Unit 1:Present a report detailing the requirements of your production

What is the type of production?

The type of production project I am going to undertake is a recording, a cover of Adele's song Hello. I am going to include a main vocal, drums, bass guitar and piano track. Since I am undertaking a recording project I am going to need access to a studio, as this is the main feature I will need to complete this project.

Who is your client?

My client is Kate Thomas; she approached and asked me if I would help her record a cover of this song. The reason for this recording is because she wants release the song onto to iTunes to try and gain attention from record labels. My client has given me free range on how I want to approach this project and has trusted me with making the important decisions, so this way I can accurately plan out each stage of this project to make it as successful as possible. The way I am going to brand my client is by creating a variety of popular social media pages (e.g. Twitter, Facebook etc.) to promote my client, without the assistance of a record label. This is the best way to brand new and upcoming artists because it easy to spread their music around and can easily be shared by others.

What is your idea for a media production?

My idea for this production is to have four separate recording sessions in the studio, this way I can focus on each part of the recording separately and make sure I get each part to a professional standard that my client is satisfied with. The first part of the recording that I am planning to tackle is the piano; this is because it will provide a basis for me to record the rest of the song around. The bass and kick drum can then follow this. The last part I will record is the vocals; the vocals will be the most difficult and take the most time to get right. After the recording process is complete, I will have to mix the tracks so they are to a more professional standard than just the recording on its own. This will require me to add various effects and automation.

What is the budget for your production?

After completing research on production, studio costs etc. I have calculated that this type of recording would cost roughly £2,000. However since I have access to a studio this is just a hypothetical summary of how much this type of recording would cost if I needed to fund this project for real.

