All of our meetings went well, we all agreed on what we needed to do, we wrote down a plan before we went in to the studio. We worked efficiently before recording and wrote down and discussed what we needed to do and how we would do it before we started recording anything.
We helped each other set up instruments and mics in the studio and took turns working on each job role starting with our least strongest first, for example, i started by setting up the tracks in logic because that was my weakest part of recording. We would all help set up and whoever wasn't recording would get a chance to control the mixing desk or logic, this was effective because it allowed everyone to improve on all areas of recording. We worked quickly and effectively considering we only had two weeks to record the whole thing, when some of our members weren't there others supplied the part for them so we could continue to record. We had good communication in and out of the studio, for example, we would exchange notes when mixing and listen to each others tracks to give feedback, we also compared each others tracks when the mix finished. The reference track helped, the EQing and effects i put in was based around the reference track and helped to give our song the reggae feel we was going for.
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Final track- soundcloud.com/mika-921951394/blowin-trees-1
Natural mystic by Bob Marley- Reference track We chose this because it had a good classic reggae feel. if you compare this to our track you can hear how the bass is quite similar in that it combines quick and slow plucks in a 4/4 time signature. the guitar strums are on the downbeat but they are played similarly to natural mystique in that they are quick strums of chords not melodic melodies. the drum beats are both simple not overpowering the other instruments and the fills are. We didn't want to have over complicated lyrics or structure, we were going for a casual chill feeling when making the instrumental to the song and something relatable and catchy when making the lyrics. I started the mix by going through each track and listening to what was in it, i then took out what i didn't need e.g. bad recording of the guitar, one of the two recordings of the bass. Once i had gone through it i listened to everything again and neatened things up for example, clipped the ending because it went on for too long and cut out the background talking. I then began sorting out the levels for each recorded track starting wit the kick drum, once that was at an appropriate level i set every other track based on the kick so nothing would be too loud. After the levels were done i focused on the dynamics and began EQing, i started with the kick then focused on the rest of the instruments, i used a default preset for all of them then tweaked them to how i wanted for example, the guitar was a preset but i took out some of the high end. I used a preset on one of the vocals, i had to change a lot on them to try and match them while keeping the sound clear for each voice. I added reverb on the guitar because it sounded a bit harsh, i also added it to Malachai's adlibs to create a background effect. I added marimbas at the end to accentuate the hook and i thought the track needed another instrument and more dynamics. To finish i added colour to the tracks to identify each instrument and cut off the beginning to give a proper start to the song. session 1 inputs- kick- input 1 snare- input 2 hi hat-input 3 tom 1-input 4 tom 2-input 5 floor tom- input 6 OH left- input 7 OH right-input 8 session 2 bass DI-input 12 mic 1- input 13 mic 2-input 14 bass mic- input 2 guitar input 3 bass mic 2- input 2 guitar 2-input 3 mic 3-input 4 We started off by listening to what we did in the last session. We then decided to re-record the bass with ishmael and record the guitar, which we did at the same time.
