Solo Artist: One Song (Vocal To Pre-Recorded Backing Track) – 1 Hour
" While this is entirely doable, don't expect perfection. As long as your engineer is quick off the mark, you should be able to get a few takes down and then select the best one. There may even be time to perform the odd edit, but forget anything as time-consuming as tuning. At the end of the session, expect a fairly average karaoke-style recording, the success of which is pretty much dependent on how you perform in those few crucial minutes spent tracking. If nerves get the better of you, or you're able to perform at your best, expect to book some more studio time in the near future. "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 60%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 0:10 | 16.67% |
| Soundcheck vocal | 0:05 | 8.33% |
| Track vocal | 0:25 | 41.67% |
| Listen back/edit vocal | 0:10 | 16.67% |
| Mix | 0:05 | 8.33% |
| Create media | 0:05 | 8.33% |
Solo Artist: One Song (Vocal To Pre-Recorded Backing Track) – 2 Hours
" You could be okay with . Two hours is a reasonable amount of time to produce something you'll want to listen to when you get home. There'll be time for setup, soundcheck, a chance for you to warm up and get acquainted with your settings, and a good few takes too. There may well be enough time for some vocal comping (choosing different bits from different takes to make a 'master' take), and tuning, as well as some rudimentary mastering at the end to get the finished recording up to level. The key to success here though is to be prepared. If you're under-rehearsed, or nerves get the better of you, expect to book a bit more studio time in order to finish things off. "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 80%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 0:10 | 8.33% |
| Soundcheck vocal | 0:05 | 4.17% |
| Track vocal | 0:50 | 41.67% |
| Listen back/edit vocal | 0:20 | 16.67% |
| Tune vocal | 0:15 | 12.5% |
| Mix | 0:10 | 8.33% |
| Master | 0:05 | 4.17% |
| Create media | 0:05 | 4.17% |
Solo Artist: One Song (Vocal To Pre-Recorded Backing Track) – 3 Hours
" You should have more than enough time to produce a really great performance. Three hours will afford you enough time to set up, soundcheck, perform a good number of takes, create a composite (choose the best bits from each takes), retake if necessary, tune, mix, and master. If you're serious about creating a good quality vocal to pre-recorded backing track recording, this is the minimum amount of time you should spend in order to create a great sounding output. The weakest link in the chain here may well be the quality of your backing track, so make sure you invest wisely and present it in a high-quality format. "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 100%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 0:10 | 5.56% |
| Soundcheck vocal | 0:05 | 2.78% |
| Track vocal | 1:00 | 33.33% |
| Listen back/edit vocal | 0:30 | 16.67% |
| Tune vocal | 0:30 | 16.67% |
| Mix | 0:20 | 11.11% |
| Master | 0:20 | 11.11% |
| Create media | 0:05 | 2.78% |
Solo Artist: One Song (Vocal To Pre-Recorded Backing Track) – 4 Hours
" Four hours for a vocal to pre-recorded backing track? May be overkill unless you intend to also record harmonies and/or multiple backing vocals. If you've only got the one vocal line to sing, you'll probably have some time to burn, so could possibly consider double tracking (to a high standard) and/or going to town on the mix by adding vocal effects if applicable. "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 100%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 0:10 | 4.17% |
| Soundcheck vocal | 0:05 | 2.08% |
| Track vocal | 1:00 | 25% |
| Listen back/edit vocal | 0:45 | 18.75% |
| Tune vocal | 0:45 | 18.75% |
| Mix | 0:30 | 12.5% |
| Master | 0:30 | 12.5% |
| Create media | 0:05 | 2.08% |
| Wait around for the session to end | 0:10 | 4.17% |
Solo Artist: One Song (Vocal To Pre-Recorded Backing Track) – 6 Hours
" Are you sure? Six hours is a long time for one track. Unless you've got some serious ideas for production (I'm thinking multiple vocal layers, vocoder effects etc.), you could be sitting round twiddling your thumbs for a while. And paying. "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 100%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 0:10 | 2.78% |
| Soundcheck vocal | 0:05 | 1.39% |
| Track vocal | 1:00 | 16.67% |
| Listen back/edit vocal | 0:45 | 12.5% |
| Tune vocal | 0:45 | 12.5% |
| Mix | 0:30 | 8.33% |