Aspect of the project	Source
How will you finance your project?	The way I am going to finance this project is by taking out a loan to cover all the costs for the recording and production processes. I am hoping that with the correct promotion I should be able to make a profit from the revenue made off of the song. However if the cover does not do as well as expected then I will pay back the loan in instalments. This requirement is important because it is necessary to highlight how I am going to fund this project and where the money is going to come from.
What production equipment do you require?	Production equipment that I will require for this project is access to a studio, which will contain all the necessary components that I will need to record the cover. Firstly I will need a Mac with Cubase 7 software. Also I will need a Rode NT1 microphone, with a pop shield to record the main vocals. Furthermore I will need two condenser C1000s for the piano and a DI box connected with a Jack lead for the bass. Other microphone that will be required and are necessary is a Shure SM 58 and an AKG D112 for the drums. Incidentally I will need access to a bass guitar, piano and drum kit and musicians who will be able to play these instruments. Without this requirement the project would not be able to be completed, that is why the production equipment is an important requirement. I am going to source this production equipment from the studio.
What post-production equipment do you require?	Post-production equipment I will need to finalise this project is firstly access to Cubase again so I can mix the tracks using the relevant effects. I will use effects such as reverb, delay, EQ and compression. These effects will help me make the track sound more professional. Other equipment I will need includes a CD burner, which will help me mass produce physical copies of the single. Also a printer that allows me to print off the artwork for the cover. Lastly I will need to gain an iTunes account, so I can upload the recording and hopefully gain a profit. I believe this is an important requirement because without the necessary software to mix and master the cover it would not be a professional recording that is why access to post-production equipment is important. I am going source all of this post-production from the studio, because the Mac I will use will have Cubase which will allow me to record and mix the track. Furthermore I can use the Mac to burn the track to the CDs to save time and the building will have access to a printer. This means I can access everything I need in one location, which saves time and expenditures.
What other materials do you require?	Other materials that will be required for this recording are CD cases, which will be needed for physical copies of the cover. Also access to social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter. Creating a new account on each of these sites and using them as a way to promote the song, without having to pay any royalties because the pages will control by my client. These can be classed as essential materials that will help boost the sales of the song. Even though this may seem like a small requirement, it is still important because the way the final product is presented to the public is essential. So if the product looks aesthetically pleasing there is more chance of people purchasing the product. The CD cases are going to be sourced from Amazon.com, as I found a pack of 25 for £6.23. This is a reasonable price and it also means I can buy the cases in bulk if necessary.
What are your transport requirements?	The only transport requirements that are required are for the musicians that do not have their own transportation. The majority of my personnel should be able to make their own way there, for those who cannot costs will be covered for them to go on the train or bus so they can make their way to the studio. The transport requirements are extremely important to have organised before the project begins because without access to talented musicians the recording would not be at the highest standard I know it can be. I have sourced the local bus and train times, so I am aware of prices and how long the journey will be until they reach the studio.
What ‘talent’ do you require?	For this production to be successful and completed to a high standard I will require talented musicians, thankfully I know some musicians who would possibly be interested in assisting with this project. Musicians I will ask are Ben, who would be able to play bass guitar and drums. Tom, who can play the piano and drums. Lastly Kate who has specified that she would like to sing the main vocals. Its good that I have a range of musicians who I am able to get in contact with because I know that they are talented and it will be a lot easier to work with them. This is another essential requirement because without musicians I would not be able to complete my client’s request and complete the cover. I have not needed to source any of the musicians for this recording because I know musicians who are willing to be part of this project, which saves me the time to try and source some local musicians.
What crew/personnel do you require?	Other personnel that I will need for this recording is a recording engineer, they will assist me in the studio. The main job will be to set up the microphones and make sure that all the connections work. They will make sure that the microphone placement is correct and they are in the most effective spot to gain the best capture possible. An audio engineer is important to have when recording because they will be able to set up the microphones and use the correct microphone placement to get the best capture possible. I will have access to an audio engineer who will be able to assist me in the studio; I have sourced them from the studio itself. As long as let the studio know in advance who and what I need they will be able to organise it for me.
What facility hire is required?	Facility hire that is required is the hiring of a local studio. I have done research to find a local studio for hire and for a reasonable price. I managed to find one studio that charges £200 per session. Considering the limited time and money I have access too, I considered this to be the best option. Another essential requirement because without access to a recording studio I would not be able to produce and record a high quality cover for my client.
What clearances are required?	Clearances that will need to be cleared for this cover are firstly from the original recording artist or a representative from the artists label. If we released the cover without proper authorisation from the original artist it would be classed as plagiarism. Next I will clear access to use the studio, because if I do not book a time for the studio I will not be able to record. That is why dates and times will have to be determined between myself, the availability of the musicians and those who are in charge of the studio. This is probably one of the most important requirements to get cleared first. If we do not have clearance from the original artist/label the recording would be classed as plagiarism if it were released. I have sourced out the contact details for the artist’s label, which is Columbia Records, with their details I can begin negotiating for a license.
What copyright issues need to be addressed?	As previously stated above to avoid copyright issues I will ask for permission from the artist/their label to release a cover of their song. If it is allowed the cover will most likely be held under a mechanical license, this type of license allows a standard royalty for the original artist. This way the cover can officially be released. It is important to have support from the original artist/label because without it we could face copyright charges, which could lead to a court battle, which would cost unnecessary time and money. I have sourced the type of license I will need to make sure that this cover is considered legit and is allowed.

Overall Budget Breakdown 
The overall budget for this project is £2,000. The main sum of this budget will go towards studio costs and the hire of local musicians. Through my research and discussion with my client, we have figured out that we should be able to record the cover fully in 4 studio sessions. I have found a local studio which charges £200 for 5 hours, every hour after this costs an extra £40. I have added in some extra studio time just in case a risk occurs which prevents us from recording on a certain day. Also since my client is the main vocalist, she will be working for free. 

• 4 studio Sessions (2 hours each)  = £520
• Drummer = £200
• Piano Player = £250
• Bass Guitarist = £200 
• Transport Costs = £300

Total = £1,470

This final budget may change from time to time depending on how the studio sessions go and whether there are any extra transport costs. This will leave us with £530 to use on either promotion purposes or could be used when we come to mixing the cover.

Regulation and Copyright 

It is important to note that over the past decade the music industry and the way people consume music has completely changed. I believe it is essential that both myself and my client understand the way the industry has changed and how we are going to regulate are product to ensure that all those involved receive fair royalties.

