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: BlueRick Title: Meth Head  Genre: Rock, Country, Reggae

Rock, country, reggae—that covers a lot of territory! First up, we feel the need to reassess Rick’s description of his submission. We’ve listened to a lot of reggae over the years, and none of it ever had this rhythm. Rock and country? Sure. Reggae? No. OK. Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s look at some of the issues that are keeping this recording from its full potential. Sonically, there’s a large disparity between the snappiness and volume of the drums, juxtaposed with muddy bass and vocal tone, with the guitars somewhere in between. Starting with the programmed drums, the snare has a brittle sound. The tom fills, while nicely panned, are too loud in relation to the rest of the kit. The fact that the fills never vary lend a programmed vibe that could have been mitigated by occasionally changing the… 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