Opinion wanted should we go CD or DVD

[unclrob]

One of the band I'm playing in thinks we can get more work if we had a CD to pass around but they don't want to spend the money to record a CD propper.What they want to do is just take a recording from our rehearsals and BAM we have a CD.I on the other hand feel that a DVD would be better.So here's a poll to see what you all think.You are more then welcome to go beyond the poll and to express your opinion.

[ST]

Just curious - how would a DVD be better?

[unclrob]

People seem to be more visually excited.We can change cloths from casual to high society.Alsothey don't want to do the CD right in my eye's.If your going to hand out CD's it should be studio quality and all they want to do is take a line off the board durin a rehearsal.

[BenF]

Rob, with a DVD at least you can use the video to upload to the mighty power of youtube, and then you can direct people to your stuff electronically as well.

[ST]

If you make a video - you can make a DVD or upload it. That's all good.  The focus might be on the visual aspects. That certainly seems to take precedence in lots of video - especially in the youtube world where the audio is just not all that great. But the target audience is probably consuming the product on a computer with who-knows-what for speakers.

If you make a CD you can focus on the audio and do things that might be harder to do in a video (like REALLY focus on the audio separate and sync it with the video later).

"all they want to do is take a line off the board durin a rehearsal." - unless it's full of really charming reality I'd try to do something a little more formal. (Example of charming reality - the banter between Chet Atkins and Les Paul in the recording of Chester and Lester).  There is a local artist who has a nice demo - but he basically hit record during a rehearsal. There is a recurring squeak from his chair on the recording. 

But the first thing that came to mind for me is ... I frequently buy an artist's CD at a live performance and then throw it into the CD player on the way home. I wonder if people do that with demo CDs. I can also play DVDs in the car (but the video portion is blanked out). But my concern for you there is that unless you have really great audio on that DVD you may not come across as well in the audio-only world of a car.

[ronmac]

If you are using any media to look for work you need to have a professional presentation. A cheaply produced CD is going to sound exactly like that. After outfitting everyone's cottage with coasters, the majority of "promotional" CDs I receive these days go straight to the trash bin.

Having a decent video presentation of a live performance posted on YouTube is the best inexpensive promotional tool out there. Anyone considering hiring you will get a snapshot of the look and sound, and will know right away if you are good fit for their venue.

Whenever I hear "Oh, here's a CD we made at my cousins house. It's not very good but we are a kickin' band." I immediately peg the pitch as lazy and unprofessional.

[frankhond]

Having a decent video presentation of a live performance posted on YouTube is the best inexpensive promotional tool out there. Anyone considering hiring you will get a snapshot of the look and sound, and will know right away if you are good fit for their venue.

Check out the Candyrat videos, there are dvds available with Pino Forastiere for example and clips from the dvds are on youtube - these are well made with a black background and pretty good sound quality. They really connect a face to the music.

As for CD, I stopped using them years ago, all my music is now in my ipod, and my cd collection is rotting away in a box.

[unclrob]

I have access to a video/recording studio that I can trade service's and some money for both a CD and DVD.Unfortunately they don't want to spend any money and feel that they can get more work with just a simple recording off the board at rehearsal.

[ST]

Hi unclrob,

I have access to a video/recording studio that I can trade service's and some money for both a CD and DVD. Unfortunately they don't want to spend any money and feel that they can get more work with just a simple recording off the board at rehearsal.

Well in your shoes I might just go ahead and make the recording this way but:

I would burn the CD and put it away for a week to let the experience chill.

Give everyone copies to listen to in their car or on their home stereo. (wherever they normally LISTEN to music)

Ask everyone for an honest answer to the question, "Based solely on what you are hearing on this recording - would you hire this band?"

If the answer is "yes", then maybe you'll just have to go with it and see if they are right.

[Dale_I]

Unfortunately they don't want to spend any money and feel that they can get more work with just a simple recording off the board at rehearsal.

I deal with this kind of stuff all the time. Everyone wants a car that gets 50 mpg, has 600 hp, stops on a dime, does a quarter mile in 8 seconds, has room for the family and all your vacation needs, is as sexy as a one-off SEMA show car, never breaks down, has no maintenance associated with it, will last a lifetime, and someone pays you to drive it...

No brainer, if I could come up with one I would make a fortune.

You get one chance to make a first impression. I'm not saying you need a full production sound, but avoid (at all costs) a garage made CD. You can do a lot for a little money these days. Pay for something that will make you money and consider it an investment. in the end, you will book more jobs and might even be able to ask for slightly more money. When customers are weighing the options they will associate you with professionalism, which will be valued higher, than a few guys playing on the side for extra money.