At the turn of the 21st century the Internet became a worldwide phenomenon, these days people are able to access music through the Internet by using popular streaming sites such as Spotify and iTunes. These streaming sites allow people to stream as much music as they want for a monthly price, for instance Spotify charge £4.99 per month and a premium accounts cost £9.99 per month. Furthermore with the rise of the Internet the ability to download music for free from illegal websites is becoming another increasingly popular venture. The main issue with these ways of consuming music are that the original artists do not receive any royalties, or the royalties that they do receive from streaming sites are not fair or justified.

Even before the Internet there were still scandals covered in the media which documented how artists did not receive a fair percentage. For instance The Stone Roses signed a record deal with the small record label Silvertone Records and after the success of their debut album 'The Stone Roses' the band quickly came to realise that they were not receiving a fair percentage and the label were taking the majority of the royalties.

However despite this corruption that is present in the music industry, some artists are able to make some profit from their music if they are songwriters. Those who write their own songs or have a hand in writing a song will receive intellectual property rights. They will receive 50% of the royalties, as they are the creator of the song. Artists such as Taylor Swift write the majority of their songs on their own for this exact purpose and so they can also have creative control over their music. Another way artists make money these days is by touring, playing shows and festivals. The demand for live music has spiked again over the past few years, which gives artists to make money, especially if their record didn't sell as much as they had hoped.

Then again this past year there has been a rise in artists fighting for their rights to their music and making sure that they receive fair royalties. Late 2015 saw the release of Adele's album '25' and unlike the majority of artists; Adele made the conscious decision to not put her album on streaming services. This automatically forced people to go out and buy a physical copy of her album, and this turned out to be quite successful for her because her album sold over 5 million copies in just 3 weeks. This kind of success has not achieved in a long time, inspiring other artists to do the same thing. Furthermore Adele has also became involved in a continuous legal battle with streaming site SoundCloud, who allow people to upload as much music as they want, but do not receive any royalties or any type of income from the site. The problem with this is it is another way people can listen to artists music without paying and have the chance to upload covers or artists music, which hasn't been authorised.

On the other hand the popular video sharing site YouTube has started to restrict and regulate what is being uploaded more recently in the light of artists like Adele changes to the music industry. The way YouTube are regulating is by removing videos that breach copyright laws or remove the audio from videos, if the user does not have permission to use it. Unfortunately it is an on-going battle as more and more people are finding ways around this, for instance some people speed up the videos or change the pitch ever so slightly. This way it is not exactly the same as the original, but people should realise that YouTube is only trying to protect their users from copyright issues and plagiarism and so companies such as PRS do not sue them.

PRS or the Performing Rights Society is a copyright organisation, which licenses other organisations to play, perform and make copyright music available to their members. They also distribute the resulting royalties fairly. It is companies like PRS and their sub branch MCPS that support artists and help them receive the royalties they rightly deserve.

From researching and learning about all of this it is now important to note how my client and myself will help combat piracy for our own production. By acquiring a mechanical license, the original artist will automatically receive a fair royalty from the recording, but depending on which sites we agree to upload the cover too we will firstly have to see what their own policies are on copyright and piracy. This is something that will be negotiated with my client, because if we do not agree with certain streaming sites policies we may decide not to upload the cover.

Unfortunately it is incredibly difficult to stop the reproduction of our own recording, especially when it is released onto the Internet. However if it is uploaded to sites such as YouTube they have policies, which can help prevent the reproduction of another recording. The problems I imagine I am going to encounter once this recording is released is that many people are going to illegally download the recording from websites which do not offer any royalties to the artist. Others may use samples from the recording to include in their own work, which if they do not seek permission will be a copyright issue.

The uses of streaming sites are also known to not pay their artists a fair royalty, which could also be another potential problem. Artists such as Taylor Swift have been quite vocal about this issue recently and that is why some artists do not allow their music to be streamed on these sites. An in depth discussion is going to have to be done with my client to decide the best way to release this recording.

Risk Assessment

In order to produce a successful recording that meets the success criteria set by my client, I have to make sure I have considered all the risks that could occur. Below is a table highlighting the risks that could occur and how we would overcome them. I have also created a key to highlight the severity of each risk and what actions would need to be taken if this risk ever occurred. I have also highlighted when each of these risks would need to be reviewed. Finally, I have calculated the overall risk rating for each risk below in a separate table, this will highlight to myself and my client how detrimental the risk is to the project.

