Know Your A/B(C's)
by Rob Knapp - Composer, Producer and Engineer
MTV 2, Fox Sports Net, Spike TV, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Suns/Coyotes, Lakeshore Records

Use A/B testing to “C" where your music stands

One of the most important things you can do to become a better musician is to listen to other people’s music. There’s no doubt that every musician that’s working toward a successful career has been influenced by countless other artists. The musicians, producers, DJs, engineers, composers and performers that take time to compare their work to current commercial material have a huge advantage over the rest of the field. This doesn't make them unoriginal, it makes them aware of what's working and what isn't.

For the record, I’m not recommending copying other musician’s style or artistic choices. What I am recommending is that once you’re nearing completion of a song, composition, mix or master, you should compare it side-by-side with a recent release from the same genre. This is known as A/B testing and it’s a surefire way to know if your material is ready for prime time. Don't write or produce with your head in the sand... be active and see what other people are doing.

When and where to A/B test

Songs typically follow a linear writing and production sequence—they're usually written before the recording process begins (excluding certain computer and sample-based styles). Once the songwriting has taken form, it’s ready for the recording studio or project studio setup.

You can either record all the tracks simultaneously or start from a few elements and build from there. When all the tracks, edits and overdubs are completed, the song is ready for mixdown. Depending on the style of music, mixing can either be a simple process or a lengthy creative endure – there’s no standard here. The last, and often overlooked, step before sending your music out to the world is mastering. Sometimes thought of as a dark art, mastering is the stage where your music gains that elusive polish and sheen.

Songwriting A/B(C's)

Before you begin the recording process, you should have a feel that your song stands up well to other songs in the same genre and that it's a good representation of what you can do. Listen to successful songs in a similar style and ask yourself how they compare. If anything is obviously lacking in your song, you're better off approaching a solution before you hit the studio. Songwriting can often become "song rewriting" and A/B testing your work with other songs can help you save valuable time early in the process.

Recording A/B(C's)

The common misconception is that you can record a sub-par sound and magically improve it with effects and processing during mixdown. As an experienced recording and mixing engineer I'm here to tell you that nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, poorly recorded tracks become a major challenge during the mixing stage and eventually detract from your song's chances for success. Listen to songs that you like and make every effort to record tracks that sound good in the same way—before any mixing takes place. You should try and get the very best source recordings possible. A/B testing will provide you with valuable feedback about whether or not you're on track.

Mixing A/B(C's)

This is the most important suggestion I have regarding A/B testing: consistently reference successful commercial recordings during mixdown. What you will notice is that they are far brighter (more high end and treble) than you may realize while mixing freshly recorded tracks. The idea isn't to reach for an EQ and slap it over the entire mix. Ideally you'll find higher frequency sweet spots on each individual track and roll off or reduce any unneeded or conflicting lower frequencies. If you consistently reference commercial recordings, your mixes will undoubtedly come out with more definition, less mud and more punch!

Mastering A/B(C's)

In my opinion, it's extremely difficult to create a competitive master recording without referencing high quality commercial material in the process. Invariably, the sonic footprint of your mix will be very different than anything you reference but there are certain elements that you want to have in common with commercial tracks. You want to have a similarly balanced frequency response. You want to have the same perceived volume. You want similar punch and drive. A/B testing is the fastest, simplest way to ensure that your masters will sound competitive and "mastered."

Further reading

For much more music production information, please visit www.pivotpointmusic.com where you can purchase the eBook that started it all, "Ten Keys To Successful Music."

Ten Keys to Successful Music - eBook Now Available!

At the end of each chapter, 'Ten Keys' includes Insider Tips that you can apply to any song in any genre - it doesn't matter what kind of music you create. Here are some examples from the eBook:



TIP #4:

"Focus on only one or two elements that make your song unique. The rest of your song should support the interesting aspects and make them stand out in contrast. If you have a unique lyrical phrase, you don’t want to detract from it with a unique drum fill happening at the same time."



TIP #10:

"Use a small number of effects like reverb, chorus, delay and echo. If you're going to apply reverb, just use one or two quality reverbs on the instruments that call for it. You can probably get away with two reverbs, one chorus and one delay or echo on most songs. Quality time-based effects applied correctly (to the instruments that call for them) will always sound more pleasing and more cohesive than slapping 25 effects across your mix. You’ll save time, gain greater knowledge of the proper application, create a more unified sound and avoid the all-too-common “over-produced” stigma."



TIP #15:

"Don’t settle for obvious problems. Most recording issues can be fixed before being immortalized in your song. There is a reason why that unwanted hum is there and there is also a way to prevent it from ruining your vocal performance."