Latin Jazz/Classical Music Show & Tell

[staudio]

This is a song I recorded and mixed for an orchestra in NYC. It was recorded live at a very nice concert hall. While there are some things that could be better, I am pretty happy with it overall. This was recorded a couple years ago and I recently did a remix for fun.

The equipment used will be discussed after a few people listen, just so no one is distracted by the gear list.

I welcome critiques and opinions.


Memories_2008.mp3

[matucha]

nice... though I'd like to hear less roomy version

[staudio]

Thank you for the reply, that is a good suggestion.

[matucha]

Or to be more precise... some instruments could/should be closer and some are fine as they are. But the way it is, everything is in the back... it is almost opposite of "modern" in-the-face production, where there is nothing in the back ;-).

[staudio]

Does it lack front to back depth? Or maybe the ambience is too uniform, and as a result, there is less separation between instruments?

[Timothy Lawler]

Beautiful recording. Sounds like I'm sitting in the middle of the hall. Brass, woodwind and percussion sound especially good. Piano sounds a bit distant but it would sound that way, realistically, where I'm envisioning I'm sitting in the hall. The low end is just a little strong maybe.

[matucha]

you're right it is like that, being in the hall at the back though ;-)... lowend is fine here

[Timothy Lawler]

Originally Posted by matucha

you're right it is like that, being in the hall at the back though ;-)... lowend is fine here

I'm obviously sitting in a bigger hall than you are, . For me the lows were strong but OK on my KRK V6s, treated room, but a little boomy in headphones.

[matucha]

...listening again and yep, the lowend could be cleaner and maybe it is the "reverb" that is responsible.

(avocet > adam s3a in a treated room here)

[staudio]

Thanks again for the replies everyone.

[staudio]

Track Sheet:

Kick- Shure Beta 52A
Snare/Hand Perc- Shure SM57
Overhead L- Neumann KM185
Overhead R- Neumann KM185
Upright Bass- Neumann TLM 170 cardioid
Piano Low- Sennheiser MKH800 XY cardioid
Piano High- Sennheiser MKH800 XY cardioid
Solo Sax- Neumann TLM 170 cardioid
Decca Tree L- Neumann M150
Decca Tree C- Neumann M150
Decca Tree R- Neumann M150
Audience/Room L- DPA 4006 TL
Audience/Room R- DPA 4006 TL

Signal Chain:

Mic -> Grace Design m802 Remote Pre -> Apogee AD16x -> RME optical MADI snake -> ProTools HD at 24bit/48khz

I mixed the song in Logic using no EQ other than a few high pass filters. There is very slight compression on the Decca Tree bus and the Audience bus. I automated the volume of the Solo Sax because the artist was moving around a lot and the signal quality/level was not consistent on that track. There is no artificial reverb, just the Audience/Room Mics.

The 2 Bus chain was: MOTU Traveler DA -> Folcrom -> Manley Dual Mono Pre -> Distressors -> Rosetta 200 AD

During tracking, monitoring was on ADAM S3A's with stereo ADAM subs.

Mixing was monitored on ADAM A7's.

[matucha]

funny, I quite liked the sound of drums... the highs esp. and here we go with KM185 "harsh" mic ;-).

What's strange to me is the use of MOTU Traveller DA for the 2buss, also why you went through folcrom when you had just 2 tracks going on...

I tried Manley pre for 2buss coloration and I've almost never picked the Manley track over the clean ITB version. Esp. when some of the important tracks were tracked with manley... but that's another story.

Are you going to try to do a less wet version, using less of the audience and decca tree mics?

[staudio]

Originally Posted by matucha

funny, I quite liked the sound of drums... the highs esp. and here we go with KM185 "harsh" mic ;-).

What's strange to me is the use of MOTU Traveller DA for the 2buss, also why you went through folcrom when you had just 2 tracks going on...

I tried Manley pre for 2buss coloration and I've almost never picked the Manley track over the clean ITB version. Esp. when some of the important tracks were tracked with manley... but that's another story.

Are you going to try to do a less wet version, using less of the audience and decca tree mics?

I used the Traveler DA because the Rosetta 200 DA is my monitoring DA so I couldn't use that. I used the Folcrom as a pad to go between the DA and Manley. I will do another mix of the song with some changes soon. I also like the "harsh" KM185 for this song, not very harsh in my opinion.

[staudio]

I think I will do a mix with less ambience and a couple different 2 Bus treatments and we can compare. Stay tuned.

[kikin]

This one of the most refreshing mix i have heard in a long time. Been latin please have it as a compliment. I think the balance is perfect for a latin live performance. In latin jazz big band type the drums are not predominat as is the percussion and you balanced perfectly. It reminds me of the style of recording of the big latin bands like Perez Prado, Tito Puente, Tito Rodriguez.


Great job.

[staudio]

Originally Posted by kikin

This one of the most refreshing mix i have heard in a long time. Been latin please have it as a compliment. I think the balance is perfect for a latin live performance. In latin jazz big band type the drums are not predominat as is the percussion and you balanced perfectly. It reminds me of the style of recording of the big latin bands like Perez Prado, Tito Puente, Tito Rodriguez.


Great job.

Thank you very much for your kind words. Thank you. Thank you . Thank you.

[Timothy Lawler]

Originally Posted by staudio

I think I will do a mix with less ambience and a couple different 2 Bus treatments and we can compare.

Please do.