Hey guys, sorry it's taken me so long to reply to this. I've been away on sessions and I didn't want to write one-liner replies, so it takes some time to write a proper reply.
Hi Brian,
Quote:
Originally Posted by belgin  While the guitars sound excellent and seem to be the focus of discussion so far,
can you share any insight into the drum tracking and mixing? |
First of all, thanks! The drums were recorded in a room 3x3 metres in a holiday house the band hired and I converted into our production environment (read: studio :p ). Here's a video:
sleepmakeswaves 2011 Studio Update - Pt. 2 - YouTube The source:
My Australian-made Brady 'Fiberglass' drum kit - It sounds absolutely massive. As with all drumkits, you have to tune them properly to get the best sound out of them, next comes a great drummer, of course.
Skinned with Evans EC2 Coated heads, twin ply heads on kick.
If you join the Puzzle Factory Sound Studio Facebook page, you can see photos of the whole recording.
Capturing the source:
Kick inside: AKG D112 into Atlas Juggernaut Twin
Kick outside: Audio-Technica AT4047 into Great River MP-2NV
Snare top: Beyer M69* into Atlas Juggernaut Twin
Snare under: Audix ADX90 into Great River MP-2NV
Hats: Audio-Technica ATM450 into SSL VHD Pre
Toms 1 & 2: Audio-Technica ATM450 into SSL VHD Pre
Overheads (kinda 'spaced XY'): 2x Audio-Technica AT4050 into Pendulum MDP-1
Room mic: Crown plate PZM into SSL VHD Pre (used very sparingly in the mixes)
*I bought an Audix i5 and used it on some sessions the other day. This will be my snare mic of choice for now. It's got so much attack, way more than other dynamics mics, but not too much like you'd get with a condenser.
Processing the source:
Just EQ, compression and reverb. No sample-replacement, no tricks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by belgin I suppose a fair bit of level automation was used to emphasize certain hits and fills? With all of the guitars and keys layered in the midrange, how did you approach getting the drums to sit properly, while still sounding thick? |
Fills yes, individual hits, not really. Maybe 2 or 3 throughout the album.
I don't compress individual tracks too much and I choose some nice (and sometimes nasty
) parallel compression that suits the track.
Quote:
Originally Posted by belgin Finally, how did you approach arrangement with the band for some of the longer songs (especially the final track)? I'm quite impressed when I hear a 12-minute song that almost feels too short, and demands a replay or two. |
Ha, it's funny you say that, sometimes when I listen to the last track I also feel like it's too short! But all good things must come to an end, right?
I guess it's continuously evolving and interesting, I don't know many bands that can write a 12+ minute song that can hold the listener's interest the whole time.
So, to answer your question, the band's writing is very strong. All the band members have diverse tastes in music and solid (though sometimes informal) musical backgrounds.
There were some songs that needed changes to tempo or the length of a section, some new guitar or synth parts added here and there; little things that help to bring it all together.
Every album with every artist is different, some have more of me in them than others.
Quote:
Originally Posted by belgin ..and thanks for taking the time to share with everyone. |
My pleasure, thanks for saying thanks.
Hi Alex,
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phase Shift Great. i like the fact that the mix draws attention to itself. mix transparency is not always best. |
Is your attention drawn to the mix or is it that the mix draws your attention to each instrument/part at just the right time?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phase Shift The music is great, i am guessing it helped inspire lots of the sounds in your head. |
Having worked with the band before and having listened to the work-in-progress pre-production recordings, I had a pretty strong idea how I wanted the record to sound. Fresh and open, but also punchy, strong and full-bodied. I find it always helps to hear the way you want a production to sound (on both the song- and album-level) in your head before you start recording. It makes choosing sounds much easier, too.
But, above all, never be afraid to try something different, something unexpected. You never know where the moment will take you. Sometimes to a place better than you imagined.
There are things I think of which don't end up on a record, either because after executing them and hearing how they sound, I don't feel they are the right direction or the band simply doesn't like 'em.
To use another example, the first single from the album I'm producing and mixing for Beaufields (Battle Of The Sky) didn't have the entire end section (from 3:27) or any guitars for that matter, but when I first heard it, I knew that's what it needed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phase Shift How come you are moving to mac? |
I am sick to death of Windows' slow and buggy operation on top of the many annoying things about the way it handles (UI).
I had hoped Win7x64 would be the solution, but alas..
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phase Shift I think samplitude was helpful in achieving that sound. |
I disagree. There are other DAWS in which I could have quite easily mixed it.
Samplitude is just a tool.
Having said that some tools are better than others. Here are 3 ways;
1) Some actually produce a better final product than others (imagine a circular saw with a cheap bearings. They have shudder and so the cut will not be as even and straight as one with good bearings). If the summing engine is not solid, your results will be less than perfect.
2) Some tools produce the exact same quality as another, but allow you to do it with less effort.
3) Some tools have bells and whistles that other don't have. (Can you say Mix knob on every plugin?
) Sure, you might not use them all the time, but when you do, it's nice to not have to rely on a third-party addon to get the job done.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phase Shift Are you waiting for samplitude to port to mac? |
I've actually been on the beta team for Samplitude for the past 3 years and while I won't comment on why, I will say that as of a few weeks ago I moved over to REAPER and couldn't be happier. It's such a joy to mix in REAPER! (And the automation is off the planet!)
I hope I've answered everyone's questions as they'd hoped.
All the best,
Dax.