In part 3 of Behind the Gear at The Record Shop, we take a look at the Tube-Tech CL1B Opto Compressor; a device that has become a studio standard since its release in 1987. The CL1B was developed by Tube-Tech founder, John Peterson. John began his career as a maintenance engineer at the Danish…

One of the main reasons rock stars are so short on gratitude is their failure to understand what their agents have to do to book them. If you have the latest hit on the radio or a million dollar ad campaign year not gonna be too hard to book. But most of us are just short of a couple a side jobs to pay the rent. Inflating your monetary value over the phone is always harder…

Welcome back to behind the gear at The Record Shop. Are you ready to roocccck!?!?!? (cue stadium of screaming fans) This week we take a look at the Purple Audio MC77. The MC77 is a superior recreation of the legendary URIE 1176 Peak Limiter. This piece of gear bleeds rock…

If I was stuck in a studio on a desert island, and could only choose one compressor to bring with me, I’d grab a Distressor. The Distressor is without question the most verstile compressor on the market. If you walk into any professional recording studio in Nashville, or around the world, you’re bound to find at least one of these pieces in the room. If you drop by The Record Shop, you’ll find four of them. Why, you might…

One of the most exciting aspects of my job is having the opportunity to do something new everyday. Running a recording studio in Nashville, I have been privileged to work on an eclectic range of projects. While every record requires a unique approach, detailed preparation is consistently a key element of the process. This week, we take a look at the basic elements of effective pre-production.

Demos: Keep it simple

There is a…

Maintaining a dedicated fan base is one of the most daunting tasks faced by musicians. We all know the importance of social networking, working the press, and promoting shows. If only there was a way to incorporate all of your promotional efforts into one source that could be easily distributed to your target audience. Well guess what? There is! It’s called a newsletter. Newsletters are a simple and effective way to build a “community” around your music, while keeping in touch with your fans…

Eric Conn of Independent Mastering drops by For The Record to share some insight on preparing for mastering. Eric has mastered records for a variety of artists. From Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, and John Prine, to Skid Row, Hank III, and Young Buck. Here at The Record Shop, Independent…

Eric Normand, author of “The Nashville Musician’s Survival Guide” and accomplished guitarist, teamed up with “For The Record”, to provide some insight on the downside of rocking a little too loud. Eric’s upcoming book, “The Nashville Musician’s Survival Guide” provides a comprehensive reference of what it takes to persevere in the competitive Nashville music community.

You can learn more…

"WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A SUCCESS?" by Ed Englerth

Whether someone is putting a band together, or doing the solo thing, there are various reasons why. Sometimes it’s just because you like to be with the people in the band or the folks you meet. Eventually you want to do a good job so you can keep doing what you like doing. Or you want to “make it” or be a “success.” Unfortunately most artistic types are much better at their art than at being organized as a…

I just want to say a public THANK YOU to Bret for putting on this additional feature on the site.  I think it's a brilliant new benefit of being a member on this site.  I have an iDisk with a public folder, and often tell people to go there to pick up music I've left for them.  I've had folks send me stuff using other programs, but I've never seen one this easy to use!  Since I'm nearly always logged in to NMP, it's so…

Becoming The Best Singer You Can Be

From Vocal Coach Chris Beatty vocalcoach.com

Hi Singers! As a vocal coach for many years I wanted to share some thoughts and principles to help you be your best.

• Don’t be satisfied with where you are. There’s always more to learn!
• Make a fresh and ambitious list of your vocal goals.
• Start with the foundations and build from there.

Don’t Be Satisfied With Where You…