David's Tip of the Day: Recording for Dynamics, Part 2

Let's now listen to what you recorded...

"#1) Record a song you know well"

Okay, cool...

"#2) Right after the first one record the same song with NO dynamics (no volume change... everything at one level)."

You might of been surprised that this sounded no different, or not much different, than #1. If this is the case, you're in the majority. This is a good wake-up call to use more dynamics.

"#3) Then record the same song with a focus on dynamics... make some passages louder and others softer. Really try to swing your dynamics dramatically."

Now the song is starting to come alive... more feeling...

"#4) Record it one last time, but make your louds even louder and softs even softer... MORE dramatic."

This is what your goal is to sound like all of the time.

Now have someone else listen to your recording. Don't tell them what you did... just ask them to listen to each version and make note of which ones they liked, in order most favorite to least favorite.