Recording

After many years of planning, Rick Wakeman has succeeded in putting on a show that is a worthy successor to follow his theatrical '70s son et lumière extravaganzas — Return To The Centre Of The Earth. Paul Ward was present as production of the album of the story neared completion at CTS Studios in London.

Blanket coverage in the music press and wall-to-wall radio play have made Gay Dad the hottest new band in the UK. Matt Bell talks to singer Cliff Jones and producer Mark Frith about the recording of their second hit single, 'Joy'.

Few people can truly be said to be multi-talented, but jazz and soul legend Marcus Miller is undoubtedly one of them. Paul Tingen talks to him about his approach to making and recording music, and looks inside his Camel Island studio.

Up to 30 percent of SOS readers are planning to buy a CD recorder this year, so clearly many of you have designs on making your own album. Paul White talks you through the process of compiling an audio album on CD-R using a stand-alone CD recorder fed from a DAT source.

Sampled drums may be quicker and cheaper than the real thing, but there is something special about a real drummer hitting real drums. Hugh Robjohns passes on a few ideas and tips on capturing the best possible kit sound.

You don't necessarily need a multitrack recorder or audio sequencer to make a master-quality recording. Paul White explains how good results can be produced using stereo recording techniques married with MIDI sequencing.

The craft of mixing is all about controlling and balancing the relative levels of different instruments. Most of this balancing is done by riding the faders, but dynamic compression can also be a very useful and powerful tool if used appropriately. Hugh Robjohns explains some of the techniques and traps involved in mix compression.

Miriam Stockley is one of the premier session singers in the UK; but it's taken her until now to record an album of her own. She talks to Sue Sillitoe about recording the album in her new home studio.

The first single from the Manic Street Preachers' This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours album entered the UK charts at no.1 — even though the band had adandoned their traditional power‑chord approach in favour of acoustic guitars, string machines and unusual synth effects. We talk to Dave Eringa, the producer who oversaw this successful change of direction.

Tired of those sampled string sounds? Hugh Robjohns outlines a number of techniques and tips for recording real live string soloists and string sections.

Audio software and PC soundcards are offering 20- or 24-bit recording capabilitiy at even more affordable prices — but whether the extra data on your hard disk will actually correspond to better sound quality depends on a host of other factors. Martin Walker tells you what you need to know when deciding if you should make the change.

Although most modern synths come with good bass guitar patches, there's still nothing quite like the real thingplayed well — provided you know how to record it. Paul White examines a few alternative approaches.

Hums, clicks, rustles, chirps, shuffles and creaks. Just a few of the sounds that your recordings could well do without. Paul White has a quiet word about the art of noise reduction.

Paul Tingen catches up with the musical innovator and legendary force behind BeBop Deluxe at his minimalist home studio, and finds him producing more music than ever before.

It was the best-selling single of last year, and signalled a radical change of musical direction for Cher — complete with bizarre vocal processing. Yet, surprisingly, it was produced in a small studio in West London. Sue Sillitoe relates the astonishing tale of 'Believe'.

Legendary rockers Deep Purple are back with a new, self-produced album. Sharon Stancavage talks to bassist Roger Glover and engineer Darren Schneider about how it was recorded.

Brass and reed instruments present some challenging problems to the recording engineer, whether played by soloists or sections. Hugh Robjohns offers some hints and tips.

Most people knew that Gary Barlow was the songwriting force behind boy-band stars Take That, but his long-term interest in production and recording is less well documented. Now recording and co-producing his second solo album, he looks set to put the memory of his former band far behind him. Matt Bell pays him a visit at his impressive home studio.

All fingers and thumbs in front of a keyboard? John Walden provides a few pointers to make sequencing using a MIDI guitar controller a less fretful experience.

In this final part of our series looking at the alternative systems available for recording and mixing, Paul White outlines his own system and the reasons for building it that way.

Just when you thought it was safe to dip your hand in your pocket and buy that ideal studio, Paul White throws digital mixers into the frame.