kslight wrote:Sounds like that session needed a producer? Yeah we've all probably worked with talent that wasn't...talented...or wasn't prepared for the session. Either way, beats working at 7-11.
I would never make them go through and do 142 full takes, maybe one or three to get warmed up and if they aren't gonna get it strong in one take (very likely) we will go section by section, comping as we go. And if they aren't getting sections, we resort to lines. Most singers start to sound like shit after so much time/cigarettes go by so it is not fruitful for either of us to sit there for hours while they struggle. If they aren't getting it within the first several tries we move on and go back later. But I will keep all potentially good out takes in case I have to grab a word or something later, in case something doesn't sound as good as I thought it did.
If we are going for different vibes on drums is not uncommon for us to do 5-15 full takes where the drummer is jamming and trying different things, and we will go back and listen to them all, pull fills and sections here and there, because sometimes the fills are only great once or the drummer pulls something weird that is awesome.
This was over a one year period, LOL, no one could survive doing them all at once. LOL no. The artist WAS the producer. Sadly.
Right around take 70, or was it 90? Not sure anymore...
A Real Producer? ?️ ? ℗ was brought in.
Who insisted that he could make a better comp than yours truly. (Yes, this was discussed).
THREE DAYS of comping through whatever many takes we already had. Then, we had a COMP SHOOTOUT!!! It was amazing, we brought in disco balls, strings of lights, fog machines, THE WORKS!!!
My comp won out, but the artist still hated all of it. So, we went on to record another "few" takes.
Our tab at the local watering hole skyrocketed... our shrinks invoices were astoundingly large as well.
In the end, we used my comp, done some 6 months earlier, and just completely auto tuned the living fuck out of it. (not in the artificial way mind you, we're not THAT MAD), and the album went to sell a SPECTACULAR amount, in the artist's mind. I think by now, many years later, they might, MIGHT have broken 100 copies.
Pro Tools and Auto Tune kiddos, they are not toys to be trifled with.
Howling at the neighbors. Hoping they have more mic cables.