Lets Get Acquainted (192kbps mp3)
This is the first song I've done where I'm NOT playing everything.. I had my live drummer, Alex, play on the recording here since he hits harder than me and we were both pretty happy with the drum sound... though I had to lean a bit more on the close mics in the mix than I wanted to.
Notably I recorded the lead vocals in my garage with close mics in the center and room mics panned hard left and right... really diggin the natural room reverbs (the new pornographers new disc got me into this recently) and I didn't actually use any "fake" reverbs.. well, except spring reverbs on guitar and bass.
Not sure if I should add a bit of treble. I like it the way it is, but to make it translate better to shit speakers?
Mike
Latest and greatest power pop - room mics on vocals!
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Latest and greatest power pop - room mics on vocals!
Making Efforts and Forging Ahead Courageously! Keeping Honest and Making Innovations Perpetually!
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TheNewTangible
- audio school
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2006 11:37 pm
- Location: Ohio
Good stuff
Hey man...
I would definitely NOT add any treble...The song sounds great! What type of mics did you use for the vocals? Can you give more details on how you set it up in the room? I am recording some vocal tracks to and might give that approach a try...
Also, is that a keyboard of somesort that is doing that little hook at the beginning and through out the song? It sounds wonderful!
Your stuff sort of reminds me a little of the new Maritime album.
www.myspace.com/maritimesongs
I would definitely NOT add any treble...The song sounds great! What type of mics did you use for the vocals? Can you give more details on how you set it up in the room? I am recording some vocal tracks to and might give that approach a try...
Also, is that a keyboard of somesort that is doing that little hook at the beginning and through out the song? It sounds wonderful!
Your stuff sort of reminds me a little of the new Maritime album.
www.myspace.com/maritimesongs
Hey.. I haven't heard the new maritime album but I liked a few tracks off the old one (souvenirs comes to mind), I'll check it out!
It is most certainly a keyboard. Stock patch on the Ensoniq ESQ-1, digital/analog hybrid synth
For the lead vocals I used an audiotechnica 4047 as the close mic, low cut on, pad off, into a Hamptone JFET pre, pad off, about 4" away in the verses and probably more like a foot away in the chorus, I move around to level out the volume and work the proximity effect, which the 4047 has in spades. The far mic was a tape op ribbon (nady, ppa ribbon) in the middle of the garage about 8 or 9 feet up in the air, pointing away from me so that it would pick up less direct sound. The other channel of the hamptone.
For the bgvs I just set up the ribbon mic again, but in my studio room, and sang around a foot or two away depending on the part, moving more off-axis for the loud, high parts and closer for the lower parts.
-Mike
It is most certainly a keyboard. Stock patch on the Ensoniq ESQ-1, digital/analog hybrid synth
For the lead vocals I used an audiotechnica 4047 as the close mic, low cut on, pad off, into a Hamptone JFET pre, pad off, about 4" away in the verses and probably more like a foot away in the chorus, I move around to level out the volume and work the proximity effect, which the 4047 has in spades. The far mic was a tape op ribbon (nady, ppa ribbon) in the middle of the garage about 8 or 9 feet up in the air, pointing away from me so that it would pick up less direct sound. The other channel of the hamptone.
For the bgvs I just set up the ribbon mic again, but in my studio room, and sang around a foot or two away depending on the part, moving more off-axis for the loud, high parts and closer for the lower parts.
-Mike
Making Efforts and Forging Ahead Courageously! Keeping Honest and Making Innovations Perpetually!
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TheNewTangible
- audio school
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- Location: Ohio
Coo
Thanks for the info!
Yeah- the new Maritime is 11 times better in my opinion (and the opinion of alot of reviews)... Check it out.
Yeah- the new Maritime is 11 times better in my opinion (and the opinion of alot of reviews)... Check it out.
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Jeff White
- ghost haunting audio students
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Hey Mike -
I really enjoy your music - I guess you could say I've been a fan since last year. I?m coming at this new version ?let?s? being very familiar with the demo. Here are a few thoughts:
Drums:
I see what you mean about ?leaning? on the close mics on the kit. It?s just a preference thing, but I like the demo drum sound better ? it?s bigger in the stereo field and longer in the depth field. I also like the slightly boomier kick in the first ? the kick-in-the-gut frequencies seem lacking in the new. But, I prefer the more driving performance on the new version.
