What Did You Work On Today? 2-05-05

[8th_note]

Mixed 2 songs for a CD of a local band called Revenge of Me. That's 4 down and 8 more to go. I did an EP for them about a year ago and now we're doing a full length. The band and I have come a long way since the EP; making this a rewarding project. The drums, the guitars, the vocals - everthing sounds so much better than last time. Sometimes I almost feel like I'm getting a handle on this stuff then I slap myself back into reality.

We're going to lay down the rest of the vocals tomorrow (2 songs worth) and then I'll be a mixin' mofo until I get it done.

[BrianK]

Wanre Bros found an old YES 2" in the vault. We checked it to see what it was (and in case it needed mixing for some future reissue). It was the master tape of the 1970 "Perpetual Change" song from their first album, on pink BASF tape with green leader. Ah, England...

Of all the YES masters I've seen, this one takes the cake - in the middle section, the track arrangment suddenly changed; they wipe some parts with new parts playing a completely different theme and time signature. But some of the old parts are left and continue, with overdubs added to these too to replace the lost bits wiped by the others.

When we listened to it initially, a lot seemed to be missing, but it was all there - they just fade out one section on the original issue, and the other one fades up to replace it. Fascinating how they thought and worked on that stuff.

However, no complete takes but the master (already released) so nothing much to mix; There were some alternate vocal lines and solos, but not enough to justify a new version, really. Sounded good though.

[Family Hoof]

I've been recording local punk/hardcore bands in my basement on the weekends for extra $. Today it was three really young kids who were a bit better than some of the older groups I've been getting. They actually use clean guitar about 30% of the time, have fairly unique phrasing, and sound kinda like the bad brains - almost bordering on thrash but a very different atmosphere. We cut the band live, wide open, and then added vocals with the track blaring through an amp instead of using headphones. After they left I spent an hour messing with time alignment, LF enhancement, chorus, and other neat tricks to try and thicken up this trio recording. I really like recording punk rock (not the MTV kind!) in this fashion becasue I get to approach it like a jazz combo session (just position the mics+players and let them do their thing), only with more studio muckery and lower expectations of musicianship. Fun!

Also, I finished testing a new tube mic pre that Electro-Harmonix will soon be releasing. I'm not going to spill the beans right now so don't ask, but I can say that it sounds pretty good and will probably be affordable.

[senorsmoke]

Just finished mixing 5 songs for an upcoming CD by a pianist/singer in the vein of vintage Ruth Brown, Laverne Baker...9 songs to go. Been recording in between taking care of my son and gigging.

One great thing here though is a borrowed Focusrite Red 7 channel strip...wow. Made a huge difference on vocals and also upright bass. Really easy to use and sexy too.

Mixes are going well and fairly fast. We're on track for 14 songs in about 60 hrs...seems like a bunch of time wasted though when you stop to think about it...

George

[TapeOpLarry]

I woke up hungover after a great Richmond Fontaine show last night. As I was putting on my shoes this morning I didn't even notice that they were two different kinds of shoes. In fact, I didn't notice until one of the band memebers asked me about it. I felt really dumb.

Tracked final overdubs and started mixing album for Straitjacket, a good local punk band. I like the guys a lot, we have fun. Tomorrow we finish the album mixes and are done.

I went grocery shopping after work. Thank god there's stores open late these days. I bumped into Corin Tucker from Sleater-Kinney at the grocery store and got to chat for a bit. She's a great person. Came home and ate some food and been answering emails...

[soundguy]

just got bac from rick rubins house, was inspired to post this:

http://messageboard.tapeop.com/viewtopic.php?t=27231

dave

[thenumber]

just started recording new material for my good friends band. we did their previous full length, and their new songs are amazing. we know each other very well so its not even work, its just making shit happen. i love that feeling

[vvv]

Up at 10:30.
Fed the kids; drank some coffee.
Did my newsgroups.
12:00
Took # 17 of the Bonham Empty3's and broke it down into my favorite 10 measures.
Replaced all hits, by ear, eye and hand, in CEP - is it a copyright infringement to steal a feel?
3:00 Forgot lunch.
5:00 waste an hour using an LDC to mic the drum tracks in my bedroom studio; noisy and useless.
6:00 drums are arranged and tracked, time to write a progression.
6:30 progression is written, time to track bass.
8:00 order a Dominoes pizza and salad for me and the kids.
8:15, they are a half hour early, eat and go back to track.
9:00 decide to add breakdown part to bridge; retrack drums and bridge.
10:00 bass is tracked, time to write lyrics.
10:30 Saturdaynight live; Keane is way better than I thought they would be, Paris Hilton is skankier than I thought she would be.
12:30 edit bass line.
1:30 realize that bass line did not need editing, drum track wasn't locked! Glad for back-up. Sing vocal.
2:30 Basic editing, adding some software tape-delay to vocal.
4:00 Poop.
4:15 Wind down on the internet.

[midiot]

Day 3 of 4 with a semi-local band(meaning they are but aren't, make sense?).

I am doing the assistant thing in this project and it has involved setting up mics, swapping mics, taking down mics, moving guitar cabinets, making lots of coffee, keeping remarks to myself, offering some of my own equipment for the band to use because it sounds better/ or atleast different for what they were doing, some reading, some f'ing off on the internet, ordering ram and another dvd burner for the studio, setting up another computer in a different room and f'ing off on that, recording some kooky synth stuff, and last but not least, talking with the members of the band who were lounging around waiting for their turn to go do overdubs, etc.. and answering crazy questions.


I had one member ask, "How the hell did they make records before computers"? In all seriousness. I guess he just wasnt familiar with a thing called tape. He couldn't imagine having to sit there and splice tape. The kid is in his early 20's. I thought it was common knowledge really, but what do I know.

[nipsy]

went and saw low/ pedro the lion at the sommerville theater. low was a little off but pedro frickin' rocked.........





great room......

[GLEA]

I woke up and had a complete song in my head. I dreamt that it was coming out of the radio. Spent the morning finishing up the lyrics. Ran it to all kinds of problems when I turned on my drum machine. MOTU started doing some really funny things, i think I have some sort of midi loop happening. I never tracked it down, or tracked the song. I had to stop to cook dinner for some friends...

speaking of Richmond Fontaine. Willy V dropped in on New Years Eve. My neighbors know him, and thought I'd like to meet him. Willy was playing a wedding here on New Years Day... Nice fellow. I'll have to go see them play again.

RS

[ladewd]

Helped the wife clean the house (it really needed it).

Laid down some Rhodes and synth tracks on a calypso song for a buddy in Florida.

Then rented "Collateral" and watched it. Cool movie.

CA

[kayagum]

Working on mixing a country version of the 80s song I Melt With You by The Lonesome Halos.

NT5s are decent mics. I like my pair. Was someone slagging them?

http://messageboard.tapeop.com/viewtopi ... 20&start=0

The post was for NT4 mics, but they share the same capsules as the NT5.

On second reading, I'm betting most of the issues were pilot error (phase, bad drum miking, etc.)

[spideyjack]

Recorded bass for two of the tracks for my concept album about Richard Nixon. Then recorded electric guitar for one, spending a lot of time getting in tune with the original track.

Cleaned house. Went cross the street and saw Sir Paul do the halftime, Boy, that rocked!!


done now.


spideyjack

[dungeonsound615]

Well not the fifth but the 6th, WIth sweaty palms and a stomach in knots i successfully installed the latest OS into my Yamaha AW4416. Just wanted to say im a very happy person that everything went smoothly.

Mike