AE240 Index
Eddie's IPR Index
updated 17 january 2005
AE240: Winter 2005

WEEK-2: Friday, 14 January

ASSIGNMENTS: due Friday 21 January

  • Continue to bring fave music
  • Whoever is keeping track of above, please e-mail eddie with list.
  • Bring Blank CD - we will eventually burn our class compilation
  • Bring Frequency Response of your mic of choice (or mics we used in week 2 ).  If you have it in e-form, e-mail eddie.
  • Listen to the samples (below) of our drum recording test - on at least two systems (can include headphones) and write about how they "play."
  • Please RE-VISIT this page. This is only the first update (saturday 15 jan'05).
  • NEW Swingo audio sample to facilitate tempo map (for TOY).
If you want to hear the audio samples, click here.

Prep for Week-3


SUMMARY

First,  thanks for your participation.  While I owe you all an apology for planning too much for one class, I feel we accomplished alot.  It certainly would not have happened without your help.  Thanks also to Wes.  Because I had never submitted a mic list and, considering how busy the lab office is, it was great to have his help.  (He also provided the two different types of tape, which we will eventually compare.) And finally, the lab office.  Dragging that gobo into SEVEN was a freakin' chore and they did it with a smile.

ACOUSTICS

As you all witnessed, the simple absorbers were quite effective at fixing the boom in the booth.  For trapping frequencies below 500Hz, the "triangle" positioning seems to be very effective.  We'll be doing more tweaking and testing of that space.

TAPE MACHINE and CONSOLE ALIGNMENT
In the process of getting tones to a from the Studer, I disovered a few problems. SO, we should investigate and learn to troubleshoot enough to workaround problems like that.  Later in the class we'll take a closer look at the inside of the Trident.  We'll delve into the tape machine alignment a little more in Week-3.

RECORDING DRUMS
The best part about recording drums is that we'll know what TO do and NOT to do for Week-3.  For me, I "think" the most obvious issue was the placement of the ride cymbal - it was very low and too close to the AKG-414 we had on the beater side of the kick.  That said, I tried some Mastering tricks on the quick rough mix and got some interesting results.  You'll find the samples right after the mic list.

Isolated Audio Samples
MIC / setting
ASSIGNMENT
   
AKG-414 / omni
Beater side of Kick
I think this "trick" is always impressive, because it tends to get a fairly balanced mix of the kit.
AKG-414 / omni
OverHead
AKG D112
outside edge of kick
(single head)
Sennheiser MD-421
roll-off @ mid position
outside edge of kick
(single head)
SE 5000
This was supposed to be a stereo track, but the one of the mics was intermittent due to a bad cable (which I repaired Friday night).  The mic was placed about 1.5 feet off the back wall.
back end of booth
You would never guess that this is the "booth" in Studio 7.  It's about 8' x 10' and in need of treatment.  We placed at least eight, 2' x 4' x 4" absorber panels in all coners as well as from floor to wall.  Everyone present agreed that this was very effective.  We'll be analyzing in a future class.
   
Shure "kit" mic (cardioide condenser)
I thought these mics were rather strident and buried them in the rough mix.  They don't seem as bad here. 
At kit but facing back wall 
to pick up reflection
The point of placing these mics at the kit but pointing into the room is to catch the lognest reflection - round trip to the far wall and back - to create a larger sense of space.

"15 Minute" DRUMS: Recording and "Mastering"  tests

TAKE
Track Name
Description of Process
All processing done on Adobe Audition
   
 NOTE the lack of snare drum or "tom" mics.  (This was unintentional as we ran out of time).  There is a hi-hat cymbal UNDER the snare stand to reflect the snares back into the room. 
1
Raw
Drum Mix
Drums recorded in Studio Seven Control Room with Trident mic preamps straight to Studer 827.  Mixed from Trident to HHB CD burner.  No EQ and No processing. VERY rough "last minute" mix.
2
Funny
Compression
The first Compression setting I opened produced this quirky sound.  You'll either dig it or not.  I think it has potential and I dig the "echo-ish" effect the compression found. 
3
M-S
"Remix"
When Justin (DeLeon) first heard the RAW track he commented that it was very "mono."  That was not my intention, but he was right, so this version is for him.  I used the Sum and Difference technique - it's Mid-Side encoded,  processed, then decoded back to stereo.  It's very effective if all else fails and very good for either extracting more ambience (my intended purpose) or the opposite.  Completely different processing for sum (compression) and difference (EQ).
4
"PLUS"
MIX
This is a combo of takes 2 and takes 3
5
Isolated
Tracks
The Original ISOmix
A quick run down of the individual tracks
 6
 Isolated
Tracks
Edited / Loopable ISOmix
Same as above but cut into Loopable lengths
Prep for Week-3
 
DEJA VU

Still on the list of things to do, only now we'll be more prepared, will be drum and bass overdubs on the Swingo Tape this Friday, 21 January.

Green Door is a song recently re-recorded by  El Swingo, a punk / tribute band from Colorado.  Theirs is a cover of The Cramps version from 1981, which itself is a cover of the 1956 original by Jim Lowe

El Swingo's  and Jim Lowe's version of the song are below, the latter purely for historical reference.  Toy, in case you're still having trouble with the tempo map, the remix might help. We really will re-record El Swingo's drums and bass on friday, 21 January.

El Swingo: GREEN DOOR (from CD)

Jim Lowe: GREEN DOOR

Eddie's Swingo REMIX 

The plan for Friday 21 January:

  • Mark Buffington will create a MIDI tempo map for the click track.
  • Calibrate the multitrack tape machine. 
  • Set up the drums in front of the booth
  • Justin Kane will play drums (so be sure to download and practice)
  • use minimal mic techniques
  • set up tall absorbers on either side of the kit
  • place old hi-hat cymbal under the snare stand.
  • Jeremy Woerner will overdub Bass Guitar (download and practice)
  • The balance of the students will handle recording chores.
At the moment, it has yet to be determined if we will record to the original tape or our own.  Currently, The audio has been transfered from the original multitrack, which included a SMPTE track.

Call 651-554-0304 OR e-maill Eddie with any questions.