Photo via Disc Makers Blog
Whether you’re trying to record the ultimate ballad or you simply make your songs sound larger than life, doing so is easier said than done when you’re recording from home.
However, just because you don’t have access to full-blown, professionally-equipped studio doesn’t mean that your tracks have to feel thin or otherwise ordinary. At the end of the day, achieving a fuller, sweeping sound that’s grandiose and impossible to miss requires some keen attention to detail in terms of mixing, composition and layering.
If you’re striving for more epic songs and moments in your music, consider the following six techniques to make it happen.
Create Your Own Orchestra
Think about draw-dropping orchestral arrangements such as “Flight of Valkyries” or “William Tell Overture” which have captivated audiences for centuries. Many of the biggest EDM, rock and pop songs feature string arrangements that signal to listeners that your track means business. With free Kontakt libraries for download, you can have a whole slew of strings at your fingertips that integrate seamlessly into your DAW.
Echo and Delay
Perhaps the low hanging fruit for a bigger sound, most DAWs also have default echos and delays which can emulate the ambiance of a concert hall or stage. This is especially useful for those recording live tracks in their bedroom studios, unable to take advantage of natural acoustics. The only caveat of these effects is not to overdo them as you risk muddling your mix.
Double-Tracking Can Do the Trick
This trick works for vocals and instrumentation alike. Double-tracking affords you a thicker sound and the ability to add some creative accents throughout your tracks.
As a side note, make it a point to lower the volume of your second or even third tracks to ensure that they aren’t too noisy. If musicians learned anything from “the loudness wars”, it’s that nobody wins when tracks are too heavy.
Try Out Some New Scales
Sometimes you need to experiment with some new notes, scales and chords. For example, the octatonic and diminished scales are the bread and butter of soundtracks and classical music. Pulling out new chords and changing keys can signal a shift in your sounds that takes listeners along for a ride.
Embrace the “Wall of Sound”
Popularized by legendary producer Phil Spector in the 1960s with artists such as the Beach Boys, the concept of the wall of sound pretty much speaks for itself. That is, extreme layering combined with redubbing and wild experimentation with tracking different instruments almost to the point of excess. Used sparingly, this technique to recording goes hand in hand with a track that you want to stand out from the rest of your songs.
Let Your Song Build Itself Up
Finally, strive to write songs that build up over time through a crescendo. The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” is a prime example of a song that starts off with minimal instrumentation and ends in a total explosion of sound. While the initial simplicity of a single instrument or vocal track is enough to reel listeners in, ending with a massive climax of sound represents an awesome payoff.
Don’t assume that a grander, awesome track that brings listeners to their knees is beyond your reach simply because you’re recording from home. Any combination of these techniques can give your next track feel “bigger” without compromising your songwriting style.
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