Recording’s Readers’ Tracks is where respected engineer and producer Marty Peters listens to your recordings and critiques them, pointing out where and how you can make them better. Listen to the songs, read the reviews, and submit your own materials online via upload.

Artist Name: Andrews Way Title: The Perfect Take Genre: Pop/Rock

If there’s a loyalty awards program, John would certainly qualify! In his production notes, he tells us that he has been submitting songs since 1996, with prior submissions in 2007 and 2019, and he’s been a subscriber since our ‘Home and Studio Recording’ days back in 1989. Emeritus standing John, and hats off! Let’s dig into John and Stacey’s latest effort and see how things are faring. Upon our initial listen, a lot is going on here. The arrangement boasts several distinct sections, each with its own character. The brief intro features a very Queen-like vibe—kudos to John for capturing a very credible Brian May tone on his soaring electric guitar part. The track then pivots into a ‘50s, 6/8 feel (think ‘Donna’ by the late great Ritchie Valens) that features Stacey delivering a whimsical lyric beautifully sung and recorded… READ THE FULL REVIEW

REC’s six monthly Sound Advice bulletins offer great advice:

1. On Vocals: Useful advice on recording the best vocals.
2. On Guitars: Miked or direct, electric or acoustic, ways to capture great guitar sounds.
3. On Drums: Great techniques for recording drums.
4. On Mastering & Mixing: Practical mastering topics for at-home users and tips on how to mix better songs.
5. On Acoustics: Learn how to make your room sound better.
6. On Digital Audio: All about digital and computer audio.

SAMPLE BULLETINS