Russ Long's instructional DVD - the sequel

[chrisgraff]

We're shooting this week with Nashville engineer, Shane Wilson (Switchfoot, Mercy Me). We'll be covering tracking & mixing, to be released on two DVD's (sold separately).

Any questions you'd like answered?

Any topics you'd like covered?

If there's anything you'd like to see...now's the time to ask.

Smartasses need not reply

[KingUgly]

Microphone technique.

[NeveMaster]

More Drum techniques!
Room techniques!
Drum Mixing for the lame ass

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by KingUgly

Microphone technique.

At all starts with the mic right? Well not really 100% true but much of our jobs start at the mic and I think this is where many folks get tripped up.

1) How to choose the proper mic for the source - room - style - etc. How do you know when it is right for the track and it is wrong.
2) How to position the mic on the source
3) When and how to use multiple mics on the same source

These are all things that really took my productions to the next level when I started paying attention to them. I have a method to my madness when it comes to the above but I would love to see someone else's approach as well. The more we are exposed to from other ideas the more rounded we become right?

[jayjohnsonit]

Since audio coming out of a tv speaker is weak how about a visual output of frequency spectrum as you are doing whatever you are doing, mic placement, pre amps, eq etc... Maybe Smaart or Wavelab 6 with the new spectral display.

Showing how individual instruments sit in the spectrum as well as the whole mix or stems.

I'll buy it no matter what you do as the last one and any info is valuable.

Thanks
Jay

[raal]

use of DDL and verb or not, to achieve depth and space.

[DAWgEAR]

Following up with not so new's comment, I would like to know WHY a particular approach (not just mic technique) was taken, i.e. the reasoning behind the engineer's choice.

Thanks for asking!

[chrisgraff]

"Why," in addition to "how," seems to be what I keep hearing.

I'm forwarding this thread to everyone involved.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by chrisgraff

"Why," in addition to "how," seems to be what I keep hearing.

I'm forwarding this thread to everyone involved.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

[warhead]

Don't know if this has been covered in any recording videos before but, demonstrating how a good engineer will learn basic drum tuning techniques and not just stick mics on a lame sounding kit that comes in would help a lot of people realize what needs to be done. Also, dealing with intonation problems on guitars.

Not gear focused, but things that make the difference and if the band doesn't know well enough...YOU should.

War

[dcrann11]

show Plugin settings --letting us hear the original sounds and then adding plugins to hear the affected results.

Are we going to get the PT sessions ala Milar?

thanks for this

[gabler]

Originally Posted by chrisgraff

We're shooting this week with Nashville engineer, Shane Wilson (Switchfoot, Mercy Me). We'll be covering tracking & mixing, to be released on two DVD's (sold separately).

Any questions you'd like answered?

Any topics you'd like covered?

If there's anything you'd like to see...now's the time to ask.

Smartasses need not reply

I will be buying because the last video was great and Chris and Russ are great people I will always support...

[McPhaul]

I just got a copy of the first DVD a few weeks ago so first let me say thanks for putting it together. As for a second DVD I'd love to see the whys as many people have said but please show the process. Put up a mic and let us hear it as you look for the best position. When talking about preamps let us hear the same mic with several pre's. Same with outboard processing, let us hear the dry signal as well as the finished signal. That was my only gripe with the first DVD. You show all of the settings and talk about why the (let's use EQ here) EQ is set where it is but it would have been very easy to play the dry signal and then as you are explaining the settings let us hear the changes.

Thanks again for the first DVD and for the follow up questions before doing the second. I guess I'll have to get in line for it now.

Will

[harvestmark]

I second Warren Dent's reply regarding drum tuning. What a huge difference that makes. Is it just me, or do most drummers NOT know how to tune drums? OR how you got things to sound really good before putting mics in front of the instrument.
Mark Miller

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by harvestmark

I second Warren Dent's reply regarding drum tuning. What a huge difference that makes. Is it just me, or do most drummers NOT know how to tune drums? OR how you got things to sound really good before putting mics in front of the instrument.
Mark Miller

I agree 100%... but there are plenty of great DVDs out there already that you can learn how to tune drums and such.

We are on the same page, the KEY to what we do is to have good sounding instruments to record but I think we have to make some assumptions when we are talking about recording. In this case I wound not want to see this DVD turned into a drum tuning lesson, there are other resources for that so let's assume that the drums are tuned up nice on this DVD and work from there.. that is my take but what do I know.....

