Internet Collaboration

Getting Started
It’s critical to make sure both parties have identical software suites for the project. Apps like Ableton Live, Apple Logic, Propellerhead Reason, even Apple’s GarageBand are all excellent candidates for long-distance collaboration, since they include a huge assortment of softsynths and effects, minimizing the need for additional third party plug-ins; it can be problematic if both parties don’t have identical collections.

Another decision factor is cross-platform compatibility. While Logic and GarageBand are Mac-only products, Live and Reason come in both PC and Mac flavors and are packed with the tools needed to create finished product, though Reason isn’t capable of recording audio tracks — a definite consideration if one of the collaborators plays an instrument like fiddle, turntable, or anything else for which there’s no software equivalent.

Be aware of the CPU and RAM specs of both systems. If one computer is considerably more powerful than the other, you could easily run into compatibility issues if either collaborator piles on effects or softsynths, especially those with complex algorithms like reverb, physical modeling, and high-quality virtual analog plug-ins. In this situation, consider rendering or freezing resource-heavy tracks and working with audio and loops as much as possible, as this will minimize CPU overhead.

Once you’ve got the software and PC configurations finalized, you should designate a reference system for the final mix. This decision is based on multiple factors: who’s got the best monitors, who’s got the best acoustics and who’s got the best ears. Don’t let egos get in the way! The collaborator who consistently creates the most balanced mixes should be the final link in the production chain. If both parties are tweaking EQs and one studio is better equipped than the other, the mixing process can become an unproductive tug-of-war. As you begin putting the finishing touches on a project, set aside some time to talk in-depth with your collaborator about direction and vibe. Communication is the key in any partnership. After all, you can always agree to do separate versions of a track if your creative visions diverge.

Bridging the Gap
For any Internet-based project, a broadband connection is crucial. If you’re going to be transferring audio, loops, and multi-megabyte sequence files, it’s simply not efficient to use a dial-up account (unless finances are an issue and you have the patience of a saint).

To complicate matters, all broadband services are not created equal. A connection with high-speed download and upload times is essential, so beware of ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) services that receive data at speeds of approximately 1.544 Megabits per second, but send (upload) data at speeds of only 128 kilobits per second. With ADSL, you may think something is terribly wrong with your connection when you send your files to your partner and they take much longer to transmit than the songfile you just received.

When shopping for a broadband provider, double-check to ensure that the upload and download speeds are roughly the same. For what it’s worth, my internet service provider (ISP) is cable-modem based; the service works well and has sufficient bandwidth for the majority of my data transfer needs. The downside is that some cable-modem services degrade noticeably when shared by many users in a single neighborhood. If in doubt, ask around to see what services your neighbors use and if they’re satisfied.

Another thing to watch out for is the fact that some ISPs have a limit to the size of files you can email. This can be problematic if both parties are adding audio files to the project. Since it may not be practical to change your ISP — and your email address in the process — try using My Yahoo (my.yahoo.com) or Google’s new Gmail service (gmail.google.com). Gmail offers a full gigabyte of advertiser-sponsored email storage. The downside of these services is that both currently have a cap of 10–15MB for attachments.

If you need to transfer larger files, you may want to consider a paid service like www.sendthisfile.com or Apple’s .Mac suite of online tools. While sendthisfile offers a free basic service, there are bandwidth limitations that may make it necessary to upgrade to one of their paid plans. Apple fans who intend to do a lot of Internet collaboration should give some serious thought to the .Mac service, which includes 125MB of dedicated storage, email, and backup utilities for a $99 annual fee.

Like A Version
Finally, one of the keys to bouncing files back and forth between studios is a trick called versioning. Simply put, versioning is the process of adding a number to the end of your filename, then incrementing that number every time you make a significant change to the file. Be sure to do this as soon as you receive the project file from your collaborator. That way, if your online experiments take a wrong turn, you can always revert to an earlier mix and save yourself a lot of headaches in the process.

Now that you’re armed with the knowledge needed to get you up and running with cross-country — or even international — collaboration tricks, the only thing left to do is grab a partner. So what are you waiting for?