I would also copy out the final cuts on a CD with a laser etch to give it a nice look for very little expense. Whatever you can do to convince potential customers that you will deliver the goods is well worth the effort.

For the DVD, I would consider it icing on the cake. You can get away with a less professional sound on a YouTube video to give people a visual of what you look like. But, if you're going to hand something out, I would go for a better quality CD over a DVD.

However, the DVD will share some of the same pitfalls as a poor quality CD. Hiring a professional to film and produce it will be more expensive than producing a CD, but will make a world of difference. My Aunt Anne can take nice pictures, but she'll never be an Ansel Adams.

Don't go cheap unless you're not serious.

The largest mistake musicians make is spending money on instruments and equipment, time in personal and corporate practice, all to present their craft with care and quality, and ignore basic advertising and marketing aspects.

I say produce a quality CD. If you like/want DVD, you can do a YouTube type deal, but I would still hire someone with the experience to make it good. Then post your MP3 for free downloads on the net to help get your name out.

[ducktrapper]

Dale said it all, mostly. I couldn't agree more.

[SMan]

CD would be my choice.

[unclrob]

Dale I couldn't agree more.The studio has a full stage so getting a good video with a good audio will be easy.I know the room and the gear as I've done some enginnering there.I also believe if your going to do it do it right.As for doing anything for youtube posting I'm thinking of a website that all five acts I'm working with will get a page.The rythym section that I'm working with backs up 4 of the 5 bands but that too could change as I'm trying to get a special projects band to use the bassist and the drummer also.

[saintandsinnerguy]

DVD....I'm one of those visual people.  I agree about CD.......if it's not going to be polished, it will hurt you more than help.

[rockstar_not]

Rob,

1.  Is the visual performance of your live show a critical part of the band's appeal? 

2.  What is it that get's your band hired at present without either a CD or DVD in hand?

3.  What kind of prices are local studios charging you to record a CD? 

4.  What is your live mic'ing situation - how many channels and for how many instruments?

Here's why I'm asking:

If the answer to #1 is 'yes', then you might do better concentrating on video.  Take a look at YouTube at a band called "Rick K and the allnighters".  They're an o.k. band, but the drummer puts on a hilarious visual show and the guys play straight up rock classics everyone wants to hear.  If you go to their website, you'll see these guys are booked pretty solid.

If you answer 'no' to #1, and 'its our sound' to #2, then work on getting a CD of your material made.

The answer to #3 should probably be much less than it was 10 or 15 years ago - the advent of the ease of home recording and multi-channel portable recorders has made this very inexpensive, and much more known to get an o.k. result than 10 years ago.

4.  I don't know how big your setup is for your band, but many boards these days offer more than just a stereo L/R out.  If you've got a good set of aux bus outputs on the board; say perhaps 4 of them, you might be able for a little extra care before a show, get a stereo mix of the drums, your guitar on one aux out, another guitar on another aux out, and perhaps another instrument or two on aux outs.  With the right audio interface or portable recorder, you can record a pretty nice multi-track of your performance that can be mixed down proper and sound much better than a simple 2 track off the board.

2 tracks off the board almost always sound dead - usually none of the natural reverb or acoustics of the room show up in the two track, and vocals are almost always too loud (because the sound engineer has compensated the main mix for the on-stage amp sound that hits his location in addition to the sound coming off the mains).

But if you can isolate at least the drums to their own mix, the guitars to their own mix, and vox to their own mix - you can do quite nicely, and add in proper effects processing to those post-recording in mixdown and editing.

If I lived near you, I'd come see one of your shows and at least get you started on this.  Instead of your next guitar, I would invest in a recording setup.  You can do quite well for under $2k and be completely equipped to record/edit/produce band performances; yours and others.

[unclrob]

Rockstar

1.Our bass player is a visual kinda guy and our drummer is a women but thats not why I'd prefer a video.Its mostly because I believe that people respond to site a bit more then just audio.

2.This band has been playing the same clubs for 6 years,I've been with them for 2.Having something to handout would get us into the privite gigs that would pay better.

3.There are 2 studio's in the area that can handle live recording the others can't.I prefer live because most people play different when its just track by track.Cost is very low for us as I can trade service's plus some low cash out of hand.I don't have a problem trading service's so I figured a simple four song demo would cost cash out of hand about $350.

4.Live we use 3 mic's on the drums,bass is direct,lead singer and his guitar are lined as well I run a line to the board plus 2 back up vocal mic's.


I have a nice older Allissi 8 track recorder and a Mackie board that would more then cover us out.