KEY: Risk Rating Score
Score	Action	Review
1-2	Acceptable Risk- no action required	Every 1-2 years
3-4	Slight Risk- monitor only, no action required	Every 18 months
5-6	Minor Risk- reduce if reasonably practicable	Every year
7-9	Moderate Risk- risk requires reducing	Every 6 months
10-15	High Risk- priority action to be undertaken but interim arrangements required immediately	After interim arrangements, every 3 months
16-25	Unacceptable Risk- action to be taken immediately	Immediately

Risk Number	Likelihood	(Risk) Severity Update	Risk Rating	Review Date
1	1	2	2	Every Month
2	2	4	8	Immediately
3	3	3	9	Immediately
4	2	3	6	Every 2 Months
5	1	2	2	Every studio session
6	1	4	4	Every Month

	Identify the Hazards	Identify those at risk	Identify existing control measures	Evaluate the risk	Decide/ Implement control measures
1	The personnel/musicians involved do not appear when the sessions are set	Those at risk are myself and my client	A schedule has already being created, which has been sent out to all the musicians.	This risk is very unlikely, but still possible to occur, as some of the musician’s may not follow the plan. If this occurs it would mean unnecessary time is wasted and costs for the studio.	After each time we meet up to record, I will have to reiterate when the next studio time is and send continuous emails to them to remind them.
2	Microphones/instruments do not work or break while recording is happening in the studio.	Those at risk are the musicians and myself. Also those in charge of the studio	The studio has already highlighted and explained the rules and regulations regarding the equipment.	In the studio environment it is possible that the equipment could break, it would not have a major effect on the recording. However the cost for repairs would come put of the overall budget for the recording.	Only have the equipment out that we need. For instance if we are recording the drums I will make sure that all other instruments and microphones are away. This way there is no way they can be broken.
3	I do not receive the license I need to release the cover.	Those at risk are myself and the client	A request to record a cover has been sent to the record label. Plans to do a different recording are also in place.	The chance of this risk occurring is quite high because the song we want to record is still new and still doing well in the charts. If the chance to do the cover was rejected it means we would have to change are plans.	Evaluate why we were not allowed to record the cover and then choose a song, which we will be able to do a cover for.
4	The recording is not completed for the deadline set by the client and myself.	Those at risk are myself and the client	Each stage of the project has been planned out carefully and is clear to all those involved.	It is unlikely this risk will occur, however if a studio session get cancelled or does not go the way we want it could put us behind schedule. This would turn into a high priority risk if this does happen.	Add initial dates and tines as a backup, encase we need extra time to fully complete the recording.
5	The studio is left in a mess, could be a potential health hazard to others that use it.	Those at risk are the engineer, myself, the musicians and the client if they are present in the studio	The studio has made it clear that the space we use must be left in tidy and professional manner.	The risk of this happening is probable because there will be a lot of cables out in the studio. This means the chance of someone becoming injured is likely.	Go through safety procedures with all those who are going to be in the studio on each occasion. This will hopefully minimise the chances of injury and the studio being left in a mess.
6	The studio is double booked and we lose are spot in the studio.	Those at risk are the engineer, myself, the musicians and the client if they are present in the studio	All the studio sessions have been booked in advance.	The chances of this risk occurring are very unlikely because those who are in charge of the studio are aware of the dates and times that have been booked.  If a mistake were made however, we would have to organise a new time to use the studio.	I will double check the studio times with those in charge of the studio, just to make sure they are correct. This way we would not be going all the way to the studio for nothing.

Unit 49: Ready to release? Mixing and Mastering

Task 1- Remixing another track

Blues brothers- Stick together

The track that I am going to be remixing is the Blues Brothers 'Stick Together'. I am going to remix this track by adding numerous effects to improve the overall quality. The list of effects I am going to use are:

• Compression
• EQ
• Reverb
• Delay
• Pan

Compression
Compression is a type of dynamic processor, which is used to make louder frequencies more quiet in a mix. Below is an example of what compression looks like in Cubase. The 'threshold' decides when the compression begins, a visual representation for this can be seen on the graph next to the controls. It shows the input and output signals, which are both measured in db. The 'ratio' dial decides how much compression is added to a track. 'Make-up' controls how loud or quiet you want the overall output signal to be. The 'attack' dial allows you to alter the time taken for the compression to start and 'release' is the time taken for the compression to stop.

