TOMB Beach Boys Comp Comment Thread

[jrsgodfrey]

Anyone who wants to download the comp, PM me for a link.

I WANNA PICK YOU UP from BEACH BOYS LOVE YOU

Performed by Jay Sherman-Godfrey

Recorded entirely in my living room.

Signal path for all: AKG C451-EB w/ Red B7 Lollipop > Apogee Mini Me > iBook (except percussion > 451/CK1, and elec guitars > Z-Vex Box of Rock > DI via Mini Me).

Lots of Mini Me on-board compression going in.

14 tracks mixed ITB in Tracktion w/ included plugs only ?L-C-R? style w/ no EQ, only hi- or lo-pass.

2 tracks vox/ac guitar (vox and guitar together to one mic/track)
extra ?echo? vox on the choruses
12-string acoustic
volume-pedal tele
?leslie? tele on bridge
organ
?dum dum? vocal bass
toy piano
damped triangles
stick-hit wooden tambourine
shaker
3-year old (2 overlayed)
6-year old (3 submixed to 1)

Mixed on headphones, "mastered" through URS 1970 Compressor.

[centurymantra]

Actually, given this is TapeOp, it would be cool and kind of interesting to have the gear list/signal chains and recording notes on the tracks for a comp like this.

I didn't participate, but I would like to hear this comp.

[Electricide]

I Get Around:

I did this as a straight cover, because I could push ahead and get it done. A year later, it seems I would have had time to really make it something different. I mighthave gone back and done the whole thing in 7/8.

All done into EMU 1212m converter, into Tracktion2.

Guitar: Epi LP to Yamaha Magicstomp, either direct or to a Pathfinder close mic'd with a 57, into an Onyx Satellite.

Bass and synths: Alesis Micron. I didn't have my real bass yet.

Drums: 58 in the kick, 57 taped hanging from the ceiling overhead.

Vocals: Me through 57. No pitch correction, 8-10 tracks of vocals I think. Double tracked the 5 part harmonies.


Big lo cut and other EQ to mimic original, no compression I think. Oh, some 2 buss compression.

Everything in mono until the end.

[mjau]

Surf's Up (done with a hazy memory):

Synths are all soft synths - mostly Arturia Moog Modular and a little bit of GForce ImpOSCar...maybe some Arturia ARP, but now I can't remember. I reamped all or nearly all of them through a Fender Twin, and probably put up a 4050 on the amp and ran that through a Great River mp2.

Bass is P-Bass into an SWR combo with a beyer m69 crammed up on the speaker into a Great River mp2...no eq or compression - just palm muting.

Drums are - I think - this little Roland something or other my brother in law left with me.

Mixed in Sonar with heavy doses of UAD's EMT plate reverb, and the 33609 plugin on the two buss.

[Electricide]

mjau, I just got to that..man, smoooooooothhhhh

[mjau]

mjau, I just got to that..man, smoooooooothhhhh

Thanks, man. I tried channelling the Burt Bacharach of the year 2070.

I completely dig yours, too - especially after reading about your process.

This whole thing is amazing.

[scott macdonald]

Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine:

This is from the Brian Wilson release of "Smile." I can't remember all the details of recording it, so hopefully Andrew can jump in here, too.

Drums were recorded with one TapeOp omni about 10 feet away, into an EH 12ay7 and through an Alesis Microlimiter to a Yamaha cassette 8-track. The resulting file was shipped halfway around the world to the Tank-fx analog reverb:
http://messageboard.tapeop.com/viewtopic.php?t=41459

I think we used the 100% wet signal in the final. At the very end you can hear a little bit of rain -- that's from the reverb chamber. I wish we had left more of that in.

The vocals were reamped through a smokey amp and combined with the original.

Thanks to everybody who worked on this comp, the songs sound awesome. I have to say my fave is the cover of "Forever." I'm also a big fan of Dynomike's contributions. But they're all good!

-scott

[jrsgodfrey]

+1 on Forever.

[Electricide]

they're all fairly amazing.

[jrsgodfrey]

I might have gone back and done the whole thing in 7/8

That I'd like to hear. It occurs to me that All Summer Long would work in 5/4...

You're right -- you recorded the only real hit.

[;ivlunsdystf]

My two tracks: I chose them at random, downloaded free MIDI versions of each, and imported into Tracktion. Then I proceeded to murder them slowly by replacing each part. Along the way I made a few arrangement changes via evil DAW editing. Drums came from a Yamaha QY70 direct into the Mackie Satellite (remember those? I sold mine on Craigslist months ago) with the panning set at 'random'. Maybe there were some live drums thrown in somewhere too.

Mics were mostly CAD E100, Oktava MC012 and MK319, and I clearly recall using an SM57 for the "That's Not Me" vocals. Effects are primarily freeware reverbs and compressors.

At least 2/3 of the time recording these little beasties was spent mousing bits around (lots of microedits). It was a long dreary fall and I spent many happy hours beating the tracks to death onscreen.

The general modus operandi was to deliberately overwork these songs so as to make the final products as over-the-top as possible, in the true DAW sense of the word. That is why I am cringing now as I imagine strangers hearing these, but I type this also with a sense of pride that comes from knowing I exploited the editing and itb mixing properties of a DAW for all they're worth.

Tonight I will enjoy the contributions of the others.

[Electricide]

the Mackie Satellite (remember those?

ahem!

a 57, into an Onyx Satellite

Tot, on Kokomo, the chorus, the word "that's" (where we want to go), at 0:57...that's an awful awful chord. I dunno if it's the right chord wrenched horribly wrong, or if you took destructive liberties with the original chords. It's great because I hate that song.

Edit: time in question edited

[;ivlunsdystf]

Tot, on Kokomo, the chorus, the word "that's" (where we want to go), at 2:57...that's an awful awful chord. I dunno if it's the right chord wrenched horribly wrong, or if you took destructive liberties with the original chords. It's great because I hate that song.

I take that as a high compliment. Tuning was secondary for the Kokomo guitars, I recall. Honestly, though, I haven't dared listen to either of my contributions for prolly at least ten months. I will need to do so later today.

There was a time when I was editing and mixing these when they were stuck running through my head 24 hours a day. That is the ultimate poetic justice, being stuck with one's follies stuck in one's head like that.

EDIT- Oh, look, I played real drums on Kokomo. So readily I forget.

[tenchijin2.]

This Whole World:

I had my buddy Derek come over and do drums. Mic'ed up in my living room. The rest is just as you hear it. I sang all the backgrounds (double tracked) and lead vocal into an ADK hamburg.

Mic'ed a little amp for the guitars... mic'ed my takamine 12 string... used sampled piano, electric piano and church bells. Mic'ed tambourine.

I redid the lead vocal several times as it wasn't happening. There was a wierd ringing in the sound which I hated. I moved during this track, and in my new studio I retracked the vocal and it was much better.

Let Him Run Wild:

Sampled brass, and electric piano (sampletank).

BG vox double tracked using ADK Hamburg

12 string guitar, mic'ed

Pretty straight ahead. I didn't really take any liberties with either arrangement so it's not very remarkable, I guess.

[jrsgodfrey]

so it's not very remarkable, I guess.

On the contrary -- that's some feat. You really nailed the vox arrangements. And the mix is solid.

Cheers!