Friday, November 13th
Theo took the day to deepen his skill at playing the power trio of a band.
Drums, Guitar, and Bass.
He wanted to reach professional skills by the end of the day.
And with his grandmaster pianist proficiency, he almost had all tools necessary to start producing his album.
Even though, Theo was not planning to start a music band.
He wanted to be knowledgeable about it.
Every member of a musical ensemble must be able to look after their equipment and make any adjustments to ensure the best sound possible is obtained. As well as this they must be able to keep in time with other members and be able to join the song at any point just by going with another music performer. Ultimately everyone in a band relies on the other members to introduce them into the song and to keep time and rhythm.
In most bands, there will be a drummer, vocalist, lead guitarist, and bass guitarist. A drummer's responsibility is to provide a rhythm for the rest of the band, they must be able to listen to all other members to ensure they start and stop at the correct times. As well as keeping their equipment in check they must also ensure that any recording equipment around their kit (if used) is functioning properly and in an optimal position so the desired sound is achieved.
The lead guitarists' responsibilities are to provide a melody that fits with the tempo and style of the drummer and bass player, they also need to be able to play solos that tend to be the highlight of a song. A solo is an improvisation of the current song being played they are used to intensify a section of a song to give the listener more entertainment. They must also attend to their guitar by checking it and ensuring all the strings are in good condition and everything else is in working order.
A bass guitarist is another member that contributes to keeping tempo and rhythm they provide a bass line for other members to play along with. Although it's not as common as lead guitarists they also perform solo's to create a more enjoyable experience for the listener. Along with the lead guitarist they are in charge of the well-being of their equipment.
A vocalist is often referred to as the "the frontman", this means they are responsible for the image of the band and that they act as a spokesperson to promote the band and participate in interviews. As well as everyone else they must ensure their equipment is in working order and everything is set up correctly and in place.
Aside from the ensemble members themselves, other people tend to be involved with a band. A manager is in charge of booking gigs and looking after the band and their interests. This includes booking hotels, and venues and overall ensuring the band and its aspirations are being fulfilled.
Theo didn't have a manager yet to take care of his musical career.
He planned to hire one after he got his album ready.
Theo also wanted to improve his skill in sound mixing.
Even though, he had experience in video and audio editing.
Editing a song was different from editing the sounds of a video.
He had to get his knowledge improved
After all, the studio sound engineer was one of the most important roles when producing a music album.
A studio engineer can take on several different roles depending on the size and type of facility they work in. In some cases, their roles can be quite niche and specific, in others they can span a range of duties.
A studio engineer's responsibilities generally involve recording and processing audio so that it's ready for commercial use or release. Their role involves working with musicians in a studio, managing recording sessions, and ensuring sound is captured at the desired quality. They can be responsible for mixing the audio so that the recordings can be transformed into a final product, like an album or single.
Studio workers whose job title incorporates a producer role have a lot of artistic input when they work on a project. At times, they can be sonic designers creating an identity for a piece of music by using different recording techniques to process sound.
They also work as collaborators writing and producing the music used by artists in their releases alongside helping them to record parts of the song.
A studio engineer could comprise different distinct roles or a mixture of responsibilities from each.
The Assistant Engineer role is centered on keeping the customers and main engineers happy. Duties range from making tea and coffee and hosting clients to setting up microphones, fixing and running cables, packing down, and generally being on call to ensure a session runs smoothly.
The Recording Engineer is responsible for managing the recording session, choosing the recording equipment to be used, deciding on microphone type and placement, and working with the band and producer to ensure sound is captured correctly, at the correct level, using a digital audio workstation.
The Mix Engineer processes and balances the recorded or synthesized audio and creates the final balanced mix of a project before it is sent to audio mastering.
The Producer works with the band or singer and other engineers to record, manage and produce a project and provide artistic direction and creative contribution, where appropriate.
The day-to-day of a normal music album project is very demanding for all parties involved.
Recording sessions often involve 12 hour days starting at 10 am but can sometimes start and finish later depending on the customer. Sessions require setup and pack down which is usually done by the assistant engineer who will be on hand throughout the day, ready to help set up the appropriate microphones (alongside other duties) for recording different instruments.
The recording engineer will also be at the studio for the full session, as booked by the artist. To ensure the quality of the recordings is at the standard required by the producer, the recording engineer spends their time operating a digital audio workstation, choosing the best microphones for each to take, and deciding what recording equipment to use to achieve the desired sound.
Mix engineers work to a similar timescale, starting at 10 am and finishing at around 10 pm. Their day will mostly be filled with processing the recorded audio to craft a balanced mix. They often work alone or with input from the producer of the project.
Other roles like that of a producer can be much more varied. In some situations, the producer provides direction and creative input from a consultancy position. At other times they can be involved in the recording, writing, and mixing process.
But again, Theo didn't want to hire anyone else to produce his album.
It may sound stupid, but he wanted to build his album from the scratch by himself.
He only wanted to use the songs from his past life, but everything else would result from his hard work.
He knew that producing the album alone would take much more time.
But he was not in a hurry to release his album.
So, he would assume all roles in the album production.
Theo wanted to start researching and studying these new roles after he finished learning the musical instruments.
On that Friday, Theo managed to get his skills in playing drums, bass, and guitar to the professional level before he had to go to the restaurant.
That spectacular achievement!
Theo managed to learn three instruments in less than one week with a high level of skill, something that took years for other people.
That wouldn't be possible if he didn't have an enhanced musical ear and knowledge.
And amazing motor coordination that came from his enhanced physical body.
Theo was jamming some songs at the end of the afternoon.
He was having fun while playing the new instruments he learned.
He was one step closer to releasing his album.
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