Your Music…on your terms
Firecat has built a long career working with a cappella groups throughout the northeast US. We’ve recorded literally hundreds of songs! We’ve worked with new groups to record their very single, and we’ve worked with seasoned world class acts who have a long culture of recording; and we bring the same attention to detail and enthusiasm to every one of our projects. We’re not making records to win awards. We do this so you can have an album that sounds the way YOU dreamed it would, so you can have a piece of your college career that lasts forever, one that you’ll be proud to share with your fanbase, your friends, and your family.
No two groups are the same, and neither should be the “rules” to making an album. We offer a wide variety of approaches and options to fit any aesthetic and any budget. We’re not shoehorning your group into our vision of how an a cappella album should sound. We’re helping you to achieve your artistic goals, and make a record that truly sounds like you at your best.
We strive to fit any budget and, better yet, we will travel to you so you can record right on the comfort of your own campus. [Listen for yourself]. This is college a cappella re-imagined.
RECORDING
Shhhh…You don’t NEED to record in a great sounding studio to make a great album
While you’re more than welcome to come record with us at our sonically stellar studio in the heart of NYC, we’re very happy to bring the best equipment and expertise right to you on campus. The truth is that over 90% of the groups we work with opt to record at school. We’ve recorded groups in everything from meticulously designed campus recording studios, to recital halls, to rehearsal rooms, to regular old classrooms, and (when necessary) even student housing. We know how to approach making music in these less-than-ideal spaces and how to compensate to ensure you still get a high quality result.
We’re here to help even before the recording starts and can advise you on anything from vocal arrangements, rehearsal techniques, room selection, scheduling, fund-raising, guide track (MIDI) preparation and much more (see also our Consulting Services), and we’ll help you make sure that you get the most out of our recording time together.
Even while on the road, we use the best microphones and preamps available to capture every nuance of the voice. We have the knowledge and experience to know how to record efficiently and capture precisely what we need to make a great record.
We’re happy to be here for the whole process and work with you at every step along the way, or jump in at any point where you might need us.
In Studio
Quiet and pristine recordings
If you want the superior sonics and quieter, more controlled experience of recording in-studio, or if your group is based near NYC, come on down and record your music at Firecat’s SOHO Recording [link] studio. We’re based in Lower Manhattan, in a busy and exciting neighborhood just a few blocks away from the NYU campus and Washington Square Park. Here, you’ll be treated to a wider array of high quality microphones and preamps, and enhanced monitoring control so that each singer can precisely tailor his or her own mix while singing. We’re conveniently located near multiple subway lines so you can just show up, record your part, and leave. You can trust us to do all the rest!
Mobile
Let Us come To You
Most groups we work with opt for the ease of recording on campus. We’ll travel hundreds of miles so that you don’t have to, often saving the group significantly on expenses and lost time. Comfort elicits the best performances, and nothing is more comfortable than recording in a space that you know well. We’ll help you choose the best campus space for the recording process. We also know how to get the most out of a room, even one with severe limitations and a high noise floor, and we’ll do what we can to capture your best performance and keep the session moving swiftly.
Recording Approaches
One thing that separates Firecat from other a cappella recording services is our ability to custom tailor a recording process that fits your own group’s workflow and unique set of aesthetic goals. In addition to offering the typical voice by voice overdubbing pop a cappella process, we’re one of the few mobile studios that can offer a truly high end multi-track “live recording” solution. We have the wealth of equipment and expertise necessary to get great sounds and polished performances using this more organic and exposed recording method, thus opening up the opportunity for great sounding recordings to groups who wouldn’t be able to otherwise afford it.
Part by Part
This is our most common recording approach, especially for groups seeking the more slick and polished “studio” pop a cappella sound. Each voice part records independently (to a guide track), preserving the maximum potential for editing timing, tuning etc. Soloists, Vocal Percussion and any other special parts will record separately as well. You can expect to be able to record 2 songs in a day using this approach.