Guitar:
I actually like the guitar sounds in the demo a bit more. The demo has more in the ?warm/fuzzy? frequencies where there seems to be a slight gap in the new. However, guitar balances better in the second (i.e. it?s quiter, relatively).
Vocal:
I really like the new vocal in the verses (better intelligibility when you sing quiter and lower as the instruments get louder going into the chorus, and more ?intimate?), but I prefer the demo?s doubled vocal in the chorus. I think using contrasting vocal sounds would really add interest (Foo?s ?My Poor Brain? from Color and the Shape, while a very different style, comes to mind). I like the background vocals, maybe even a touch more of those.
Bass:
I REALLY like the creative panning you did in the second version. Very cool, like switching the vocals would do, this adds a very cool point of interest, but isn?t distracting. Also, if the bass and vocals switched places, it may be a cool ?spatial counterpoint? ? i.e. Verses: Bass wide, vocals center
Chorus: Bass center, vocals wide
Synth:
Again, the demo sounds ?deeper? front to back.
-I like the feel the shaker and tambo add, but to my ears, they?re both a touch too loud.
It sounds like the two versions are the results of two different overall ?sound concepts?.
-The demo version has a wider, deeper sound. Slightly more raw, but somehow more inviting. I would rather buy this version of the tune.
-The second version is in a smaller ?box? front to back, left to right and seems to be limited frequency bandwidth (on the low end).
They?re both very good, but if I had to pick, I?d say I like the demo better, but it?s really just my personal preference ?it?s your tune! Great job! Keep it up ? also, I?d like to actually buy a copy of your EP, since all I?ve only listened off your website.
Jeff Z.
I really enjoy your music - I guess you could say I've been a fan since last year. I?m coming at this new version ?let?s? being very familiar with the demo. Here are a few thoughts:
Drums:
I see what you mean about ?leaning? on the close mics on the kit. It?s just a preference thing, but I like the demo drum sound better ? it?s bigger in the stereo field and longer in the depth field. I also like the slightly boomier kick in the first ? the kick-in-the-gut frequencies seem lacking in the new. But, I prefer the more driving performance on the new version.
Guitar:
I actually like the guitar sounds in the demo a bit more. The demo has more in the ?warm/fuzzy? frequencies where there seems to be a slight gap in the new. However, guitar balances better in the second (i.e. it?s quiter, relatively).
Vocal:
I really like the new vocal in the verses (better intelligibility when you sing quiter and lower as the instruments get louder going into the chorus, and more ?intimate?), but I prefer the demo?s doubled vocal in the chorus. I think using contrasting vocal sounds would really add interest (Foo?s ?My Poor Brain? from Color and the Shape, while a very different style, comes to mind). I like the background vocals, maybe even a touch more of those.
Bass:
I REALLY like the creative panning you did in the second version. Very cool, like switching the vocals would do, this adds a very cool point of interest, but isn?t distracting. Also, if the bass and vocals switched places, it may be a cool ?spatial counterpoint? ? i.e. Verses: Bass wide, vocals center
Chorus: Bass center, vocals wide
Synth:
Again, the demo sounds ?deeper? front to back.
-I like the feel the shaker and tambo add, but to my ears, they?re both a touch too loud.
It sounds like the two versions are the results of two different overall ?sound concepts?.
-The demo version has a wider, deeper sound. Slightly more raw, but somehow more inviting. I would rather buy this version of the tune.
-The second version is in a smaller ?box? front to back, left to right and seems to be limited frequency bandwidth (on the low end).
They?re both very good, but if I had to pick, I?d say I like the demo better, but it?s really just my personal preference ?it?s your tune! Great job! Keep it up ? also, I?d like to actually buy a copy of your EP, since all I?ve only listened off your website.
Jeff Z.
: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
www.jeffzahos.com
www.jeffzahos.com
Mike - as usual, very good song (and yeah, I'm digging that panned bass, too). My only criticism - and a minor one - is that I don't like that keyboard patch much. But the vocals sound great...not sure if you were going for a Dave Grohl vibe on those, but it comes out a bit like that, in a good way. The guitar sound is nice and raw.
