Description
Timing correction for drums and instruments
Tight in time without losing the groove
The recording is played well, but something drags. The kick drum arrives a shade early, the guitar wobbles in the chorus, the bass does not sit on the one. I clean that up, by hand and spot by spot. Not with a grid over everything, because that takes away exactly what makes a recording feel alive.
A good fit if: You have recorded instruments or drums, the result feels restless, and you want it straightened out before mixing without it sounding sterile.
Why not simply snap everything to the grid
Any software can drag hits onto the bar grid. The result is exact and usually sounds dead, because the human lead that makes a recording feel urgent or relaxed disappears. So I work differently: I look for the pulse that is already in your recording and align the spots that genuinely sit wrong with it. What was played as a characteristic stays. What comes across as a mistake goes.
What you get
- Timing correction for drums, bass, guitars, keys and further tracks
- Clean cuts without clicks, with matching transitions
- Tidied tracks: idle removed, entries trimmed, levels adjusted
- Phase relationship checked and corrected where several microphones are used
- Edited tracks as WAV, length and start point unchanged
How it works
- Send the tracks: You send your individual tracks as WAV, all with the same start point, plus the tempo if you know it.
- Listening through: I listen through the recording and tell you what I intend to do: which spots stand out and where I would deliberately change nothing.
- Editing: I work through the tracks by hand, spot by spot, watching the context rather than single hits.
- Comparison: You get a before and after comparison. If anything is smoothed out too much for your taste, I pull it back.
- Delivery: Edited tracks within 5 working days as WAV, ready to mix.
Important note: This service works on instruments and drums. For vocals there is a separate offer, vocal tuning and vocal editing. Editing is also not mixing: tone, space and level balance are created during mixing and mastering, and editing is the groundwork for it. Nothing gets replaced either: your drum sounds stay yours, I do not swap them for samples. If that is what you want, say so beforehand and we will handle it separately.
Frequently asked questions about editing
Will the recording not sound artificial afterwards?
That is the main worry, and a fair one. This is why I do not pull everything onto the grid but only align the spots that audibly sit wrong. You get a before and after comparison; if something is too smooth for you, I pull it back.
How many tracks are included?
The base price covers one song with up to twelve tracks, so roughly a drum kit with several microphones plus bass, guitars and keys. For larger line-ups tell me the track count and I will work it out in advance.
Do you replace drum sounds with samples?
No, not in this service. Your sound stays, I only correct the timing and tidy up. Drum replacement is a different job, speak to me if you need it.
Do you need the tempo of my recording?
Helpful but not necessary. If the recording was made to a click, tell me the tempo. If it was played freely, I work with the pulse of the recording itself, and that is the better way anyway.
How do I send the tracks?
As WAV over a cloud link, all tracks exported from the same start point. That matters, otherwise nothing lines up in the end. I will describe how to do that in your software on request.
Is it worth doing before mixing?
As a rule, yes. A restless recording cannot be mixed straight: what wobbles in time stands out more in a clean mix, not less.
Have your timing straightened out
Handwork spot by spot instead of a grid over everything, with a before and after comparison. Ready to mix, entirely remote.