Compression

EQ
EQ allows you the change the range of frequencies from low to high on a track. The image below shows what EQ appears like in Cubase. On this particular EQ you can change up to four parameters, on this example it appears that the lows have been reduced and the mids have been raised ever so slightly. The sound is measured in dB, which can be seen down the side and along the bottom is the range of frequencies that can be altered (between 20-20k) this is measured in hertz (Hz).

EQ

Reverb
Reverb is a type of insert, which is used to help emulate a performance space. Similar to compression reverb also has 'attack' and 'release' dials. Close to them is dial called 'mix', which is really important because is decides how much reverb is applied. Two other important controls that I will use are the 'pre-delay', which determines how long before the reverb begins. Next to that is the 'Reverb Time', which allows you to alter how long the effect continues for, which is similar to delay which is another effect. All of these controls can be seen on the diagram below.

Reverb

Delay
Delay is an effect which is used to postpone a sound for a certain period of time. Similar to the 'mix' button on reverb, this allows you to determine how much delay is applied to a particular track. The 'feedback' can let you set how much of the delayed output you want to be send back to the input to be delayed again. The last dial to explain which is important is the 'Delay' dial, which lets you decide how much the track is affected by the delay.

Delay 

Pan
Panning is a useful effect because it allows you to decide where certain tracks play on the stereo field, it distributes the sounds signal. By using Cubase you can pan a track either left or right, or leave it in the centre. Panning is good to use on backing vocals and vocal harmonies because it adds more depth to the overall track and makes it sound more interesting. The image below shows how panning works and how you can move tracks around the strereo field.

Pan

To get the best quality possible I am going to mix all the tracks separately. Below is a screenshot showing all the different tracks that I am going to remix, there is a total of 16 altogether. I organised all of the tracks by colour coding them and putting them in a logical order, I also cut out some of the track where there was no audio. Doing all of this helped the file look more professional and organised. Another reason I did this was because at certain parts in the audio background noise, such as coughing and rustling could be heard. This was why it was important to cut parts of the track out that I didn't need. I used the locators at the top of the Cubase track to select certain parts of the audio to pinpoint areas I needed to remove with the cut tool.

Screenshot of all 16 tracks 

Colour coding the tracks and removing unwanted parts from them using the cut tool

Backing Vocals 1 and 2
The first tracks I remixed were the backing vocals. The first effect I added was EQ, from the screenshot it is clear that I have slightly boosted the lows and the mids ever so slightly. For the backing vocals I wanted to make them sound more clear and crisp in the mix, but at the same time I didn't want them to stand out to much.

Backing vocals: EQ

For vocals one effect that is really important is reverb. Reverb helps give the vocals more depth and in some cases make them sound more live. For the backing vocals I decided to add only a little reverb, this is because I wanted the main effect for the backing vocals to be delay. However I feel that even the smallest bit of reverb can make a difference. The other two effects I added to the backing vocals was delay and compression. I added a lot of delay to the backing vocals to try and create an echo in the background of the mix, I also panned the delay of the backing vocals switching from right to left. From the screenshot below I have not added a lot of compression because if I added to much compression the backing vocals would sound to flat. I left the make-up gain on auto and moved the threshold and ratio down slightly.

Backing Vocals: Delay

Backing vocals: Compression

Backing vocals: Reverb

Bass
For the bass EQ I manipulated the first two parameters of the EQ. I created a low shelf on the first parameter and slightly lowered the mid frequencies. From my research I have learned that instruments like the bass sound more effective if the lower frequencies are raised. This in turn makes the timbre of the bass sound more present in the mix because I added EQ to the bass, it sounded quite flat and didn't have much of an edge to it. I also added some compression to the bass, similar to the backing vocals I didn't want to add to much because it would reduce the overall quality of the bass. I lastly panned the bass guitar slightly to the left, so it could stand out in the overall mix more.

