Project Management

[sage]

After 3 months of commercial fishing, our vocalist is back in the big smoke. During his absence, we picked up a bassist, got the existing material nice and tight, and wrote/arranged 2 new songs. We're getting ready to self-record our first EP. Between the Bassist and Me (haha), we have decent enough AD/DA stuff, mics, computers, DAW, etc. I'm kind of old school (and old) and have only ever used notebooks and whiteboards to track tasks and manage production. I'm probably going to have Bill (the bassist) do most of the producing and engineering as I have countless hours of evidence displaying my ineptitude in recording, but I'm probably a better organizer and overseer of things. I imagine using project management software is probably useful, but the free online one I'm using isn't really doing what I'd expect it to do.

So, does anyone else out there use any software to set goals and knock pins down one at a time while they're on their way to recording domination? Or is recording yourself nerdy enough?

 

[7stg]

Not sure about software for Project Management, but here are some books. Check them out from the library, they are worth a read. Fairly advanced for a basic recording project, but still good info.
Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling: Harold R. Kerzner: 9781118022276: Amazon.com: Books

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK(R) Guide: Project Management Institute: 9781935589679: Amazon.com: Books

 

[Given To Fly]

Use notebooks and whiteboards if that is what works for you. If you really needed software to manage a project (of any kind), the project would be huge and the software would be expensive.

I attached a document that may be useful. Its titled "Digital Audio Workstation
Guidelines for Music Production." Have fun recording!

 

[ZachK]

Notebooks and whiteboards are the shit man. I know a couple of studio owners/producers/engineers that still rock whiteboards.

I myself still use a whiteboard when I have multiple tracks that need work

 

[Alex6534]

Trello? www.trello.com

 

[Drew]

Notebooks and whiteboards are the shit man. I know a couple of studio owners/producers/engineers that still rock whiteboards.

I myself still use a whiteboard when I have multiple tracks that need work

I just kept a notebook, too - a grid where I checked off when each of the planned parts was cut, as well as just plenty of space to take notes on guitars/amp settings/mics/etc to record parts with. It worked well enough.

 

[jdinop]

try this out dude.

http://trackbits.com/

Place for take notes, things to do, notes section, budget section and places to upload documents and rough tracks/demos.

 

[illimmigrant]

Excel?
I'm no "project manager" by title, but I do set up spreadsheets for everything to track project progress, and set metrics based on completion dates. I'd say a white board is fine for tracking an album. Any reason you want to use professional software for the task?