Sometimes, incredible musical ideas come to you at the most random times, in the most random places.
Maybe you don’t have access to your regular setup, or maybe you’re still saving up for a great piece of gear, but you have to record your idea before it’s gone – so you reach for your phone. And in some cases, the initial recording on your voice memo app is so good that you just can’t replicate it when you’re back into the studio with the fancy stuff. In those situations, I say use the original recording!
Years back, I was visiting my parents for the weekend and had an idea for an intro to a song I was working on and needed to get it down. At home, I have a great mic setup and use my preferred DAW, Logic, but at the time all I had was a laptop with GarageBand and no microphones. So, I recorded a heavily-layered vocal intro straight into GarageBand using the computer’s built-in microphone. When I got home and tried to replicate it, you guessed it, I couldn’t. It didn’t have the magic of the original. So, after adding a few effects to cover up some bleeding, popping, etc., I used the laptop microphone recording in the final version of my song, “Hunter.”
On that note, let’s dive into this week’s Songwriting Club prompt: write a song using a minimal recording setup like a phone or laptop mic.
Although it’s not a requirement, if you used a sound you found on Splice Sounds, let us know! If you want to use Splice Sounds in your song but don’t have an account, get your first month free with the code songwriting.
If you’re feeling proud of your tune or you’re looking for some feedback, upload it to the Splice community, SoundCloud, YouTube, Bandcamp, etc., and toss the link in the comments below. Before you share, just make sure you’re following these guidelines:
- Make sure your track aligns with the prompt – it should be something that you’ve specifically written in response to this blog post.
- No promotional posts – no links to contests, social media pages, etc.
- Comment on at least one other person’s song before you go – even if it seems small to you, your praise or critique can make a transformative impact on someone else’s craft.
- Give a quick summary of your goals for your song – asking for feedback on specific aspects (ex. the lyrics, chord progression, etc.) is also recommended!
Check back in for your next prompt on August 11th. We’re looking forward to hearing what you create!
July 24, 2020
