Posts by Nikk Carmichael
Is your band a business or just a band?
Some of the best bands I have seen come and go through our studio, you will never have heard of. Amazing talent, great songs, grooves that make you want to jump about but ultimately they fall into the abyss, never to reach the fame and notoriety they deserve. It’s a fairly typical tale unfortunately. The…
Read MoreThe first “Live On Deck”
A couple of weekends back we ran our first “Live On Deck” show at Continuumusic. Basically, we put on four bands on our stage in the studio backyard, recorded them in multi-track and set up a bunch of video cameras to capture their performances. It went well. Each band was asked to invite some guests…
Read MoreThe making of “Fedoras For Dinosaurs” Part II
Last week I invited you all behind the scenes of the recording process of my latest album. If you didn’t read that, you might want to go back now and scan through it before you continue or you’ll be lost on what I’m talking about. For those who have already, let’s continue… The overdubs. The…
Read MoreThe making of “Fedoras For Dinosaurs” Part I
A couple of months ago I wrote an article about what you should expect to pay for a recording (If you didn’t see it, you can find it here: http://conti.net.au/rehearsalrooms/what-should-you-pay-for-your-next-recording-project/) where I compared recording costs to buying a car. And more recently, one on recording in a pro studio as compared with doing it yourself.…
Read MoreThe Secrets of Great Singers
Who are you and why are you here? That’s the first question I ask a new student when they come in for singing lessons. The answer I’m looking for is rarely the one they supply however. I already know their name and they would have already told me that they want to “learn” how…
Read MoreCareer Low Points
If you’ve been on stage, you’re likely to have had them. Those nights when something went terribly, terribly wrong. Whether the problem was brought about by a technical issue, illness or just a plain, old fashioned screw up, there are those times when we didn’t quite hit the mark and the show went into a…
Read MoreJimmy has given notice and Jodie just proposed to his girlfriend!
Is your band headed for an implosion? After a good many years in the business of running a rehearsal and recording studio, we’ve found that the average band’s lifespan is only about two and a half years. There are some of course that continue on for much longer than that and some that seemed doomed…
Read MoreRecording with your own equipment Vs Recording at a DIY recording studio Vs Recording in a professional recording studio with an engineer.
As the rise in “affordable home recording equipment” surges ever onward, there are a number of rehearsal studios popping up around the place that offer do-it-yourself recording set ups. You may have seen some advertised. Often pretty little spots that boast being able to have you walk in and turn out a recording straight from…
Read MoreThe Dos and Don’ts of performing at a venue Part IV
Last week we covered Dealing with Sound Engineers and Dealing with Promoters/Venue Operators. This is our last part of the series: During the Performance and After the Performance 9. During the Performance Do avoid “dead air”. (moments of silence where no music or between song banter is being projected from the stage.) Audiences lose interest quickly…
Read MoreThe Dos and Don’ts of performing at a venue Part III
Last week we covered Amplifiers, Microphone Technique and Foldback Speakers. This part of the series is all about: Dealing with Sound Engineers and Dealing with Promoters/Venue Operators and staff 7. Dealing with Sound Engineers Do introduce yourself at the right time and only when they’re dealing with your band. Never during another band’s set up…
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