David Gilmore - On An Island recording sound.. how?

jwnc · Post by **jwnc** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 1:50 pm

Hi,

I am listening to On An Island and the sound quality is so great.. I know he has incredible gear, but on songs like Smile, how did they get everything to sit in the background so well. I sounds like everything except vocals are 3-5 feet back in the speakers. All my mixes sound like they are right at the speakers..

anyone shed some light on possible mix ideas from this record?

Thanks
Jason

xpulsar · Post by **xpulsar** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 9:26 am

The is a post on Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_an_Island

It was recorded on his House boat Studio called Astoria. It was featured in a tape-op issue a little while back.I don't know which issue off the top.
I'm guessing that when you have completely top of the line no exspense spaired equipment ran by an engineer that is amaizing. All of the players are ringers and you have no time limits.Then you can get things to sound how ever you like.

-collin

GooberNumber9 · Post by **GooberNumber9** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 9:02 pm

I use reverb and delay to move things away from me in the mix. I have a book that presents the viewpoint that panning moves things left to right and reverb moves things back to front. One tricky thing about reverb is that a SHORTER pre-delay makes things sound farther away (i.e., closer to the back wall) and a LONGER pre-delay makes things sound closer (farther from the back wall, closer to the listener).

Also, rolling off some highs and lowering the level can make things sound farther away.

Finally, try recording stuff with the mic farther away in the first place.

Todd Wilcox

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 9:11 pm

cutting the lows from the things you're trying to set in the background helps, too.

i am a fan of Gilmour's playing from a long ways back.

even tho it's horribly unfashionable to say so, i will admit his was a formative influence on my guitar playing (tho i've sounded absolutely nothing like him since the late '80s).

that said, i think the guitars and vocals are too damned loud on On An Island!

seriously.

also, i think 'Smile' is the only good song on there.

the rest is just fairly entertaining music with singing over it.

except for the instrumentals, of course, which have no singing at all.

KennyLusk · Post by **KennyLusk** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 6:59 am

RefD wrote:cutting the lows from the things you're trying to set in the background helps, too.

i am a fan of Gilmour's playing from a long ways back.

even tho it's horribly unfashionable to say so, i will admit his was a formative influence on my guitar playing (tho i've sounded absolutely nothing like him since the late '80s).

that said, i think the guitars and vocals are too damned loud on On An Island!

seriously.

also, i think 'Smile' is the only good song on there.

the rest is just fairly entertaining music with singing over it.

except for the instrumentals, of course, which have no singing at all.

Ditto this post. On an Island really disappointed me (and I'm a big Gilmour fan). Personally I think he'd make a great album just on his own as a singer/songwriter effort, without all the other people involved - but that's just me. Bring on that amazing strat tone he gets and his unique acoustic guitar rythm's and layers.

"Smile" was the most interesting track on the record because it didn't sound so over-produced. Less clutter - more straight forward.

jwnc · Post by **jwnc** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:40 am

All very good points.. I just wonder how they achieved such depths without really hearing the reverb in the background. Im sure everything was crafted to get there but I wish I could get that kind of depth and space in my music....

Jason

joelmoore · Post by **joelmoore** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 2:37 pm

This is a unique look inside his boat/recording studio (the Astoria). The space itself may have a little bit to do with the character of the record.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPMgcTwrdcw

Disregard the hosts. One of them doesn't even know who David Gilmour and Pink Floyd are.

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 2:58 pm

there's a really great version of Astronomy Domine performed by Gilmour/Wright and band out on youtube as well.

Fieryjack · Post by **Fieryjack** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:41 pm

Gilmour and Co. are tripping over themselves in high end gear. Have you ever heard of a Shakti Stone? Google it...they have a few of those. Also, nearly every piece of equipment is modified by Tim deParavacini of EAR.

The Astoria isn't much bigger that most people's bedrooms but it certainly sees its share of work.

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:51 pm

Fieryjack wrote:Gilmour and Co. are tripping over themselves in high end gear.

heh, yah...slightly!

it seems they've had this "affliction" since the mid-70s.

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David Gilmore - On An Island recording sound.. how?

David Gilmore - On An Island recording sound.. how?

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