The Making of a Record: Final 4 Stages (Part 2!)

So, you’ve read through Part 1 of The Making of a Record, followed our top tips, and have just finished recording your tracks here at Gospel Oak Studio. What next?

Well, now it’s our turn! Here’s where our producers and engineers can work their magic so that your record is ready for release. Not only do we have some of the best engineers in the business here at Gospel Oak, but we’ve also set them loose on the very best equipment; the studio is kitted out with an SSL console and Prism AD/DA converters, with a world-class outboard, backline and mics. Trust us, it’s a winning combination!

Here’s what we do:

The Editing Process: First things first, it’s time to edit your work. Typically, this can involve a host of things from arrangement, comping, noise reduction, and time/pitch editing. We’ll evaluate all of the recordings overall, looking at what works and what doesn’t, and can then compare various takes and phrases of each track in order to select and compile the best ones for the final mix. Next, we’ll reduce any background noise, like amp hissing, breaths, or just dead air, and edit any off-beat or off-pitch notes. You can, of course, leave it exactly as it is for a more authentic sound, a la The Beatles ……

The Mixing Process: Now we’ve got the best final version of each track, we must process and manipulate them individually, and make them blend (or mix!) together to form a cohesive record. Our engineers are specialists in the physics of sound and acoustics, and have various methods and crafts to employ at this vital stage. Here, we can adjust particular elements or phases of the tracks, and apply panning, equalization, compression, reverb, delay, EQ, volume levels, and many more mixing tricks, tweaking until the final product is spot on. Here at Gospel Oak we’re spoilt for choice with our standards and range of equipment, including Avid HD Native System, Universal Audio UAD 2 PCIe, Pro Tools 10 & 11, and Logic Studio.

The Mastering Process:

Congratulations – you’re nearly there! The mastering process is one of the very last stages in the making of a record, the essential final piece of the puzzle, so to speak. Here, we can put the finishing touches to the record using various mastering techniques, including balancing frequencies and maximizing loudness. These techniques are effectively further, high quality compression and equalization, and are applied to the record as a whole, as opposed to as individual tracks. At this stage, we also sequence the songs into the desired order, insert metadata, and convert it into an appropriate sample rate, to ensure the record is 100% ready for the ears of others.

The Duplication/Replication Process:

Finally, your record can now be replicated or duplicated! This stage is all that’s stood in between you and a physical edition of your work of art. Generally, duplication is used for smaller quantities of around 25-500 CDs, whereas the replication process is better suited to a higher quality and quantity product. Again, our team of experts can advise you as to printing option might be best for you.

And there you have it! All it takes is practicing and prepping before the studio, pre-production, the recording process itself, editing, mixing, mastering and replication or duplication – making a record is as easy as that! 😉 But seriously, with Gospel Oak Studio’s state of the art equipment, idyllic surroundings, and top quality team of professional, friendly producers and engineers, we’ll work closely with you at each step of the way to ensure you achieve the perfect final record.

Oh, and did we mention that we’re extending our very special summer throughout August? We’re offering studio time for just £200 per day, so click here to book with us!

For more on the editing, mixing and mastering processes, check out:

8 Tips for Mixing and Mastering
How To Record A Song
The Recording Process
What is Mastering?
A Day at the Studio
What Happens in a Typical Recording/Mixing/Mastering Project?
An Artists Journey: Recording Process