Production Update 10-11-10

Sometimes producing an album is like watching paint dry. It can be quite a long road, and not every part of the production process is as exciting as the big recording day. There are some days when I feel burnt out and need a break. There are also moments of celebration as a new milestone is reached. I’m really looking forward to our next recording sessions in Nashville – however, there is still a fair amount of work to do before I take this next step, and there is still a good chunk of money yet to be raised. Some days, I get a little impatient, but I know the finished product will be worth the wait.

So where am I along the production time line? Well, I’m getting close to having all the editing completed (for what I’ve recorded so far), and I’ve finalized and transferred the majority of the MIDI sounds (synthesizers, organs, orchestral percussion, drum programming, etc.) from Logic Audio to Pro Tools (the songs were arranged in Logic Audio, but will be mixed in Pro Tools, thus the transfer). Many of the songs already have 50 audio tracks or more, and I haven’t even recorded the real strings yet, and have not imported any of the background vocals. When all is said and done, many songs will contain a good 100 audio tracks or more. As I’ve mentioned before, my friend Dave Bechtel will be mixing the album, and I’ve been busy preparing the Pro Tools sessions that I will eventually hand off to Dave for mixing. Some of this preparation includes setting up busses (for instrument groups – drums, guitars, etc.) and assigning colors to each audio track (according to each instrument’s group). Backstage Pass was arranged in Apple’s Logic, recorded with Pro Tools, but was then mixed in Steinberg’s Nuendo. With this album, Dave will be mixing the project in Pro Tools HD, and it will be nice to give him prepped Pro Tools sessions that are set up and ready to go. This will save both of us a lot of time.

Yesterday, I again recorded acoustic guitar with Matt Meyer (at 10x12 Productions). We have now officially tracked all acoustic guitar parts for the album. Thanks to Derek Hunt for letting us borrow his beautiful Taylor!

As far as preparation for Nashville trip #2 goes, I still have to finalize the string arrangements for three songs. Robert Nugent and Rich Barrett have given me their string arrangements; now I just need to wrap up my own arrangements (which includes preparing the sheet music). In addition, I have a small amount of audio editing left to do, and need to prep a number of Pro Tools sessions that I’ll use while tracking strings, guitar leads/textures, and piano during our next trip to Nashville. Financially, I’m continuing to save. It’s looking like I’ll have about 2/3 of what I need for the trip by the end of this year. I’m hoping that this next Nashville trip will happen sometime at the beginning of 2011. It’s tough to wait, but it feels good to pay as I go.

In other news, a couple weeks ago, Crystal and I took a long overdue vacation to Lakeside, OH and then to Chicago. It was so nice to get away from the daily grind and it felt very healthy to step away from the computer and the meticulous editing and exporting. I’ve returned to the project with a new excitement and a fresh perspective on the songs. It has indeed been a long haul, but little words of encouragement here and there have kept me going, all the while reminding me that this music is meant for something bigger than myself. I continue to pray that God will use Snapshots of the Shattered Soul for His glory.

“Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” Psalm 127:1