The recording of the theme song of the Lobster Festival is simpler and more complicated than Zhang Tan imagined.

The complication lies in the fact that the process of recording a song is too cumbersome.

First of all, the creator is needed to create lyrics and songs, in which the order of lyrics and composition can be reversed for artistic creation; If it's a custom song, you have to write the lyrics first, and then compose the music after writing the lyrics. Many singers, especially those "singer-songwriters", buy out the lyrics from others, and then find someone to compose the music, which is called original.

The creation of lyrics and songs is generally repetitive, and the words are constantly changed in order to fit the song, and the song may also be modified in order to perfect the lyrics and singing. However, the general word should be "bending the waist" for the song, because the Chinese language has four tones and rhymes, which is flexible and changeable, which is more convenient than changing the tune.

Among them, the composition will generally produce a small sample, and make a sample song on the computer with MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), that is, a simple humming. This is to allow the seller to listen to the beat, the pitch, the door, the mood, etc., so that they can have a clearer understanding and know the general quality of the piece.

This link is called proofing.

The sample passed, and it was the real arrangement.

Many songwriters can compose music, but they can't arrange music, and Zhang Tan is undoubtedly one of them. Because he has the memory of his previous life, he knows a general melody and composes a tune according to this melody. But I don't know how to make the music.

The biggest difficulty in arranging music is to solve the problem of orchestration, what kind of instruments are used to express the song, where each instrument is used, what part it serves, and so on. Only when the arranger has arranged the score and the vocal parts are well arranged, can each instrument be exported separately and handed over to the recording engineer to record.

If you invite a band to play on real instruments, you have to copy a sheet of music for each musician.

Once you have the score, you can invite singers and bands to come to the studio to record. In general, the real instrument is recorded first, and after each musician's instrument has been recorded, the mixer will synthesize the accompaniment. Because many singers don't know how to read music, they need to be guided by accompaniment, otherwise they will be out of tune when they sing.

In short, the real instrument sounds, electronic instrument sounds, and singer voices are all recorded in separate tracks, and the producers and others are satisfied with all aspects, so they can let the mixer mix all the sub-tracks and complete the recording of a song. Then it was a master's tape, which was copied into a plate and put on the shelves for sale.

To make a high-quality and delicate song, you have to spend a lot of time revising and correcting all of the above.

This is the complexity of recording songs.

But obviously, "Spicy Crayfish" is not so demanding.

Liu Yicheng's studio does not have such high conditions, polishing them one by one. All the work is simple, and there is no need to record the master, just record an audio format file.

After all, it's not for Zhang Tan to release a record, it's just to record a song that can be used for promotion and playback.

The streamlined recording process has become much simpler in Zhang Tan's eyes.

Liu Yicheng himself is a music producer and knows how to arrange, the first item is to set the guitar as the main instrument, and some of the voices will be appropriately added with some electronic sounds.

Then Zhang Tan can play the piece on the guitar first, use MIDI to make a split track, and then synthesize the accompaniment with electronic sounds.

The mixer in the recording studio was a thin man, dyed with yellow hair, but his movements were very numb, and he made a few accompaniment tapes before noon.

These bands are the collocation of different instruments, and Liu Yicheng needs to see the effect of the collocation before he can decide which accompaniment tape to use.

After a busy morning, it was not until half past twelve at noon that the recording of the accompaniment tape was finished.

The main part is accompanied by a steel string guitar, and some parts are accompanied by grand piano, synth bass and alto saxophone.

……

After recording the accompaniment, someone brought a few boxed lunches up, and the others continued to record songs.

Zhang Tan recorded a song for the first time.

The excitement has not passed, and it is very cooperative.

Maybe he was too excited, but when he was recording the song, he put on headphones and kept going out of tune. I didn't have an excellent performance when I sang improvisedly with a guitar, I could clearly read the score, and I could hear the accompaniment tape in the headphones clearly, but I couldn't keep up with the rhythm of singing. Or keep up with the rhythm and fail to bring in feelings.

"You're recording for the first time, nervous." Liu Yicheng was not surprised, "Relax, we will give you a feeling this afternoon, don't be in a hurry to record a song, you know." Recording songs is actually very simple, how you usually sing it, how you sing it now. You have this talent, you can write your own songs, are you afraid that you won't be able to sing well? ”

has been running a music studio for several years, and Liu Yicheng has seen too many newcomers come to record songs, and there is such and such a situation. Naturally, there is a set of ways to deal with it, saying that it is for Zhang Tan to adjust, and sure enough, Zhang Tan will be left to find a feeling in an afternoon.

And Zhang Tan didn't show any protagonist aura, he would learn it as soon as he learned it.

I was groping all afternoon.

I continued to explore until the evening, and I slowly found the feeling.

"Whew."

It was already dark, and it was half past ten in the evening.

Zhang Tan took off the headphones from his head and breathed a long sigh of relief: "Brother Liu, how is it, is it okay now?" ”

"Well, there is progress, adjust the state at night, and you can officially start recording tomorrow."

After receiving the affirmation, Zhang Tan's hanging mood also relaxed, and greeted several employees in the recording studio who were fighting with him and said: "Thank you for your hard work, I invite you to have supper." ”

So a group of four or five people went out for supper.

When eating supper, Liu Yicheng also took a sheet of music and said to Zhang Tan: "When you were looking for the state, I rearranged "The Stone of Hexi" and released a MIDI sample, the more I listened to it, the more I felt the taste. How about Zhang Tan, how about selling this song to me? ”

Zhang Tan asked curiously: "Brother Liu also wants to sing?" ”

"Hey, hey." Liu Yicheng smiled embarrassedly.

The recording engineer and mixer next to him, Huang Mao, said: "Da Liu didn't tell you, we formed a band before, but because we have been uninspired and can't write our own songs, we are half dead." Now that Da Liu has opened a studio, we are also behind the scenes, and we all want to perform on stage. ”

"Brother Liu still has a band now?" Zhang Tan looked at Liu Yicheng, who was already in his thirties and was running for four, and couldn't imagine that this guy still had a heart to play music.

Liu Yicheng lit a cigarette, took a puff, and said: "When I was young, I especially liked to play music and learn rock and roll!" But after mixing for many years, nothing has been accomplished, no one likes to listen to the songs written, and the bar singers are disliked. But like is like, right...... The band has always been there, reluctant to disband, the members are people coming and going, no, Huang Mao, Ah Cheng, Xiaoyu, are all young people, and they have only been in the band for a long time. ”

Huang Mao is the recording engineer Huang Mao, and people are like nicknames, they are dyed with yellow hair.

Xiaoyu is a skinny strip who wears glasses and is in charge of electronic keyboard and mechanical maintenance in the recording studio.

Ah Cheng is an errand runner, a little fat and a little silly.

Zhang Tan glanced at a few people, but he really couldn't see the style of the band: "What's the name of the band?" ”

Huang Mao hurriedly said: "I used to be called Louie, but now I don't have a name." ”

Liu Yicheng then explained: "Lu, the former lead singer of the band, Lu Xiaowei, has now gone to Shenqi, and there is no news. Easy is me. Now that everyone is gone, the name has been changed, but there hasn't been a work yet, and the name change has been put on hold for the time being. ”

After a pause, Liu Yicheng suddenly said: "I play drums in the band, yellow-haired bass, Xiaoyu electronic piano, and Ah Cheng is the lead guitar." Now the band is still short of a lead singer, Xiao Zhang, why don't you come too, the lead singer and guitarist, you are very suitable. Our first work can launch your song "The Stone of Hexi"! ”