Author Topic: Questions about recording (Read 452 times)

David Houck · « **on:** June 16, 2015, 07:13:22 PM »

Although I'm nowhere near the point of having a finished tune, much less a CD, I just realized that I don't know how much, if any, silence should proceed, and follow, the musical content in a recording. When the listener pushes the play button on their device, should the content begin immediately, or should there be one or two seconds of silence?

I titled this thread Questions about recording since it seems reasonable to suspect that I'll have other questions come up from time to time, and other members might have questions as well.

cozmik_cowboy · « **Reply #1 on:** June 16, 2015, 07:45:57 PM »

Hmm. The last time I made that decision it was in inches of leader tape.....

Peter

David Houck · « **Reply #2 on:** June 16, 2015, 08:23:04 PM »

I think the answer is little to none.

sonicus · « **Reply #3 on:** June 16, 2015, 08:26:14 PM »

Dave, 2 seconds is a popular timing for that application (in between program material selections).

Wolf

David Houck · « **Reply #4 on:** June 16, 2015, 08:32:20 PM »

Wolf; are the two seconds created when the CD is being made? My question relates to the edited WAV file for one song. Are you suggesting that there be one second of silence at the beginning and end of each recording? Or are you suggesting that two seconds be placed between each recording on the CD?

sonicus · « **Reply #5 on:** June 16, 2015, 08:46:44 PM »

Dave ,
Yes ,that two seconds to be placed between each recording on the CD.

Wolf

David Houck · « **Reply #6 on:** June 16, 2015, 08:48:46 PM »

Thanks!

pauldo · « **Reply #7 on:** June 17, 2015, 05:00:29 AM »

Unless you want to keep the listener on their toes!

A friend created a CD and there is a variance of 'silence' (tacet?) time between songs. It can create a tension and or anticipation for the listener.

*providing the listener is sitting down to hear the whole 'album'. . . do people still do that? Personally I prefer to listen to a complete album to really delve into the artists intent during the recording of the project.

cje · « **Reply #8 on:** June 17, 2015, 07:01:58 AM »

You'd almost certainly want the content of each track to begin immediately, I'd think. That's what I've always done. The art is what you do at the end - there is no rule. I'd think about the album as a whole, and the song-to-song flow. Silence (or lack thereof) is part of that flow, and there is no gap length that works for every transition.

I do a fair amount of mastering (not just for me, but for clients as well), and there really is an art to constructing the flow and pace of an album.

When you burn a standard CD, 2 seconds of silence is inserted PRIOR to the start of the first track, but it's not something that you have to listen through when you play that track, and it is not included in the track's total running time - it's just part of the disc format.

adriaan · « **Reply #9 on:** June 17, 2015, 07:50:26 AM »

Medeski-Martin-Wood / Combustication has a ghost track - there's a long silence at the end of the last track, followed by a jam that's a really pleasant surprise.

stout71 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 17, 2015, 08:10:47 AM »

I'd also add that pushing play on a CD player will not yield instant sound. It takes a second (or at least a few milliseconds) for the song to start. I agree completely about a couple of seconds between tracks.

The space, regardless of where on the CD you want it, is usually done in the mastering process.

David Houck · « **Reply #11 on:** June 17, 2015, 10:09:14 AM »

Thanks everyone; that make's sense.

And yes; how do people listen to, and acquire, music now? Do they purchase actual CD's, or do they download songs; to they download a whole album or just individual songs?

My first test of the new recorder seems to have gone well. Now the hard part is actually playing the songs properly.

gtrguy · « **Reply #12 on:** June 17, 2015, 10:33:13 AM »

There is special CD burning software that lets you tweak all this. It is important that the CDs be burnt 'all at once'. Most typical CD software will burn each track 'one at a time' and this can throw off gaps between songs and commercial duplicating software, should you decide to have your CDs duped so you can sell them.

Cakewalk Pyro is supposed to be a good CD burning package for your original music. Fade ins and outs are also important.

hieronymous · « **Reply #13 on:** June 17, 2015, 12:00:07 PM »

I will preface this with a note that I have only put my music out online, and only for free on sites like Soundcloud.

I have my tracks start almost immediately - don't cut it too close though, you can leave a little bit of space at the beginning - I found early on while recording that if I cut it to the almost exact instant of the beginning, it would sometimes get cut off when played.

Then I leave space at the end of the track. I don't like to let the computer add time between tracks, I'd prefer to do it myself. On the Mac, it asks if you want to add 2 seconds between songs, I always say no.

Good question about how people listen to music now. CDs seem antiquated now, though I am sure that many people still listen to them, myself included. I think it's partly age-related and what people are familiar with, and also convenience related - on a recent 6-hour drive I had a bag full of CDs, but having everything on an mp3 player would probably make sense, especially if that's how it was purchased.

elwoodblue · « **Reply #14 on:** June 17, 2015, 01:01:35 PM »

My favorite silence ,or thick air

...is the pause in Blackbird. It got me .
https://youtu.be/BrxZhWCAuQw?t=2m17s

I look forward to your creations Dave.