What matters most in music production
Great records do not come from expensive gear alone. These are the things that make the biggest difference, whether you work at home or in a studio.
By Gent Hasangjekaj, founder of 1972 Studios
Start with the song
No production can save an idea that does not work. Before you think about sounds, make sure the melody, lyrics and structure work with just a voice and one instrument. If the song moves people in its simplest form, everything you add will make it stronger.
Keep the arrangement clear
Every part should have a reason to be there. Too many sounds playing at once fight for the same space and make a song feel smaller, not bigger. Leaving space, and changing what happens from verse to chorus, keeps a listener interested.
Capture a great performance
Feeling matters more than perfection. A vocal with real emotion will beat a flawless take with none, and no plugin can add it later. Warm up, take breaks and record several takes, so you have real choices.
Get the sound right at the source
It is much easier to record a good sound than to fix a bad one later. Choosing the right microphone, placing it well and leaving enough headroom in your levels will save you hours in the mix.
Trust your room and monitors
You can only make good decisions about what you can hear. A room with poor acoustics hides some problems and invents others, so a mix that sounds right there may fall apart somewhere else. That is why our room was measured and built for a clear and honest sound.
Use reference tracks
Compare your work with a finished song you admire. Match the volume first, because louder almost always sounds better, then listen for differences in balance, low end and vocal level. Take regular breaks too, because tired ears make poor decisions.
Mix for balance first
Most of a good mix comes from levels and panning, before any effects. Get the balance right, then use EQ and compression to solve real problems instead of adding them out of habit. Check your mix on more than one system, and at a low volume.
Treat mastering as the final step
Mastering gets a finished mix ready for release and helps it sound consistent across speakers and platforms. It cannot rescue a mix with problems, so go back and fix those first.