The Way to Produce a Christmas Number One Hit
The worst thing about Christmas Must be listening to Top Of The Pops and the Christmas Number 1 — Girls Aloud, Robbie Williams, Westlife, and Mr. Blobby! Surely anyone can produce a better Christmas Hit than those. A computer does all of the jobs, it does not it all you do is jiggle a bass and drum lines and press a couple of buttons.
What exactly do you want? You require a PC using a fair amount of processing power under the hood – a Pentium III at a minimum a P4 – to operate the audio program.
Audio files are rather big – overlook MP3s, we are talking the actual thing here – and also for each monitor of sound, you record you will want about 10.6Mb of hard disk space per minute. Every track will not be full of sound so that you will not want much at a recording but to get a tune it would be a good idea to devote around 500Mb of hard disk space.
Playing cards
You require a soundcard. All PCs have one of them but if you do not want your song to seem like it had been listed in a bedroom that is rear even it was getting a card.
At Christmas-stocking costs is a range of SoundBlaster cards like the Audigy 2 ZS (for below #70/$100) using a fantastic pair of built-in noises. But SoundFonts are supported by them. These are samples that the card utilizes to generate much better bass lines and realistic instrument sounds.
If you are a wealthy Mummy and Daddy they will be very happy to get you a more expensive card like E-Mu’s Emulator X (roughly #220/$380), a desktop sampling program which also supports SoundFonts. Should you have a nightclub you’re going to have the ability to afford one of CreamWare systems with synthesizers that can do all but sober the drummer – not that you require a drummer cause the cards to have the drum sounds you want.
Key move
You want a MIDI keyboard to record your masterpiece. There is a huge selection here from E-Mu’s XBoard 25, XBoard 49, and Swissonic’s CK490 (all running around #100/$150 give or take) into the Fatar range running in the TMK61 (#130/$225) up into the VMK 188 Plus (Number 599/$1000) with many versions in between.
They are much less costly than synths although these keyboards do not have some sounds such as synthesizers and you will find noises at the soundcard. If you can not face the idea of touching a computer keyboard and’ve seen an Elton John concert, do not worry – you may use samples and loops and organize them with no computer keyboard in combinations.
Listen ‘ere
A set of speakers is vital. It could be OK for playing MP3s for blending songs, however, they will not do.
The Big Boys utilize committed track speakers that may cost as much enjoy a vacation in Barbados but should you depart the other half at home you might easily manage Behringer’s MS16s (#46/$79), or Edirol’s MA7A (#80/$135) or MA150 (#120/$200).
It’s possible to run the sound but change off EQ settings or any bass although In case your PC is close yours. So if it seems great on these speakers it must seem good the concept is to obtain a uncolored answer. So the theory goes.
Fantastic arrangement
The Big Boys may fiddle with high-end audio sequencers however the brand new and exceptionally modestly-priced Cubase SE 3 (under a ton/$170) enables you to capture and build audio and MIDI components with nearly as much aplomb. It reveals the two kinds of records on the organize page.
And you want a CD recorder so that you can burn your reach and ship it to listing companies that are blessed. You will have one 11, In case you’ve got a PC. But do use a labeler and make a CD inlay to provide a finish to the CD. From the music biz, style seems, and style is far a lot more significant than content spends at least around the outside on the audio. Place on the inlay in addition to the CD label.
Hook and line
Let’s create a tune. You require a hook. This is the little everyone so it needs to be tricky, sings. It is normally the chorus however, you may have a catchy bass line, drum or perhaps a vocal hook-like shout or a catchphrase like”Eh Oh”. Well, it worked are you old enough to recall them?
Let’s say you have produced a stonking chorus. Construct a verse. It does not need to be memorable; there are some verses. You may meander around in a manner that is tuneless until it is time to unleash the chorus.
Begin with the rhythm section when constructing a tune. Catch string them together then add the bass. You may play with this in your MIDI keyboard that is or fall in bass samples – samples, jolly items.
You’ll want to bring some keyboard parts that could be characters that are clever by holding down a few chords with a sound like strings, or you’ll be able to play pads.
Very outspoken
Then add the vocals. Although you can not sing – but keep in mind never stopped anybody creating a listing – you may love to cut down the bar and ask the winner of the karaoke competition of the week to perform the chanting for you. Play your cards right and they might cover you.
You could always fall back to your old buddy if you much nous to maintain precisely the same area for a karaoke singer.
The last step is mixing. This is where all of the components balance you add a dash of reverb, listed and tart up the thing.
Save the song as a sound file for burning to CD ready. This means recording the MIDI components. You have to combine all of the tracks into a single stereo track so that the last record will be 10.6Mb x the duration in seconds.
Sounds great
You need to interest the A&R guys. It is all about the picture if you are ugly and boring – title three pop celebrities that are ugly, besides Madonna and Mick Hucknall – you might need to get one of your friends to pose to your publicity photographs.
Compose a biog – that they do not wish to know you have a GCSE in music, they wish to learn any Name bands you have affirmed and what gigs you have completed. Drop several names like Bruce, Robbie, and Tina. You do not need to mention surnames…
Be ready to throw your self, Should you grab the ear of an A&R individual you can not afford one and if you are rich and famous you can purchase a better one.
You will observe blood, perspiration and Pils’ weeks that you poured pouring down the drain since the company drafts at a DJ to remix your song utilizing the Dance breakbeats and crap – rap – vocals.
But do not worry – once it reaches Number One, you can laugh all the way!