AE-240 Winter-2010

Week-10:
Thanks for a great class everyone!  Below is Jack and Jimmy's song / mix as well as my end-of-class mix of little Bitty Pretty One.
 
Jack and Jimmy
Little Bitty Pretty One

week-6's recordings HERE

Pre-class remix...
After living with a mostly mono "Five Again' mix, I decided to take a different mixing approach.  Here are two mixes I did after electronics class on Wednesday...  The SM version on the left was balanced while listening to the little Otari tape machine speaker. The 2nd mix (on the right) was balanced on the big speakers.
 
5-Small Speaker Mix
5-Big Speaker Mix

MY ONLY REQUEST is that if you have ideas, PLEASE RECORD THEM, burn to redbook CD with our recording on the left chanel and you overdub(s) on the right chanel).  If you have multiple overdubs that need more tracks, just do an additonal pass.

If you have any requests, TELL ME NOW!!

MY overview of Week-6's events is that I was a bit selfish after class as I was hogging the console trying to make sense of our recording.  Being a bit tired, I went for 'conventional' with a nearly mono mix, but on listening in the car, I realized that the drums and acoustic, on '5,' should be separated - left and right - with the vocal and bass up the middle.  We'll try that this week.

Week-8: Katie Mae D would like to capture a live band performing a 60's song for one of her projects.  I am anticipating that some of our peeps will be participating in said project.  Also anticipating a rehearsal / pre-pro (week-7) with the recording scheduled for the following week (just a hunch).  Below, are three links: 'Build Me Up Buttercup' is the song by a soulful British group called The Foundation.  I've also included another one of their songs 'Baby Now That I've Found You' along with Allison Krause's cover version - forgive me, but this is one of the Internet's best features - finding multiple versions of songs...  KMD is going to sing lead.  If anyone wants to sing BKGs on Buttercup, start practicing, it's all goin' down live and in this key.
 
 

Buttercup
Baby-Found
Baby-AK

Week-6: Jack V & Friends will play some of Jack's songs while we magnetically capture and preserve the performance on 24 track tape.  I believe it is likely to be live, vocals included.
 
 

GIRLS-1
GIRLS-2
5 (last take)

Week-5:  This is a 'wrap' week for four track, unless someone twists my arm.  We will hopefully complete the two songs we've started PLUS learn how to use tape for echo and flanging.


Congrats to everyone.  This was AE-240 and I have come to envision it - everyone actively participating in every facet of the production.

Week-4: Tracking Pictures of Matchstick Men with Jack (gtr/vox), Aron (drums) and Ry (bass).


Week-3: Shy of four students, we played vintage analog tape and vinyl and discussed the history and techniques of that era.  Click HERE for student summary.


Week-2:  Record Little Bitty Pretty One based on the Thurston Harris version from 1957(history)

This is a very short and simple song that should allow us to replicate the sound of 1950's style analog recording.  Listen and see if you can figure out how many instruments and mics are used. 

At first, it sounds like a live recording, EXCEPT that only the claps seem to have reverb, which is only a little bit suspicious because I kinda expected the vocalists to be clapping - UNLESS there was a dedicated group of 'clappers.'   The vocals are dry, the drum sound is leakage - perhaps from the piano and/or bass - timing is impeccable in that the drums and claps seem to be very much in sync all the way through.

DRUMS: Hoku Aki
PIANO: Rose Marie
BASS: Chambs 
GUITAR: Jack
BKGS: All during tracking, Chambs James, Rose and Eddie during ODubs.

As per my back up plan, the details are as follows:

  • Make a loop of the original intro
  • record claps in the lounge to capture the verb
  • loop the claps and lay onto track-4.
  • record drums, piano and bass to the clap loop using the room mic for piano and drums, plus and SM-58 for Bass and Guitar through a 2-channel mixer limiter.  In addition, a crocth mic was on the kit (panned left in eddie's mix).
  • overdub vocals
  • mix or submix.
 Eddie's Rough Mix
James Finelli's rough mix

FUTURE IDEAS
I have an original tape from 1960 with a radio station ID an dI was thinking we might tag that to the end og this recording, possibly use a little flanging during the seque from this song to the next song that we do - a 'concept album of songs and recording styles from various eras.'

My electronics class repaired the keyboard in our 'studio,' so as long as we don't need the low C#, we're good to go.