LOL

Again I agree with you, so much so that I went out years ago to a local drum store and got a friend of mine to give me lesions on tuning.

[warhead]

Sure, and there are other videos on recording and mixing as well but they're still making another. Why not include a section on getting something like drum tunings correct before putting mics up? Maybe retuning an otherwise well tuned kit because the sympathetic vibrations are making the snare buzz like crazy?

Why not include a section on checking intonation of instruments before the recording turns out half-worthless? Maybe these subjects could at least be referenced, and the audience directed towards other info to help cure these problems after seeing short examples?

Mark it's not just you, most drummers suck at tuning drums (or even keeping heads fresh!) and it's a big issue. I'll take a well tuned drum kit with a Behringer mixer and Nady mics over some crappy sounding kit with Neumanns and a Neve any ol' day of the week.

If the video is to be all inclusive and true to life, then these are the things done by engineers who, like Avis, "try harder".

War

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by warhead

Sure, and there are other videos on recording and mixing as well but they're still making another. Why not include a section on getting something like drum tunings correct before putting mics up? Maybe retuning an otherwise well tuned kit because the sympathetic vibrations are making the snare buzz like crazy?

Why not include a section on checking intonation of instruments before the recording turns out half-worthless? Maybe these subjects could at least be referenced, and the audience directed towards other info to help cure these problems after seeing short examples?

Mark it's not just you, most drummers suck at tuning drums (or even keeping heads fresh!) and it's a big issue. I'll take a well tuned drum kit with a Behringer mixer and Nady mics over some crappy sounding kit with Neumanns and a Neve any ol' day of the week.

If the video is to be all inclusive and true to life, then these are the things done by engineers who, like Avis, "try harder".

War

Points well taken.

I guess for me this is kind of old ground. I would like to see techniques that I might not have ever seen before but I defiantly can see how many others could benefit from something like this as well.

[Mike Jasper]

Yes, addressing the "why" would definitely be the biggest improvement over the last DVD.

Also, I'm still in on the copy editing later on down the road.

Jasper

[chrisgraff]

Originally Posted by warhead

Don't know if this has been covered in any recording videos before but, demonstrating how a good engineer will learn basic drum tuning techniques and not just stick mics on a lame sounding kit that comes in would help a lot of people realize what needs to be done. Also, dealing with intonation problems on guitars.

Not gear focused, but things that make the difference and if the band doesn't know well enough...YOU should.

War

That's a great point, War. We included a bonus chapter on drum tuning on the 1st DVD...maybe we can include a similar chapter, "guitar intonation 101", this time around. Hopefully, I can find a guitar tech to stop by the studio on short notice (we're shooting this week).

[chrisgraff]

Originally Posted by dcrann11

show Plugin settings --letting us hear the original sounds and then adding plugins to hear the affected results.

I'll make that happen.

Originally Posted by dcrann11

Are we going to get the PT sessions ala Milar?

thanks for this

Yes.

[chrisgraff]

Originally Posted by Mike Jasper

Yes, addressing the "why" would definitely be the biggest improvement over the last DVD.

Also, I'm still in on the copy editing later on down the road.

Jasper

[ron florentine]

for the mixing stage have a section of the song that the band played fairly lose and show the quickest most effecient and effective ways to really tight up a rhythm section.

Ron

[lpkyer]

So when is it coming out??

[Sonicvalley]

Originally Posted by DAWgEAR

Following up with not so new's comment, I would like to know WHY a particular approach (not just mic technique) was taken, i.e. the reasoning behind the engineer's choice.

Thanks for asking!

DITTO this....

[ron florentine]

This may be a tall order but........ on the mixing stage of the DVD two mixdown of the same tune ......2 different ways one out of the Box with special attention details on buss compression/limiter choices and EQ and hardware choices and then tryin to achieve a similar mix IN the box and showing the different routing and comp routing & plugs ITB..........Hopefully this will be mixed on a Analog console for OTB version and not just into a summing box.......I mix OTB with a ton of hardware and I have not been comfortable to mix ITB at this point but would LOVE to see both processes covered! A boy can dream cant he!Thanks for asking for insight and for all your hard work and doing it right!


Ron Florentine
Soundswest Studio