People have been making use of technological advancements to aid them for as far as anyone can remember. The music industry is no different and studios these days are full of the latest equipment designed to get the best sound recordings and to make life easier for producers and engineers.
You may be an experienced musician or someone looking for a new hobby for the lockdown and beyond. Whatever your skill set there are many gadgets, new tech, and apps that can aid you just like a song looper. Whether they will make you a better musician may be debatable but here is a list of equipment and software that you might want to try out.
Why would you need to employ technology when making music?
If you enjoy playing acoustic guitar then you may not see the need for a lot of electronic gadgets. However, even the most technophobic musician will make use of some basic technology even if it is only a microphone. Ed Sheeran predominately plays the acoustic guitar but makes good use of a loop station to create a more layered sound.
While some of the items below may be dismissed as gimmicks by some musicians, others who work professionally in the industry make use of them. Here are some of the areas that musicians might use modern technology in:
- Recording
- Mixing
- Vocal enhancement
- Learning instruments
- Reading music
- Emulation
- Promotion
- Live performances – filters, effects, loops
- Songwriting
There are many more areas that technology is used by musicians to improve performances, to create the right sounds, and to record songs. Here are some of them.
Enhancing vocals with technology
Back in 1998, Cher launched her hit single ‘Believe’ and with it, the world first heard the effects of Auto-Tune. This piece of software has been derided over the years and many artists have criticized its use. However, according to the Vice President of Marketing for the company that owns Auto-Tune, Antares Audio Technology, the software is used on almost all modern-day recordings.
When a singer goes into a Recording studio santa monica or wherever they are based, they will have to record their vocals for any record they are making. This can mean singing take upon take whereas with Auto-Tune it doesn’t matter if there are a few small errors. The software is calibrated to a singer’s voice and if they make mistakes the software cleans them up to make it sound pitch-perfect.
Using mobile apps for music production
Apps are used by most people every single day. Looking at the average smartphone or tablet and you would likely see apps for messaging, games, photos, social media, maps, and more. It turns out there are many apps for musicians and producers too.
There are apps and websites to help with learning music, chords guitar tabs, writing lyrics, and learning to play instruments. Here are some of the areas they cover:
Tuning instruments
One app that works well is ClearTune. You can use the app to pick up a note played on your instrument. You can then see on your device’s screen if the pitch is correct or has fallen above or below what you require. There are different tuning modes and it is popular with musicians playing at home or on the road.
Emulating instruments
If you are into home recording but cannot afford the time or money to learn many instruments then some apps can emulate them. One such app is Animoog. Moog synthesizers feature on many famous records and were used on Strange Days by The Doors to name one. This app lets you have access to the library of Moog synthesizers for a lot less than buying the actual hardware.
Songwriting
You may be interested in tools to help you write songs too. Songwriter’s Pad can help provide ideas, rhymes, and more. It lets you write notes and chord notation too. Other websites can help with writing music including ones that allow you to upload music and have the chords displayed from those songs. For example, you could upload In Bloom and the song will transform into Nirvana chords on screen for you.
Apps can be very useful for improving different areas and Garage Band is another popular one. This audio workstation lets the user emulate instruments, record songs, and add effects to instruments, and more. It has even been used by Rihanna, Radiohead, and Nine Inch Nails. There are even apps like Humm.ly that use music to help with depression.
Home recording
Perhaps your musical interest leans towards producing or maybe you just want to be able to record your own music. This area requires some use of technology. You could happily use GarageBand to record everything but if you are seriously interested in this area then you will want to consider the following:
- MIDI controller
- Mic and audio interface
- Desktop or laptop computer
- Headphones
- Digital Audio Workstation
- Studio monitors
As you can see you will need to do some shopping if you want to set up a home recording studio. However, Gorillaz used an iPad almost exclusively to record The Fall so you can start small here. Using easy-to-access technology from Apple and software like Logic Pro X can help you on your path to becoming the new Dr. Dre. As you can see you will have to do some shopping if you want to set up a home recording studio.
Loop stations
Looping has been used for years in studios to create repetitive loops of different instruments. It can be used to create layers and a denser sound. However, these days live-looping is starting to become more popular. This means a solo musician can use a loop pedal to record themselves while they are performing and use that loop to add texture to the song.
Other gadgets and equipment
Musicians can take advantage of lots of software and hardware when they are practicing, recording, or performing and some other items not mentioned include filters, samplers, and vocal pedals.
Vocal pedals let the singer loop their voice, correct their tone and add effects and harmonize. Pop filters are used for filtering out any hard sounds or plosives from a recording.
Promoting yourself and your music
Technology isn’t just about clever apps and software that can change your voice or create loops, it can also be used to promote yourself. If you are serious about learning to be a musician as a career then you will need to get yourself seen and heard.
Previously MySpace was a popular way for bands to have their online presence but now YouTube is the biggest search engine (behind Google) so it makes sense to use this platform to build yourself a channel. Use the free tools available to record videos of you playing, performing, and upload them.
Although YouTube is popular and rightly so there is one other music platform that has produced artists that have charted. Soundcloud is another music platform but one that is dedicated to letting musicians upload, promote and share their work. It was here that Billie Eilish first uploaded a song back when she was only 13.
Summary
Listening to music is a fun thing to do at home alone and being able to play an instrument or compose a song means your hobby can entertain others too. It can be a rewarding hobby or it could lead to a career. This could mean being a professional musician or working as a music teacher. Technology can be overused sometimes and many musicians do not like adding loops or effects. But, when technology is employed correctly it can help improve musical performances and even help budding artists learn to write songs and learn new instruments.
