Unmastered .01 by The Basement Dwellers

All songs were written, recorded, and mixed in a day for eight days using the Spire Studio as part of a personal challenge to write and record a song a day. No additional mastering was done, and all of the effects (including the guitar and bass tones) used were directly from the Spire

This was a challenge, especially when I had a full-time job and a family to be with, but sneaking off in between breaks to write was the rejuvenation I needed. The Spire Studio is limited to eight tracks on Android (unlimited on IOS), and for the most part, I ended up using them all. Narrowing down the instruments to only eight tracks was challenging, especially when I wanted the songs to sound as professional as possible. Also, another aspect of this challenge was to be comfortable with mistakes. I didn't have the luxury to punch in, do take after take, or edit my performance. All I had was a metronome, so playing a song all the way through with a click became easier as time went on.

Now, onto production. First, I ensured that I had the essential instruments down for the song: Lead Vocal, Guitar Left and Right, Bass, and drums. Once that was recorded, any leftover tracks were then used for additional textures. For those who are interested, here is how I ended up recording the songs:

Track 1 - Lead Vocal (I would also use this as my scratch/guide track and then erase it once I have a clean recording of the other instruments)
Track 2 - Guitar Left
Track 3 - Guitar Right
Track 4- Bass
Track 5- Texture 1 - Shakers, Electric Guitar, Vocal harmony
Track 6- Texture 2 - Percussion
Track 7 - Drum Kick
Track 8 - Mono Drum Overhead

I produce music in my unfinished basement. One day, I'll finish building it and I'll finally have proper lighting. Until then, I will continue to produce in the dark...ish.