Thanks jeff for the comprehensive reply. I of course don't agree with much of it but I'm definately gonna go back and compare and listen for what you're hearing. I found the old version "tubby" so I guess thats where I wanted to tighten it up in many ways.. in terms of low end, and in terms of washiness of the drums, guitar, etc.
The old version had vocals hard panned left/right and quite distorted... the new version has them both center and fairly clean, with verb on the sides. So that makes a big difference.
Its funny (mjau and others) that I get Dave Grohl with this.. I guess so? The doubled vocals panned center is like "the dave grohl sound"... much like doubled (soft) vocals panned hard left/right is the "elliot smith sound".
EDIT: Btw, for those of you interested in Jeff's post, the original (demo) version is here: http://www.puremagic.ca/other_users/mik ... tsDemo.mp3
Mike
but I'm definately gonna go back and compare and listen for what you're hearing. I found the old version "tubby" so I guess thats where I wanted to tighten it up in many ways.. in terms of low end, and in terms of washiness of the drums, guitar, etc.The old version had vocals hard panned left/right and quite distorted... the new version has them both center and fairly clean, with verb on the sides. So that makes a big difference.
Its funny (mjau and others) that I get Dave Grohl with this.. I guess so? The doubled vocals panned center is like "the dave grohl sound"... much like doubled (soft) vocals panned hard left/right is the "elliot smith sound".
EDIT: Btw, for those of you interested in Jeff's post, the original (demo) version is here: http://www.puremagic.ca/other_users/mik ... tsDemo.mp3
Mike
Making Efforts and Forging Ahead Courageously! Keeping Honest and Making Innovations Perpetually!
Hey Mike,
You know, I feel maybe I should've reserved the comments frequency range balance, as I've only listened on consumer comp. 2.1 speakers and headphones through my 896, not on either monitors or through a home stereo. I think I do remember having similar thoughts about the demo being a little 'tubby' when listening in my van.
Of course, as much as I had to say about this tune - you have a great song and it is communicated very well in both the demo and the new version.
Are the Sens going to do it this year?
Jeff Z.
You know, I feel maybe I should've reserved the comments frequency range balance, as I've only listened on consumer comp. 2.1 speakers and headphones through my 896, not on either monitors or through a home stereo. I think I do remember having similar thoughts about the demo being a little 'tubby' when listening in my van.
Of course, as much as I had to say about this tune - you have a great song and it is communicated very well in both the demo and the new version.
Are the Sens going to do it this year?
Jeff Z.
: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
www.jeffzahos.com
www.jeffzahos.com
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TheNewTangible
- audio school
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2006 11:37 pm
- Location: Ohio
Oops
Hey, I didn't mean to imply Maritime was 11 times better than your stuff... 11 times better than their old stuff...
I really enjoy your music a great deal... Are you going to be releasing a new EP or something soon?
And for the record, I like the new version fathoms more than the demo version... The performance seems better, and the production compliments the nature of the parts very well, in my opinion... I do think the shaker could be a tad quieter in the mix. And I agree with the fellow who said that the low end could be a little stronger, perhaps same with some of the low mids?
I really enjoy your music a great deal... Are you going to be releasing a new EP or something soon?
And for the record, I like the new version fathoms more than the demo version... The performance seems better, and the production compliments the nature of the parts very well, in my opinion... I do think the shaker could be a tad quieter in the mix. And I agree with the fellow who said that the low end could be a little stronger, perhaps same with some of the low mids?
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Red Rockets Glare
- tinnitus
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Pretty darn sweet
I'm listening to it on small headphones and it comes out pretty well. I definitely hear everything. Very nice tune, the lyrics grew on me about halfway through. For some reason I don't really dig the tubular bells esqueness of the keyboard at the beginning, I think something fuzzed out (maybe with octave doubled lower?)... but you know, that's just my l'il opinion. (I just finished up some vocals last night and man... these put mine to shame! Back to the drawing board... )
Actually, you know what these vocals sound like... Matthew Sweet! To me that's high praise.
)Actually, you know what these vocals sound like... Matthew Sweet! To me that's high praise.
http://www.myspace.com/clarkeight "Digital fuzz and a fifth of gin..."
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