| Master | 0:30 | 8.33% |
| Create media | 0:05 | 1.39% |
| Wait around for the session to end | 2:10 | 36.11% |
Solo Artist: One Song (Vocal To Pre-Recorded Backing Track) – 8 Hours (1 Day)
" Hey big spender! If you've cash to burn, why not! Say you 'booked a day in the studio' and 'laid down a track'. Or if you're not into burning money just for the sake of gloating, err, don't. "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 100%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 0:10 | 2.08% |
| Soundcheck vocal | 0:05 | 1.04% |
| Track vocal | 1:00 | 12.5% |
| Listen back/edit vocal | 0:45 | 9.38% |
| Tune vocal | 0:45 | 9.38% |
| Mix | 0:30 | 6.25% |
| Master | 0:30 | 6.25% |
| Create Media | 0:05 | 1.04% |
| Wait around for the session to end | 4:10 | 52.08% |
Solo Artist: One Song (Vocal To Pre-Recorded Backing Track) – 16 Hours (2 Days)
" Really? That sounds a bit silly. You may want to consider spending less money, unless you intend to bring a bed into the studio and camp out overnight. "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 100%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 0:10 | 1.04% |
| Soundcheck vocal | 0:05 | 0.52% |
| Track vocal | 1:00 | 6.25% |
| Listen back/edit vocal | 0:45 | 4.69% |
| Tune vocal | 0:45 | 4.69% |
| Mix | 0:30 | 3.13% |
| Master | 0:30 | 3.13% |
| Create Media | 0:05 | 0.52% |
| Wait around for the session to end | 12:10 | 76.04% |
Solo Artist: One Song (Vocal To Pre-Recorded Backing Track) – 24 Hours (3 Days)
" This is a ridiculous idea. Planning on performing a one-track rock opera or something? "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 100%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 0:10 | 0.69% |
| Soundcheck vocal | 0:05 | 0.35% |
| Track Vocal | 1:00 | 4.17% |
| Listen back/edit vocal | 0:45 | 3.13% |
| Tune vocal | 0:45 | 3.13% |
| Mix | 0:30 | 2.08% |
| Master | 0:30 | 2.08% |
| Create media | 0:05 | 0.35% |
| Wait around for the session to end | 20:10 | 84.03% |
Solo Artist: One Song (Vocal To Pre-Recorded Backing Track) – 32 Hours (4 Days)
" With this amount of hours, you could probably record each word one at a time and sew each one together. Would it sound better than a good old-fashioned comp? No, probably not. "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 100%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 0:10 | 0.52% |
| Soundcheck vocal | 0:05 | 0.26% |
| Track vocal | 1:00 | 3.13% |
| Listen back/edit vocal | 0:45 | 2.34% |
| Tune vocal | 0:45 | 2.34% |
| Mix | 0:30 | 1.56% |
| Master | 0:30 | 1.56% |
| Create media | 0:05 | 0.26% |
| Wait around for the session to end | 28:10 | 88.02% |
Solo Artist: One Song (Vocal To Pre-Recorded Backing Track) – 40 Hours (5 Days)
" Seriously, put your wallet away. Record your track then go for a weekend break by the sea. It'll be good for you. "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 100%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 0:10 | 0.42% |
| Soundcheck vocal | 0:05 | 0.21% |
| Track vocal | 1:00 | 2.5% |
| Listen back/edit vocal | 0:45 | 1.88% |
| Tune vocal | 0:45 | 1.88% |
| Mix | 0:30 | 1.25% |
| Master | 0:30 | 1.25% |
| Create media | 0:05 | 0.21% |
| Wait around for the session to end | 36:10 | 90.42% |
Solo Artist: One Song (Vocal To Pre-Recorded Backing Track) – 80 Hours (10 Days)
" Okay, if you've got this kinda money to splash in the studio you may want to reconsider recording just the one song to backing track. Perhaps get some real musicians involved and create something unique and totally you. Oh, and don't forget the orchestra – you've certainly got time for it! "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 100%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 0:10 | 0.21% |
| Soundcheck vocal | 0:05 | 0.1% |
| Track vocal | 1:00 | 1.25% |
| Listen back/edit vocal | 0:45 | 0.94% |
| Tune vocal | 0:45 | 0.94% |
| Mix | 0:30 | 0.63% |
| Master | 0:30 | 0.63% |
| Create media | 0:05 | 0.1% |
| Wait around for the session to end | 76:10 | 95.21% |
Solo Artist: One Song (Vocal To Pre-Recorded Backing Track) – 160 Hours (20 Days)
" Wow… You're serious about this! Ditch the backing track, get some musicians, rehearse them, record them, spend days getting your vocal down, and perhaps budget for marketing if you're this hell-bent on burning money. You may even make it! "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 100%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 0:10 | 0.1% |
| Soundcheck vocal | 0:05 | 0.05% |
