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Recording music and sound
Recording music and sound

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1 Recording production

For many people today the recording process is very simple. A recording device is placed in front of a musician, a few takes are recorded, any editing that is necessary is quickly done on the computer and the resulting piece of music is available for immediate distribution on the web. All this can be accomplished in the room of someone’s house and in some instances the presence of a live musician is not even needed. But for many commercial recordings the process is much more complex and involves many more people. For a Virgin Classics’ CD recording of A Venetian Coronation 1595 (Virgin Veritas 59006) produced in 1990, the list included:

  • performers
  • executive producer
  • music editors
  • balance engineer
  • cover designer
  • photographer
  • advisers to the conductor
  • organ tuner.

In addition, the credits for such a recording might include all those responsible for organising the venue, providing hospitality, manufacturing the CD, printing the booklet, etc. In reality, dozens of people will have been involved in making this product.