Bass: Pan

Bass: EQ

Bass: Compression

Guitar and Guitar Solo
I have not added to much EQ to the guitar and guitar solo because when I first listened to the two tracks  I found that the recordings of these two tracks was strong enough, that I did not need to change the frequencies to much. The only parameter I have changed is number 2, where I lowered the mid frequency slightly. I also panned both tracks to the right slightly, this was so they were both sperate and could be distinguished between the bass a lot easier. I added a lot of reverb to both parts also to make them sound more warm and natural. Finally I added some compression to both tracks to make them sound more crisp, but because they were not too loud in the first place they didn't need that much compression. Also to save time I created a Group effect which allowed me to send all of the relevant effects to all the other tracks. So for the lead vocals I created a FX Track, which then allowed me to 'Send' all of those relevant effects to the guitar solo track. This helped me save time in the mixing process and also helped make sure that the tracks were mixed equally.

Guitar + Solo: Pan

Guitar + Solo: EQ

Guitar + Solo: Reverb

Guitar  + Solo: Compression

Hi-hat
The hi-hat did not take to long to mix because from my research I learned that a hi-hat would not require that many different effects. So knowing this I lowered parameter 1 slightly creating another mini low shelf and slightly raised the higher frequencies to make the hi-hat sound more airy. Then I added a tiny bit of reverb, but for the parts of the drum kit you tend not to use that much reverb.

Hi-hat: EQ

Hi-hat: Reverb

Kick
The only effect I added to the kick drum was EQ. I increased both the lower parameters to make the kick drum sound more fat and heavy in the mix. I also increased the volume of the kick drum because before I increased the volume it got swallowed up by the rest of the mix.

Kick: EQ

Cymbals 
Similar to the kick the only effect I added to the cymbals was EQ. Instead of boosting the lower frequencies I boosted both of the higher parameters to make them sound more bright and high. The cymbals also needed to have the volume increased so they could be heard in the mix more.

Cymbals: EQ

Lead Vocals
The most important part of any mix is the main vocals. So when I was mixing I made sure that I left the main vocals til last, this way it was easier to place them into the mix and make sure they were balanced correctly. The main effect used was reverb, I applied this effect to give more depth to the vocals and make them less dry. I added a little bit of delay to the vocals, less than the backing vocals because I didn't want there to be as much feedback as the backing vocals. The last effect I applied was chorus, this effect is useful for creating a 'choir' effect without the use of overdubbing or double tracking. Also to save time I created a Group effect which allowed me to send all of the relevant effects to all the other tracks. So for the lead vocals I created a FX Track, which then allowed me to 'Send' all of those relevant effects to the backing vocal tracks. This helped me save time in the mixing process and also helped make sure that the tracks were mixed equally.

FX Channel

Lead Vocals: Reverb

Lead Vocals: EQ

Lead Vocals: Delay

                                                                                   

Lead Vocals: Chorus

Piano 1 & 2
Since two piano parts were recorded I was able to experiment with effects such as pan more. In the end I panned one piano right and the other right. I did this to balance and fill out the mix more, I decided that when mixing this piece that any instruments that had more than one track I would pan in the opposite direction. I didn't manipulate the parameters on the EQ to much because I liked the way the piano parts had been recorded. The tiny adjustments made to the EQ made the piano parts more 'bright' and stand out more. Lastly I applied a compressor and added a small portion make-up and also lowered the ratio slightly.

Piano: EQ

Piano: Compression

Snare
The snare was really simple to mix because I only needed to add EQ to make the snare sound less 'shallow' and 'dead'. The only reason I did this is so the snare didn't get lost in the overall mix.

Snare: EQ

Trombone 1 & 2/ Trumpet 1 & 2
The first component I changed with the trombone tracks was reducing the volume, because before they were mixed they overpowered the other parts of the track and the main vocals could not be heard properly. Also I panned one track left and one right because similar to the piano tracks it filled out the entire mix better, it also makes the trombones less overpowering. I finally raised the 2nd parameter on the EQ to make the trombone sound less 'dull'. I treated the trumpet parts the same as the trombone, and that is why I mixed both parts the same, one track was panned left and the other right.