we then set up the instruments, the bass was plugged int the DI, the output was plugged into the desk and the other output was plugged into the tie line with a mic and amp. the guitar was plugged into the amp but was played in the room with desk as was the bass. We played over the original track about 5 times, the last few times ishmael played bass by himself so we could make sure there was no mistakes then malachai played guitar by himself. we had to change the guitar amp on the second take because it sounded too distorted on some parts. once we recorded the guitar again we had to auto punch a part in. then we re-recorded the whole thing incase we needed to pan it using the different takes. Malachai then recorded some ad-libs in the booth and i re-recorded my vocals after. Meeting
Before the recording we had a meeting to discuss what the expectations of each person were. We all agreed that we would take turns running the recording and actually recording. So everyone would get a chance to learn how to set up things such as the mics and logic. We also decided what to record first, which was the drums. Recording process We started the session by deciding what instrument we wanted to record first, we chose the drums. We then went through the different mics we were going to use for each instrument, we decide on this; Bass guitar-AKG 414 Kick drum-AKG S112 Snare drum-SHURE SM57 Hi hat-AKG 100 Tom 1- SHURE SM57 Tom 2-SHURE SM57 Floor tom-SENNHIESER 421 Overheads-SENNHIESER E604 Guitar-SM57 and AKG 414 Vocals-SM57 We then proceeded to mic up the drum kit, which we did slightly wrong so Alex showed us the correct spacing and directions for each mic so the recording would have the clearest sound and less interference. Once set up we gave tom headphones but then realized he had nothing to play to, so we used a DI box to connect the bass to the mixing desk so tom could hear the bass line and play along. Me and Hannah also plugged some mics in as a guide so they could follow the structure of the song. Our first take went okay but hearing it back there was too much bleeding from the hi hat into the kick drum mic so we re-recorded it again. The next take Alex noticed the bass had not been turned up on the desk so we recorded it again it. Then malachai kept changing the guitar riff, we ended up recording it a few times before we got one we liked. Next session we need to record the proper bass line with Ishmael (because he wasn't in), the guitar and the vocals. The dynamic mics can handle more loud sounds than a condensor mic, it can be close to an instrument, this creates separation between them because each instrument can be mic'd individually. This frequency response graph for a AKG D112 dynamic mic shows low and high end frequency sounds are boosted. This type of mic would be good for drums or bass as it has a low resonance frequency and is less likely to distort. This frequency response graph for a Shure SM57 dynamic mic shows that most of the low end frequencies are cut off while the high end frequencies are boosted. This would be good for recording snares or guitars. The condenser mic is more sensitive and picks up more sounds or "space" in the room. Unlike the dynamic mic it does not separate instruments or boost low frequencies. The condenser mic has different polar pattern settings;
Cardioid Omnidirectional Figure 8 Hypercardioid Wide cardioid The frequency response graphs above show the different responses from each. During our recording we will likely use a AKG 414 with a figure of 8 polar pattern because there are a lot of harmonies and use a cardioid pattern if we need to work on any isolated vocals. We are looking for a classic reggae sound nothing too contemporary. Natural mystic by Bob Marley is a good representation for what we would like to achieve; it has a prominent bass line that is quite simple but provides a strong repetitive backbone for the song, the drum kit isn't overpowering and has a traditional off beat pattern slightly changed by the shaker. The guitar repeats clear and concise chords on the off beats.
We could use a range of mics during our recording for each instrument, for example; -the kick will need an individual mic maybe the AKG D112 -the snare could use a sure SM57 -the hat could use a SM57 -the toms could use a SM57 and Sennheiser 421 for the floor tom -the overhead could be a AKG 414 contender because it needs to take in more sound -the bass could use a DI to stop bleeding from the drums -guitar could use an SM57 and AKG 414 -the keys could use a DI -vocals could use a AKG 414 Band lineup Malachi-guitar Ishmael-bass Tom- drums Hannah-vocals Me-vocals Bob Marley- Natural Mystic - www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffyYxu1rPi8 Band lineup
Malachi- Guitar Tom- Drums Ishmael- Bass Hannah- Vocals Me- Vocals The song we chose to record is our reggae song, Blow trees everyday. Malachai will play guitar and sing, Ishmael will play bass, Tom will play drums and me and Hannah will sing. We plan to rotate the job roles so we all have a chance to engineer while the others are recording. We will record for 2 weeks then mix for 2 weeks, 4 lessons all 3 hours each. We will use the studio in the college. Health and safety To safeguard ourselves we will make sure we won't eat or drink in the studio. The cables and leads will be rolled up out of the way so nobody trips. The sound levels, both from the headphones and the speakers, need to be at an appropriate level (not too loud). The monitors should be the last thing to be turned on as the electric current from other things e.g. the computer will make them pop. The singers need to do warm ups so they don't hurt their voices, the instrumentalists can also warm up perhaps by playing scales. We should also make sure everything is saved as we are working. Requirements As a group we all need to make sure we participate. We need to be prepared e.g. bring equipment if we need it. We should all be on time and turn up to every recording, we need to be dedicated to every recording and get work done quickly and efficiently. The recording will take place in the studio at Lewisham college, we have 2 weeks to record it during which we will have 2, 3 hour sessions. Genres We had to have a range of genres so we chose, reggae out of the four (Reggae, Funk, Country and Hip-hop). We listened to a range of reggae songs to draw influence from them, particularly reggae songs with female leads such as, Silly games by Janet Kay, With you boy by Revelations. |
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