Recording to a backing track : 3) Create an instrumental from scratch

So you've got a great song in your head, but you've not got the first idea how to bring it to life! If only the song already existed...

At Flipside we have a big team of specialist producers who can help bring your reality to life. We've taken songs from a few lines, all the way through to finished production many times and in several genres. 

Check out this track (Real Love, by Sej Duble) which started as lyrics and a basic melody. 

Or how about James Herring.

The process goes like this :

1. Bring us what you have so far. Whether its a whole song, some lyrics, a chorus, a hook or a couple of whistled notes. We'll discuss with you where you want to go with it. Do you want to sing it? or get a pro singer to vocal it? Do you want an urban track? or is this a symphony orchestra track? We'll help you narrow down your direction.
2. We'll create a development plan which will take your concept to specialists in your chosen genre who will help you develop an honest approach to the song. It may involve a beat producer, a band, or a combination. We'll let you know a price and agree a timeline.
3. Together we'll produce your track in our professional facilities and when you're happy with the track we'll give it you as a CD

Because this is a bespoke service and requires a variety of different engineers and producers prices vary from project to project, so please get in touch for a quotation.

The Pros & Cons

Pros - 

• You hold all the copyright, it's a unique work
• Achieve the sound you have in your head
• You're making a product at releasable quality
• You get to work with a great team (this is also a potential con)

Cons -

• Can be much more expensive
• The process can take longer to get right, there's a lot more to tweak!
• You have to work and rely on more people (this is also a pro!)

Want to know more about recording to backing tracks?

Recording to a backing track : 1) Buy premade

There are loads of great instrumentals of well known songs available. You can find them in a variety of places such as itunes (search for "karaoke" versions or "instrumentals") or direct from a maker. When we're comparing quality we often find that Ameritz are a good choice. But we reccomend you listen before you buy and don't accepts a backing track that is substandard. When choosing, we suggest you do the following ...

1. Check you've got the right version by the right artist!
2. Double check you've got the right version in the right key
3. Triple check you've got the right version making sure you haven't got a lead vocal, or backing vocal mix
4. Listen to the instruments, do they sound real? (lots of them don't and it's awful!)
5. Compare the instrumentals to the original as well as amongst themselves.
6. Do not accept a poor quality version. It will make you sound bad.
7. Is the track the same length as the original? (a couple of seconds difference is generally nothing to worry about)
8. Buy it well in advance of your session so that you can practise to it.

The Pros & Cons

Pros - 

• This is usually the cheapest way to work
• Often achieve a high quality sound
• People enjoy listening to covers, so you can reach an audience quickly.

Cons -

• You don't own the rights to the songs
• They're never quite as good as the original (unless it's an official instrumental)
• Everybody else can do the same, you're not individual.

Move on to - Recording to backing track : 2) Using an accompanist