Recording, editing, tuning, sound design.
3.1 Recording
☐ Bit depth / sample rate.
☐ Buffer settings (low latency for recording).
☐ Freeze tracks? (to free CPU).
☐ Turn off non‑SSD hard drives; close unnecessary applications.
☐ Create scratch track first (guide for timing/feel).
☐ If re‑amping, record DI track simultaneously.
☐ Mic position (room, performer/instrument); polarity (uni/omni/stereo).
☐ Phantom power (48V)? Wind/pop screen.
☐ Signal level – aim for -18 dB RMS peak. Test tone/playback level before each take.
☐ Click track or drum/percussion track to play along to.
☐ Compression? (record dry + monitor with compression if needed).
☐ FX to perform to? (record dry, use FX in monitors only).
☐ Mix levels of other instruments/tracks to perform to/with.
☐ Create a tempo track and/or click before recording layered parts – sync issues happen without a tempo reference.
☐ Record multiple takes (at least 3‑5) for critical parts.
☐ Mark keeper takes immediately (e.g., “take 15 – keeper”).
☐ For vocals, mark breaths on lyric sheet.
☐ Rotate through songs – record scratch tracks or final takes for all songs in rotation (parallel processing).
3.2 Production
☐ Edit and comp takes (choose keepers).
☐ Clean up comp region transitions (fix clicks/pops).
☐ Melodyne pitch correction – rotate through all songs.
☐ Melodyne sibilance editing – rotate through all songs.
☐ Program or edit MIDI drums (Superior Drummer, Logic Drummer).
☐ Add virtual instruments (choir, synths, percussion, sound design).
☐ Create sound design elements.
☐ Set up re‑amping (record DI, then re‑amp later).
☐ Bounce in place to freeze CPU‑heavy tracks.
☐ Apply hardware inserts – test bounce before committing.
☐ Check that all parts align to tempo map (fix drift).
☐ Keep a “safety MIDI” copy of the score before deleting any data.
☐ After exporting MIDI to DAW, hide but do not delete original MIDI tracks – you needed them when parts went out of sync.
☐ Make a safety duplicate after recording a keeper take (not a bounce).
☐ Experiment with “Q‑strength” on quantized audio – noted as a future experiment.
☐ SMPTE‑lock regions after alignment.
☐ Parallel processing: work on all songs in rotation, 15‑30 min each.