FAQ
JUST SOME QUICK INFO ABOUT ME...
JUST SOME QUICK INFO ABOUT ME...
I’m born & raised here in Nashville, and I’ve been producing music full-time since 2006. I live in East Nashville with my wife (who is an amazing hair & makeup artist) and our 3-year-old twins, who keep us very busy!
JUST SOME QUICK INFO ABOUT ME...
I’m born & raised here in Nashville, and I’ve been producing music full-time since 2006. I live in East Nashville with my wife (who is an amazing hair & makeup artist) and our 3-year-old twins, who keep us very busy!
Hey, I’m Daniel Dennis.
If you’ve made it to this page, then you should know that
I REALLY CARE ABOUT YOUR SONGS
And I care about each step in the recording process. Let's talk about that...
When you book a session with me, you’ll either e-mail me a worktape of your song (or songs) or you can just show up with lyrics and a melody, and together, we’ll discuss production ideas and how you envision your project.
Next, we’ll record a “scratch” guitar and vocal to a click track to establish the tempo and feel of the song.
(Don’t worry, these tracks never happened!)
Then the REAL FUN begins!
I play the following instruments:
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Drums
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Bass
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Acoustic guitar
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Resonator guitar
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Electric guitar
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Mandolin
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Ganjo
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Drum and Synth Programming
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Vibey pedal steel
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Random Percussion Goodies
We’ll start with drums, then bass, acoustic guitar, and the instrument party continues until we have a beautiful song baby!
Along the way, I’ll present to you different production ideas for each instrument that will shape the sound of your song.
Sometimes a song will call for a specific instrument or flavor. I can hire some of Nashville’s top session players that I feel would complete the creative vision for any particular vibe. (This includes: string arrangements, pedal steel, fiddle, piano, chicken-pickin’ electric guitar and whatever else we can dream up.)
I VALUE YOUR CREATIVE INPUT
Your creative input is what is going to make your songs unique and define "your sound". Working one-on-one with an artist is my favorite part of building a song.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE VOCALS
I’m serious when it comes to vocals because it’s literally the lead instrument.
I have invested heavily into world-class microphones, microphone preamps and compressors to get a radio-ready sound, right from the start.
We’ll try different microphones on your voice to see which microphone makes your vocals SHINE.
My microphones include: Sony c800g, Manley Cardioid Reference, AEA R92 and Shure SM7B.
I’m passionate about vocal production.
I have developed a vocal comping system (compiling the best vocal takes into one perfect vocal track) that saves time and your voice.
I tune vocals manually, which means your vocal will sound as natural as possible. (Or not... I can make you sound like T-Pain if that's your flavor!)
Once your lead vocal is finished, we’ll probably want background vocals, too. If you’re able to sing harmonies, I can guide you through the song to really make your vocals POP. If not, no big deal. I know many incredible background vocalists that would love to be hired to sing on your songs.
MIXING AND MASTERING
Without getting too nerdy on you, when I mix and master your songs, I’m going to make them sound BIG, PUNCHY, POWERFUL and COMPETITIVE.
Want the nerdy information? Here it is:
I have a hybrid mixing system. I treat each instrument ITB (In The Box) while mixing through an analog mix bus chain, which is a Rupert Neve 5059, Rupert Neve Master Bus Processor and Chandler Curve Bender.
I focus on making your songs sound as exciting and emotional as possible.
I want your audience to FEEL SOMETHING when they hear your music. And I want them to hit replay over and over.