Looking For Ideas To Make Album Sound...Not Modern

[jrdamien]

My band is getting ready to cut our next album in a couple of weeks. We're doing it at a friend's rehearsal space that is pretty dead but has very high ceilings.

Recorded the last album on the 388 in my living room which is all wood, high ceilings, and very live. I like the sound of that album a lot but this next one needs to be of higher production value.

I want to get an aged aesthetic. Think this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmyGa29zIqk

The only reel to reel I have to work with is a Tascam 22-4. It's in great shape but I worry it will be too lofi. I also have a couple of Tascam M30's I'm thinking of using as a front end to a daw.

Any other ideas on how to get a good sounding album with a vintage feel short of finding another reel to reel?

[Professor T]

I'd hand this out to everybody: http://shittyispretty.anagrammatically. ... stitution/

Use less microphones

place microphones farther away

make your sounds smaller, leave more space

record everything in mono. your panning choices are middle, hard left, and hard right

have one reverb bus for the whole song

tune guitars by ear

[losthighway]

One thing I notice about a lot of older sounding albums I like is the gain staging. Sure, there are a lot of people doing an over the top "lo fi" thing where everything is distorted. But if you listen to something like Jake Bugg there'll be a drum sound and a vocal sound that is warm, some sound of drive but not really clipping. It's almost as if you need to push some transformers, and tubes just a little too hard in serial so everything step is just breaking it up a tiny bit.

[numberthirty]

I want to get an aged aesthetic. Think this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmyGa29zIqk

The only reel to reel I have to work with is a Tascam 22-4. It's in great shape but I worry it will be too lofi. I also have a couple of Tascam M30's I'm thinking of using as a front end to a daw.

Any other ideas on how to get a good sounding album with a vintage feel short of finding another reel to reel?

Dude(or Dudette) -

If it's DAW, what does the bigger picture(interface/mics/preamps) look like?

[WillMorgan]

Use period instruments and amps and mics

http://www.masseyplugins.com/#plugins/tapehead

[Nick Sevilla]

Rod Stewart's song was released in 1971.
Engineered by Mike Bobak.

So, if you are going for that sort of thing, you need to :

1. use tape.
2. use solid state mic preamps from a console preferably, not boutiquey stuff mixed and matched, unless you REALLY know the sounds you want very specifically, and know what gear will get it pronto.
3. LESS equipment.
4. SMALL live drum room.
5. LESS reverb.

Cheers

[mn412]

Live takes (at least basics.)

[jrdamien]

Thanks all.

Shitty Is Pretty was the inspiration for our first album:
www.thecrookedsaws.bandcamp.com

It did well but we would have gotten more play and more placements if the production value had been better.

IF it's DAW, the bigger picture would be the preamps on the M30's, a Digi003, and a wide variety of mics all of which I cannot remember.

Almost all of it will be live takes (we're a 2 piece).

[drumsound]

Start with the source.

Use one preamp for everything.

record as an ensemble

Minimal effects

[MoreSpaceEcho]

go real easy on the high end (>10k). the low low end too (<50hz). don't cut the mids much.

[Snarl 12/8]

Copperphone.

[kingtoad]

Don't crush it in mastering.

[roscoenyc]

Work on the songs.

Work on the arrangements.

Cut a great basic track with as many people playing at the same time as you can.

Protect the integrity of that basic track like it was your child.

Limit your overdubs.

If you have to make moves in your mix it probably means the arrangement needs work.



(and get a great performance out of your singer, who is the salesman of your song)

[MoreSpaceEcho]

with all the advice that's been given so far, i feel like the thread should be renamed "how to make a record sound GOOD."

[Ring]

with all the advice that's been given so far, i feel like the thread should be renamed "how to make a record sound GOOD."

Well it's hard not to look back fondly at the methodologies used back in the 70's, kind of that whole innovation by limitation thing. Nowadays you can do whatever you want theoretically.