| Track vocal | 1:00 | 0.63% |
| Listen back/edit vocal | 0:45 | 0.47% |
| Tune vocal | 0:45 | 0.47% |
| Mix | 0:30 | 0.31% |
| Master | 0:30 | 0.31% |
| Create media | 0:05 | 0.05% |
| Wait around for the session to end | 156:10 | 97.6% |
Solo Artist: One Song (Vocal To Pre-Recorded Backing Track) – 320 Hours (40 Days)
" Don't. Just don't. I can't help you. "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 100%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 0:10 | 0.05% |
| Soundcheck vocal | 0:05 | 0.03% |
| Track vocal | 1:00 | 0.31% |
| Listen back/edit vocal | 0:45 | 0.23% |
| Tune vocal | 0:45 | 0.23% |
| Mix | 0:30 | 0.16% |
| Master | 0:30 | 0.16% |
| Create media | 0:05 | 0.03% |
| Wait around for the session to end | 316:10 | 98.8% |
Solo Artist: One Song (Vocal And Instrument) – 1 Hour
" While this is entirely doable, don’t expect perfection. You’ll basically get a high-quality live demo recording. With the clock ticking, it’s unlikely that sixty minutes will afford you the luxury of being able to track instrument and vocal separately, so it’ll be a case of slamming out a couple of live takes and choosing the best one. An hours’ recording time will most probably allow for a quick setup and sound-check, a few takes, some rudimentary editing, and a very quick mix. Mastering? A bit out output limiting will probably be extent of it. "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 50%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 0:10 | 16.67% |
| Soundcheck instrument and vocal | 0:05 | 8.33% |
| Track song live (instrument and vocal together) | 0:20 | 33.33% |
| Listen back/edit | 0:10 | 16.67% |
| Mix | 0:10 | 16.67% |
| Create media | 0:05 | 8.33% |
Solo Artist: One Song (Vocal And Instrument) – 2 Hours
" You should be okay if you’re not too fussy. With two hours on the clock you've got the opportunity to track instrument and vocal separately (which means you can just dedicate yourself to one job at a time), although you’ll still have to move quickly. While it’ll be possible to the odd scuffed note, your finished instrument performance may well be based predominantly on one take. Vocal-wise there’ll be enough time for a few takes, with maybe the odd edit performed. Mix and master will be quick, but produce a good representation of your overall performance. "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 70%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 0:10 | 8.33% |
| Soundcheck instrument | 0:05 | 4.17% |
| Track instrument | 0:30 | 25% |
| Listen back/edit instrument | 0:10 | 8.33% |
| Soundcheck vocal | 0:05 | 4.17% |
| Track vocal | 0:30 | 25% |
| Listen back/edit vocal | 0:10 | 8.33% |
| Mix | 0:10 | 8.33% |
| Master | 0:05 | 4.17% |
| Create media | 0:05 | 4.17% |
Solo Artist: One Song (Vocal And Instrument) – 3 Hours
" Played and gigged your song a thousand times? You should be fine. A little unsure of the structure still? You may have problems. This is the make-or-break time where you could end up with a ‘pretty good’ performance or an ‘excellent’ performance. The crucial thing here is to be prepared. Three hours is certainly long enough to track your instrument and vocals separately, so it’s really down to how quickly you can get excellent performances down for the engineer to work with. There’ll definitely be enough time for some comping and tuning if needs be, and enough time at the end for some mixing and mastering, but if you could afford three hours, perhaps you could afford four which’d give you just a little more room for comfort. "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 90%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 0:10 | 5.56% |
| Soundcheck instrument | 0:05 | 2.78% |
| Track instrument | 0:40 | 22.22% |
| Listen back/edit instrument | 0:10 | 5.56% |
| Soundcheck vocal | 0:05 | 2.78% |
| Track vocal | 0:40 | 22.22% |
| Listen back/edit vocal | 0:10 | 5.56% |
| Tune | 0:25 | 13.89% |
| Mix | 0:20 | 11.11% |
| Master | 0:10 | 5.56% |
| Create media | 0:05 | 2.78% |
Band: One Song – 1 Hour
" Dummy blurb "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 20%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|
Band: One Song – 2 Hours
" More dummy copy "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 40%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|
Band: EP – 1 Hour
" blurb "
The Low-Down (for a typical 3½ minute song)
Chance of success: 40%
Typical Time Usage (all figures are approximations)
| Item | Time (hours:minutes) | Time (percentage) |
|---|