Trombone: EQ

Trumpet: EQ

Mastering 
Now that I have mixed the track, the next and final stage is to master. The way I am going master this track is by opening the mixer window. Then I went to the stereo output channel, this includes all of the tracks and controls them.
By clicking on the 'e' icon the effects channel is activated and I was then able to apply the effects and master the overall mix in real time. The screenshots below show the process of how I set up this mixdown and what effects I applied to the overall stereo output.

Creating an audio mixdown

The mix will then be exported into a WAV file

Before I exported the file I made sure the Bit depth was at 16 Bit and the sample rate was 44.100 Hz because this is CD quality and is the best for this mix.

This bar appears when the mix is being exported

By hovering over Devices you could then access the mixer

Mixer

Above is a screenshot of the mixer, I used this mixer to apply all of the necessary effects to master this track to a high quality standard. This way of mastering a track is useful because all the effects are applied at once, which not only saves time but balances the entire piece better.

Overall EQ applied

Multi-band compression

Multi-band compression was an important effect in the mastering process because this allowed me to change certain frequencies (Hz) in the overall mix. For example I could have increased the lower frequencies to make the piece sound more bass.

In the end I I kept the majority of the thresholds at the same level, this was so everything was balanced. The compression is useful in reducing unwanted frequencies or increasing others to create more of an overall effect.

Once I had applied the EQ and multi-band compression I exported the track again and then uploaded the mastered version to sound cloud.

Evaluation of final mix

The final mix down of the mix can be heard below. When I mixed down all the tracks I added some compression and EQ. Listening to everything mixed down together there are certain parts of the mix that sound 'cluttered', especially with the main and backing vocals. Also the track ends quite abruptly which I tried to fix by fading out certain instruments but it is still not the best. If I were to do this mixing again I would ask the artist to either choose a different ending or to record at a higher quality. This probably will not be the final mix I use as I know that this could be mixed better. This track was a good track to practice on and practice different mixing techniques and see what works well and what doesn't. However when it came to mastering the track I formatted the mix down so I could apply all the effects together at once. I applied EQ to improve the overall quality of the sound, and the multi-band compression that I used allowed me to adjust specific frequencies within the mix. Which can be seen in the screenshot above. I also made sure that the level of the mix was as close to 0dB as possible, this is because it is the best level to be heard on the speakers. If it was any lower it would be to quite to be heard. Also the mastered version is closer to CD quality than the simple mixed version. Furthermore applying multi-band compression and EQ to the mix increased the 'sweetness' of the sound and made it sound more 'richer', with more depth.

Link to mastered version below:

https://soundcloud.com/user-886671367/stick-together-mix-down

Task 2- Master your own mix

Adele- Hello (Cover)

With the practice and experience gained from mixing the other track, I am now going to apply all I have learned into mixing the recording that I did. I should be able to complete this mix to a better standard as I now know what works well in a mix and which effects compliment each other. 

The same as last time I mixed each track individually to gain the overall best quality possible, this was slightly easier this time as I only had 10 tracks to mix. The first step was to organise all of the tracks by colour coding them and cutting out all of the parts that were not needed. This made the file look more professional and made it easier to work on mixing.

All of the tracks colour coded and ordered efficiently 

Piano Left and Right

To separate the two piano parts, I panned one to the left and the other to the right. This made it easier to distinguish between the two parts and also filled out the stereo field. I also applied the same amount of compression to both parts of the piano, I didn't add to much because I did not want the signal to be 'flattened' as this would make the parts sound unnatural. The reverb and EQ helped provide 'warmth' to the track and balance them with the other parts of the recording.

One part panned to the right

The other panned to the left

Compression applied to both piano parts

EQ applied to both piano parts

Reverb applied to both piano parts

Bass Guitar 

The main effect that I used for the bass guitar was EQ, this was so I could slightly raise the lower frequencies to add more bass to the recording. I added a little bit of reverb just to make sure that the bass wasn't to 'dry' and some compression. I thought that a little bit of distortion would help the bass stand out from the other parts as well. Furthermore I noticed that when I got to the chorus, the bass would get swallowed up by the other parts, this is why I automated the volume at the chorus. This makes the bass guitar more audible in the chorus section. Lastly I panned the bass slightly to the right of the stereo field.

