. Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes consistency. It’s repetition. Rote-learning, for the pessimistic among us. Practice is a really good way of being able to do that thing you’re practicing on time, every time. On demand. No matter how you’re feeling. Even if you [...]
Inspiration is for amateurs
by Kim Lajoie on January 12, 2013
Maria Popova, quoting Tchaikovsky: There is no doubt that even the greatest musical geniuses have sometimes worked without inspiration. This guest does not always respond to the first invitation. We must always work, and a self-respecting artist must not fold his hands on the pretext that he is not in the mood. If we wait [...]
It doesn’t have to be good, but it does have to be something
by Kim Lajoie on November 20, 2012
Why aren’t you making more music? Actually, why aren’t you making any music? Don’t get bogged down in the technical stuff. Sure it’s fun to explore synth settings or audition presets or jam on your guitar. It’s actually important to do that stuff. It’s called practice. But you’re in trouble if you’re spending all your [...]
Are you a producer or an engineer?
by Kim Lajoie on October 3, 2012
Grizzly Bear producer Chris Taylor: “Speaking personally, the biggest benefit is not having to worry about it anymore,” Taylor says. “After I’ve recorded and produced the thing, and wrote the thing and played on the thing for 5 months, I don’t want to have to worry about mixing it, too.” [...] “It was also great to [...]
Don’t rush mastering!
by Kim Lajoie on October 2, 2012
Don’t rush mastering! I know sometimes it’s boring and tedious and not very creative. And you’re probably excited to get your song or EP or album released and out in the world. But mastering is important. It’s the final stage where audible changes are made to your song. If you screw it up, no-one can [...]