Studio | Demi Lovato [book two]

back as acquaintances

Layla's POV
"I think we're good to go." I said while setting up the recording session.

Nick nodded and opened the door leading into the recording room. I grabbed my microphone out of the locker behind me and attached it to my desk. I plugged it in and pressed on a big red button.

"The metronome's tempo is based on two notes per chord, so after you heard the first two clicks, you can start." I explained through the microphone.

"Let's do this." Nick replied and put on the headphones that were hanging from the mic in the recording room.

He started singing and it made me realize how much I had missed the Jonas Brothers. Nick's voice, Joe's charms, Kevin's guitarplay.. I was the biggest fan when I were younger and now, roughly ten years later, I'm working with them on their comeback single.

While Nick was still singing his parts in the song, I turned around to talk to Joe and Kevin.

"What instrument are you gonna play?" I asked Kevin, knowing he usually never sings aside from the backing vocals.

"I can play the bassline for you if that's possible." He replied, pointing at the bass guitar next to him.

"Seems like a good idea. And what are you gonna do during live performances?" I asked.

"I can play the main guitar then. But that's a case for later." He replied.

I nodded and then looked at Joe.

"Can you come close to the mic for a second?" I asked.

He didn't say anything as he did what I said. I pressed some buttons, causing Nick to be able to just keep singing while the track was playing so we could do our own thing over here.

"Okay now clap along with the metronome." I said.

Joe started clapping exactly on-beat. Yet I still had the feeling I missed something.

"Hm.. How can we make the claps more exciting, guys?" I asked.

Kevin turned around.

"Maybe clap faster than the beat. So you have like two claps per beat." He suggested.

I looked at him with a surprised smile.

"You're underrated, Kevin Jonas." I said.

He laughed.

"Oh well.." He said.

Joe did what Kevin suggested. My eyes started sparkling.

"This is it!" I said.

I recorded Joe's claps and turned around to put them into the song.

"Can you tell me what exactly it is that you're doing?" Joe asked as he looked at my computer screens with a confused face.

I laughed.

"So this pattern right here.." I started, pointing at the fixed recording of Joe's claps, "is basically just your claps. What I firstly do, is putting a tad bit of reverb on it so it doesn't sound too dry. Then I copy the claps and paste them exactly under the first claps. The first claps are being heard in the left ear, and the second claps are being heard in the right ear. This way you basically create some sort of clap ASMR. It sounds like more people are clapping along to the beat than just one person." I explained.

Joe frowned and nodded.

"I forgot like half of what you said, but as long as you know what you're doing, it should be fine." He said.