EQ applied to bass guitar

Small amount of reverb applied to the bass

Automated the volume at certain parts of the bass guitar 

A little bit of distortion was added 

Panned to the right

Compression applied to bass guitar

Main Vocals 1 & 2

The use of reverb and delay was very important when it came to the main vocals because these effects added more depth to the vocals. Furthermore since the vocals are the most essential part of nay recording I spent the majority of my time making sure they were mixed correctly. The fact that I recorded the main vocals twice and overdubbed them added effect because the vocals harmonised with themselves. Both compression and multi-band compression was applied to the main vocals to make sure they were balanced correctly. I left the main vocals in the centre of the stereo field, as they are the most important part of the recording and needs to be the part that stands out the most.

EQ applied to both main vocal parts

Compression added

Reverb applied

Multi-band compression

Delay

Crash

The EQ I used on the crash was to slightly increase the higher frequencies, however I didn't want to change the frequencies to much because I did not want the crash to sound to 'tinny'. The reverb helped the crash fit in with the other parts of the drum kit, this is also why I panned the crash to the left of the stereo field. 

I panned the crash to the left

EQ for the crash

Reverb applied to the crash

Snare

The snare didn't need to much mixing because the recording was really 'clean' all I did was add some EQ and pan it to the right so it did not get 'drowned' out by the other parts of the kit and recording.

The snare was panned slightly to the right

EQ for the snare

Hi-hat

EQ and reverb were quite important when it came to mixing the hi-hat because like the other parts I wanted the hi-hat to be audible in the mix. When listening to the hi-hat on its own I noticed that the other parts of the drum kit had 'spilled' onto the track. This is most likely due to microphone positioning, however when I applied a gate the majority of the drum kit was stripped away. The gate was useful in letting through the frequencies I wanted people to hear and stop those I didn't.

EQ for the Hi-hat

Panned to the right

Gate applied for Hi-hat

Reverb for the Hi-hat

Kick

The kick was another part where I had to use a gate to help remove some of the higher unwanted frequencies from other parts that had 'spilled' onto it, such as the hi-hat. However with the use of the gate and manipulation of the EQ I was able to increase the lower frequencies to give more power and depth to the kick.

EQ for kick

Gate added to kick

Panned to the left

Compression applied to the kick

Tom

The only effect I applied to the Tom was EQ, this was just to increase certain frequencies to add 'warmth' to the track. Also like all of the other parts I used pan to place it on the left side of the stereo field.

EQ for the tom

Panned to the left

Mastering 

When it cam to mastering this track I used a slightly different method. Once I had exported the track, I opened up a new Cubase project and began adding effects this way. I applied the same effects just like the first mix. However the levels were different since this recording was overseen by myself and recorded to a high quality. Below are the screenshots showing this process.

Opening the mixer

Exporting the mix

Exporting the Cubase file 

Putting the exported file into a new Cubase project

EQ applied to mix

Multi-band compression applied to mix

Evaluation of final mix

Compared to the first task where I was remixing someone else's track, this process was a lot easier. This was firstly due to the fact that I over saw the recording process and set everything up myself. Furthermore remixing and mastering Stick Together allowed me to experiment with different mixing techniques and figure out what processes worked and which did not. 
I do believe this track is more successful than my first mixing attempt because of the reasons given above. My ability to master tracks has also improved as I have been able to try out two different methods of mastering a track and see which one is more efficient. I found this second method of exporting the file and placing it into a new Cubase project more simple. For me everything was more organised and I found it easier to add effects to the exported file, however I didn't have any issues with either method of mastering. 

Overall I believe the mastered version of this cover is to a high quality because I took the time in the recording process to get everything to a high standard. Also the level of mix was formatted so the overall sound was 'sweetened' to a standard that would appeal to an audience and the criteria. 

Link to the mastered version below:
https://soundcloud.com/user-886671367/adele-hello-mastered