Live Recording
This is a great option for more traditional vocal groups and choirs, or those groups who are on a tight budget. Record your group, in the space of your choice, the way your group is most comfortable: singing together! We’ll still be able to edit your performance, combine the best portions of each take, and fully mix and master your songs from the multi-track recording projects. This approach enables the group to record a full album in a single day (10+ songs).
“Hybrid” Recording
If you’re looking for a “best of both worlds” solution, this hybrid option might work best for you. You can get the precision/polish and editability of the part by part approach (especially re: the solo and percussion), and the organic feel and energy of the live performance (especially re: the group “block” recording). The background will record together (with or without the assistance of a guide track) and any extra parts (solo, percussion, harmonies etc.) can overdub separately for maximum control and focus. You can expect to record 3-5 songs in a day with this approach.
EDITING
Editing is an essential and often overlooked part of the process. Here, the music really starts to come together. Depending on the recording approach you chose and your artistic wishes for your project, editing can include anything from comp’ing (selecting the best takes and putting them all together), timing and tuning correction, entrance and cut-off tweaks, percussion sample selection and looping, arrangement adjustments etc. This is often the most time intensive part of the process but it’s also one that can most noticeably improve the end result.
MIXING
Back at our studio in NYC…this is a fun and rewarding part of the process, where we can bring a finished balance and musicality to your songs. The process includes setting volumes, dynamic range, placement of each voice, and adding effects. Mixing can define the “sound” of a song, from a polished organic sounding performance to a more heavily manipulated and effects-laden pop production. Each mixing approach has its value, and we’ll do our best to honor your taste and artistic vision for your work.
Even if you didn’t record your album with FireCat, we’d be happy to help you mix it, so feel free to reach out with a project description. You’re welcome to sit in with us at the studio, or work with us remotely sending feedback back and forth. Either way, we value your creative contributions and want you to be a part of the process!
MASTERING
Mastering is the final step in the process and the one in which all your songs come together to form a coherent whole. This includes any final EQ and compression adjustments, volume matching, smoothing transitions between songs and just generally making everything sound like it belongs together. We tend to master all of our own a cappella projects, but are happy to master outside projects as well. We can prepare masters for a variety of delivery formats, suitable for CD releases, high resolution lossless downloads, compressed digital formats (mp3, AAC etc.) and streaming platforms.
CONSULTING
Here’s a great budget friendly option for those groups who want the experience of recording an album themselves but might need a little help and advice along the way!
Firecat offers a brand new DIY album production consulting service to help you out when you get stuck! We’ve been making a cappella albums for years, have had our fair share of issues when we were starting out, and we’re committed to passing along all we know so you can make your self-produced album sound as good as it possibly can!! We’re available for single phone consultations, Skype sessions, screen sharing or ongoing “subscription” membership pricing if you’ll want support throughout the whole creative process. We keep no secrets and no question is off limits but basic topics include:
- Tech Support (with options for Screen Sharing)
- Equipment Rental
- Pre-production support: Refining your arrangements, getting the most out of rehearsals, creating and preparing MIDI files, selecting the best equipment.
- Recording support: Recording Workflow, Room selection, Mic Setup, DAW selection and support etc.
- Editing Support: Basic and advanced techniques, tuning, looping etc.
- Mixing/Mastering Support
- Track review (send us your work at any point in the process and we’ll give you feedback and suggestions)
- Final Release Support: Rights licensing, delivery options, CD/vinyl production etc.
ARRANGING
A great recording starts with a great arrangement
It’s a noble pursuit to arrange your own songs and all that, but sometimes you need a professional to bring out the best in a song, harmonize it properly, ensure that it’s comfortable, singable, breathable(!) and interesting, and adapt it to highlight the unique assets of your group. We have a couple talented a cappella arrangers on the FireCat team and we’d love to work on your next song. Whether you’re looking for a creative reinvention of a popular song or a comfortably singable vocal facsimile of the original, we can help.
THE TEAM
The Firecat team is passionate about a cappella and comprised of veteran engineers, singers, former music directors, and a RARB (Recorded A Cappella Review Board) member all committed to making your next a cappella project a success! Click here [link to About page bios] to learn more about our engineers.